Watchdog Group Calls for Medical Board Investigation into DesJarlais
Republican Rep. Scott DesJarlais' troubles haven't ended. The Tennessee pro-life freshman and lawmaker has come under heat after a report emerged that in the early 2000s he urged his mistress, who was also a patient of his, to get an abortion.
Now watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed a complaint, asking the Tennessee Department of Health to conduct an investigation into DesJarlais. CREW alleges he had "inappropriate sexual conduct" with a patient, which is in violation of state law.
The contents of the telephone call were first reported by Huffington Post. DesJarlais has not disputed the contents of the transcript, but he said on WTN-FM that the woman was not, in fact, pregnant. He also told the radio station that this was the work of "a disgruntled, defeated ex-congressman, a vindictive ex-wife, and a desperate Democratic candidate." DesJarlais is in a reelection bout against State Senator Eric Stewart.
In the phone call, HuffPo reported, DesJarlais told the woman, "Well, I didn't want to be in your life either, but you lied to me about something that caused us to be in this situation, and that's not my fault, that's yours." To which the woman responded, "Well, it's [your] fault for sleeping with your patient."
The woman first came to DesJarlais as a patient with a foot problem, HuffPo reported. He reportedly wanted to patch things up with his wife, who had previously filed divorce papers, at the time of the call. They have since divorced and he has remarried.
Now watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed a complaint, asking the Tennessee Department of Health to conduct an investigation into DesJarlais. CREW alleges he had "inappropriate sexual conduct" with a patient, which is in violation of state law.
The contents of the telephone call were first reported by Huffington Post. DesJarlais has not disputed the contents of the transcript, but he said on WTN-FM that the woman was not, in fact, pregnant. He also told the radio station that this was the work of "a disgruntled, defeated ex-congressman, a vindictive ex-wife, and a desperate Democratic candidate." DesJarlais is in a reelection bout against State Senator Eric Stewart.
In the phone call, HuffPo reported, DesJarlais told the woman, "Well, I didn't want to be in your life either, but you lied to me about something that caused us to be in this situation, and that's not my fault, that's yours." To which the woman responded, "Well, it's [your] fault for sleeping with your patient."
The woman first came to DesJarlais as a patient with a foot problem, HuffPo reported. He reportedly wanted to patch things up with his wife, who had previously filed divorce papers, at the time of the call. They have since divorced and he has remarried.
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