[Elvis]

http://www.kansascity.com/news/governme ... 22424.html

Text images between Missouri House Speaker John Diehl and intern reveal sexually charged exchanges

BY JASON HANCOCK
jhancock@kcstar.com

Text messages obtained by The Star reveal a sexually charged relationship between House Speaker John Diehl and a college freshman in a Missouri Capitol internship program that shut down abruptly last month.

The conversations unveil a flirty rapport and suggest an intimacy between arguably the state’s most influential lawmaker and a young woman taking some pleasure in a secret association.

The texts show occasional efforts by Diehl and the intern to meet in person. They range from mundane chatter, about boring meetings and dreading speeches, to the more sexually suggestive.

Diehl declined to comment. The intern, who has hired an attorney specializing in employment matters, told The Star that the text messages were not real. Meantime, she has told confidants that she had an ongoing relationship with Diehl.

Multiple sources helped The Star confirm that the screenshots of the texts, which show Diehl’s business cellphone number, originated from the intern’s smartphone. The text conversations also included photographs of each of them. And others who know Diehl well said they recognized the language and tone of the conversations from their own text exchanges with him.

Internships canceled

The discovery of the text messages between Diehl and the intern follows a decision by Missouri Southern State University to end its Capitol internship program more than a month prematurely.

Richard Miller, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Missouri Southern, told The Star that the school pulled its four interns out of the state Capitol this spring after an unspecified incident. Yet Miller, citing student privacy laws, declined to be more specific about what led the university to end the internships.

Missouri Southern has held a legislative internship program for the past 20 years, sending students to the United Nations in New York City and Washington, D.C.

“This is the first time we have pulled all the interns,” Miller said. “Usually, when something happens, it is a problem with the interns themselves, but that was not the situation this year.”

The school said no decision has been made about the university’s legislative intern program for the next school year.

The interns each lived in Jefferson City and worked 35 hours a week for various lawmakers. They have been reassigned to law offices and political action organizations in the state, Miller said.

Confronted with texts

The Star obtained the texted conversations after the internship program ended. Diehl was contacted April 24 about the exchanges and, through a staff member, asked to see the texts before he would comment. The Star shared the texts with Diehl within minutes of that request, and he declined to comment publicly.

A week later, on May 1, Diehl agreed through his staff to talk on the record with a reporter. However, he backed out of that arrangement and refused to speak for publication.

Another week later, last Friday, his staff offered to deliver records for both his personal cellphone and another cellphone paid for by his law firm, Husch Blackwell. Those records took several days to produce. They showed just six text messages sent from the intern to Diehl.

While they were presented as evidence that no significant text exchange with the intern occurred, they show only a log of conventional text messages.

Yet the texts obtained by The Star and presented last month to Diehl show conversations over Apple’s proprietary iMessage platform. Texts on iMessage wouldn’t show up on a cellphone record unless they were sent or received when no Wi-Fi or mobile Internet connection is available.

Niether Diehl nor his staff ever mentioned that he regularly uses iMessage to send texts until asked by The Star on Tuesday.

Texted conversations

Screenshots of the text messages between Diehl and the intern are punctuated throughout with emoticons and emojis — cartoonish faces that smile or wink. They paint a picture of playful sexual innuendo.

Her: “You better take care of me.”

Diehl: “Like how?”

Her: “I’ll bet you’ll figure it out.”

Diehl: “I dunno. You have always been disappointed;)”

Her: “I just have high expectations, I guess. Thus far, you’ve done pretty well (an emoji blows a kiss)”

Diehl: “:). I kinda want to hear what you are expecting”

Then, shortly after, he types: “You will be in good hands ”

At one point Diehl texts her “God I want you right now,” to which she replies “I wish you could have me right now.”

In another exchange, she sends a picture of herself in a bikini and Diehl responds: “Damn girl …”

“Nice”

Shortly after he writes: “I want to see more” followed by a smiling emoji.

Another exchange centered on Diehl texting that he was “Laying in bed looking at your pic ”

She responded: “Mmmmm why can’t I be there ”

Diehl shared photos as well, including one apparently taken while he was on a trade mission to Europe with Gov. Jay Nixon. The picture shows the speaker standing next to a luxury car in Munich, Germany.

“Munich is a cool place,” he says.

“That suit and tie combo is sexy and you look great,” she responds. “I see a lot of work is happening.”

Diehl lives with his wife and three sons in Town and Country, Mo.

The 49-year-old has developed a reputation as a hard-charging, deal-making politician whose rise in House leadership — and to arguably the second-most powerful job in the Statehouse — reflects rarely rivaled ambition.

Diehl grew up in Manchester in suburban St. Louis and received a political science degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a law degree from St. Louis University. He established his own law practice in the St. Louis area and specializes in real estate matters. He recently went to work for Husch Blackwell.

The firm’s website says: “John advises businesses, landowners and developers in a wide variety of areas, including land use processing, real property development and clean energy/clean tech projects. … In the last decade, John has worked on nearly $1 billion in development projects.”

The Star’s Mará Rose Williams contributed to this story.

To reach Jason Hancock, call 573-634-3565 or send email to jhancock@kcstar.com.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/governme ... rylink=cpy

[Hacksaw]

What's the big Diehl? Is this the dude who shut down Silvey at the budget hearing? Sounds like Silvey might get an unrefuted 2nd chance. Too bad Silvey wasn't privy prior to that vote as that would have created some good leverage.

[Hacksaw]

Seriously though, this is bad for his career and who knows if he'll be in office to block Silvey and that other guy who is "going to be a wall".

[Elvis]

What's the big Diehl? Is this the dude who shut down Silvey at the budget hearing? Sounds like Silvey might get an unrefuted 2nd chance. Too bad Silvey wasn't privy prior to that vote as that would have created some good leverage.

You're right, we need a "like" button...

[Elvis]

http://www.kmbc.com/politics/house-spea ... Type=Story

Mo. House Speaker John Diehl Jr. resigns after sexting scandal
Diehl will also give up his Missouri Legislature seat

UPDATED 2:07 PM CDT May 14, 2015
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -

House Speaker John Diehl Jr. has announced his resignation from the Missouri Legislature following the revelation that he exchanged sexually charged text messages with an intern.

"Too often we hear leaders say they’re sorry but are unwilling to accept the consequences," Diehl said in his resignation statement. "I understand that, as a leader, I am responsible for my actions and I am willing to face the consequences."

The announcement comes one day after a Kansas City Star report disclosed the text messages.

Diehl apologized Wednesday and asked for his colleagues and constituents to forgive him. He said at the time that he would not resign and would fight Democratic Party efforts to remove him from his leadership post.

Diehl shut himself in his office for hours Wednesday, emerging late at night and told reporters that his actions were the result of a “stupid mistake.”

Diehl, 49, is married with three children. He represented a district in St. Louis.

The issue has been another complication as Missouri lawmakers try to complete work on numerous bills before the annual session ends Friday. In the Senate, Democrats have use filibusters to stop business in response to Republican passage of a right-to-work bill on Wednesday.

Diehl's full resignation statement:

“In my time in the General Assembly, I’m proud of my long legislative legacy that was built upon being honest with members and doing what is in the best interest of our caucus and this body. I am proud to have led us to the largest Republican majority in state history, the first income tax cut in nearly one hundred years, and an override of the governor’s veto of Missouri’s congressional redistricting map."

"I have acknowledged making a serious error in judgment by sending the text messages. It was wrong and I am truly sorry. Too often we hear leaders say they’re sorry but are unwilling to accept the consequences. I understand that, as a leader, I am responsible for my actions and I am willing to face the consequences."

"I appreciate those who have stood beside me and the overwhelming number of caucus members that have offered continued support; but for the good of my party, the caucus, and this state, I’m not going to further jeopardize what we have accomplished this year and what can be accomplished in the future. Therefore, I will be resigning the position of Speaker of the House and the office of State Representative in a way that allows for an orderly transition.”

Copyright 2015 by KMBC.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Hacksaw]

Well this is interesting. Too bad this didn't happen a month ago. Now will Silvey reboot? He can't get it into the budget but he could re-offer that bill of his again,,, with less resistance. We'll see I guess.

[Elvis]

In more How Does This Affect The Rams news (and not to be out done by Diehl):

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html

Carson mayor accused by daughter of Mervyn Dymally of sexual harassment

By MATT HAMILTON contact the reporter Crime

The daughter of late politician Mervyn M. Dymally has accused the mayor of Carson of sexually assaulting her in a Washington, D.C., hotel room and subjecting her to sexual harassment while both served on the board of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. ...

[Hacksaw]

Man politicians being bad / sex scandals, politicians trying to circumvent voters rights, and everyone in is pissy about Kroenke. He is more like a saint by comparison.

lol