Romney Campaign Arizona Co-Chair Resigns in Gay Sex Scandal

Arizona GOP congressional candidate Paul Babeu acknowledged Saturday he is gay but forcefully denied charges he threatened an ex-lover with deportation after their relationship soured.

"All of the allegations are false except one, I am gay," Babeu said.  

The nationally renown Pinal County Sheriff called a news conference to address the explosive story by The Phoenix New Times that he pressured a man only identified as "Jose" into signing an agreement to conceal their relationship or face deportation.  The piece, posted late Friday, also includes text messages Babeu exchanged with the man and pictures he posted on online gay websites.

Sheriff Paul Babeu, who had been co-chairman of Romney's Arizona campaign, resigned from that position Saturday and admitted he is homosexual, but denied that he or his lawyer had threatened to deport the Mexican man with whom he had been sexually involved. David Catanese of Politico reports:

"All of the allegations are false except one, I am gay," Babeu said.
The nationally renowned Pinal County Sheriff called a news conference to address the explosive story by The Phoenix New Times that he pressured a man only identified as "Jose" into signing an agreement to conceal their relationship or face deportation.
The piece, posted late Friday, also includes text messages Babeu exchanged with the man and pictures he posted on online gay websites.
Babeu repeatedly sidestepped questions about his personal life but acknowledged a relationship with the man in question.
"What I do in my personal life and private life is my business," he said.

Jose says he met Babeu in October 2006 on gay.com, a dating website. What started with an online invitation from Babeu for the two to get together, he says, turned into not only a personal relationship but a professional one.

Jose says he created and maintained Babeu's campaign websites, his Facebook page, and hisTwitter account. Babeu didn't pay him for his online services, he claims.

Jose says Babeu told him that he loved him and was with him exclusively. But Jose suspected Babeu was lying. The relationship soured, and Jose believes that Babeu sent DeRose after him. He says DeRose demanded the passwords to Babeu's websites and social-media accounts. Jose says he complied but that Babeu and his attorney also wanted Jose to sign a document that would bind him legally to keep silent about the relationship.

Here is how the local press are handling this story, with pictures and text messages

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