West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL), whose predecessor resigned in the wake of a sex scandal, agreed to a $121,000 payment to a former mistress who worked on his staff and was threatening to sue him, according to current and former members of his staff who have been briefed on the settlement, which involved Mahoney and his campaign committee.The Republican leadership hurt their party in 2006 because they handled the Mark Foley scandal about as poorly as the Mets handled Willie Randolph.
The eyes of the country are focused elsewhere. But the Democratic leadership will face pressure to get Mahoney to quit... just as Foley was pressured to quit...after a while.
Foley resigned on 9/29/06 .... ballots in Florida have already been printed.
So Dems probably can't get Mahoney to quit and replace him. (The state Dem executive committee has the power to appoint a replacement if Mahoney vamooses, but his name won't appear on the ballot...only Mahoney's...the same problem that Joe Negron (R) had in 2006.)
Mahoney's Republican opponent is Tom Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers Rooneys.
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