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U.S. NEWS Friday 10 November 2017

GOP leaders bolt from Senate candidate Moore after sex claim

By STEVE PEOPLES Moore, a former Alabama the horse.
Associated Press Supreme Court justice, has But I will have something to
WASHINGTON (AP) — A made his name in Repub- say about that. Let me do
month before Alabama’s lican politics through his some more research,” he
special election, Republi- public devotion to hard- told the AP. The Alabama
can Senate candidate Roy line Christian conservative special election is to ill the
Moore abruptly faced lu- positions. He was twice re- vacancy created when
rid allegations Thursday of moved from his Supreme Trump tapped Sen. Jeff Ses-
sexual misconduct with mi- Court position, once for sions to serve as the U.S. at-
nors decades ago — and disobeying a federal court torney general. Then-Gov.
an immediate backlash order to remove a 5,200 Robert Bentley appointed
from party leaders who pound granite Ten Com- Strange in the interim. Re-
demanded he get out of mandments monument action after the Post story
the race if the accusations from the lobby of the state was published online was
prove true. judicial building, and later swift and severe.
The instant fallout followed for urging state probate “The allegations against Al-
a Washington Post report in judges to defy the U.S. Su- abama Senate candidate
which an Alabama wom- preme Court decision that Roy Moore are deeply trou-
an said that Moore, then a legalized gay marriage. bling,” said Colorado Sen.
32-year-old assistant district On Thursday, senior Re- Chairman Cory Gardner,
attorney, had sexual con- publicans swiftly called for who leads the Senate GOP
tact with her when she was Moore to step aside from Former Alabama Chief Justice and U.S. Senate candidate campaign arm. “If these al-
Roy Moore speaks at a rally, in Fairhope, Ala. According to a
14. Three other women in- the Senate race if the al- legations are found to be
Washington Post story Nov. 9, an Alabama woman said Moore
terviewed by the Post said legations are shown to be true, Roy Moore must drop
made inappropriate advances and had sexual contact with her
Moore, now 70, also ap- true. And the man he de- when she was 14. out of the Alabama special
proached them when they feated in the Republican (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Senate election.”q
were between the ages of primary, current Sen. Luther
16 and 18 and he was in his Strange, left open the pos-
early 30s. The Moore cam- sibility he may re-enter the
paign denied the report as campaign.
“the very deinition of fake Moore’s name cannot be
news and intentional defa- removed from the ballot
mation.” Deiant as ever, before the Dec. 12 special
Moore himself issued a election even if he with-
fundraising appeal asking draws from the race, ac-
for emergency donations cording to John Bennett,
in a “spiritual battle.” a spokesman for the Ala-
“I believe you and I have a bama secretary of state. A
duty to stand up and ight write-in campaign remains
back against the forces of possible, Bennett added.
evil waging an all-out war Strange wouldn’t immedi-
on our conservative val- ately say whether he’d re-
ues,” he wrote. “I will NEVER enter the race. “Well, that’s
GIVE UP the ight!” getting the cart ahead of

Senate GOP tax bill could delay

business cut, undo deductions

Continued from Front proach would face tough
Democrats are strongly op- sledding in his chamber.
posed to the GOP rewrite, As for the hard-fought
so the Republicans must compromise, he said, “I
ind agreement among think it’d be dificult not to
themselves to have any have it in the inal bill.”
hope of passage. On the other hand, the
The Senate bill would fully House bill would lower the
repeal the state and lo- cap on the mortgage inter-
cal deduction claimed by est deduction, an idea that
many taxpayers, an idea caused intense blowback
that has drawn vigorous from the real estate lobby,
opposition from House Re- but the Senate tax measure
publicans in New York and would leave it unchanged.
New Jersey and resulted in That means homebuyers
a compromise in the House would continue to be able
version of the bill that would to deduct interest pay-
allow property taxes to be ments on loans of up to
deducted up to $10,000. $1 million as permitted un-
House Majority Leader der current law; the House
Kevin McCarthy told The bill would reduce the limit
Associated Press that the to $500,000 for new home
Senate’s total-repeal ap- purchases.q