Video here:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/11/02/haggar...cal-prostitute/

REPORT: Major Right-Wing Evangelical Leader Accused Of 3-Year Relationship With Male Prostitute

A male prostitute alleges that he had a three-year relationship with prominent right-wing evangelical leader Ted Haggard, who has said that homosexuality is a “sin” and “devastating for the children of our nation and for the future of Western civilization.” Haggard denies the allegation.

Haggard is president of the National Association of Evangelicals, representing more than 30 million conservative Christians. Time Magazine ranked him as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals and Harper’s contributing editor Jeff Sharlet noted, “No pastor in America holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism than does Pastor Ted.” Watch the report from Denver 9News:

Every Monday, Haggard participates in a conference call with members of the Bush administration. He has stated, “I’m a right-wing religious conservative. … I joke that the only disagreement I have with George Bush is on what type of truck to drive.”

Haggard’s accuser, Mike Jones, says “he has recorded voicemails and a letter from Haggard, and that he had also witnessed Haggard use methamphetamine.”

Full transcript below:

ANCHOR: A gay man makes a stunning accusation against the leader of one of Colorado’s most popular mega-churches, Ted Haggard, one of the best known evangelical pastors in the country. A gay man in Denver claims he’s had a three year sexual business relationship with Haggard. The pastor has told us just a few moments ago that he has prepared for his own church to investigate the claims.

Haggard is the founder and senior leader of the 14,000 member New Life church in Colorado Springs. He is also the president of the multi-million member National Association of Evangelicals. Haggard is married and has five children. Male escort Mike Jones of Denver started talking to 9News two months ago claiming that Haggard does not practice what he preaches. He tells 9News that pastor Ted Haggard has been paying him for sex for the last three years. Jones went public about their alleged relation this morning on talk radio.

JONES: Some may look at me and what I’ve done as immoral but I think I had to do the moral thing in my mind and that is expose someone who is preaching one thing but doing the opposite behind everybody’s back.

ANCHOR: This evening we spoke with pastor Haggard outside of his home in Colorado Springs.

HAGGARD: I’ve never had a gay relationship with anybody and, uh, I’m steady with my wife, I’m faithful to my wife. So, I don’t know if this is election year politics or if this has to do with the marriage amendment or what it is. But I’m not even the guy who will investigate it or question it, I don’t know what the dynamics are. This independent group will come in and do that.

Hmmm. Why doesn't he just call the guy a liar? I would if I knew it to be a lie. I think he's afraid to get sued if he does so. Then it's deposition time.

Now, he's resigned:

Key Evangelical quits amid gay sex claim

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The leader of the influential National Association of Evangelicals, a vocal opponent of the drive for same-sex marriage, resigned Thursday after being accused of paying for sex with a man.

The Rev. Ted Haggard also stepped aside as head of his 14,000-member New Life Church while a church panel investigates, saying he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."

The investigation came after a 49-year-old man told a Denver radio station that Haggard paid him to have sex.

Haggard, a married father of five, denied the allegations in an interview with KUSA-TV late Wednesday: "Never had a gay relationship with anybody, and I'm steady with my wife, I'm faithful to my wife."

In a written statement, Haggard said: "I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity. I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

Mike Jones, 49, told The Associated Press that Haggard paid him to have sex nearly every month for three years. His allegations were first aired on KHOW-AM in Denver.

Jones said that he had advertised himself as an escort on the Internet and that a man who called himself Art contacted him. Jones said he later saw the man on television identified as Haggard.

He said that he last had sex with Haggard in August and that he did not warn him before making his allegations this week.

Jones said he has voice mail messages from Haggard, as well as an envelope he said Haggard used to mail him cash, though he declined to make any of it available to the AP.

"There's some stuff on there (the voice mails) that's pretty damning," he said.

Richard Cizik, vice president for government affairs for the evangelicals association, expressed shock.

"Is this something I can imagine of Ted Haggard? No," he said.

Carolyn Haggard, spokeswoman for the New Life Church, said a four-member church panel will investigate the allegations. She did not identify the board members.

"This is really routine when any sort of situation like this arises, so we're prepared," she said. "The church is going to continue to serve and be welcoming to our community. That's a priority."

Haggard admits some indiscretions

New Life Church minister who has temporarily taken over for accused leader Ted Haggard stated in an e-mail to parishoners late Thursday night that Haggard confessed to some indiscretions alleged by a homosexual prostitute.

The e-mail from Pastor Ross Parsley, which went out at 11 p.m., stated, "It is important for you to know that he (Haggard) confessed to the overseers that some of the accusations against him are true.

"He has willingly and humbly submitted to the authority of the board of overseers, and will remain on administrative leave during the course of the investigation."

The full text of the e-mail follows:


http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4597813

Scene from "Jesus Camp" where Haggard is bashing gays:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6rSjrBhUIA&eurl=

Ughs.. don't get me started on the Jesus Camp.

My overwhelming concern when all of this came on television was about this minister's children and how incredibly painful and humiliating this must be for them to go through this ordeal on national television right before an election. I have also gotten a brief chuckle out of it - how big of hypocrites many of these right wing evangelicals are. But in the end, it's this guy's wife and children who are harmed. No other purpose is served to bring this on national television - other than to demoralize the right wing base and keep them from coming to the polls. Which is, in itself, not a bad thing. I guess there are goods and bads in this. But again, my first thought is for his wife and kids. Can't imagine being one of those children and having to go to middle school on Monday morning knowing your father has been made a liar and laughingstock out of. On the other hand, this minister has demonized homosexuals and placed himself above others in his own mind. And has harmed other's self-esteem with his judgmental words and actions.

Difficult to say what I think about this one. I guess in the end I wish this could have been handled differently.

This isn't just any preacher, Gabrielle. He's a big-time evangelical leader and a national player. For him to resign in a sex scandal is news. He should have thought of his family *before* he went out tricking around.

Well said.