GOP lawmaker’s wife accuses him of an affair — and points the finger at the wrong woman

Home Homeland Safety Chair Mark Inexperienced engaged in an extramarital affair, the lady concerned advised POLITICO Friday — talking out after a textual content message from Inexperienced’s estranged spouse circulated amongst Home Republicans.

In that message, first despatched to a gaggle of acquaintances on Wednesday, Camilla Inexperienced introduced that the Tennessee Republican, her husband of 35 years, was leaving her for a youthful lady he had met in Washington. It additionally included an allegation concerning the identification of the lady’s employer, sparking a authorized risk from the corporate, which disputed the cost.

“He fell head over heels in love together with her to the extent he wished to marry her and begin a brand new household,” she wrote, including that she has tried to reconcile and “he desires nothing of it and has insisted on a divorce.”

“Devil has rewritten our marriage in his thoughts,” she wrote within the message, which was first reported by the Nashville Banner. “My coronary heart is shattered. I actually simply don’t know the way to do life proper now.”

Mark Inexperienced, who has chaired the Homeland Safety panel since 2023 and is in line to maintain the gavel ought to Republicans preserve their Home majority in November, issued a press release by means of his congressional workplace that didn’t deal with the substance of his spouse’s claims.

“It is a tough time for my household and me, and we’re at present going by means of divorce proceedings,” he mentioned. “As this can be a deeply personal matter, I ask for privateness. I’ll proceed to serve this district with all I’ve acquired, as I’ve for the final 5 and a half years.”

The story of Inexperienced’s marital infidelity has been difficult by the truth that Camilla Inexperienced subsequently mentioned she initially pointed the finger on the incorrect individual. Her message recognized Inexperienced’s romantic companion as a “32 12 months outdated lady that works for Axios,” the web information outlet.

In truth, Inexperienced’s relationship was with a distinct lady, who works in politics in Washington however has no affiliation with Axios, based on a number of individuals concerned.

They embrace the lady who engaged within the affair, who advised POLITICO she had an on-again-off-again relationship with Inexperienced. She was granted anonymity to make clear the state of affairs because the message circulated on Capitol Hill over the previous 24 hours.

“It’s no secret that Mark goes by means of one thing private, and I wish to respect his privateness, however within the curiosity of creating positive there isn’t any collateral harm, I wish to ensure individuals know that any rumors or claims of a relationship with a reporter are abjectly false,” the lady added.

Camilla Inexperienced apologized for the misidentification in a press release to POLITICO: “I wish to right the file, as a result of I misidentified somebody in that message. My husband has by no means had a relationship with a reporter from Axios, and I remorse having mentioned that.”

The accusation prompted an Axios legal professional, Brian Westley, to ship Camilla Inexperienced a stop and desist letter, insisting she “instantly set the file straight” to cease from wrongfully smearing one in every of their reporters — and threatening to take “additional motion” if she doesn’t.

“This assertion is fake and per se defamatory — each to Axios and one in every of our Capitol Hill reporters, who has been contacted by a number of colleagues who wrongfully believed your message referenced her given her relative age and since Mark is one in every of her sources.”

The letter, which was reviewed by POLITICO, continued: “Your message has not solely induced this reporter appreciable emotional misery, it has harmed her skilled fame.”

Camilla Inexperienced’s assertion didn’t dispute the rest of her message, which accused her husband of turning into “intoxicated with energy and adoration.”

“[H]e pushed God out of his life, me out of his life, and developed friendships with different congressmen and ladies having affairs and getting divorces, ingesting, events, all whereas internet hosting a weekly Bible research within the basement of our residence,” she wrote.

Mark Inexperienced introduced in February that he would retire from Congress, saying in a statement that it was “time for me to return residence.” He thanked his spouse and household “for standing beside me and for his or her service to our nation.”

He abruptly reversed course two weeks later, citing a request from former President Donald Trump, who had publicly referred to as on him to rethink. Inexperienced filed for divorce final month in Montgomery County, Tennessee.

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