Rep. Vance McAllister Caught Kissing Aide on Video, Apologizes

A
security camera video leaked today shows Rep. Vance
McAllister (R-La.) kissing one of his aides.

The smooching took place at his congressional office a few days
before Christmas last year. McAllister had only been in office for
a little over a month at the time, having won a special election in
mid-November. The Ouachita Citizen, a local newspaper, was
the first to
report:

The woman who McAllister, 40, was caught kissing for almost half
a minute is Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, 33, of 400 Zachary Way,
Sterlington. She is McAllister’s district scheduler.

Peacock donated $5,200 to McAllister’s congressional campaign
last fall, according to the Federal Election Commission. According
to the FEC, Peacock listed her employment at the time of the
donation as a self-employed cosmetologist. She joined McAllister’s
congressional staff after he took office in November. Photographs
posted to Facebook show Peacock was involved in a number of
McAllister’s campaign events during last fall’s congressional
race.

Peacock’s husband, Heath Peacock, donated the same amount,
apparently.

The Ouachita Citizen notes some hypocrisy on the
representative’s part:

Throughout last fall’s congressional campaign, McAllister, a
Republican from Swartz, touted his Christian faith and in one
television commercial, he asked voters to pray for him. At least
two other campaign television commercials featured McAllister
walking hand in hand with his wife, Kelly, while their five
children walked along. One television commercial captured the
McAllister family in the kitchen of their home preparing breakfast
before attending church.

McAllister acknowledged the incident and he issued an apology
later in the afternoon:

“There’s no doubt I’ve fallen short and I’m asking for
forgiveness,” McAllister said in a statement. “I’m asking for
forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my
constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has
to be earned whether your a husband, a father, or a congressman. I
promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone
I’ve disappointed.”