‘Kissing Congressman’ Refuses To Step Down Early

He isn’t running again, but he won’t go away, even though Republicans want him to.

…he said Tuesday that despite House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) personally asking him to step down immediately, he did not want to leave his constituents without representation again.

“He asked me why I would want to put myself through this for the next eight months if I’m not running for reelection. He did ask me to consider resigning, but I respectfully disagree with him and my family is behind my decision,” McAllister said in a statement.

Cantor later told reporters that his request to McAllister was in keeping with his pledge when Republicans took control of the House in 2011 that members of Congress should hold themselves to a high ethical standard.
“I told him I thought he should resign because in my mind what happened does not meet that higher standard,” he said.

Separately, party leaders have stopped short of calling for the resignation of New York Rep. Michael Grimm, who was indicted Monday for fraudulently underreporting more than $1 million in sales and wages at a Manhattan fast-food restaurant he once co-owned and operated.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.