Married Louisiana congressman admits he kissed a staffer, apologizes

Rep. Vance McAllister (R-La.) is asking for forgiveness after being caught on camera kissing a staffer. The video, taken from a surveillance camera, shows the married freshman congressman with his district scheduler, Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, inside of McAllister's congressional office in Monroe, La. Before this scandal, McAllister was best known for bringing Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson to this year's State of the Union Address as his guest.

"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."

The video was obtained by The Ouachita Citizen from an anonymous source. According to the newspaper, Peacock donated $5,200 to McAllister's campaign last fall, and her husband, Heath Peacock, did the same. The congressman — who ran as an upstanding, churchgoing Christian and dedicated husband and father — has asked for privacy, and said he will "do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I've disappointed." You can watch the footage in this report from local CBS affiliate KNOE News 8. --Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up