House Republican Steps Down After Fear of Scandal from Trip to Topless Club

Portland Mercury:

The Oregonian has broken the news that Oregon House Republican Leader Kevin Cameron stepped down from his position last month over worries about a brewing sex scandal. The scandal? That Cameron, during a vacation to Palm Springs, visited a topless bar. According to the article, Cameron confirmed that "he abruptly stepped down last month, in part, because of a retaliatory threat that the public would find out about the night he and other GOP lawmakers—including [Matt] Wingard—spent at a California topless bar." The other part of Cameron's reason to step down, apparently, was he was feeling stress after he allegedly threaten to go public with news that Representative Matt Wingard has tried to pressure a 20-year-staffer into having sex with him and gave her alcohol while she was underage. Those allegations led to Wingard to withdraw his name from the ballot this fall. But, honestly, I'm surprised rumors of going to a strip club even rise to the level of scandal. Sure, it's not classy. But it's not illegal or nonconsensual. It certainly doesn't rise to the same level as allegations of pressuring a young staffer into a sexual relationship. A politician went to Palm Springs on his own dime. He saw some boobs. Who cares? (Besides voters in his district who may make voting decisions based on dumb things like someone going to a strip club once.) This clearly seems like someone who's upset with Cameron is getting vindictive. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

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