In these Stormy Daniels times, it’s worth noting that a sex scandal has already ended the career of one American politician: a woman and a Democrat, who was technically brought down not by adultery, but by money.
In February, Mayor Megan Barry of Nashville admitted to an affair with the head of her security department, and begged her city for forgiveness. Five weeks later, she exited the office she held for two and half years by pleading guilty to a felony charge of theft of property. As part of her plea, she agreed to reimburse the city $11,000 in unlawful expenses connected to the tryst.
What happened in Nashville shows the consequences — at least for a female — when sex and politics collide in office and misuse of public money is part of the story. Barry acknowledged the truth, accepted responsibility, and departed a job she loved.
That certainly sets her apart from Republican Governor Eric Greitens of Missouri, who is resisting calls to resign after being charged with felony invasion of privacy in connection with an affair that occurred before he won election. Greitens admitted to the relationship. But he’s also charged with taking a compromising photo of the woman with whom he was involved, without her permission, and threatening to use it to blackmail her. He denies that and awaits trial, still in office.
Then there’s President Trump. His past is flush with women who claim to have had sex with him while he was married. He denies all. If it happened before Inauguration Day, the extramarital sex, “generic’’ or otherwise, is probably between him and Melania. But the money is another matter.
Daniels, an adult film star whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, said she had an affair with Trump that began in 2006, when he was a reality TV star. Trump said it didn’t happen. But earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, made a $130,000 payment to Daniels in October 2016, a month before the presidential election. Cohen ultimately acknowledged he had paid Daniels, but insisted neither the Trump campaign nor the Trump organization knew anything about it. Meanwhile, two Democrats in Congress are asking the FBI to investigate the payments, arguing that any coordination with Trump or his campaign would violate federal election law.
The New York Times also reports that Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who also said she had an affair with Trump, is seeking to be released from a 2016 legal agreement binding her to silence about the relationship. McDougal is suing the company that owns the National Enquirer, arguing that a $150,000 payment she received was arranged with assistance from Cohen as a way to squelch the story and her.
In other Trump-related sex news, a judge ruled on Tuesday that Summer Zervos, a former “Apprentice’’ contestant, can proceed with a defamation suit she filed against Trump after he said she and others were making up stories about unwanted sexual encounters with him. Of course, it’s impossible to write about sex and politics without mentioning Bill Clinton. In this instance, the connection links back neatly to efforts by Clinton’s lawyers to have a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Paula Jones dismissed while he was in office. With Clinton, the Supreme Court ruled that no one is above the law, and New York Supreme Court Judge Jennifer Schecter reached the same conclusion about Trump. Her ruling potentially paves the way for public disclosure of any other women involved with Trump and any other money paid to buy their silence.
What brought down Clinton was having sex while in office with White House intern Monica Lewinsky — something he denied under oath in a deposition given in the Jones lawsuit. But the truth did not come out until 1998, after his reelection to a second term.
In these stormy Trump times, the lesson from Clinton is deny, delay, and resist temptation in the White House. From Nashville, it’s more of the blues. The truth can set you free — from office.
Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @Joan_Vennochi.
