ANOTHER GOP ELECTED OFFICIAL COPS A PLEA-- FOR HIS RAPE CHARGES

GOP rapist gets off with a slap on the wrist

I hope you'll recall our GOP Pervert of the Week from July 15, 2007. City Councilman Dennis Gallagher. His rape charges, coming as they did right in the midst of Republicans going on two months of wild sex flings-- from U.S. Senators like David Diapers Vitter and Larry Wide Stance Craig to relative small fry like Florida Rep. Bob Allen and North Carolina Rep. David Almond.
At the time, I wrote:

The incident took place last weekend and Gallagher submitted DNA on Friday to try to prove that he didn't do it. Well, it sure wasn't Mark Foley. Before he became a city councilman Gallagher sold porn on the internet, although, when investigated, he claimed the magazines were sold as collectibles, not as porn. Hey, sounds like a solid Republican legal argument to me; I'm surprised he wasn't appointed to the Justice Department under Bush. I'm sure his pal Giuliani has an eye on him though.

He's changed his tune. In fact, according to our pals at the Albany Project, the Queens GOP official copped a plea and is resigning from the City Council. In return his rape charge has been reduced to "forcibly touching and sexually abusing" a 52 year old constituent in his district office. His confession:

"On Sunday, July 8, 2007, while I was intoxicated, I intentionally and forcibly touched intimate parts of the complainant and subjected her to sexual contact without her consent. My conduct was wrong and I apologize to the complainant. I intend to continue treatment for my alcohol abuse and also announce my resignation as a member of the New York City Council, effective close of business on Friday, April 18, 2008."

So he gets off with... going to AA?


UPDATE: AND AS LONG AS WE'RE CATCHING UP WITH REPUBLICAN LAWBREAKERS TODAY...

Remember South Carolina's up and coming wingnut, Thomas Ravenel? When he was state Treasurer he was touted as the far right's choice to go after slightly less conservative-- but much gayer-- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. But while Lindsey was smoking pole, Tom was snorting coke-- and selling it. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison and has to pay a quarter million dollar fine. Ravenel could have gotten 20 years but he ratted out some of his suppliers and got off pretty lightly.

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN ELECTED OFFICIAL ON PERV PATROL-- BUT A GOP POL FROM NEW YORK CITY THIS TIME!

There aren't that many Republicans in New York City. Almost all the congressmen, assemblymen, state senators and city councilmen elected from the city are Democrats. You can count the exceptions on one hand. (Of the 51 members of the City Council, only 3 are of the Republican persuasion.) One of the three GOP councilman is Dennis Gallagher, a 43 year old Republican first elected in 2001 from Middle Village, very white part of Queens. He's also on the Executive Committee of the Queens Republican Party.

Now, just because David Vitter has been hiring prostitutes for decades-- to dress him up in diapers and humiliate him-- and is from Louisiana, and just because the McCain campaign's co-chairman Rep. Bob Allen solicits unsuspecting men in public toilets for sex and is from Florida, and just because nutty GOP Rep. David Almond whipped out his dick and assaulted a legislative assistant last week is from North Carolina, it doesn't mean that the only Republican sex perverts are from The South. New York City-- including Queens-- is far from The South. But Councilman Gallagher, a married man with two children and a lush, has been accused of raping a woman he picked in a bar, Dan Boy's.

The incident took place last weekend and Gallagher submitted DNA on Friday to try to prove that he didn't do it. Well, it sure wasn't Mark Foley. Before he became a city councilman Gallagher sold porn on the internet, although, when investigated, he claimed the magazines were sold as collectibles, not as porn. Hey, sounds like a solid Republican legal argument to me; I'm surprised he wasn't appointed to the Justice Department under Bush. I'm sure his pal Giuliani has an eye on him though.

“I’ve known this man for 15 years,” said City Councilman James S. Oddo of Staten Island, the Republican leader of the Council. “I know him to be a council member who is involved in the minutiae of every issue in his district. Very active, very engaged, very responsive. And I think that’s the reputation he has in the district.”

But he has critics in his district. “I would say that he is not fit for public office and probably never was,” said Robert F. Holden, the president of Juniper Park Civic Association, who has been bitterly feuding with Mr. Gallagher for some time over a number of issues in the district. “He is known for dominating people.”

H/T to my pal Mike for turning me on to this scandal-- and for his suggestion to the GOP about how they should handle their explosive little problem with sex and the single married wingnut.