Indiana Republican congressman Mark Souder is resigning from his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives over an affair with a part-time staffer. Souder reportedly cheated on his wife with aide Tracy Jackson, described as a “part-time aide who worked in his northern Indiana district office.”
Mark Souder, who was first elected in 1994, will officially resign from his seat on Friday. He released a press statement on Tuesday announcing his resignation. Souder is an eight-term Republican congressman known for his Christian conservative views. He has three children. Tracy Jackson, Souder’s alleged mistress, is also reportedly married.
“It is with great regret I announce that I am resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives as well as resigning as the Republican nominee for Congress in this fall’s election,” Souder said in the statement.
“I sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part-time member of my staff…. I am so shamed to have hurt those I love… In the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C., any personal failing is seized upon, often twisted, for political gain,” Souder said. “I am resigning rather than to put my family through that painful, drawn-out process.”
Mark Souder won the Indiana Republican primary for his seat in congress just two weeks ago. Since Souder didn’t bother to come out about his cheating before the primary, we aren’t really buying that he is ashamed he had an affair, only that he got caught doing it.
If his affair hadn’t been brought to light, we’re pretty sure Mark Souder would have been happily spouting his ‘family values’ stump speeches with a perfectly straight face right through the next election. Kind of like the stuff he was spewing in the interview below with Tracy Jackson on abstinence education…
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