Missouri GOP House Speaker Quits To Spend More Time Sexting With His Wife, Less With College Intern

Missouri’s Speaker of the House says he will resign after being caught in a sexting scandal with a college freshman Capitol intern.

On Wednesday the Kansas City Star published screenshots of “flirty” and “sexually charged” texts between the Republican Speaker of the House and a Capitol intern who is a college freshman. Representative John Diehl, a married father of three, today admitted to sending texts, though not to their content, to the unnamed student. This afternoon he offered his complete resignation as both Speaker and as a State Representative.

RELATED: Anti-Gay Top Missouri GOP Lawmaker Caught Sexting With College Intern: ‘God I Want You Right Now’

“For the good of my party, the caucus, and this state, I’m not going to further jeopardize what we have accomplished this year and what can be accomplished in the future,” Diehl said in a statement, per the Kansas City Star. “Therefore, I will be resigning the position of Speaker of the House and the office of State Representative in a way that allows for an orderly transition.”

Diehl, refused to speak on the texts to reporters but, as Talking Points Memo reports, “responded with a firm ‘no’ when one reporter asked if he’d had sexual relations with the intern.”

As the Star had published, the sexting painted “a picture of playful sexual innuendo” and included “sexually charged” exchanges like this:

Her: “You better take care of me.”

Diehl: “Like how?”

Her: “I’ll bet you’ll figure it out.”

Diehl: “I dunno. You have always been disappointed;)”

Her: “I just have high expectations, I guess. Thus far, you’ve done pretty well (an emoji blows a kiss)”

Diehl: “:). I kinda want to hear what you are expecting”

Then, shortly after, he types: “You will be in good hands :)”

At one point Diehl texts her “God I want you right now,” to which she replies “I wish you could have me right now.”

In another exchange, she sends a picture of herself in a bikini and Diehl responds: “Damn girl …”

“Nice”

Shortly after he writes: “I want to see more” followed by a smiling emoji.

Another exchange centered on Diehl texting that he was “Laying in bed looking at your pic :)”

She responded: “Mmmmm why can’t I be there :)”

In his resignation statement today, Speaker Diehl said, “I have acknowledged making a serious error in judgment by sending the text messages,” Diehl also said in his statement. “It was wrong and I am truly sorry. Too often we hear leaders say they’re sorry but are unwilling to accept the consequences. I understand that, as a leader, I am responsible for my actions and I am willing to face the consequences.”

Earlier this year Rep. Diehl had signed onto an anti-gay amicus brief sent to the Supreme Court opposing same-sex marriage. He had also sponsored a bill banning gay-straight alliances in public schools.

UPDATE – 5:33 PM EDT:

 

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Hat tip: TJ