Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democratic congressman from Nevada, is facing significant backlash after it was revealed that he had been unfaithful to his wife with Gabriela Linder, who started telling the story as Love Jones.
The politician is married to Dr. Sonya Horsford, a professor of educational leadership at Teachers College at Columbia University. The pair wed in 2000 and share three children.
According to Linder, who worked as an intern for Sen. Harry Reid, her extramarital relationship with Horsford began when she was 21 years old. Horsford was already holding the position of a state senator at the time.
Linder told her story via a series of podcasts named Mistress for Congress and claimed that the affair started in 2009, and it lasted for more than a year and was renewed in 2017.
The juicy details went viral on social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Linder also explained that the goal of Mistress for Congress was not to exact revenge on her former lover, but to tell the world about her point of view and according to her belief, Horsford needed to step down from public office.
Linder, who never worked for Horsford, said she received money and gifts from the man. Linder, who is writing a book about the affair, said she decided to speak out as “an empowering journey.”
She said she did not reveal the affair before for the following reason: “He knew how in love with him I was, and he knew what he could do and get away with. He never told me to keep quiet. He didn’t have to.”
Meanwhile, the 47-year-old congressman confessed to being involved in the affair as well and admitted to cheating to his wife to whom he has been married for a long time.
The politician, whose wiki described him as a “devoted family man” that “has raised a strong family with his wife” in his bio, stated it was true that he had a previous relationship outside his marriage that lasted over the course of several years.
Besides, Horsford claimed he was deeply sorry to everyone that was impacted by his decision, mostly his wife and their three children.
The congressman also asked for people to respect the privacy of his family, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Horsford said in a statement: “It is true that I had a previous relationship outside of my marriage over the course of several years.”
He concluded by: “I’m deeply sorry to all of those who have been impacted by this very poor decision, most importantly, my wife and family. Out of concern for my family during this challenging time, I ask that our privacy is respected.”
Horsford is about to be in more trouble because it has been revealed that a watchdog group with ties to Nevada’s former GOP Attorney General Adam Laxalt has officially filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics.
The group is demanding an investigation to determine if Horsford violated any laws or ethics rules during his affair.
The politician has said that he will not resign over the affair and people in his party have given him a pass for now.
