Posts tagged with "Sean Hannity"

Octobver 5, 2022

Herschel Walker, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Georgia and an avowed abortion opponent, paid for his then-girlfriend to have an abortion in 2009, according to a report published exclusively on Monday, October 3, by The Daily Beast.

The New York Times reports that Walker called the report a “flat-out lie,” after The Daily Beast—which also has broken news about Walker’s out-of-wedlock children—reported that a former girlfriend had the procedure in 13 years ago.

The woman, whom The Daily Beast said asked to remain anonymous out of privacy concerns, said that she and Walker had conceived the child while the two were dating—and mutually agreed not to go ahead with the pregnancy. She said Walker, who was not married at the time, reimbursed her for the cost of the procedure, the outlet reported.

As evidence, the woman provided a copy of a $700 check from Walker, a receipt from the abortion clinic and a “get well” card from Walker, The Daily Beast reported. The outlet published a photo of the card with what it said was Walker’s signature.

According to the Times, Walker quickly posted a statement on Twitter and threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against The Daily Beast on Tuesday morning. “I deny this in the strongest possible terms,” he said. “It’s disgusting, gutter politics.”

The development is the latest in a series of potentially damaging reports about Walker’s personal life since he began his campaign for Senate in 2021. In June, The Daily Beast reported that Walker, who has criticized absentee fathers in Black households, had fathered a child out of wedlock. Later that week, the outlet reported on two more children he had not previously mentioned publicly or to his campaign aides.

Christian Walker, Walker’s son who has not endorsed his father’s campaign or appeared publicly on behalf of his father, weighed in on Monday evening, October 3—saying on Twitter that “every member” of Walker’s family urged him not to run for office.

“I don’t care about someone who has a bad past and takes accountability. But how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you’re some ‘moral, Christian, upright man,’” he continued. “You’ve lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives.”

Walker responded with a single tweet: “I LOVE my son no matter what.”

In an interview on Monday night with Sean Hannity of Fox News, the Times reports that Walker denied the account laid out in The Daily Beast article—saying he did not know the woman. When asked about the reported $700 payment for the abortion, he said, “I send money to a lot of people.”

“I never asked anyone to get an abortion; I never paid for an abortion,” Walker continued. He said of Democrats, “They want this seat. But right now they’ve energized me even more.”

Indeed, the Times notes, the Georgia Senate race is one of the most closely watched in the country. Most polls show that the race between Walker and his Democratic opponent, Senator Raphael Warnock, is virtually tied. A spokesperson for Warnock’s campaign declined to comment.

Research contact: @nytimes