One Moore endorsement?

WASHINGTON—It’s been one week since several Alabama women came forward in a Washington Post report to discuss their relationships as teenagers with a 30-something Roy Moore. Since then, other women have shared similar stories, including accusations of sexual assault, causing politicians, pundits, and pastors—but not all—to yank their support of the U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama. But one prominent evangelical leader hasn’t clarified where he stands.

On Sunday evening, an email featuring a photo of Roy Moore and Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse, showed up in the inboxes of Moore supporters (Graham also posted the photo on his Facebook page in late September). The pro-Moore Solution Fund PAC sent the message that included Moore’s denial of misconduct and a plea for donations. Superimposed over the photo of Graham and Moore was a quote attributed to Graham:

“I met former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore when I held a prayer rally at the state capitol in Montgomery last year. … We need more courageous men and women like him who are willing to stand for God’s moral laws.”

So far, Graham’s only public message since Moore came under fire was a tweet he sent Saturday: “I’m praying for Roy Moore and his family.”

Mark Tooley, president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told me, “I would think if pro-Moore groups are advertising the association with Graham it might be prudent for Graham to make clear he is not endorsing Roy Moore. The clear implication is that it’s a de facto endorsement. So if the person in the picture disapproves it’s really their obligation to publicly say so.”

I asked Todd Shearer, a spokesman for Graham, if Graham authorized pro-Moore groups to use his image in the email. In response, he forwarded me a statement from Graham’s office:

“The picture of Franklin Graham and Roy Moore was taken last year during a brief meeting and prayer the two men had when Graham was in Alabama on his Decision America Tour. The photo just represents the fact that the two men met.”

I asked Shearer to clarify whether Graham ever authorized his image to be used in conjunction with Moore’s campaign and if he’s OK with its use now, in light of the accusations of sexual misconduct in Moore’s past. Shearer told me no one in Graham’s organizations would comment further.

Next, I called Solution Fund PAC to find out if the group had received authorization to use Graham’s image in its fundraising email. But no one from Solution Fund PAC would respond to my inquiries.

Meanwhile, as so many prominent people have pulled their support for Moore, his campaign decided to scrub its website of endorsements altogether.

Number crunching

Senate Republicans are narrowing in on last-minute tax reform negotiations, now that the House has approved its version of the reform legislation. GOP leaders from both chambers claim they will complete an overhaul of the U.S. tax code before the end of the year, but their success is far from guaranteed.

Senate leaders decided to add an additional wrinkle to their version of the bill—a provision to repeal the Obamacare individual mandate. House Republicans decided not to include any Obamacare changes in their bill.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Tom Cotton of Arkansas championed the idea. “The mandate repeal is a promise we all made, and we should keep,” Paul said. He noted including the provision allows for an additional $300 billion in tax cuts. President Donald Trump also supports the idea, even though it would all but guarantee no Democrats would vote for the tax reform package.

The Senate has a slim 52-48 Republican majority, allowing little room for error. Republicans can only lose two votes from their caucus and still succeed. They already lost one. On Wednesday, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin announced he doesn’t support either the House or Senate versions of the tax plan because they favor corporations over small businesses.

GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Bob Corker of Tennessee expressed similar concerns but have not committed to voting one way or the other. Notably, Collins and Corker both openly criticize Trump, leaving little leverage to use against them should they join Johnson’s opposition.

The two other Republican senators who voted with Collins to sink healthcare reform this summer—John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—are still undecided on the tax plan. —E.W.

Another grueling session

Attorney General Jeff Sessions testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as part of the customary congressional oversight process. But like every other 2017 hearing featuring Sessions, the questioning quickly turned political. Democrats pressed him for details about recent news from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling, including what he knows about indicted former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos. Sessions didn’t help disquiet his doubters, telling the panel he didn’t remember specific details about what contacts Papadopoulos or other aides might have had with Russian officials. “It was a brilliant campaign in many ways, but it was a form of chaos every day,” he offered. “Sleep was in short supply.”

Republicans had their own requests for Sessions. President Donald Trump wants the attorney general to appoint a special counsel to investigate the Clinton Foundation’s sale of a uranium company to Russia and the FBI’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email scandal. A handful of House Republicans also support the idea, but Sessions would not commit to the request.

Overshadowing it all, lawmakers wanted Sessions to weigh in on accusations against Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore who is running in a Dec. 12 special election in Alabama to fill the seat Sessions held for more than 20 years. He told lawmakers he won’t defend Moore and has no reason to doubt the women who have accused him. —E.W.

Me too

Two Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation this week to address sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. Rep. Jackie Speier of California and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York drafted the Me Too Act, which gets its name from a social media campaign that encourages women to share their personal experiences with sexual harassment. The legislation aims to overhaul Capitol Hill’s flawed complaint process. Recent accounts of women going on the record to report sexual abuse in Hollywood has compelled more women to speak out about what happens in and around Congress. Speier claims two current members of Congress—a Democrat and a Republican―have sexual harassment claims filed against them by staffers. She refused to name the lawmakers but said Congress needs to seriously reconsider how it handles complaints.

Under the current system, accusers must sign non-disclosure agreements and endure a 30-day cooling off period, during which they continue to work in the same office. During a subsequent mediation process, the accuser must provide his or her own legal counsel. Only after another cooling off period of at least 30 days can the accuser file an official complaint. Interns and temporary fellows—often the most vulnerable in any congressional office—don’t have access to this process. Earlier this week, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announced new requirements for all House and staff members to undergo anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training. The Senate unanimously approved legislation last week to enact similar requirements. —E.W.

Hey, Cordray

Richard Cordray, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), announced his resignation Wednesday. President Barack Obama created the bureau in response to the 2008 financial crisis and appointed Cordray as its first director in 2011. Cordray wrote in a letter to his colleagues he would step down by the end of the month. He didn’t give a reason, but hours later The Columbus Dispatch reported Cordray is eyeing a 2018 run for governor of Ohio. Most Republicans don’t like the CFPB and earlier this year passed legislation to hobble its work, a move Cordray strongly denounced. Conservatives welcomed Cordray’s resignation and called on President Donald Trump to appoint a new director in sync with the current administration. —E.W.

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