In the not-so-distant past, when someone was accused of adultery, they might avoid a scandal by simply denying the accusation. But today, thanks to security cameras, smartphone cameras, tracking devices, emails and text messages, it is extremely difficult for a cheating spouse to get away with bad behavior. You’d assume, then, that folks would think twice about violating their marriage vows, and yet, philandering is now more prevalent than ever.
According to a recent report by Technopedia.com and Ashley Madison, 71% of American men and women admit to having cheated on their significant other. That makes the United States the country with the most adulterers in the world. Not surprisingly, the state with the most cheaters is Texas, and that doesn’t even include gerrymanderers. Perhaps the most highly visible cheaters, though, are politicians, and that’s the demographic I want to focus on, mainly because they often do their philandering on our dime. They are so arrogant (or stupid) that they don’t think technology or taxpayers will catch them.
2026 has been a particularly busy year for adulterous politicians. The year is not yet half over, and already we’ve learned about a number of high-profile political scandals.
Those include N.C. Rep. Chuck Edwards who was accused of sexually harassing staff; California Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Jimmy Gomez accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct respectively; former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who allegedly had sex with her top advisor while flying aboard a government jet; and, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer from Maine who was poised to unseat incumbent Senator Susan Collins until his sexual perversions and Nazi tattoos surfaced. Of course, this type of behavior is nothing new, and to prove my point, let’s travel down memory lane for a look back at some famous elected officials who strayed.
Gary Hart
This popular Colorado Senator was the Democrats’ best hope to beat Vice President George H.W. Bush in the presidential sweepstakes of 1988. But the very married Hart couldn’t resist the charms of Donna Rice, who was a frequent visitor to his D.C. townhouse. When media hounds questioned him about the affair, Hart denied everything and even invited reporters to follow him around and dig for dirt. They did, and a photo of Hart and Rice getting cozy on a yacht sank Gary’s run for the White House.
Bill Clinton
Most times, proof of adulterous behavior is enough to derail hopes of higher office, but Bill Clinton had a wife whose own political ambitions matched his, so she enabled his horndog ways, which had persisted since his days as governor of Arkansas. Still, had his Oval Office trysts with intern Monica Lewinski surfaced in 1993 instead of 1998, I doubt that he would have won a second term. He was impeached, not for having sex with an intern, but for lying about it to Congress.
John Edwards
His boyish good looks and empathy for the downtrodden made Edwards a popular senator from North Carolina and a logical choice to be John Kerry’s running mate in 2004. Edwards was then positioned to be the Democrats’ golden boy in 2008, and an alternative to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But John’s star faded fast when it was discovered that he was having an affair (and a child) with Rielle Hunter while his wife was dying of cancer.
Elliott Spitzer
Not content with paying hookers for sex while married, the New York governor was accused of using campaign funds to transport his favorite ladies to the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. Spitzer was a rare combination of a liberal Democrat who was also tough on crime, having been a successful prosecutor in New York City, then attorney general, where he was known as “The Sheriff of Wall Street.” While serving as governor, Spitzer was touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2008, but hooker-gate turned him into a political footnote.
Anthony Weiner
The New York Congressman was a media favorite with lots of exposure (pardon the expression). He was also married to Huma Abedin, who worked for and was a close friend of Hillary Clinton. But his popularity and political connections couldn’t save him from himself. He resigned from office after it was revealed that he had a proclivity for sending sexually explicit photos to a number of different women. He was a proud member of Congress who was also proud of his member, so much so that he went to prison for sending d*ck pics to a minor.
Cal Cunningham
In 2020, the Democratic Party pinned its hopes on Cunningham to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. A native of Winston-Salem, Cal was personable and popular. He looked like Prince William with hair and was a respected state senator when tapped to take on Tillis. Late in the campaign some polls even had Cunningham in the lead, but just days before the election, Cal’s dreams of higher office were dashed when it was reported that he had been carrying on an affair. Even worse, he and his mistress allegedly had sex in the Cunninghams’ own bed while Cal’s wife was out of town. Ouch! Mention Cunningham’s name today, and most folks will say, “Cal who?”
As I mentioned earlier, 2026 isn’t even half over yet, so likely as not, we’ll learn of more political sex scandals before the year is out. And while that’s not surprising, it is, nevertheless, disappointing to know that the people we put so much faith in are so unfaithful.
Erection Deniers
In the not-so-distant past, when someone was accused of adultery, they might avoid a scandal by simply denying the accusation. But today, thanks to security cameras, smartphone cameras, tracking devices, emails and text messages, it is extremely difficult for a cheating spouse to get away with bad behavior. You’d assume, then, that folks would think twice about violating their marriage vows, and yet, philandering is now more prevalent than ever.
According to a recent report by Technopedia.com and Ashley Madison, 71% of American men and women admit to having cheated on their significant other. That makes the United States the country with the most adulterers in the world. Not surprisingly, the state with the most cheaters is Texas, and that doesn’t even include gerrymanderers. Perhaps the most highly visible cheaters, though, are politicians, and that’s the demographic I want to focus on, mainly because they often do their philandering on our dime. They are so arrogant (or stupid) that they don’t think technology or taxpayers will catch them.
2026 has been a particularly busy year for adulterous politicians. The year is not yet half over, and already we’ve learned about a number of high-profile political scandals.
Those include N.C. Rep. Chuck Edwards who was accused of sexually harassing staff; California Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Jimmy Gomez accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct respectively; former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who allegedly had sex with her top advisor while flying aboard a government jet; and, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer from Maine who was poised to unseat incumbent Senator Susan Collins until his sexual perversions and Nazi tattoos surfaced. Of course, this type of behavior is nothing new, and to prove my point, let’s travel down memory lane for a look back at some famous elected officials who strayed.
Gary Hart
This popular Colorado Senator was the Democrats’ best hope to beat Vice President George H.W. Bush in the presidential sweepstakes of 1988. But the very married Hart couldn’t resist the charms of Donna Rice, who was a frequent visitor to his D.C. townhouse. When media hounds questioned him about the affair, Hart denied everything and even invited reporters to follow him around and dig for dirt. They did, and a photo of Hart and Rice getting cozy on a yacht sank Gary’s run for the White House.
Bill Clinton
Most times, proof of adulterous behavior is enough to derail hopes of higher office, but Bill Clinton had a wife whose own political ambitions matched his, so she enabled his horndog ways, which had persisted since his days as governor of Arkansas. Still, had his Oval Office trysts with intern Monica Lewinski surfaced in 1993 instead of 1998, I doubt that he would have won a second term. He was impeached, not for having sex with an intern, but for lying about it to Congress.
John Edwards
His boyish good looks and empathy for the downtrodden made Edwards a popular senator from North Carolina and a logical choice to be John Kerry’s running mate in 2004. Edwards was then positioned to be the Democrats’ golden boy in 2008, and an alternative to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But John’s star faded fast when it was discovered that he was having an affair (and a child) with Rielle Hunter while his wife was dying of cancer.
Elliott Spitzer
Not content with paying hookers for sex while married, the New York governor was accused of using campaign funds to transport his favorite ladies to the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. Spitzer was a rare combination of a liberal Democrat who was also tough on crime, having been a successful prosecutor in New York City, then attorney general, where he was known as “The Sheriff of Wall Street.” While serving as governor, Spitzer was touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2008, but hooker-gate turned him into a political footnote.
Anthony Weiner
The New York Congressman was a media favorite with lots of exposure (pardon the expression). He was also married to Huma Abedin, who worked for and was a close friend of Hillary Clinton. But his popularity and political connections couldn’t save him from himself. He resigned from office after it was revealed that he had a proclivity for sending sexually explicit photos to a number of different women. He was a proud member of Congress who was also proud of his member, so much so that he went to prison for sending d*ck pics to a minor.
Cal Cunningham
In 2020, the Democratic Party pinned its hopes on Cunningham to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. A native of Winston-Salem, Cal was personable and popular. He looked like Prince William with hair and was a respected state senator when tapped to take on Tillis. Late in the campaign some polls even had Cunningham in the lead, but just days before the election, Cal’s dreams of higher office were dashed when it was reported that he had been carrying on an affair. Even worse, he and his mistress allegedly had sex in the Cunninghams’ own bed while Cal’s wife was out of town. Ouch! Mention Cunningham’s name today, and most folks will say, “Cal who?”
As I mentioned earlier, 2026 isn’t even half over yet, so likely as not, we’ll learn of more political sex scandals before the year is out. And while that’s not surprising, it is, nevertheless, disappointing to know that the people we put so much faith in are so unfaithful.