Evangelical leader reportedly admits to some of prostitute's allegations

The Rev. Ted Haggard said initially that he'd never had homosexual sex with anyone.

Published November 3, 2006 2:50PM (EST)

When a gay prostitute named Mike Jones went public this week with charges that he's had a three-year-long sexual relationship with evangelical leader and White House confidant Ted Haggard, Haggard responded by telling a local television station that he's never had gay sex with anyone and suggesting that he didn't even know his accuser's name.

He came off as so sincere that we almost wanted to believe him.

Then Haggard issued a statement in which he said he was taking an "administrative leave" from his New Life Church and resigning as the president of the National Association of Evangelicals. One might have expected the statement to contain a denouncement or denial of the allegations facing Haggard. It didn't.

And now the slope-slipping continues. According to Colorado Springs' KKTV, the acting senior pastor at New Life Church says Haggard has now admitted to some, but not all, of the accusations that Jones has made.

We've got a feeling about where this one is headed -- and just in time for George W. Bush's campaign stop in Colorado Saturday.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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