Tim Mahoney comeback sounds unlikely, but ‘people have been talking to me’
by George Bennett | April 7th, 2010
Mahoney
Mahoney said he’s been doing some business consulting and has helped raise campaign money for U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, and other unnamed Democrats from outside Florida. (Mahoney’s predecessor in Congress and in scandal-tarnished exits, Mark Foley, has also reemerged recently as a political fund-raiser.)
Mahoney lost in 2008 to current U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta. Democratic hopes of recapturing the seat suffered a major blow last month when St. Lucie County Commissioner Chris Craft dropped his challenge of Rooney. Dems have until April 30 to field a replacement candidate.
Mahoney won the District 16 seat in 2006, running on a “faith, family and personal responsibility” platform after Republican Foley resigned in an Internet sex scandal. Two years later, Mahoney’s political career imploded amid revelations he’d had “multiple” extramarital affairs, including one with a mistress he put on his campaign and congressional payrolls. When he fired her and she threatened a lawsuit, he paid a $121,903 settlement to try to keep the matter quiet.
“All of that’s behind me now,” Mahoney said today. He’s now divorced and said the Department of Justice has cleared him of wrongdoing after Mahoney himself called for an investigation in 2008.
“There’s a lot of dissatisfaction out there” with freshman Rep. Rooney, said Mahoney, who said “people have been talking to me” about attempting a comeback.
“It’s always nice when people are nice to you….You never say never, but it’s nice not having you (presumably not just PostOnPolitics but the media in general) call me all the time. To go back into that lifestyle again, I’d have to think long and hard about it,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney questioned the conventional wisdom that congressional Democrats will face a hostile climate in November.
“I think that’s going to change,” Mahoney said. “I think health care’s going to be a positive by the time of the election and I think the economy’s going to turn.”
Tags: Chris Craft
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April 7th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Investigated by the Dept of Justice? The same Department of Justice run by Eric “What’s wrong with Black Panthers standing in front of an polling place and threatening whitey with batons” Holder?
April 7th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Don’t listen to them Mr. Mahoney. After you criticized Tom Foley so much and made yourself look like such an upstanding man during the election only to show that you are really a lying, cheating,pay off the woman with tax dollars scumbag. I doubt that anyone would really listen to anything that you say ever again. But then it is politics????
April 7th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Mark Foley, sorry about that Tom Foley. Whoever you are.
April 7th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Are the people in Palm Beach that stupid or that uninformed? Politicians of poor character need not apply and if you think a persons personal life doesn’t affect his professional life take a long look at your president.
April 8th, 2010 at 4:08 am
You disgust me, Mr. Mahoney. You campaigned on “faith, family and personal responsibility” yet exhibited none once you were in office. You are exactly what we don’t need in Washington, DC. We need more men like Tom Rooney.