Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said in an interview with Politico on Sunday that North Carolina Democrat Senate candidate Cal Cunningham has campaigned on “truth and honor” despite allegations he had multiple extramarital affairs.
Tillis spoke to Politico as Cunningham, who hopes to oust Tillis next week, did not deny he had a second affair in an interview with a local news station.
Cunningham refused to answer the question, saying, “Look, respectfully, I’ve said what I’m going to say about this. I’m happy to talk about the issues that the voters are bringing up with me.”
Tillis told Politico that the scandal goes further than breaking his wedding vows, asserting that Cunningham has campaigned on “truth and honor.” He further noted Cunningham has touted his military service, despite the fact that the U.S. Army Reserve is actively investigating him for potentially violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) by having an affair with the wife of a veteran.
“He made truth and honor the foundation of his campaign and spent tens of millions of dollars talking about his military service, talking about his family, talking about truth and honor,” Tillis said.
He added, “It’s not about the substance of the affair. It’s about the theme that he used as a basis for trying to convince the people of North Carolina that he was a truthful and honorable person.”
When asked if Army investigators questioned him regarding his affair, Cunningham, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, said, “I’m participating in the process, and we’ll see where it goes.” Cunningham added that he “has not heard” when the investigation may be concluded. He refused to say if he was interviewed, noting that the “process is ongoing.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.