A woman emotionally described her experiences of Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker of Georgia allegedly driving her to have an abortion, calling him a hypocrite and unfit to serve in elected office.
Attorney Gloria Allred held a press conference with a woman who told her story anonymously. Jane Doe explained why she decided to do so without being identified.
“I am no coward, but I am a realist,” she said. “And I choose to protect my identity to protect those I love. Herschel Walker is a hypocrite and he's not fit to be a US senator.”
Ms Doe alleged that she had a years-long affair with Mr Walker while he played for the NFL and said that she visited him both at games and at his home in Dallas during the off-season.
The alllegation is the second of its kind against Mr Walker. Earlier this month, The Daily Beast reported that Mr Walker paid for another girlfriend’s abortion and The New York Times later reported that he pressured that same girlfriend to have a second abortion, which ended their relationship.
The first woman’s evidence included a $575 receipt from the procedure, a $700 checked and a get-well card signed “H”. Mr Walker’s denials of her claims included the argument that he never signed cards that way.
Speaking on Wednesday, Ms Doe said of the signature claim: “I knew that was not true. Because he had often signed letters to me using ‘H.’” Ms Doe said that the two met in the 1980s when Mr Walker played for the Dallas Cowboys, when she was also living in Dallas.
“He came to my home several times a week where we engaged in an intimate relationship. I also would see him at home games,” she said. Ms Doe said that Mr Walker was married throughout the duration of their relationship and that he pledged to leave his wife.
Ms Doe’s voice began to crack when she talked about how he met her parents and said that in April of 1993, she learned she was pregnant.
“After discussing the pregnancy with Herschel several times, he encouraged me to have an abortion and gave me the money to do so,” she said. Ms Doe said that she went to a clinic in Dallas but did not go through with the procedure.
“He then drove me to the clinic the following day and waited for hours in the parking lot until I came out,” she said. “He then drove me to get medications and supplies as prescribed and then drove me home. I was devastated because I felt that I had been pressured into having an abortion after the abortion.”
In response, she said she left Dallas and did not return for 15 years and insisted that their relationship was never about money, adding that she paid half of the travel expenses when she saw him play away games.
“However, after I left Dallas, he sent me his Rolex watch,” she said. “I sent the watch back to him.”
In addition, she said that she did not make the allegations because Mr Walker was running as a Republican.
“I am a registered Independent and I voted for Donald Trump in both elections,” she said. “I do not believe that Herschel is morally fit to be a US senator. And that is the reason why I am speaking up.”
Mr Walker vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “foolishness.”
“And I also want you to know, I didn’t kill JFK either,” he said.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina compared the woman’s words to the allegations of sexual assault by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which he vociferously denied, during his confirmation process. That included allegations from Michael Avenatti, a former lawyer for Stormy Daniels, who said he had evidence of sexual misconduct by Mr Kavanaugh.
“So I’ve seen this movie,” he said. “People here aren’t going to tolerate it. There’s going to be a backlash in Georgia.”
The allegations come as early voting already began in Georgia and Mr Walker seeks to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. Polling has shown Mr Walker falling behind Mr Warnock. If neither candidate wins an outright majority, they will go to a runoff.
