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Mandel Ngan / AFP - Getty Images
Former Senator Pete Domenici, R-N.M., introduces former White House chief of staff Jack Lew during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on Lew's nomination to be Treasury Secretary on Feb. 13.
Former Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico revealed Wednesday that he fathered a child outside his marriage three decades ago with the daughter of another former senator.
Domenici, 80, a Republican who served six terms in the Senate before retiring in 2008, and the mother of the child each released statements to the Albuquerque Journal acknowledging Domenici’s fatherhood.
“I deeply regret this and am very sorry for my behavior,” Domenici said. “I hope New Mexicans will view that my accomplishments for my beloved state outweigh my personal transgression.”
The child, now grown, was identified as Adam Paul Laxalt, a lawyer in Las Vegas. His mother, Michelle Laxalt, is the daughter of Paul Laxalt, a Republican who represented Nevada in the Senate for 12 years before leaving in 1987.
Michelle Laxalt said in her statement: “One night’s mistake led to pregnancy more than 30 years ago.” She said that she raised the son as a single mother, and that Domenici had agreed to keep his fatherhood secret because of their connections to the Senate.
Domenici and Michelle Laxalt said they were releasing the information now because they thought someone else would shop it around to media outlets to damage Domenici’s reputation.
Her statement went on to say: “Recently information has come to me that this sacred situation might be twisted, re-written out of whole cloth, and shopped to press outlets large and small in a vicious attempt to smear, hurt and diminish Pete Domenici, an honorable man, his extraordinary wife, Nancy, and other innocents.”
Michelle Laxalt has been recognized as one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington, and has appeared as a cable news pundit.
In an appearance on “Larry King Live” on CNN in March 2007, she defended Domenici during a discussion about U.S. attorneys who had been fired by President George W. Bush’s attorney general. One of the fired U.S. attorneys had suggested that Domenici improperly tried to influence his handling of an investigation.
Laxalt said that night: “You’re attacking the integrity of someone who has been in public service for his entire lifetime, at great sacrifice, supporting no fewer than eight children and with the many sacrifices and the many contributions Senator Domenici has made, not only to the country, but to New — the state of New Mexico.”
Domenici and his wife had eight children together. Domenici, reached at home Wednesday by The Associated Press, declined further comment. His statement said that his family has known for several months, and that he has “apologized as best I can” to his wife.
The website of Adam Paul Laxalt’s law firm identifies him as a former naval officer who served in Iraq.
Last week, another member of Congress, Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen, said that he learned only three years ago that he has a daughter, now 24. Cohen, a Democrat, made the revelation after reporters inquired about messages he was sending to the woman on Twitter during the State of the Union address.
Domenici was on Capitol Hill last week to introduce Jack Lew, President Barack Obama’s nominee for treasury secretary, at his confirmation hearing. The two worked together when Lew served as President Bill Clinton’s budget director and Domenici chaired the Senate Budget Committee.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This story was originally published on Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:45 PM EST
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Looks like Congress hasn't been screwing just the taxpayers and voters of this country.
Well ain't THAT big news?
How horrible would it be if all of the Politicians on both sides came out and said; " Yes, I am a Human Being." ? Wait a minute, how about if all of the people came out and said that? Yup, we all do it. Maybe some do it with just one person but many do it with many people. The ones that only do it with just one person sure would be honest if they would just admit they would like to do it with others. I'm a hypocrite, you're a hypocrite, we are all hypocrites. Now , I wonder how many replies I'm going to get saying I not a hypocrite?
Naw... the "holier than thou" Republican's don't really behave like this do they? (snicker)
What a guy... Domenici and his wife had eight children together. Domenici, reached at home Wednesday by The Associated Press, declined further comment. His statement said that his family has known for several months, and that he has “apologized as best I can” to his wife.
Finally after 30 years... he's become man enough to be honest with his wife and family. Yeah, I'd have to agree... he's a REAL STAND UP guy!
Nice to know that he could reach out to the offspring of a fellow senator...
I was a secret child. Why can't people be open about another person existing?
Why is this anybody's business.
Maybe to show the contradiction between Do as I say and not Do as I do.
One can only imagine his voting record. I'm sure there is an interesting dichotomy if we were to explore his record in congress.
jachca, did you really have to ask that? every time a democrat scratches his crotch, it makes front page news. "It was a Republican, sure hope nobody finds out".
One has to wonder if Michelle Laxalt is "one of the most powerful lobbyists" on cap hill b/c of her "sacred relationship" with Domenici....
Good point, except that we don't have to wonder at all.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, goes on in Washington DC that has value to the people or for the people. It has evolved into a corrupt entity of waste, sex, sociopaths, parasites, tax cheaters, thieves, liars and criminals. The only "mistake" is to keep this current system of Government that deals only with the whims of the 1%.
dont worry the rest of us are working on eliminating those whims.
Agreed. They are all turds. I can't remember ANYTHING our government has done that has benefited the citizens. However, everything they do financially benefits THEM.
Provide for a common defense and state rights. Don't like a state, then move. DOD is necessary. The rest of it no longer functions.
As a side note, citizens of New Mexico have consistently scored in the top 5 and sometimes first in the amount of federal dollars received per cap. It only has about a million people and that's because of this guy. The National labs are run by Universities, so why so much money to so few.
"..in a vicious attempt to smear, hurt and diminish Pete Domenici, an honorable man.."
An honorable man having a child with the daughter of a fellow senator. That sure stretches my definition of honorable.
Only in Washington DC could an alleged one night stand with a married father of 8 be portrayed as a "sacred situation."
The American people have a right to know if our congressmen are moral people. That said there are many things our congressmen do that would raise the hair on the back of everyone's necks.
I wonder what Lexalt's father thought about his daughter screwing around with one of his colleagues?
He did it to show family values what a great Republican in some one's bed again to make sure they dont do anything wrong.God forbid it was a man he was with just some one child.
Trash Adulterers trying to shift the guilt they feel on to someone else:
“Recently information has come to me that this sacred situation might be twisted, re-written out of whole cloth, and shopped to press outlets large and small in a vicious attempt to smear, hurt and diminish Pete Domenici, an honorable man, his extraordinary wife, Nancy, and other innocents.”
"Sacred situation", lol.
-1 for the GOP on this, thankfully he's not in office like adulterer Democrat senator Max Baucus
There ya go, give the Republican a pass, and slam a Democrat. Can we spell HYPOCRITE??????
Lying, pompous arses. This is your elected leaders serving the people with dignity and honor. Crap!
this has been between two consenting adults. When they found out that is was going to be "news" they cut off the scumbags that were looking to profit off at the pass. It appears he helped support the kid when he was young and probably did more for that child as he aged than most other parents ever do.
It appears the young man has turned out to be an outstanding and accomplished citizen.
The other guy learned he has a 24-year old daughter. Good for him. I hope her life is as full and successful as she dreams.
So many of these guys seem to be Republicans. And so many of these guys were jumping all over Bill Clinton. They were ready to impeach the president while they ran around Washington ready to nail anything in sight. Great example these Republicans.
No one cared that Slick Willie boned Chubby... It was because he lied about it and was on the phone with one world leader as they talked about "secrets" while Chubby was giving him a hummer.
If slick Willie would have said to the congressional investigator behind closed doors where the first meetings were held... "yup I boned Chubby and he she blew me many times." It would have been all over with.
I could care less if they all fornicated with one another... It appears they are because nothing else is getting done that is for sure.
if he wasn't impeached for the sex, when did he lie under oath????????
This isn't the world of Minority Report, where you can arrest people for crimes they haven't done yet. I'll type slow, so you republicans can keep up. If Clinton was impeached for lying under oath, when was he under oath so he could lie? Besides that, if you impeached every politician for lying, Washington and every state capitol in the country would be ghost towns
Congress at work...while the country is being attacked, going down the tubes financially these guys are 'doing their part' by boinking everything in sight for the 'good of the country'!
Well this is a good story although it's really kind of old news an affair 30 years ago, and let's face it this guy couldn't carry the Kennedys box of condoms.
He kept it quiet due to his relation to the Sneate translates to I lied so I could keep my job!
Yes, it is really funny how some Senators who voted to impeach Clinton are now are being found to have been having adulterous intercourse at the same time. At least two of the "family values" Repubs... When will they get off their high horse about family values, when they really don't support them in action. They talk the talk, but....
And when are the Repubs going to quit whing when the Demons, I mean Demos, jump all over this hypocrisy. Demos do cheat on their spouses, but they are not running around saying they have the high moral ground on family values.
Why, except for political reasons, would the AP staff add the blurb concerning Rep. Cohen? Cohen was single and not a congressman, and the former girlfriend never told him until 3 years ago. How this is relevant to a married Senator having an illicit affair, and covering it up from his family for 30 years??
Holy Geeeez. politicians have been screwing each other for years,,but not their co-workers kids
Sick and twisted hypocrite.
How is the Cohen incident even remotely similar? TN Representative Cohen DISCOVERS after 24 years he has a daughter so he reaches out and gets to know her.
Former Senator Domenici sleeps with a coworkers daughter 30 years ago, fathers a child, then covers it up and walks away while the child has a single mother...
I see no reason at all for these two stories to be linked in this article other than a poor attempt by the writer to pull a Democrat into the fray so the Republican commenters will have someone to punch too.
I'm so tired of politics these days - it's like being in a perpetual schoolyard. The man is a Republican, so the Republicans better jump up and either defend him or think of a reason to lash out at Democrats. Just read the other comments... it's ridiculous!
Why not take each person as an individual or each incident on its own merits? Is that not even an option anymore? Both the Dems and the GOP have good people and bad apples, why defend/support them all?
Common sense truly is gone, isn't it...
After seeing the headline on the website, BEFORE reading the article, I knew the senator must be a Republican because we wouldn't hear about it if he were a Democrat! Gotta love our liberal press!
Gee Hawklady; Just last week Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen was outed as having a whoopee child and he is mentioned in this article again. I guess that kind of blows your propaganda lie away.
No problem... drive on....Democrats, Republicans, independents and teacup party.. we all human