Exposing the Corruption of the "Family Values" Party
Jim Rostberg was a Minnesota state representative. In 2000, he was arrested and charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct. The complaint alleged repeated sexual assaults of a child, the daughter of family friends, over several years. The child was fourteen when Rostberg was arrested. When her mother confronted him, Rostberg said he felt bad about it.
Garabed “Chuck” Haytaian was the Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly. He was accused of sexual harassment by a Republican staffer who worked as his assistant. She said he frequently pawed, hugged, and kissed her. As part of her suit, she sought a transfer from working in his office. The state settled the suit which meant that Haytaian never had to admit guilty or face the consequences since the taxpayers paid the settlement and his legal fees.
John Diehl was Speaker of the House in the Missouri state legislature. He resigned in 2015 after it was revealed he had an intimate relationship with a 19-year-old college student serving as an intern at the state Capitol. He was 49 at the time and a sanctimonious advocate of the “sanctity of marriage” and opponent of gay marriage.
In January, 2022, the news broke that he was being investigated for the sexual abuse of a young girl beginning when she was fourteen and continuing for twelve years. The abuse is alleged to have started when she attended his church and the associated school where he was a gym teacher. When the girl turned 18, she married Chatfield’s brother and the relationship between Chatfield and his sister-in-law continued until 2021 when she went to the police.
Shae Sortwell is a Wisconsin state legislator whom state police referred for child abuse prosecution. The child had such significant bruises that a relative contacted police. The investigated and referred Sortwell for felony child abuse.
John Bizon is a doctor who served as President of the Michigan State Medical Society. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and served two terms before running for Michigan State Senate in 2018. He did not run for re-election in 2022 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault and battery charges. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year’s probation, a mental health treatment program, and is required to pay court costs and fines.
Seitz and Householder called victims of sexual abuse to testify about what happened to them several times for political theater.
Survivors were not told that the several times they were called to show up and support the bill, to testify, and to lobby, that this was just a ploy. Mike Schyck was one of the survivors who testified. He was angry when he learned it was all theater. “Why f**k with victims in that way? That’s the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever heard.” He thought the bill was a real thing, not a ploy. “Why would you consider putting us through that?” he asked.”
Steve Marino was a Republican State Representative for Michigan District 24 until he was term limited out. He was replaced by a Republican. In 2021, he was removed from committee assignments and required to have an escort in the state capitol building after Rep. Mari Manoojian, whom he had dated the year before, filed a complaint about the harassing and threatening texts he sent her.
Matt Wingard had two felony indictments for child abuse and pled guilty to criminal assault against a seven-year-old when he was accused by a former aide of giving her alcohol when she was underage (twenty) and pressuring her to have sex. He put her on his payroll and began an affair.