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| Mitch McConnell Says Roy Moore Should Exit Senate Race ‘if These Allegations Are True’ | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, said on Thursday that if Roy S. Moore made sexual overtures to four women when they were teenagers, as they allege, the Republican Party nominee for a Senate seat in Alabama should step aside ahead of a Dec. 12 special election. | WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, said on Thursday that if Roy S. Moore made sexual overtures to four women when they were teenagers, as they allege, the Republican Party nominee for a Senate seat in Alabama should step aside ahead of a Dec. 12 special election. |
| “If these allegations are true, he must step aside,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement after The Washington Post posted a story online in which the women said in on-the-record interviews that Mr. Moore had pursued them in the 1970s and 1980s when he was an attorney in his early 30s. | “If these allegations are true, he must step aside,” Mr. McConnell said in a statement after The Washington Post posted a story online in which the women said in on-the-record interviews that Mr. Moore had pursued them in the 1970s and 1980s when he was an attorney in his early 30s. |
| Mr. Moore was defiant, denying the charges and attacking the news media. | Mr. Moore was defiant, denying the charges and attacking the news media. |
| “These allegations are completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and The Washington Post on this campaign,” he said in a statement. | “These allegations are completely false and are a desperate political attack by the National Democrat Party and The Washington Post on this campaign,” he said in a statement. |
| Brett Doster, an adviser to Mr. Moore, said the candidate would “absolutely not” drop out of the race, calling the charges “a fabricated November surprise.” Mr. Doster said the campaign had not yet heard from Mr. McConnell or any Senate leaders. | Brett Doster, an adviser to Mr. Moore, said the candidate would “absolutely not” drop out of the race, calling the charges “a fabricated November surprise.” Mr. Doster said the campaign had not yet heard from Mr. McConnell or any Senate leaders. |
| But Mr. Moore’s candidacy was in grave danger. Senate Republicans moved en masse to distance themselves from their nominee almost as soon as the news story was posted. | But Mr. Moore’s candidacy was in grave danger. Senate Republicans moved en masse to distance themselves from their nominee almost as soon as the news story was posted. |
| “If these allegations are true, his candidacy is not sustainable,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican. Mr. Cornyn said he wanted to know more before withdrawing his endorsement of Mr. Moore. | “If these allegations are true, his candidacy is not sustainable,” said Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the second-ranking Republican. Mr. Cornyn said he wanted to know more before withdrawing his endorsement of Mr. Moore. |
| Those statements were repeated by numerous Republican senators. | Those statements were repeated by numerous Republican senators. |
| Republicans, already reeling from the election losses they suffered on Tuesday, have only a two-seat majority in the Senate and are facing a handful of difficult elections next year. | Republicans, already reeling from the election losses they suffered on Tuesday, have only a two-seat majority in the Senate and are facing a handful of difficult elections next year. |
| Mr. Moore’s candidacy had already worried party leaders who had embraced the controversial former state Supreme Court justice despite his long record of incendiary comments about gays, Muslims and African-Americans, to protect the Senate seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. | Mr. Moore’s candidacy had already worried party leaders who had embraced the controversial former state Supreme Court justice despite his long record of incendiary comments about gays, Muslims and African-Americans, to protect the Senate seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. |
| But Alabama election law appears to indicate, with little ambiguity, that the deadline has passed for candidates to be replaced on the ballot. The state election code says a candidate who wishes to withdraw from a race must do so 76 days before Election Day. The Alabama vote is in little more than a month. | But Alabama election law appears to indicate, with little ambiguity, that the deadline has passed for candidates to be replaced on the ballot. The state election code says a candidate who wishes to withdraw from a race must do so 76 days before Election Day. The Alabama vote is in little more than a month. |
| “First of all, it’s too late to substitute a candidate,” said John Merrill, the Alabama secretary of state, a Republican. “Judge Moore will be the candidate on the ballot with this election cycle remaining on the schedule it’s currently on.” | “First of all, it’s too late to substitute a candidate,” said John Merrill, the Alabama secretary of state, a Republican. “Judge Moore will be the candidate on the ballot with this election cycle remaining on the schedule it’s currently on.” |
| Republican lawyers and strategists in Washington were engaged in a furious search on Thursday for creative ways around that restriction, seeking a loophole that would allow the state Republican Party’s leadership to anoint a new candidate. The prospect of a write-in candidacy, for a third candidate, was also under consideration, according to party aides. | Republican lawyers and strategists in Washington were engaged in a furious search on Thursday for creative ways around that restriction, seeking a loophole that would allow the state Republican Party’s leadership to anoint a new candidate. The prospect of a write-in candidacy, for a third candidate, was also under consideration, according to party aides. |
| Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska who ran her own successful write-in campaign in 2010, said, “If in fact what I just read is true, he needs to get out of this race immediately. I think it’s pretty clear cut. If this is true, he should not be in this race at all.” | Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska who ran her own successful write-in campaign in 2010, said, “If in fact what I just read is true, he needs to get out of this race immediately. I think it’s pretty clear cut. If this is true, he should not be in this race at all.” |
| She called for Senator Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Mr. Sessions’ seat but lost to Mr. Moore in a bitterly contested Republican runoff in September, to run as a write-in. | She called for Senator Luther Strange, who was appointed to fill Mr. Sessions’ seat but lost to Mr. Moore in a bitterly contested Republican runoff in September, to run as a write-in. |
| One of the women, Leigh Corfman, told The Washington Post that she was 14 when Mr. Moore, 32 at the time, drove her to his home in Gadsden, Ala. He took off her shirt and touched her bra and underwear while also guiding her hand over his pants, Ms. Corfman told The Post. | One of the women, Leigh Corfman, told The Washington Post that she was 14 when Mr. Moore, 32 at the time, drove her to his home in Gadsden, Ala. He took off her shirt and touched her bra and underwear while also guiding her hand over his pants, Ms. Corfman told The Post. |
| “I wanted it over with — I wanted out,” she told the newspaper. “Please just get this over with. Whatever this is, just get it over.” | “I wanted it over with — I wanted out,” she told the newspaper. “Please just get this over with. Whatever this is, just get it over.” |