Ohio Gov. Candidate Reveals Sexual Past in Bizarre Post

William O'Neill says he's trying to make a point about sexual misconduct scandals
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 17, 2017 4:44 PM CST
Ohio Gov. Candidate Reveals Sexual Past in Bizarre Post
In this Oct. 29, 2010, file photo, William O'Neill, an Ohio appeals court judge selected as the Democratic nominee for U.S. House of Representatives to represent Ohio's 14th District, laughs during a campaign stop at the Democratic party headquarters in Mentor, Ohio.   (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)

A state Supreme Court justice running for Ohio governor volunteered candid details of his sexual past on Facebook, saying Friday that he was taking a swipe at the "media frenzy" over sexual misconduct, the AP reports. Democrat William O'Neill's post was immediately attacked as inappropriate and led to calls for his ouster. In it, he wrote that he has been "sexually intimate with approximately 50 very attractive females." He wrote that the women included "a gorgeous blonde" with whom he "made passionate love" in a hay loft and a "drop dead gorgeous red head" from Cleveland. After posting the message, he edited it to remove some identifying information about the women. O'Neill, 70, told the AP that the details provided were true and that he was trying to make a point.

"It's a matter of parody suggesting that, as a governor candidate, I assume I am the next target of the media frenzy," he said. Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, the first woman to lead the state's high court, immediately condemned the post. "No words can convey my shock," she said in a statement. "This gross disrespect for women shakes the public's confidence in the integrity of the judiciary." All other Democrats seeking the governorship called for O'Neill to resign, saying he was trivializing the issue. Others to condemn the post included Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, a GOP candidate for governor; state Democratic Chairman David Pepper; and the Republican National Committee. O'Neill's campaign spokesman also resigned over it Friday. O'Neill said the Facebook post grew out of frustration over Democrats' calls to remove Al Franken from the US Senate over sexual misconduct allegations.

(More sexual harassment stories.)

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