Louisiana Fifth District Congressman Vance McAllister was caught on video in a passionate kiss with one of his aides, according to The Ouachita Citizen. McAllister campaigned as a devoted husband and father and a devout Christian in the fall to win office.
The kiss happened on December 23 inside the congressman’s office in Monroe. The woman in the video has been identified as Melissa Anne Hixon Peacock, who is also married. She works as McAllister’s district scheduler.
McAllister has been married for 16 years.
Last fall, during his campaign, McAllister told the newspaper the following:
“You don’t achieve goals by compromising your integrity but by building relationships on respect,” McAllister said. “We have to love our neighbor, which is the most bipartisan you can be.”
McAllister and Melissa Peacock, along with her husband Heath, have been friends for years. They have all appeared in pictures together at family birthday parties. McAllister and Heath Peacock both graduated from Forest High School in the 1990s. The two men also worked together for Mustang Engineering for 16 years.
McAllister issued a statement following the report from the newspaper about the kiss. His statement, which offers an apology, is below:
“There’s no doubt I’ve fallen short and I’m asking for forgiveness. I’m asking for forgiveness from God, my wife, my kids, my staff, and my constituents who elected me to serve. Trust is something I know has to be earned whether your[sic] a husband, a father, or a congressman. I promise to do everything I can to earn back the trust of everyone I’ve disappointed.”
“From day one, I’ve always tried to be an honest man. I ran for congress to make a difference and not to just be another politician. I don’t want to make a political statement on this, I would just simply like to say that I’m very sorry for what I’ve done. While I realize I serve the public, I would appreciate the privacy given to my children as we get through this.”