Barton to go mum over disclosed photo citing probe
Joe Barton
WASHINGTON (AP) â Suggesting heâs a victim of revenge porn from a jilted lover   Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Texas  says  he  plans to go silent about the release of a nude photo of  him  online because police are investigating the disclosure as a possible crime against  him . Authorities have not confirmed an investigation.
 The 68-year-old Barton  who joined the House in 1985   has acknowledged sharing intimate material with a lover and accused her of threatening to make it public when  he  ended the relationship. The unidentified woman told The Washington Post that she did not put it online and said  the congressman  sought to intimidate her by threatening to go to the authorities if she exposed  his  conduct.
The he said-she said dispute erupted in the midst of sexual misconduct allegations drawing in several other members of Congress as well as Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore of Alabama  who is accused of disrobing a 14-year-old girl. The consequences for  Barton  are not immediately apparent aside from  his  mortification: The relationship with the woman was evidently consensual.
The Post published details of a secretly recorded conversation between  Barton  and  his  lover from 2015 in which  he  threatened to âtake all this crap to the Capitol Hill Police and have them launch an investigationâ if she did not agree to keep âinappropriate photographs and videoâ that  he  had exchanged with her from becoming public.  He  said she had already shared material with other women with whom  he  had been involved.
In a statement after that report   Barton  said the âCapitol Police reached out to  me  and offered to launch an investigation and I have accepted. Because of the pending investigation  we will have no further comment.â  He  said the womenâs comments on the tape could be evidence of a âpotential crime against  me .â
Capitol Police have not said whether they have begun an investigation. A message left by The Associated Press at  Barton âs district office in Arlington  Texas  was not returned. The voicemail for his office in Washington was full.
In a portion of the recorded conversation  the woman asked  Barton  what  he  would tell police if  he  went to them.
 His  reply: âI would tell them that I had a three-year undercover relationship with you over the Internet that was heavily sexual and that I had met you twice while married and had sex with you on two different occasions and that I exchanged inappropriate photographs and videos with you that I wouldnât like to be seen made public  that you still apparently had all of those and were in position to use them in a way that would negatively affect my career. Thatâs the truth.â
 Barton  is the longest-serving congressman in Texas and  his  seat has always been considered reliably safe for Republicans.
The photo of  Barton  appeared on an anonymous Twitter account. It was not immediately known who posted the photo or when it was taken.
 Barton  issued an initial statement saying that while separated from  his  second wife  prior to their divorce in 2015   he  had sexual relationships âwith other mature adult women.â  Barton  said each relationship was consensual and has since ended.
âI am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down â  Barton  said.
 Barton  a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus   announced  his  re-election bid this month.  His  district includes several counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
 Barton  was a consultant in the oil and gas industry before  he  was elected to Congress.
 He  is currently the vice chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.  He  was the committeeâs chairman from 2004 to 2007.
 Barton  has also been the longtime manager of the GOP congressional baseball team.  He  was taking part in a team practice in June when a gunman opened fire  injuring another congressman and others.
WASHINGTON (AP) â Suggesting heâs a victim of revenge porn from a jilted lover   Republican Rep.  [TGT]  of Texas  says  he  plans to go silent about the release of a nude photo of  him  online because police are investigating the disclosure as a possible crime against  him . Authorities have not confirmed an investigation.
 The 68-year-old Barton  who joined the House in 1985   has acknowledged sharing intimate material with a lover and accused her of threatening to make it public when  he  ended the relationship. The unidentified woman told The Washington Post that she did not put it online and said  the congressman  sought to intimidate her by threatening to go to the authorities if she exposed  his  conduct.
The he said-she said dispute erupted in the midst of sexual misconduct allegations drawing in several other members of Congress as well as Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore of Alabama  who is accused of disrobing a 14-year-old girl. The consequences for  Barton  are not immediately apparent aside from  his  mortification: The relationship with the woman was evidently consensual.
The Post published details of a secretly recorded conversation between  Barton  and  his  lover from 2015 in which  he  threatened to âtake all this crap to the Capitol Hill Police and have them launch an investigationâ if she did not agree to keep âinappropriate photographs and videoâ that  he  had exchanged with her from becoming public.  He  said she had already shared material with other women with whom  he  had been involved.
In a statement after that report   Barton  said the âCapitol Police reached out to  me  and offered to launch an investigation and I have accepted. Because of the pending investigation  we will have no further comment.â  He  said the womenâs comments on the tape could be evidence of a âpotential crime against  me .â
Capitol Police have not said whether they have begun an investigation. A message left by The Associated Press at  Barton âs district office in Arlington  Texas  was not returned. The voicemail for his office in Washington was full.
In a portion of the recorded conversation  the woman asked  Barton  what  he  would tell police if  he  went to them.
 His  reply: âI would tell them that I had a three-year undercover relationship with you over the Internet that was heavily sexual and that I had met you twice while married and had sex with you on two different occasions and that I exchanged inappropriate photographs and videos with you that I wouldnât like to be seen made public  that you still apparently had all of those and were in position to use them in a way that would negatively affect my career. Thatâs the truth.â
 Barton  is the longest-serving congressman in Texas and  his  seat has always been considered reliably safe for Republicans.
The photo of  Barton  appeared on an anonymous Twitter account. It was not immediately known who posted the photo or when it was taken.
 Barton  issued an initial statement saying that while separated from  his  second wife  prior to their divorce in 2015   he  had sexual relationships âwith other mature adult women.â  Barton  said each relationship was consensual and has since ended.
âI am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down â  Barton  said.
 Barton  a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus   announced  his  re-election bid this month.  His  district includes several counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
 Barton  was a consultant in the oil and gas industry before  he  was elected to Congress.
 He  is currently the vice chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.  He  was the committeeâs chairman from 2004 to 2007.
 Barton  has also been the longtime manager of the GOP congressional baseball team.  He  was taking part in a team practice in June when a gunman opened fire  injuring another congressman and others.