After initially denying reports of an affair, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill on Wednesday afternoon told AL.com that he had “an inappropriate relationship” with a 44-year-old woman and will not make an anticipated run for the U.S. Senate.
The affair was first alleged on Tuesday night in a right-wing blog, which interviewed the 44-year-old woman, who also accused Merrill of regularly using racist language. Merrill emphatically denied the relationship and the use of racist language in statements to other local media outlets, accusing the woman of “stalking” him with “intentions that were bordering on obsession.”
But that changed after the woman, Cesaire McPherson, on Wednesday provided AL.com a recording of an October 2020 phone call, in which Merrill told the woman that he was ending the affair.
“After much prayer, reflection, and conversations with my wife, Cindy, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for any office in 2022,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
“I will obviously not be a candidate for the United States Senate nor will I be seeking any other elected position in 2022, because I think it’s important to me to make sure that I become the man that I have been before and that I am working to put myself in the position to be the leader that I have been before, as a husband, as a father, as a friend and as an elected official,” Merrill said.
In that recorded phone call, Merrill told McPherson he hoped to draw strength from God to resist continuing their affair.
“I am not able to stay away from you, so that’s the reason why I have to have help in order to do that … the help is coming from the Lord,” Merrill said.
Now, back to that interview with a right-wing blog. The name of the blog that interviewed Merrill’s mistress, is called “Internewscast”. Here are some of the highlights Bible Belt style.
◾️Merrill enjoyed having his anus breached with sex toys, according to McPherson.“I didn’t strap anything on but I did have a butt plug. But yeah, he liked stuff up his ass, yeah.”
◾️“He just likes to do a lot of crazy stuff. But I did too….He wanted me to tie him up to the bed, so I would do whatever.”
◾️“He called me and he asked me to go to the store to get clothespins, he wanted me to put them on his nipples, or he’d put them on mine.”
◾️”he’d come over Sunday night, Monday night, sometimes Tuesday nights if she (his wife) didn’t come into town and stay in the apartment with him because he would have to be there with her. And mostly Wednesday and Thursday. Sunday, Monday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and then if he had a weekend…I stayed at his house twice. I went and spent the night, and then I slept in her bed and had sex in her bed.”
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