Tucson News NowMcCain: Babeu deserves presumption of innocence

McCain: Babeu deserves presumption of innocence

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Posted by James Bennett - email
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -

Sen. John McCain reacted Sunday to Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's decision to step down as co-chairman of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

Babeu admitted Saturday he was gay amid allegations of misconduct made by a man with whom he previously had a relationship.

"Well, of course, Sheriff Babeu is a friend of mine," McCain, who campaigned with Babeu in his successful re-election in 2010, told ABC's "This Week." "I do not know the details, except what has been published in the media. And I'm sure there will be a thorough and complete investigation, if there is any allegations of wrongdoing. 

"All I can say is that he also deserves the benefit, as every citizen does, of innocence until proven guilty.  But I appreciate the support that he gave me in my campaign and always will."

Babeu said he would continue his bid for the GOP nomination in Arizona's rural 4th Congressional District race. The sheriff is taking on an incumbent tea party Republican who switched districts, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, and state Sen. Ron Gould, a conservative from northwestern Arizona, in August's 4th District primary.

Gould told The Associated Press he believed Babeu's posting of pictures on what the lawmaker called a "homosexual hookup website" were a "Congressman Weiner type of moment."

"The real issue here is the poor judgment of a government official, posting those kinds of photos on a public website," Gould said. "I think that shows a lack of good judgment."

He also said he believes Babeu's sexual orientation would hurt him in the district. Gould sponsored Arizona's constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman, an amendment he said drew extremely strong support in the rural counties he and Babeu seek to represent.

"This is about an abuse of power, a misuse of public trust, bad judgment and the continued use of official resources for personal and political gain," Gosar said in a statement that noted the location of the press conference and the large gathering of uniformed sheriff's personnel at the event.

Copyright 2012 Tucson News Now and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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