Florida Dem. Congressman denies paying Hush Money, faces strong competition from Tom Rooney

Fla. Dem. Congressman Denies Paying Hush Money

Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) on Tuesday denied paying hush money to a former aide to silence her about an affair.

Mahoney did not directly comment on the purported affair, but said in a statement that he took "full responsibility for my actions and the pain I have caused my wife, Terry, and my daughter, Bailey."

The statement came a day after ABC News reported on its Web site that Mahoney had an affair with an aide and then paid her $121,000 to keep her quiet and prevent her from filing a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Mahoney won the race after former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley resigned when it was revealed he sent lurid Internet messages to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill. Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by state and federal authorities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mahoney have called for an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Mahoney said he has not misused campaign funds and will be cleared of wrongdoing.

"I have not violated my oath of office, nor have I violated any laws, and I consider this to be a private matter."

Mahoney faces stiff competition for his House seat this fall...from NPR

His Republican opponent is Tom Rooney