chefmike
11-03-2006, 10:19 PM
Evangelical leader says he bought meth, but 'never used it'
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, who resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted male prostitute Mike Jones "for a massage" and bought drugs from him.
Haggard said he never had sex with Jones and never used the methamphetamine drug he bought.
He told reporters earlier this week that he did not know Jones, who claims to have had a three-year sex-for-money relationship with him.
Haggard, 50, resigned Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group representing more than 45,000 churches and 30 million people -- and he also stepped down temporarily from leadership at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
He was one of a group of religious leaders who regularly participated in conference calls with White House aides.
Haggard told CNN affiliate KUSA-TV Friday that he received Jones' name as "a referral" from a hotel where he was staying in Denver.
He did not name the hotel. "I did call him," Haggard said. "I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away."
"I was buying it for me but I never used it. I was tempted, I bought it, but I never used it."
"He told me about it. I went there for a massage."
*****
The Rev. Ross Parsley, who assumed leadership of Haggard's church, said Haggard had made "some admission of indiscretion -- not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt."
Time magazine named Haggard as one 2005's 25 most influential evangelical leaders and has close ties with the White House, participating in a regular conference call with other religious leaders.
White House counselor Dan Bartlett said Friday that the "revelations" are "shocking and disgraceful if they turn out to be true. I think it's important that we do find out exactly what it is right and what is wrong here and get to the bottom of it."
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Before word broke of "some admission of guilt," other prominent religious conservative leaders openly supported Haggard.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family -- which is also based in Colorado Springs -- called it "unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation." "Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election," Dobson said in a written statement.
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http://www.cnn.com/
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, who resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted male prostitute Mike Jones "for a massage" and bought drugs from him.
Haggard said he never had sex with Jones and never used the methamphetamine drug he bought.
He told reporters earlier this week that he did not know Jones, who claims to have had a three-year sex-for-money relationship with him.
Haggard, 50, resigned Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group representing more than 45,000 churches and 30 million people -- and he also stepped down temporarily from leadership at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
He was one of a group of religious leaders who regularly participated in conference calls with White House aides.
Haggard told CNN affiliate KUSA-TV Friday that he received Jones' name as "a referral" from a hotel where he was staying in Denver.
He did not name the hotel. "I did call him," Haggard said. "I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away."
"I was buying it for me but I never used it. I was tempted, I bought it, but I never used it."
"He told me about it. I went there for a massage."
*****
The Rev. Ross Parsley, who assumed leadership of Haggard's church, said Haggard had made "some admission of indiscretion -- not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt."
Time magazine named Haggard as one 2005's 25 most influential evangelical leaders and has close ties with the White House, participating in a regular conference call with other religious leaders.
White House counselor Dan Bartlett said Friday that the "revelations" are "shocking and disgraceful if they turn out to be true. I think it's important that we do find out exactly what it is right and what is wrong here and get to the bottom of it."
*****
Before word broke of "some admission of guilt," other prominent religious conservative leaders openly supported Haggard.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family -- which is also based in Colorado Springs -- called it "unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation." "Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election," Dobson said in a written statement.
*****
http://www.cnn.com/