Senator says Roy Moore should step aside

WASHINGTON—Republican Sen. Pat Toomey urged Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore on Sunday to drop out of the race, adding to the party’s growing disavowal of the controversial judge in a pivotal election following allegations that he initiated sexual contact with a 14-year old girl decades ago.

Toomey said Moore’s explanations have been inadequate so far in response to The Washington Post report last week and that Republicans should consider current Sen. Luther Strange as a write-in candidate to run against Moore.

“You know, this is a terrible situation, nearly 40-year-old allegation, we’ll probably never know for sure exactly what happened,” said Toomey, R-Pa.

“But from my point of view, I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best if Roy would just step aside.”

Toomey did not rule out the possibility that Senate Republicans might work to unseat Moore if he wins the special election against Democrat Doug Jones on Dec. 12.

Moore on Sunday responded to the increased pressure by trying to raise money because of the sex claims.

“The vicious and sleazy attacks against me are growing more vicious by the minute,” Moore wrote in his fundraising pitch. “I’m counting on you to stand with me at this critical moment by chipping in a donation to help me bust through the vicious lies and attacks and get the truth out to as many voters as possible before December 12.”

The White House, pointedly noting that President Donald Trump did not back Moore during the primary, said Trump will likely weigh in on the Senate race when he returns from Asia later this week. The White House has already made clear that Moore should step aside if the allegations are proven to be true.

“I think there’s a special place in hell for those who actually perpetrate these crimes,” White House legislative aide Marc Short said Sunday.

“But, having said that, he hasn’t been proved guilty,” Short added. “We have to afford him the chance to defend himself.”

Moore, an outspoken Christian conservative and former state Supreme Court judge, has attacked the Washington Post report that he had sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl and pursued three other teenagers decades earlier as “completely false and misleading.” Still, in an interview with conservative radio host Sean Hannity, he did not wholly rule out dating teenage girls when he was in his early 30s.

Asked if that would have been usual for him, Moore said, “Not generally, no.”