By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Tuesday, the Baldwin County Young Republicans announced that they unanimously had decided to break with the policy of the Alabama Federation of Young Republicans and were going to continue to support Republican U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore.
Tuesday evening, the group contacted the Alabama Political Reporter to announce the decision.
“In light of many young republican groups rescinding their support for the republican candidate we have decided that we will continue to support Judge Roy Moore,” the group said. “Because We believe in the sacred principles of the American judicial system that being, ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ However, we will address the allegations with intellectual honesty, because we firmly believe that character is as important as policy when electing public officials. That being said, if the allegations are proven to be true beyond a reason of doubt, either before or after the election, then our stance is subject to change. But as of now we will not sell out the republican candidate to unproven allegations.”
Moore defeated appointed Sen. Luther Strange by nine and a half percentage points in the Republican primary runoff. Moore appeared to be cruising to an easy win over Democrat Doug Jones by eleven points, until the Washington Post released a report that Moore, while a single, young deputy district attorney in the 1970s, liked to date younger women. Most disturbing was an allegation by Leigh Corfman that she went out with Moore when she was just 14 years of age. She claims that on one of those encounters with Moore, he took her shirt and pants off and the two touched each other with their underwear on. This was followed by claims from a Ms. Beverly Nelson, represented by celebrity attorney, Gloria Allred, who claimed that Moore attempted to force her to give him oral sex in 1977, when she was just 16, while Moore was giving her a ride home from her job at the Olde Hickory House restaurant near the Gadsden Goodyear tire plant.
Another five women have come forward saying that Moore asked them out, or that they went out with Moore in the 1970s when they were between the ages of 16 and 22.
None of these five accuse Moore of anything beyond kissing. An eighth woman has accused Moore of groping her in the 1990s when he was a married attorney in Etowah County, and she was in his law office for a legal matter.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., demanded that Moore step aside, and that if he would not, the Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee should de-certify Moore.
Moore denies the allegations that he ever acted inappropriately with any women. The Alabama Republican Party Steering Committee rejected McConnell’s demands and voted to stand behind Moore.
Despite support from the state steering committee, the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans voted to withdraw their support for Moore and urge that he step aside so that another candidate could be found. This move was followed on Saturday by a vote of the Alabama Federation of Young Republicans to also withdraw their support.
On Sunday, the Shoals Young Republicans held an emergency meeting in which they voted that they would support the Republican nominee, Judge Moore. On Tuesday, the Baldwin YRs became the second Young Republican group to vote to support Judge Roy Moore’s candidacy and the decision of the state steering committee.
Moore faces former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones in the special election on Dec. 12.
