Palm Beach Post Withdraws Mahoney Endorsement

Rep. Tim Mahoney’s (Fla.) home paper, the Palm Beach Post, rescinded its endorsement for the first-term congressman in an editorial today recommending Mahoney not only withdraw, but for voters to support Republican candidate Tom Rooney.

“It is rare that a newspaper rescinds an endorsement, but in the race for District 16, The Post no longer can support U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, and recommends that he withdraw and that voters choose Tom Rooney,” the paper wrote.

The Post hit Mahoney for being evasive and not directly addressing allegations that he paid a former mistress $121,000 to keep quiet about an alleged extramarital affair; the paper has since reported that Mahoney has conducted at least one additional extramarital affair.

Mahoney had been locked in a tough reelection battle against Rooney, an heir to the Pittsburgh Steelers owner, preceding the allegations.

“Considering how he got to Washington, he should have known better than most how important trust and ethics are,” the Post’s editorial said.

–Michael O’Brien