GOP sen: ‘Just a fact’ Moore will face ethics complaint if elected

Republican Sen. John Kennedy (La.) said Wednesday that if Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore (R) is elected, he will almost immediately face an ethics investigation upon his naming to the Senate.

Kennedy told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on Wednesday that an ethics investigation awaits Moore if he is elected, and that it will be unavoidable for the Republican candidate who is battling allegations that he had sexual and romantic relationships with teenage girls while he was in his 30s and a district attorney.

“If Mr. Moore is elected, he will be seated. Under the law, he has to be,” Kennedy said. “Then … somebody’s going to file an ethics complaint. That’s just a fact. And then there’s going to be a full-fledged investigation. People are going to be talked to under oath.”

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“We will get the facts,” he added, “and then the Senate will get to vote.”

Kennedy continued, adding that the allegations against Moore are criminal in nature and need to be addressed.

“My point of view is, if a candidate who is in his thirties took out a 14-year-old girl, undressed her, fondled her, asked her to fondle him, that’s a crime,” Kennedy said. “Then he’s not qualified to be a United States senator.”

When asked who he wants to see in the seat, Kennedy responded that he wants someone who “backs America” to win the December runoff for Alabama’s open Senate seat and stated that if Moore was elected, he should testify about the allegations under oath.

“Well, what I want is someone who backs America. Now, who did what to whom, I don’t know,” he added. “If this gets this far to an ethics committee, I would like to hear Mr. Moore under oath, and I’d like to talk to the witnesses.”

Some polls show Moore trailing his opponent, Democrat Doug Jones, slightly in the special election to determine Alabama’s next senator. The seat is currently held by Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.), whom Moore defeated in a GOP primary in September.

Alabamians will head to the polls to vote on Dec. 12.