Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, left, and Rep. Tara Mack, R-Apple Valley (Courtesy of Minnesota House of Representatives)
Two Minnesota GOP lawmakers caught “making out” in a local park in broad daylight are disputing an officer’s claim that they were engaged in sexual contact with one another. The lawmakers, 51-year old Tim Kelly, and 32-year old Tara Mack, were cited for making out in a vehicle at 4:30 p.m. on August 25th. According to the officer’s report Mack’s pants were unzipped and pulled down when the park ranger approached the vehicle.
Both lawmakers were charged with a misdemeanor nuisance ordinance violation. The story has proved embarrassing for them since the two “family values” Republicans are married, but not to each other.
Tim Kelly has been married to his wife, Sue, for 18 years and they have four children. Tara Mack is married to Justin Mack, a pastor affiliated with River Valley Church, a suburban Twin Cities Assemblies of God megachurch. They have two children. Mack was also a featured speaker at the 2014 CPAC convention.
The two lawmakers who preach about family values and personal responsibility, are now trying to deny their own responsibility for engaging in questionable conduct, by accusing the police officer of fabricating the story about them making out.
Tim Kelly told the St. Paul Pioneer Press:
When we met, a park ranger approached my vehicle and told me I was double-parked. I disputed his characterization and got out of the car to take a picture. He became visibly agitated and returned to his own car. Approximately ten minutes later, he returned to my vehicle with a parking ticket citing a nuisance. When I asked what that meant, he responded ‘whatever I want it to mean.’
Tara Mack issued a statement that read:
Last week, I received a citation for a nuisance. Subsequently, I have been told the officer wrote in his notes — information that I’ve requested, but has not yet been made public to me — statements that are completely false and inappropriate… I will be filing a complaint with the sheriff’s office regarding the officer’s egregious and false statements.
The lawmakers insist that they were just “exchanging documents.” Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie scoffed at the suggestion his Deputy falsified an account of what happened. Leslie stated:
This is what park rangers do. They patrol. I have no reasons to doubt the ranger and the facts he’s reporting. I stand behind him 100 percent.
What the two lawmakers choose to do on their spare time is their business, but they should at least own their behavior. While Republicans enjoy casting judgement upon others, they are often quick to deflect responsibility away from their own moral shortcomings. The two Republican lawmakers who were fooling around behind their spouses backs would rather defame a police officer trying to do his job than fess up to their own misdeeds. One can only hope that the next time they want to “exchange documents” they keep their pants up, or rent a room, so that the rest of the community doesn’t have to see their government “in action.”
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