Posted on 08/31/2006 7:02:59 PM PDT by radar101
David Harris,http://www.followmetodc.com/
a Democratic candidate for a North Texas congressional seat, is under investigation by the military amid allegations that he carried on a three-year affair with an enlisted soldier under his command in the Army Reserve.
Harris, an Iraqi war veteran challenging 11-term Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Arlington, is accused of "conduct unbecoming an officer" for maintaining a "close and continuing relationship" with a female Army sergeant from 2003 though 2005, a military investigator said.
Military regulations forbid such relationships.
Maj. Frank Torres, the Army Reserve officer who investigated the allegations, said military officials are still deciding whether to proceed with a court-martial against Harris, who is a major. The complaint that sparked the investigation was filed by Jennifer Vaughan, 33, of Arlington, who was demoted by her commander after she acknowledged that she had an affair.
Harris, a former ROTC instructor at the University of Texas at Arlington, declined to discuss the matter. But when reports of the inquiry surfaced on several political Web logs, Harris and his campaign suggested that they were being spread by the Barton campaign.
"While I have made mistakes in my marriage and personal life, I remain committed to my relationship, my family and moving forward together," Harris, a 35-year-old father of two, wrote on his campaign Web page. "These personal attacks against me are an all-time low for the persons responsible for them. ...
"I will not engage in a campaign of negativity and I will not tolerate attacks against my family," he added. "Everyone makes mistakes, no one is perfect. I believe that the voters understand that."
A spokesman for Barton said the Republican lawmaker's campaign has made no attempt to publicize the matter.
"We're just not going to go there," said Craig Murphy, the congressman's political consultant. Barton's 6th District includes Arlington and south Tarrant County and extends southeast to Trinity County.
Vaughan transferred from the Army Reserve to the Air Force Reserve after returning from Iraq. She said she lodged a complaint because she was demoted in her new assignment from staff sergeant to senior airman while no action was being contemplated against Harris.
Her supervisors in the Air Force Reserve had already been alerted to the affair, but they had no authority over Harris.
"Why do I, as an enlisted person, have to lose a stripe over this while nothing happens to the officer?" Vaughan, who served as Harris' driver in Iraq, told the Star-Telegram. "I'm doing it because I have been treated so bad as an enlisted [person]. And as an officer, he's getting away with it, and now he's running for Congress."
Vaughan said that she and Harris ended their relationship in 2005. She turned over e-mail correspondence between her and Harris to Army investigators. She also provided copies to the Star-Telegram.
Vaughan has also sent a letter to Barton seeking his office's help to transfer to another Air Force Reserve unit. Murphy said Barton's office forwarded the letter to U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to avoid any appearance of partisan politics. Hutchison's spokeswoman said the senator typically does not discuss correspondence with constituents.
Torres, the Army investigator, said he interviewed Harris and "a dozen or so witnesses" during his six-week inquiry and found nothing to contradict Vaughan's assertions about her relationship with Harris. Torres declined to discuss the specifics, saying only that his report has been turned over to his superiors.
"All I can say is that I did a thorough investigation into the allegations," Torres said. "This is something the military takes very seriously. The military has very specific guidelines as it relates to relationships between officers and enlisted personnel."
Harris, who enlisted in the Army in 1992 and became an officer two years later, became active in the veterans-for-peace movement after returning from Iraq in 2005.
The Uniform Code of Military Justice leaves punishment for conduct unbecoming an officer up to the court-martial.
He should borrow the Clinton line. "It was just sex."
Defense #1: "I thought enlisted personnel were supposed to be under officers."
Good thing the Ho kept the emails. Will be interesting to see how she transferred to the AF. Maybe Maj. (lawyer) Hackett will represent Harris.
Cynical prediction: He'll be elected and promoted to LTC.
"I would think running against Barton would be punishment enough."
LOL, last cycle = 66%
http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/bio/?id=559&lvl=C&chamber=H
This guy sounds like a real piece of work....Since when does a Major rate a personal driver?!
It will be interesting to see how the Dems react when the Army does indeed Courts Martial him. Obviously, he will be unelectable. Since they fought so hard to keep a replacement for Delay off the ballot, the same should apply here. One Dem recruited war hero down the drain....
Which means running as a RAT he should be above the UCMJ and should not have to obey the same rules and regs that are for the little people.
A true Kerryite.
They need to add an Adultery charge.
"It's a personal matter" and Tailhook may be coming back to haunt the Democrats.
Yeah and don't mess with my family!
Should have thought about that before committing adultery and fraternization.
This same "assume victimhood" tactic worked perfectly for McGreevey in NJ.
An Enlisted friend of mine got the boot after "fraternizing" with a female Captain. She was not in his chain of command, and remained on active duty, although at another base. (p.s. she was hot!)
Its not the rank but could be by duty position. I didn't have a driver as a 2nd LT but did as a 1LT. Difference was the job.
Heck my reserve unit is so top heavy, the officers drive the enlisted around when we go TDY.
Reservists not extended active duty are not subject to quite the same rules, although normal sexual harassment rules do apply.... but maybe not to Democrats, since otherwise BJ Clinton would have been prosecuted under those laws.
One can imagine a couple not even knowing that the other was a reservist, unless they were in the same unit.
It's not tough at all...She was his driver. An 0-4 screwing an E-5 for 3 years...verboten. Not to mention the Adultery.
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