Tue. November 27, 2007
Washington, D.C. -
An Internet blogger and male escort has denied any connection with Republican Senator Trent Lott, who announced his retirement on Monday.
In the unexpected retirement announcement, the 66-year-old Lott said, "It's time for us to do something else," speaking for himself and his wife during a press conference in Pascagoula, Miss. "There are no problems. I feel fine."
The charge was first published by the Washington D.C.-based blog Big Head DC which claimes to have "email and other records" that confirm Lott and male escort Benjamin Nicholas have met on at least two occasions.
According to Big Head DC, Nicolas told them via e-mail that he wouldn't go on record to talk about his dealings with Lott, because, said Nicholas, "Trent is going through his fair share of scrutiny right now and I don't want to add to it."
Nicholas denies that he ever had a "working relationship" with the anti-gay senator from Mississippi. Posting on his website blog Tuesday, Nicholas wrote:
"It looks like a Washington DC-based blog called BigHeadDC is making claim that there was (or, is) a working relationship between myself and Senator Trent Lott. There are falsely pieced-together quotes that serve no purpose other than to sensationalize a completely fabricated scoop.
I will continue to offer a great sense of confidentiality to the people I see. I have not, nor have I ever seen or had contact with Senator Trent Lott. It's as simple as that. It never happened."
Nicholas told The Huffington Post the items were false. "There's nothing to be said, as Lott and I have no connection whatsoever," Nicholas wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. "How these 'quotes' have been fabricated are beyond me. The Senator is someone I have had no personal dealings with, ever."
The Huffington Post story written by Max Follmer reported "allegations of sloppy sleuthing" by Big Head DC's founder, Rob Capriccioso.
According to Follmer's published article, Radar Magazine dropped Capriccioso as a freelancer after he reported that veteran newsman Sam Donaldson's phone number was in the records of infamous DC Madam Deborah Jean Palfrey.
Capriccioso defended the Lott piece, telling The Huffington Post "Big Head DC stands by our quotes and item 100 per cent."
Written By: Stephen K. Waite
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