UPDATE: Merrill Admits To Affair After Denying Claims To Patch

Tuscaloosa AL

07 April, 2021

7:13 PM

Description

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill admitted to an extramarital affair on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Tuscaloosa Patch was the first media outlet to report his denial of the allegations. Connor Sheets of AL.com was the first to get an on-the-record admission from Merrill, who was confronted with audio of a conversation between him and Cesaire McPherson — the woman who allegedly had an affair with the statewide elected official. Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts. "I will obviously not be a candidate for the United States Senate nor will I be seeking any other elected position in 2022, because I think it's important to me to make sure that I become the man that I have been before and that I am working to put myself in the position to be the leader that I have been before, as a husband, as a father, as a friend and as an elected official," Merrill told AL.com on Wednesday. McPherson reportedly provided Al.com and Sheets with a 17-minute recording of an October 2020 conversation between her and Merrill. The recording features Merrill and McPherson discussing "various sexual acts they performed during dozens of romantic encounters that McPherson says took place between November 2017 and November 2020," the statewide media outlet reports. Merrill admitting to the accusations comes after a story reported by conservative blog National File published graphic details of the elicit relationship. In the wake of the story gaining traction on social media, Merrill responded to a request for comment from Tuscaloosa Patch Tuesday night, where he presented a narrative that focused on McPherson allegedly harassing him and his staff for over a year. "Let me say unequivocally that these baseless allegations are entirely false," he told Patch in a lengthy response Tuesday "Beginning in 2019, this woman began texting and communicating with me through social media. While we exchanged texts and she even visited the office, it was clear she had other intentions that were bordering on obsession. I alerted my wife, Cindy, to this and we both agreed to cut off any and all communication with her." Prior to Wednesday, Merrill was an early favorite to make a strong run for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated by Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, as a slew of other potential challengers mull campaigns. Among those is U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, a close ally of former President Donald Trump. Brooks was officially endorsed by the 45th president on Wednesday, after the Republican from Alabama was one of the key players in a rally that led up to the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill. This controversy is just the latest for Merrill, who also admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a separate woman in 2015 and battled through public criticism to retain his office. In an official statement on Wednesday as campaign and affair rumors swirled, Merrill announced plans to take a step back from politics. "With the end of my term coming up in January of 2023, I have been presented with a variety of options for where my path in public service could lead," Merrill said. "After much prayer, reflection, and conversations with my wife, Cindy, I have decided that I will not be a candidate for any office in 2022." Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at [email protected].