Can you believe this hypocrisy? What else is new. This US congressman who was a member of the republican House pro-life caucus and who voted to pass a bill baring women from the possibility of an abortion past 20 weeks of pregnancy, instead of immediately resigning in disgrace, he plans to formally resign at the end of his current term.

Update on October 6, 2017: It has been announced by news reports, that Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA.) will be retiring as of October 21, 2017.  

Here’s the rest of the story…

On October 4, 2017, Mary Hui and Mike DeBonis of the Washington Post penned the following report, “GOP Rep. Tim Murphy won’t seek reelection after reports he asked woman to get abortion.”

“Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania, an opponent of abortion, will not be seeking reelection at the end of his current term, ending speculation about his future a day after a news report claimed the married Republican had asked a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair to get an abortion.”

“After discussions with my family and staff, I have come to the decision that I will not seek reelection to Congress at the end of my current term,” Murphy, 65, said in a statement.”

“I plan to spend my remaining months in office continuing my work as the national leader on mental health care reform, as well as issues affecting working families in southwestern Pennsylvania,” he added.”

“Murphy first publicly admitted in early September to having an affair with Shannon Edwards, a woman half his age, a revelation that dealt a blow to his reelection prospects in 2018. Murphy was first elected to the House in November 2002 and is currently serving his eighth term.”

“In a Jan. 25 text message obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Edwards said Murphy had “zero issue posting your pro-life stance all over the place when you had no issue asking me to abort our unborn child just last week when we thought that was one of the options.”

“According to the paper, a text response from Murphy’s cellphone number that same day said that his staff were responsible for the antiabortion messages: “I’ve never written them. Staff does them. I read them and winced. I told staff don’t write any more. I will.”

“Murphy was a co-sponsor of a Republican bill approved (10/3/17) that bans most abortions after 20 weeks of fetal development.”

“Murphy is a clinical psychologist who helped write a major overhaul of mental-health programs that passed through Congress last year. He has pushed for improvements in mental-health-care policy since the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, and his Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act was signed into law by former president Barack Obama as part of a larger health-care reform package.”

“Murphy is a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and currently chairs its oversight and investigations subcommittee. He is also a member of the House Pro-Life Caucus. ”

“Murphy represents a district in southwest Pittsburgh that is solidly Republican. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates it as having an 11-point Republican lean. The district voted for Trump by 19 points over Hillary Clinton, 58-39, in the 2016 presidential election.”

Here are more details…

On October 4, 2017, Rachel Bade, Elena Schneider and John Bresnahan of the Politico penned the following article, “Embattled GOP Rep. Tim Murphy to retire.”

Excerpts:

“The story also highlighted a toxic work environment in Murphy’s office, citing a June 8 memo in which his chief of staff, Susan Mosychuk, warned Murphy about mistreating staff. The document, titled “Office Conduct and Behavior: Harassment/Legal Compliance,” suggests there was a “pattern of sustained inappropriate behavior.”

“Mosychuk wrote that the office has experienced 100 percent staff turnover over the past several years and attributed it to the congressman’s behavior. She said he often worked staff through the weekends, only to berate them for failing to meet expectations.”

“Murphy’s district leans Republican, backing Donald Trump by almost 20 points in 2016 and Mitt Romney by nearly 17 points in 2012. It is likely to remain in Republican hands.”

“The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio, said in a statement late Wednesday evening that he was “confident” the district would stay in GOP hands next year.”

“While I am extremely disappointed in the circumstances surrounding Congressman Murphy’s retirement, I remain confident that PA-18 will remain under Republican control next year,” Stivers said.”

“Still, Democrats on the ground are more hopeful, pointing to competitive down-ballot results in the district.”

“It’s a tough district, no doubt about it, but Democrats have been able to keep it close in other races,” said Mike Mikus, a longtime Democratic operative in the state. “I think you’ll see more Democrats taking a look at this and considering jumping in now.”

“A handful of Democrats are already in the race, including Pam Iovino, a Navy veteran and former Veterans Affairs official; Mike Crossey, a former member of the Allegheny County Council; and Bob Solomon, a physician.”

“But former Rep. Jason Altmire — a centrist Democrat who represented Western Pennsylvania and lost his seat, partially due to redistricting, in 2012 — said “it would have to be the right kind of Democrat” to put the seat in play.”

“If you had a social conservative Democrat, it’s been proven that a Democrat like that and who fits that mold can win,” Altmire said.