Fla. Rep.’s Wife Seeks Divorce Amid Sex Scandal

MIAMI (AP) – The wife of a Florida congressman embroiled in an adultery scandal filed for divorce Monday.

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney admitted last week to having at least two affairs, including with an aide he paid off to keep her quiet about their relationship.

His wife, Terry Mahoney, did not comment on seeking the divorce, and her attorney, Karen Steger, said “the petition speaks for itself.”

The petition filed in a Palm Beach Gardens court asks for a dissolution of the marriage and for dividing assets, but does not give a reason. Florida is a no-fault divorce state.

Mahoney’s campaign had no comment, calling it “a personal matter” and the congressman did not return a telephone call seeking comment. At a news conference last week, Mahoney apologized to his wife, his grown daughter and his constituents for his actions.

However, the first-term Democrat, in a tight bid for re-election, insists he broke no laws and will not resign.

Voters chose him on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to teenage male pages who worked on Capitol Hill.

After ABC News reported the affair last week, Mahoney called for an investigation into his own conduct by the House Ethics Committee.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for an inquiry.

The 52-year-old Mahoney said he had a sexual relationship with 50-year-old Patricia Allen whom he met while campaigning in 2006.

Allen worked for his congressional office, then his campaign.

Mahoney said she was fired for performance issues, not because of the affair.

Allen threatened to sue Mahoney for sexual harassment and they reached a settlement to avoid a public airing of the affair.

Her payout of about $122,000 came from Mahoney’s personal accounts, not from campaign funds or federal dollars, the congressman says.

Mahoney is also being investigated by the FBI to determine whether he broke any laws when he hired a mistress to work on his staff.

Investigators also are looking into whether Mahoney showed preferential treatment to Martin County in his Florida district when he lobbied for $3.4 million in hurricane cleanup funds awarded last year.

Mahoney acknowledges that at the time he was having an affair with a high-ranking Martin County official, but insists he did nothing extra.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)