When Will Cal Cunningham Come Out of Hiding? | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH, NC     Despite being in the most expensive Senate campaign in history, scandal-ridden Cal Cunningham has been hiding from the media and has refused to answer a single question from reporters since October 9, which was the day he held his last media availability and declined to deny additional extramarital affairs when asked four times, and around the same time he was reportedly kicked out of his Raleigh home.

    The Associated Press today reported that Cunningham has refused to tell media outlets where he is in order to avoid reporters and avoid receiving questions about his extramarital affairs and Army investigation.

    "Cunningham's campaign hasn't released a public schedule this week. He's been keeping to small, unannounced events in which the media aren't invited, particularly since he acknowledged exchanging suggestive texts with a woman who's not his wife earlier this month. The Associated Press later reported Cunningham and the woman had an intimate encounter as recent as July." (Associated Press, 10/29/20)

    "Cal Cunningham hypocritically ran his entire campaign on honor, character, and accessibility, which has been revealed as one big lie after he betrayed a fellow veteran and his own family," said NCGOP Chairman Michael Whatley. "Instead of manning up and facing the press to address his misconduct that landed him under Army investigation, Cunningham has gone into hiding. North Carolinians deserve a senator like Thom Tillis who they can trust to keep his promises and remain accessible, not a shameless career politician like Cal Cunningham who breaks the trust of his own family and then refuses to take any responsibility for his reckless misconduct."

    Cunningham has repeatedly refused to answer questions or provide any explanation for why he betrayed a disabled veteran he knew by having an extramarital affair with his wife in July. Cunningham reportedly had an in-person encounter with his mistress this summer in his own Raleigh home while his family was away. The disabled veteran subsequently called on Cunningham to drop out of the race, telling the Raleigh News & Observer:

    "Mr. Cunningham chose to repeatedly engage in activities that would hurt his family and a fellow junior officer and veteran....If elected, I can only imagine how misplaced his judgment would be for the people he's charged to represent...I firmly believe Mr. Cunningham should drop out of the Senate race and ask that his behavior and actions be reviewed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice." (Raleigh News & Observer, 10/7/20)

    There are also reports that Cunningham had another long-term extramarital affair with a second woman who lives in Raleigh, reports that Cunningham and his campaign have repeatedly refused to address.

• Contact: Tim Wigginton
•     communications@ncgop.org