honest i threw it away!!!
I love religion. I really do. I love it when jack a$$ pastors get caught with their hands in the wrong pants pocket!!!! This is the same bastard that tried to get Howard and Bubba thrown off the air. This is the same jerk wad who complained about the Super Bowl Janet Jackson incident. In an interview he said it was election time politics. Well buddy I didn't see you running for office before this.
From CNN
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, who resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted a male prostitute for a massage and bought drugs from him.
Haggard, 50, said he never had sex with Mike Jones and never used the methamphetamine he bought.
He was one of a group of religious leaders who regularly participated in conference calls with White House aides. (Watch what Haggard said about the drugs he bought -- 1:59)
Haggard told reporters earlier this week that he did not know Jones, who claims to have had a three-year sex-for-money relationship with the pastor.
In an interview Friday with CNN, Jones said Haggard got his number from a "newspaper or Web site" when Jones was advertising as an escort.
"He called me and said his name was Art from Kansas City," said Jones.
He and the pastor "hooked up" once a month, Jones said, and he gave the pastor a "contact" from which Haggard could obtain methamphetamines.
Jones said he went public with the allegations because, "The more I researched about Ted Haggard and what was being said about gay marriage [at Haggard's church], I became very angry and, I go, this is not right for someone who is up there preaching marriage should only be between a man and woman, and he's going to a gay man for sex.
"I felt I owed it to the gay community to expose the hypocrisy," Jones said.
CNN's Denver affiliate, KUSA-TV, reported that a voice recognition expert concluded that the voice mails left for Jones probably were from Haggard. A more detailed analysis was under way.
In at least one of the messages, the speaker identifies himself as "Art."
Haggard's middle name is Arthur.
Church member: 'It's political'
Haggard resigned Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group representing more than 45,000 churches and 30 million people -- and he also stepped down temporarily from leadership at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
Haggard told KUSA on Friday that he received Jones' name as "a referral" from a hotel where he was staying in Denver.
He did not name the hotel. "I did call him," Haggard said. "I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away."
Haggard spoke to the Denver TV station from inside a car, with his wife, Gayle, in the passenger seat.
"I was buying it for me, but I never used it. I was tempted. ...
"He told me about it. I went there for a massage."
Asked whether Haggard's admission of knowing him was a vindication, Jones replied, "Thank you. Exactly."
Earlier, Jones said he would not back down from the allegations despite a polygraph test that a polygraph administrator said showed "deception."
Jones took the test voluntarily, answering questions about his alleged ties with Haggard.
Test administrator John Kresnik said the results "did show deception" but that Jones was physically and mentally exhausted. Kresnik said he would like to take the test again after Jones had slept and eaten, which could provide more trustworthy results. (Watch Haggard's response to whether he knows gay men in Denver -- 2:07 )
The Rev. Ross Parsley, who assumed leadership of Haggard's church, said Haggard had made "some admission of indiscretion -- not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt."
Time magazine named Haggard as one 2005's 25 most influential evangelical leaders, and he has close ties with the White House, participating in a regular conference call with other religious leaders. (Time.com article)
White House counselor Dan Bartlett on Friday called the revelations "shocking and disgraceful if they turn out to be true. I think it's important that we do find out exactly what it is right and what is wrong here and get to the bottom of it."
Haggard has put himself on administrative leave as senior pastor of his 14,000-member church.
Church members who spoke with The Associated Press were stunned. "It's political, right before the elections," said longtime member Brian Boals, according to the AP.
Another, E.J. Cox, 25, told the AP the allegations are "ridiculous." "People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she told the AP. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye."
Accuser: 'I won't back down'
During an interview Friday with a Denver radio station after the polygraph test, Jones said, "I'm disappointed. I won't back down from statements." (Watch Jones' take on Haggard's denial -- 1:20)
Haggard had told KUSA on Wednesday, "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."
He added, "I have never done drugs, ever -- not even in high school."
Jones said he has an envelope containing two $100 bills from Haggard, and saved telephone messages from him.
Colorado considers same-sex marriage ban
Jones said four months ago he learned Haggard's true identity when he saw him on television. He said he became upset when he learned that Haggard's church supported a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that's on the ballot in Colorado next week.
Colorado is one of eight states where voters will consider bans on same-sex marriage.
"I cried many nights, I got sick tormenting myself about whether I should do this," Jones said. "I finally had to come to peace with myself ... I had to do the moral thing."
Jones, who said he no longer worked as a prostitute, described himself as a Christian and said that while he was a registered Democrat, he had voted for Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush for president.
In a written statement issued by his church Thursday, Haggard said he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," he said. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
Under the church's governing structure, a board of overseers will lead the inquiry, with the power to discipline or remove Haggard or restore him to the pulpit, according to the church's statement.
Before word broke of "some admission of guilt," other prominent religious conservative leaders openly supported Haggard.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family -- which is also based in Colorado Springs -- called it "unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation." "Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election," Dobson said in a written statement.
Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, said that "the accusations do not comport with the person that I know."
"Since 1942, the NAE has never had a moral, ethical or financial scandal of any sort. Thus, this is very painful," Cizik said. "I believe that our record of speaking and acting in conformity with biblical values will be upheld."
CNN's Delia Gallagher contributed to this report.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
From CNN
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, who resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted a male prostitute for a massage and bought drugs from him.
Haggard, 50, said he never had sex with Mike Jones and never used the methamphetamine he bought.
He was one of a group of religious leaders who regularly participated in conference calls with White House aides. (Watch what Haggard said about the drugs he bought -- 1:59)
Haggard told reporters earlier this week that he did not know Jones, who claims to have had a three-year sex-for-money relationship with the pastor.
In an interview Friday with CNN, Jones said Haggard got his number from a "newspaper or Web site" when Jones was advertising as an escort.
"He called me and said his name was Art from Kansas City," said Jones.
He and the pastor "hooked up" once a month, Jones said, and he gave the pastor a "contact" from which Haggard could obtain methamphetamines.
Jones said he went public with the allegations because, "The more I researched about Ted Haggard and what was being said about gay marriage [at Haggard's church], I became very angry and, I go, this is not right for someone who is up there preaching marriage should only be between a man and woman, and he's going to a gay man for sex.
"I felt I owed it to the gay community to expose the hypocrisy," Jones said.
CNN's Denver affiliate, KUSA-TV, reported that a voice recognition expert concluded that the voice mails left for Jones probably were from Haggard. A more detailed analysis was under way.
In at least one of the messages, the speaker identifies himself as "Art."
Haggard's middle name is Arthur.
Church member: 'It's political'
Haggard resigned Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group representing more than 45,000 churches and 30 million people -- and he also stepped down temporarily from leadership at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.
Haggard told KUSA on Friday that he received Jones' name as "a referral" from a hotel where he was staying in Denver.
He did not name the hotel. "I did call him," Haggard said. "I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away."
Haggard spoke to the Denver TV station from inside a car, with his wife, Gayle, in the passenger seat.
"I was buying it for me, but I never used it. I was tempted. ...
"He told me about it. I went there for a massage."
Asked whether Haggard's admission of knowing him was a vindication, Jones replied, "Thank you. Exactly."
Earlier, Jones said he would not back down from the allegations despite a polygraph test that a polygraph administrator said showed "deception."
Jones took the test voluntarily, answering questions about his alleged ties with Haggard.
Test administrator John Kresnik said the results "did show deception" but that Jones was physically and mentally exhausted. Kresnik said he would like to take the test again after Jones had slept and eaten, which could provide more trustworthy results. (Watch Haggard's response to whether he knows gay men in Denver -- 2:07 )
The Rev. Ross Parsley, who assumed leadership of Haggard's church, said Haggard had made "some admission of indiscretion -- not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt."
Time magazine named Haggard as one 2005's 25 most influential evangelical leaders, and he has close ties with the White House, participating in a regular conference call with other religious leaders. (Time.com article)
White House counselor Dan Bartlett on Friday called the revelations "shocking and disgraceful if they turn out to be true. I think it's important that we do find out exactly what it is right and what is wrong here and get to the bottom of it."
Haggard has put himself on administrative leave as senior pastor of his 14,000-member church.
Church members who spoke with The Associated Press were stunned. "It's political, right before the elections," said longtime member Brian Boals, according to the AP.
Another, E.J. Cox, 25, told the AP the allegations are "ridiculous." "People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she told the AP. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye."
Accuser: 'I won't back down'
During an interview Friday with a Denver radio station after the polygraph test, Jones said, "I'm disappointed. I won't back down from statements." (Watch Jones' take on Haggard's denial -- 1:20)
Haggard had told KUSA on Wednesday, "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."
He added, "I have never done drugs, ever -- not even in high school."
Jones said he has an envelope containing two $100 bills from Haggard, and saved telephone messages from him.
Colorado considers same-sex marriage ban
Jones said four months ago he learned Haggard's true identity when he saw him on television. He said he became upset when he learned that Haggard's church supported a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage that's on the ballot in Colorado next week.
Colorado is one of eight states where voters will consider bans on same-sex marriage.
"I cried many nights, I got sick tormenting myself about whether I should do this," Jones said. "I finally had to come to peace with myself ... I had to do the moral thing."
Jones, who said he no longer worked as a prostitute, described himself as a Christian and said that while he was a registered Democrat, he had voted for Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush for president.
In a written statement issued by his church Thursday, Haggard said he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."
"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," he said. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."
Under the church's governing structure, a board of overseers will lead the inquiry, with the power to discipline or remove Haggard or restore him to the pulpit, according to the church's statement.
Before word broke of "some admission of guilt," other prominent religious conservative leaders openly supported Haggard.
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family -- which is also based in Colorado Springs -- called it "unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation." "Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election," Dobson said in a written statement.
Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, said that "the accusations do not comport with the person that I know."
"Since 1942, the NAE has never had a moral, ethical or financial scandal of any sort. Thus, this is very painful," Cizik said. "I believe that our record of speaking and acting in conformity with biblical values will be upheld."
CNN's Delia Gallagher contributed to this report.
Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.