The pressure is mounting on Tennessee 4th District Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-Jasper), as at least one of the potential candidates considering a run against DesJarlais officially formed an exploratory committee yesterday, What’s more, Tennessee State Representative Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) has formed a committee with real heavyweight conservative backing, one that is chaired by a conservative fundraising giant, Lee Beaman. Beaman played a major role in helping to raise funds for the Tennessee House Republican Caucus in the leadup to the GOP’s one-seat majority in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2008, which was the first Republican majority in the Tennessee House of Representatives in modern history.
Carr’s decision to form an exploratory committee comes amidst a continuing deterioration of the political situation for DesJarlais.Tennessee Democrats, now seeking to take political advantage of DesJarlais’ increasing weakness, are filing a separate medical ethics complaint against DesJarlais. It is looking increasingly likely that DesJarlais will have to give a sworn affidavit that he had sex with multiple patients and prescribed medication for them. DesJarlais acknowledged in transcripts of his 2001 divorce trial, according to the Chattanooga Times-Free Press, that he had affairs with at least two patients and a pharmaceutical sales representative. At least one of the patients DesJarlais encouraged to have an abortion. He apparently also encouraged his former wife to abort two of his unborn children.
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