By Ray Stern | Phoenix New Times
The state Senate staffer at the heart of a steamy scandal involving a prominent Arizona GOP candidate for Congress believes she is a victim of revenge porn, her lawyer said on Wednesday.
The scandal involving Steve Montenegro, a former state Senate president who lives in Litchfield Park, threatens to alter the race for the congressional seat vacated by Trent Franks, who resigned in disgrace on December 8 in his own sexually charged scandal.
Montenegro’s a lead contender among 16 Republicans in the upcoming February 27 special primary election for the Congressional District 8 job. But perhaps not anymore: News broke on Tuesday that the woman staffer had exchanged flirtatious texts with Montenegro late last year, and that she also sent him a topless photo of herself.
Related: Steve Montenegro faces calls to quit congressional race; backers largely mum
Today, Tom Ryan, a prominent Chandler attorney with a history of tackling government corruption, told New Times that the flirtatious texts and topless photo of his client were “shopped around all over the place. The fellow that did it may be facing criminal charges.”
