Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh says Obama is lying about the debt ceiling and in a recent video insisted, “I won’t place one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids and grandkids unless we structurally reform the way this town spends money!” Only problem: he isn’t taking care of his own children:
The freshman congressman’s ex-wife, Laura Walsh, filed the claim against him in December as part of their divorce case, saying he owed $117,437 to her and their three children, the Chicago Sun-Times reported in a story published Wednesday. She contends that Walsh loaned his own campaign $35,000 and took international vacations but said he couldn’t afford child support payments because he was between jobs or out of work.
“Joe personally loaned his campaign $35,000, which, given that he failed to make any child support payments to Laura because he ‘had no money’ is surprising,” Laura Walsh’s attorneys wrote in the motion. “Joe has paid himself back at least $14,200 for the loans he gave himself.”
Walsh, whose campaign was marked by allegations of financial mismanagement, said he thought he and his ex-wife were coming to an agreement on the money owed, according to a February court filing. His attorney, R. Steven Polachek, denied that the congressman owed $117,437 in back child support and interest and said the amount was much less.
“I dispute that he owes the child support that she’s claiming or anywhere near that amount,” Polachek said. “Joe Walsh hasn’t been a big-time wage-earner politician until recently — he’s had no more problems with child support than any other average guy.”
Walsh won in a swing district and has behaved like he’s an incumbent in the Deep South with no risk of losing his reelection bid. In addition to the hypocrisy angle — this Fiscally Responsible Warrior can’t even do right by his kids — Walsh risks simply seeming like a jerk who hasn’t got a clue.
