Donald Trump-endorsed Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Sean Parnell announced he was suspending his campaign Monday after a judge ruled ...
Donald Trump-endorsed Senate candidate from Pennsylvania Sean Parnell announced he was suspending his campaign Monday after a judge ruled against him in a child custody case.
'While I plan to ask the court to reconsider, I can't continue with a Senate campaign. My focus right now is 100 per cent on my children, and I want them to know I do not have any other priorities,' Parnell said, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Parnell phoned the former president to tell him of his decision, Politico reported.
The move came after the candidate lost a court fight over custody of his three children Monday, two weeks after he took the stand to deny allegations by his estranged wife that he had hurt her and the children, following her accusations of abuse.
Parnell's decision to suspend his campaign comes in a battleground state that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate in next year's election.
Pennsylvania Republican congressional candidate Sean Parnell has suspended his campaign for the Senate after losing a court fight over custody of his three children, two weeks after he took the stand to deny allegations by his estranged wife that he had hurt her and the children
The judge, James Arner, wrote in an order Monday that Parnell's estranged wife, Laurie Snell, will have sole legal custody of the school-age children, as well as primary physical custody. Parnell will have physical custody on three weekends per month, Arner wrote.
Snell was 'the more credible witness,' Arner summed up in his 16-page opinion, saying she could remember and describe details in a convincing manner.
Pennsylvania´s Senate seat is opening up with the retirement in 2023 of two-term Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, and both Republicans and Democrats have a big field of candidates in the politically divided state.
Trump, who has made a habit of boasting about his success rate in endorsements, has reportedly fumed about how the race has played out.
He has asked questions including: 'What a mess — what is going on there? What's up with that guy?,' according to Politico, which quoted a person familiar with his commentary.
The order comes as many in the state Republican Party remain undecided about their field, which includes conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, real estate investor Jeff Bartos and Carla Sands, Trump´s ambassador to Denmark.
Republican Senate candidate Sean Parnell, right, walks to a courtroom at the Butler County Courthouse for the second day of his child custody trial on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Butler, Pa. The estranged wife of U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell testified in court that he had an affair for nine months during their marriage
Also swirling is a suggestion from Mehmet Oz - the cardiac surgeon and longtime host of TV´s 'Dr. Oz Show' who gained fame as a protege of Oprah Winfrey - that he is being encouraged to enter the Republican primary.
Parnell´s candidacy was a constant presence in the case, with the judge noting in his opinion that Parnell argued that Snell 'is motivated to embarrass him in public and damage his political career,' while Snell argued that Parnell 'is motivated to preserve a public image and his political career.'
Snell testified about enduring years of rage and abuse from Parnell, including once when he choked her so hard she had to bite him to get free and another time when he slapped one of their children hard enough to leave welts through the back of the child´s shirt.
Republican Senate candidate Sean Parnell, left, walks to a courtroom at the Butler County Courthouse for the second day of his child custody trial on Monday, Nov. 8, 2021, in Butler, Pa. The estranged wife of U.S. Senate candidate Sean Parnell testified in court Monday that he had an affair for nine months during their marriage
Parnell lost a custody battle with his estranged wife. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2020
Sen. Pat Toomey, left, Vice President Mike Pence, center, and Sean Parnell, right, pray before lunch Friday, June 12, 2020, at David's Diner in Springdale, Pa. Parnell was running to try to fill Toomey's seat
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Parnell in August
Also swirling is a suggestion from Mehmet Oz - the cardiac surgeon and longtime host of TV´s 'Dr. Oz Show' who gained fame as a protege of Oprah Winfrey - that he is being encouraged to enter the Republican primary
Parnell's testimony, rather, he found 'less credible,' saying Parnell was 'somewhat evasive' and simply denied Snell's allegations.
'Upon consideration of the credible evidence, I find that Sean Parnell did commit some acts of abuse in the past' against Snell, Arner wrote. He also believed that Parnell slapped the child, as Snell testified, Arner wrote.
But, he wrote, the fact that Snell has agreed in the past that Parnell can have substantial periods of unsupervised custody indicates that she does not view him as posing harm to the children, Arner wrote.
Snell's lawyer, Jen Gilliland Vanasdale, said Snell 'is grateful that justice prevailed.' Parnell's campaign had no immediate comment.
In a tearful testimony, Laurie Snell detailed chronic physical and emotional abuse from her husband, which she said got 'worse and worse' as the years went on.
She said that Parnell once pinned her down and called her a 'whore' and a 'piece of s---,' according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Snell testified that Parnell once punched a closet door so hard it swung into a child's face so forcefully it left a bruise and afterwards, Parnell told the child: 'That was your fault.'
Testifying under oath on Nov. 8, Parnell denied Snell's allegations, saying he had never choked her or pinned her down, and never struck one of their children in a fit of rage.
Snell and Parnell have been living apart for at least three years, but had split custody of their children evenly.
Parnell´s history with his wife became a subject in the Republican primary campaign, days after Trump endorsed Parnell over several other rivals.
During the trial, Parnell lawyers called his girlfriend Melanie Rawley as a witness. She testified he was 'the best dad I’ve ever seen.'
Parnell, a decorated former Army Ranger who led a platoon in Afghanistan, penned a memoir of his service in Afghanistan, which became a New York Times bestseller. He also has written four action novels, and emerged as a regular guest on Fox News programs before running for Congress last year.
Trump's endorsement came in early September, as Parnell was an in-demand guest on cable TV news shows and conservative podcasts to discuss the Taliban's seizing control of Afghanistan ahead of the withdrawal of American forces.
To underscore his support, Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are headlining a fundraiser for Parnell on Jan. 25 at Trump´s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
No comments