Chris Gallant spent years flying Black Hawks for the Army National Guard, but his US House campaign is gaining notice not for his military service, but for his having once modeled bondage gear for a leather fetish brand. The openly gay Democrat challenging Rep. Nick LaLota in New York's 1st District appeared around 2010 in explicit images for San Francisco retailer Mr. S Leather, his attorney confirmed to the New York Post.
Sara Azari said the photos were taken privately with a long-term partner, with an understanding the company could use select shots, and that Gallant later asked the retailer to pull them as he eyed public office. Some images, including explicit sexual content, surfaced on unaffiliated porn sites, which Azari said went beyond that understanding. "These photographs have no bearing on Chris' record, qualifications, judgment, or ability to serve," Azari says. "He remains fully committed to his campaign and to earning the trust of the people he seeks to represent." Apart from Gallant's time in the Guard, the 37-year-old is also a former air traffic controller and volunteer firefighter, notes the New York Times.
The Suffolk County Conservative Party immediately made hay out of the photos, posting one on Facebook captioned, "This is the Democratic congressional candidate for CD1. Is this who you want to represent us in Washington DC?" The Suffolk County Democratic Committee fired right back on Instagram, accusing a "Republican political hack" of giving the photos to the Post and joking that "there is now documented proof that Chris Gallant has a six-pack." The race is currently rated safely Republican, though the Times notes that the DCCC considers it "in play."
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