Joe Barton Threatened Woman Against Exposing His Sexual Encounters

Hours after Rep. Joe Bardon (R-Texas) apologized for a lewd photo of him being circulated on the internet, a report by the Washington Post said the congressman had threatened a woman, to whom he had sent sexual messages and photographs, saying he would report her to Capitol Police if she exposed his behavior.

Speaking to the Post, the woman, who was not named, alleged that in a secretly recorded phone conversation between the duo, Barton warned her against using explicit details “in a way that would negatively affect my career.”

She added her contact and encounters with Barton occurred over a period of five years following a message she posted on Barton’s Facebook page in 2011. Apart from sexually explicit exchanges, the pair also had two physical sexual encounters in Washington and Texas.

In the recording of the 2015 phone call reviewed by the newspaper, Barton talked to the woman about her communications with the other women and her decision to share explicit materials he had sent her.

“I want your word that this ends,” Barton said, adding: “I will be completely straight with you. I am ready if I have to, I don’t want to, but I should take all this crap to the Capitol Hill Police and have them launch an investigation. And if I do that, that hurts me potentially big time.”

“Why would you even say that to me?” the woman replied. “ . . . The Capitol Hill police? And what would you tell them, sir?”

Barton then replied: “I would tell them that I had a three-year undercover relationship with you over the Internet that was heavily sexual and that I had met you twice while married and had sex with you on two different occasions and that I exchanged inappropriate photographs and videos with you that I wouldn’t like to be seen made public, that you still apparently had all of those and were in position to use them in a way that would negatively affect my career. That’s the truth.”

The woman interpreted the comment about telling the Capitol Police as an attempt to intimidate her. It is not what Barton wanted to report the woman for.

The woman also shared text and social media messages she exchanged with Barton with the Post along with a 53-second video Barton recorded of himself while masturbating.

“It’s not normal for a member of Congress who runs on a GOP platform of family values and conservatism to be scouring the Internet looking for a new sexual liaison,” she said.

She told the Post that she did not have any intention of using the materials against Barton.

In a statement late Wednesday, following the article, Barton said the recording may be “evidence” of a “potential crime” against him. He added the Capitol Hill reached out to him and offered to launch an investigation, which he had accepted.

Barton apologized to his constituents Wednesday for a nude photo of himself that began circulating the internet earlier this week after being posted by an anonymous Twitter account.

In his earlier statement, Barton had said he had “sexual relationships with other mature adult women,” while separated from his second wife.

“Each was consensual. Those relationships have ended,” he said. “I am sorry I did not use better judgment during those days. I am sorry that I let my constituents down.”

His spokeswoman told The Dallas Morning News Barton has no plans to step down. The picture came after Barton had announced his bid for re-election to the House earlier this month.