Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Republican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden Maybe they just don't like cowboys: The president is successful, some just don't like his style MORE (R-Ariz.) is pushing back against GOP defenders of Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate nominee accused of a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl when he was in his 30s.



"Come on, Republicans. Is this who we are? This cannot be who we are," Flake, who is retiring after next year, said on Twitter on Friday.

Flake, one of President Trump's sharpest critics, was reacting to a thread from a Toronto Star reporter of Republican officials in Alabama defending Moore, including saying they don't think the accusations against Moore are relevant and would vote for him anyways.

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Leigh Corfman, now 53, told The Washington Post that Moore kissed her, touched her over her underwear and attempted to place her hand over his underwear when she was 14 years old.

Three other women say Moore pursued relationships with them when they were teenagers and Moore was in his early 30s.

Moore told Sean Hannity on Friday that the allegations of sexual misconduct with Corfman are "false and misleading."

Though Senate Republicans and the National Republican Senatorial Committee have rushed to distance themselves from Moore, Alabama Republicans have defended the former judge.



State Rep. Ed Henry (R) told The Cullman Times that he is “not buying” the Post report.



“If they believe this man is predatory, they are guilty of allowing him to exist for 40 years,” Henry said. “I think someone should prosecute and go after them. You can’t be a victim 40 years later, in my opinion.”



And Bibb County Republican Chairman Jerry Pow told the Toronto Star’s Daniel Dale that he would still vote for Moore rather than vote for Democratic candidate Doug Jones, an exchange that Dale posted on Twitter.



“I would vote for Judge Moore because I wouldn't want to vote for Doug," Pow said. "I'm not saying I support what he did.”