Akin speaks about old arrest at abortion clinic

Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin disclosed Friday that he was arrested more than two decades ago at an anti-abortion protest.

His remarks came after Right Wing Watch, an arm of the liberal People for the American Way, circulated a video in which Akin is talking to a group of people about the arrest. The video was captured in 2011, the organization claimed.

“Yesterday I spoke to a group of people who had been in jail with me,” Akin says in the video. “You know, don’t tell anybody I’m a jail bird, you know, but there were a bunch of us that were years ago involved in the pro-life movement.”

According to The Associated Press, Akin said Friday that the protest occurred about 25 years ago and it was peaceful. He declined to specify the location of the arrest, or whether he was charged, according to the AP.

The controversial Senate candidate withstood calls from all levels of the Republican Party to end his candidacy, and has slowly regained party support after a critical deadline for him to exit the race passed this week.