In 2007, antigay Louisiana senator/gubernatorial candidate David Vitter admitted to spending thousands of dollars on prostitutes, who he reportedly paid to dress him up in diapers and spank him.

Now, as he mounts his campaign for the Louisiana governor’s office, his past has come back to haunt him again.

On Tuesday, WVLA-TV reporter Derek Myers caught up with Vitter — who opposes anything having to do with equal rights for gay people –to ask whether the senator still enjoys role-playing with prostitutes.

The exchange happened in the parking lot of the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office. Vitter declined to answer his question on record and instead got on the phone with WVLA-TV and allegedly threatened to pull $250,000 worth of advertising if Myers wasn’t immediately fired.

The station apparently caved to Vitter’s demand because, hours later, Myers got a call saying he was being terminated from his job. No clear explanation was given.

Jim Baronet, the station’s general manager, said the rumors that Myers was fired at Vitter’s request simply aren’t true.

“Nobody from the senator’s office called and asked for anything or demanded anything whatsoever,” Baronet said. “Not at all. I’m surprised to even hear that.”

But that doesn’t quite align with what Vitter’s campaign is saying. Luke Bolar, a spokesperson for the senator, said they did call the station. But it was only to alert them that Myers had violently assaulted one of the campaign’s volunteers, a claim Myers denies.

“Vitter’s people had accused us of assault, which obviously is not true,” he told Gawker.

According to Myers, he has the video of the confrontation that would completely exonerate him of any assault allegations, but that the station immediately issued him “an unofficial cease-and-desist letter” demanding he not to publicize it.