“Joe told me ... possibly explicit text messages had been exchanged and he had received photographs, as many as 10, some of which were nude, some of which she was featured in lingerie, and that he had forwarded those photos to a friend,” Nichols testified, according to a court transcript from this year.

Morrissey went on to use Nichols’ cellphone to consult with his attorney. During that phone call, Morrissey posed a series of hypothetical questions about a client who received illegal photos of a minor on his phone, questioning what might happen if the phone were destroyed, according to Nichols, who testified that at the end of the conversation, Morrissey said he was the client and needed to retain the lawyer’s services.

Asked this week about the bar’s investigation, Morrissey said the state is “fishing” and that he stands by his defense. Asked about Nichols’ testimony, he said his aide’s story has changed but declined to comment further.

“Myrna and I are married,” Morrissey said. “We have two children. We’ve bought a house. We are very happy and I, quite frankly, believe this matter was resolved and settled two to three years ago and anybody that wants to poke into things, have at it. I’m not going to be sidetracked from what I’m trying to accomplish.”

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