Flynt: Hustler involved in more than 20 sex scandal investigations

Nick Juliano

Published: Wednesday July 11, 2007 Print This Email This

Hustler publisher Larry Flynt said Wednesday that investigators working for the magazine are involved in more than 20 investigations relating to his recent call for information on Washington sex scandals.

The investigations include "high ranking Republican and Democrat members of the Senate and the House," Flynt said at a press conference in Los Angeles, in which RAW STORY participated via conference call.

"We've got some really good information here," he said.

Sen. David Vitter, R-La., revealed Monday night that he had been a client of alleged "DC Madam" Deborah Jean Palfrey after reporters working for Hustler called him about the allegations.

"If somebody's living a lie ... they become fair game," Flynt said, referring to Vitter's "family values" stances and opposition to same-sex marriage.

Flynt said his investigations were not meant to be witch-hunts against frisky members of Congress -- "I don't care what their sex life involves," he said -- rather the goal is exposing hypocrisy.

"Unfortunately we have too many of these guys in Congress, and I'm going to do my part to get them out," Flynt told reporters, adding that he doesn't mind spending his own money to do so.

An ad that ran in the Washington Post last month offered $1 million from Flynt for information about people who had an illicit affair with elected officials. Flynt said Wednesday he paid $150,000 to run the full-page advertisement.

The exposure of Vitter came from Flynt's cooperation with Palfrey in securing a complete list of her phone records, not in response to the Post ad, Flynt said.

Referring to his past court battles over indecency charges, the hardcore magazine publisher said the government "did everything it could for 15 years" to put him behind bars.

"This is payback time," he said. "And payback's a bitch."



