DesJarlais defended himself, saying, 'I am human.' Rep. DesJarlais: No plans to quit

Rep. Scott DesJarlais said he has no plans to resign and denies he intentionally misled voters about a past that includes his wife’s two abortions and several extramarital affairs he is believed to have had.

“I am human,” the Tennessee Republican told the Knoxville News Sentinel on Wednesday. DesJarlais, a physician, is reported to have had affairs with two patients, three co-workers and a drug company representative. “I don’t think I ever put myself out there to be somebody that was perfect. I put myself out there as somebody who wanted to serve the public.”


DesJarlais was elected in 2010 and won reelection in 2012 shortly before his ex-wife’s two abortions were made public. Before the election, it was reported he pressured a mistress to have an abortion. DesJarlais now says he doesn’t believe the other woman was actually pregnant.

“She was not pregnant by me,” he said. “I don’t think she was pregnant period.”

DesJarlais said he regrets his ex-wife’s abortions, but that one happened during a difficult time in their marriage and there were complications with the other pregnancy.

“I guess as a physician, I was a fairly objective person,” he said. “I try not to be a judgmental person. [Abortion] was just not something that I put as much thought into as I should have, in retrospect. Going back, if I could change and do things differently, certainly I would.”