Texts discuss travel plans that match his trip, also include photo with warning: 'You have to delete these'

Ronald J. Hansen and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | The Republic | azcentral.com

azcentral

Mark Henle/The Republic

Days before Steve Montenegro decided to run for Congress, a state Senate staffer was trading flirtatious text messages with a cellphone number associated with Montenegro, according to a record of the messages viewed by The Arizona Republic.

During one exchange in November, while Montenegro was on a work trip in Tennessee, the messages discuss how the staffer could have attended the conference as well. The staffer later sent a topless photo of herself to the number.

The response, according to the messages: “You should have come.”

The texts suggest a close, consensual relationship, albeit between an ambitious elected official and someone in an entry-level legislative job.

Montenegro was still a state senator when the messages were exchanged. He resigned in December to run for the West Valley’s vacant 8th Congressional District seat. Trent Franks resigned from the seat in disgrace over complaints of sexual misconduct with staffers. Montenegro has throughout the campaign touted his work as a Christian minister and his marriage and family. Early voting is underway in a competitive special primary election for the GOP nomination in the heavily Republican district.

Montenegro's campaign has declined since last week to comment in response to Republic inquiries about the messages. He has skipped campaign events in recent days.

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

In a statement released by his campaign after a story about the text messages aired Tuesday on 12 News, Montenegro dismissed the matter as “false tabloid trash” but didn’t address the content of the text conversations.

"I assumed the distortions would be limited to my votes or positions on issues," he said.

His campaign didn't respond when asked to specify what he deemed to be false or distorted.

TALKING POLITICS: Listen to our Arizona politics podcasts, The Gaggle, on Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play.

“Tonight I saw a despicable example of the tabloid trash that conservatives around this country have to deal with on a regular basis,” Montenegro said in the statement. “I am blessed with an amazing wife and marriage. The media wants to drag us down with just a week to go, but we are not going to dignify this false tabloid trash with any further response.”

The staffer who sent the messages repeatedly declined to speak with The Republic. Two people who know her and insisted on anonymity to protect her identity told The Republic that she sent the messages, including the photo.

The messages show the recipient to be a cellphone number Montenegro has used in numerous conversations with Republic reporters.

‘You have to delete these’

Beginning last week, The Republic reviewed a record of dozens of text messages between the junior-level staffer, who began her state Senate job last year, and the number associated with Montenegro.

The messages reviewed by The Republic begin June 15 — when the Legislature was no longer in session — and continue through Feb. 1.

Throughout the exchanges, the banter involves work and personal lives, the weather, the World Series, swimming pools and hot tubs.

On the dates Montenegro attended the National Summit on Education Reform in Nashville, Tennessee, the messages touch on the flight and accommodations at the hotel where the conference was held.

The Foundation for Excellence in Education, which hosted the summit, confirmed Montenegro attended the event.

The following night, Nov. 30, after texts about the conference lunch and the national figures at the conference, the staffer texts, “Did you explore tonight.”

The response: “I am now.”

“Ah where are you at,” the staffer asks, then texted a photo of herself in a bathroom, topless and smiling with her hair pulled over a shoulder.

“You have to delete these,” she writes.

“Snap,” reads the response, an apparent reference to Snapchat, a cellphone app used to send photos and videos that self-destruct.

A month earlier, the texts show the staffer was sent a Snapchat username via text: Smonten1981. (Montenegro was born in 1981.)

Hours later — at 12:35 a.m., according to the messages — the staffer receives a message: “You should have come.”

Michael Chow/The Republic

‘You would never, ever have to worry about me’

On Dec. 7 — the day Franks announced he was resigning from Congress, and a week after the woman had sent the topless photo — the staffer receives a text:

"You have a sec? I have a question re a tweet."

"Sure. What's up?" the staffer responds.

"Can you call me. ... It's crazy stuff happening. Thank you."

The staffer asks, "did somebody call you out?"

"Nope," reads the reply.

"Are you afraid someone might?" the staffer asks.

"Just lining my ducks in an order. Nope."

"Yeah, you would never, ever have to worry about me. So I hope that puts you at some ease," the staffer responds. "I just saw that Trent Franks thing."

“Crazy,” reads the response.

The record reviewed by The Republic shows no messages until 8:03 a.m. on Feb. 1, when the staffer writes, “You need to call me right now. Now.”

Former Franks district representative

David Wallace/The Republic

Montenegro has worked for years as a district representative for Franks and touts Franks’ endorsement of his U.S. House bid.

Franks resigned in December, midway through his eighth term in Congress, after female staffers complained of inappropriate behavior by him. Franks maintained he did nothing wrong.

One woman said Franks repeatedly asked her to be a surrogate mother of his child and offered her $5 million to do so. Another woman said her duties were scaled back after she ignored Franks’ efforts to convince her they were in love.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he found the allegations credible and said Franks did not deny them to him.

A third woman wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that Franks rescinded an internship offer after she refused to hold what Franks characterized as a job interview at his personal residence in the Washington area.

Montenegro’s hard-line views on immigration and border security have helped him win endorsements from former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

After eight years in the Arizona House, Montenegro shifted to the state Senate last year. Term limits barred him from serving another House term.

Until Franks' surprise resignation, Montenegro was running for secretary of state, challenging incumbent Republican Secretary of State Michele Reagan.

On the evening of Oct. 31, after references to “a great day” of meetings “near the Capitol and for campaign,” the staffer texts, “Yes you’ve gotta get Regan (sic) out of there.”

“Raising money and with Reagan melting down things are going well. I will continue to be stronger at that,” the reply states.

The staffer responds, “Yeah things aren’t looking too good for her.”

“She is done,” the reply states.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day and that you all are as blessed as I am. To my two sweet Valentines, Melissa and Addy, you are my life’s greatest blessings! pic.twitter.com/Ta09fKuKL2 — Steve Montenegro (@SteveMontenegro) February 14, 2018

'My husband is under serious attack'

Montenegro seeks to step into Washington at a time when Congress, and American society, is trying to implement better guidelines on workplace boundaries. A number of lawmakers have resigned or chosen not to seek re-election amid allegations of improper behavior.

In Arizona, the state House voted to expel Rep. Don Shooter after multiple complaints of harassment.

At the urging of House Speaker J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, the House has implemented rules that call for the creation of a "formal behavioral code of conduct for all members" to prevent workplace issues.

The state Senate, headed by Steve Yarbrough, R-Chandler, has no written policy specifically addressing relationship boundaries between elected officials and staffers, said Senate Republican spokesman Mike Philipsen.

View | 7 Photos

azcentral Congressional District 8 Republican debate

During Senate orientation, staffers and senators are told not to date other employees or Senate members, he said. A violation of this verbal guidance, he said, could result in disciplinary action, including termination.

Because Montenegro moved to the state Senate from the House, Philipsen said, his orientation was different, covering “differences operationally between chambers.”

A new Senate sexual-harassment policy went into effect on Dec. 14, Philipsen said.

Asked if Yarbrough was told of any allegations involving Montenegro, Philipsen wrote in an email that the Senate president “had one conversation earlier this month with a Member, where he was told of rumors, but there were no names specified.”

Philipsen said Yarbrough also received a phone call on Feb. 14 from former state Sen. Debbie Lesko, "in which she spoke out about the allegations involving former Senator Montenegro."

Lesko is running against Montenegro for the 8th Congressional District seat. Lesko’s campaign said her call to Yarbrough was only intended to ensure requests submitted under the Arizona public-records law involving Montenegro and the staffer were processed in a timely manner.

In response to public-records requests from reporters for communications between Montenegro and the staffer, Senate officials turned over only two brief emails regarding Senate business.

In recent days, Montenegro has turned to his wife, Melissa, to bolster his campaign.

On Feb. 14, he posted a tribute to his family on social media, along with a photo of him with his wife, whom he married in 2009. “I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day and that you all are as blessed as I am,” he wrote.

His campaign also sent a fundraising email on Sunday signed by Melissa Montenegro.

“My husband is under serious attack,” the email read. “D.C. Liberals and establishment Republicans are doing everything they can to keep Steve from being successful.

“They’ve been launching push poll phone calls, accusing Steve of everything under the sun. Truth beats lies! Which is why we need to get more truth out.”