A consultant working on Paul Broun’s campaign in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District was charged with rape last week. While the case plays out in court, Broun said he will monitor the situation but not stop working with Cliff Maloney Jr.
Maloney is accused of drugging and then raping a woman while she was unconscious in a college dormitory in 2013, according to the The Tribune-Democrat newspaper of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He was 22 at the time.
The woman came forward last year shortly after the Daily Dot published an article recounting accusations that Maloney sexually harassed women connected to Young Americans for Liberty, a conservative political organization. He was fired as that group’s president after those allegations, culled from posts on social media, were made public.
Maloney now faces two counts of rape and two counts of aggravated indecent assault tied to the 2013 incident, the Tribune-Democrat reported. He is currently out on bond.
Broun is a former member of the U.S. House who stepped down to run for the U.S. Senate in 2014, a bid that was unsuccessful. The Watkinsville resident attempted to return to the House in 2020 but did not advance from the primary in Georgia’s 9th Congressional District.
Now, he is competing in the crowded Republican primary for the open 10th District seat in east-central Georgia.
Broun said in a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he is bothered by the charges against Maloney but still working with the consultant’s firm.
“These allegations are very disturbing,” the statement reads. “That said, I believe in the judicial process, and I trust that truth and justice will prevail, and I will be praying for everyone involved.
“We have primarily worked with another member of the company and will continue to evaluate the situation as it unfolds.”
About the Author
