A lawsuit filed by a former city councilperson alleges that North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, a Cleveland County Republican, had an affair with his wife and regularly engaged in group sex with people seeking to curry political favor.According to WSOC-TV, the lawsuit was filed on behalf of former Apex City councilman Scott Riley Lassiter.Lassiter, writes WSOC-TV, is suing Moore and another, unnamed defendant, including alienation of affections and civil conspiracy.The complaint broadly alleges that Moore abused “his position as Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives to initiate contact and develop a personal relationship with Mrs. Lassiter, despite knowing that she was married to Plaintiff."Attorneys for Lassiter observed that Lassiter’s wife, Jamie Liles Lassiter, had worked in state government and had likely known Moore for years.The lawsuit states that Lassiter had heard rumors that his wife was having an affair with Moore.

A gavel. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Brian Turner. (CCA-BY-2.0).

When Lassiter’s wife said that she was going to a movie with a friend, he surveilled her, and found that she had, in fact, met Moore for dinner in a Raleigh-area steakhouse.Afterward, Jamie Lassiter allegedly accompanied Moore to his home in Raleigh.The lawsuit, adds WSOC-TV, includes a surveillance picture of Lassiter’s wife and Moore outside of the steakhouse.Upon being confronted, Lassiter’s wife purportedly confessed to the affair, saying that she had been romantically or sexually involved with Moore for about three years.Jamie Lassiter “had engaged in sexual activity with Defendant Time Moore (including group sex with other individuals seek Tim Moore’s political favor), and that she feared ending the relationship with [Moore] would result in losing her job.”When the plaintiff finally confronted Moore about the affair, Moore allegedly asked “if there was anything he could do for Plaintiff, implying that he could use the power he held as Speaker in some way to benefit Plaintiff.”Somewhat interestingly, the lawsuit also asserts that Moore hired an “unnamed person” to install surveillance cameras on Lassiter’s own property, “to capture photos and videos of [Lassiter] that [Moore] could use to persuade [Lassiter] not to pursue any of the valid legal claims against him.”Lassiter’s wife has since issued a statement saying that the lawsuit is predicated on false claims, and that the Lassiters had been legally separated for years.“The claims are not only false but impossible as we’ve been separated with a signed separation document for years,” Jamie Lassiter told WRAL News. “Our marriage was a nightmare, and since I left him, it has gotten worse. WE are reaching the end of our divorce process and this is how he’s lashing out.”An attorney for Moore did not offer extensive comment on the claim, but said that the Speaker intends to reply in court.“I look forward to meeting Mr. Lassiter in the courtroom,” the attorney said. “We are confident the Speaker will be vindicated.”

Sources

Lawsuit alleges NC House Speaker had affair, sex with people seeking political favorLawsuit claims Tim Moore used position as NC speaker to pursue affair with official