JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi lawmaker accused of recently punching his wife has issued a statement, saying the incident has been misrepresented, although he did not say how so.
Authorities say state Rep. Doug McLeod was drunk and bloodied his wife’s nose after she didn’t undress quickly enough when he wanted to have sex.
Deputies report McLeod was drunk and holding a glass of alcohol when they arrived. When officers told McLeod a domestic assault had been reported, they say he replied “Are you kidding me?”
According to separate statements from the couple, each referred to “many fabrications and misrepresentations” in the media about the May 18 incident. McLeod, a Republican from Lucedale, says he would address the allegations once “the process is complete.”
McLeod’s wife asked the public to “reserve judgment” and “respect our family and our family’s privacy.”
The statements were first published in the George County Times.
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn issued a statement last week saying that if what sheriff’s deputies accuse him of it true, McLeod should resign. Gunn called the actions “unacceptable for anyone.”
McLeod, who represents George and Stone counties in south Mississippi, faces a simple assault charge.
