Several prominent Republicans have already called for a Justice Department investigation into whether these allegations are true. The Daily Journal has stated and continues to state that these are currently allegations only. However, the damage has already been done in many quarters. Upon hearing of these allegations, the Mayor’s approval ratings in a state-wide poll dropped to the lowest ever recorded, at 34%.
This latest revelation is yet another twist in a scandal that has all the hallmarks of a made for TV movie—including a complex sex triangle between Senator Hawthorne, Governor Andrews, and the Mayor.
Sources close to Republican and Democratic party officials are now reporting that both sides are considering a bi-partisan effort to investigate the role of Senator Hawthorne in this matter. Should the allegations of sex for policy changes be true, all three could find their careers on at irredeemable risk.
When asked why she was coming forward at this stage, Ms. Ling commented, “It’s in the best interests of my country that we maintain a fair and level playing field. Corruption like this deserves to come out and be exposed to the light.”
Only time will tell what other secrets come out into the light in this rapidly unfolding scandal.
22
Carter
"Tell her I'm busy," I say, shaking my head, "I'm not taking any calls from Vivian right now, and that's final."
I turn to look at my Press Secretary, Michele Von Cannon with her curly hair bouncing back and forth, exposing her emotions. They stare at me blankly before Michele decides to break the silence.
"But the image that's circulating in the public isn't a good one. We need to act quickly, Carter. My job is to get us back on track. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to speak with the Senator," Michele suggests.
“She’s right, Governor,” a voice says. “You need some friends.”
I turn to see Tina Ling. I grimace.
“How did you get in when I basically said no damn calls and no damn visitors?” I ask sharply. I look to Michele and she just shrugs.
Tina struts across the plush carpet of my office with her hands on her hips. I can't help but wonder what she's still doing here. Addressing me she says, "If your plan is to barricade yourself in this office and ignore the outside world like some child with his fingers shoved in his ears, I urge you to re-think your strategy. The world will eat you up, Carter. You have no idea."
Do she think I was born yesterday? I wave her off with a flick of my wrist and find myself clenching my jaw, but quickly relax it. I need to stay cool and calculated. I can't lose my shit right now. Between these two women trying to fill my head with what I should and shouldn't do, and the media hounding me day and night, I don't know what's worse. I need to shut them all out.
Right. One thing at a time. I stand up.
“I think you should leave whichever way you came in, Ms. Ling,” I say coldly.
I look at the dark-haired Tina with a look in her eyes that says she's full of secrets.#p#分页标题#e#
“Are you sure?” she asks, taking a step closer to me. She doesn’t pay any attention to Michele as she places a hand and runs it down my bicep. Like she doesn’t exist. “It might be so much more enjoyable if we…collaborated?”
Don’t think that I’m not tempted. Take the easy way out. Sell out. A few favors here. A few strings there. And maybe whoever the puppet masters behind Tina are can help me make this all go away.
And I’d never be able to look at myself in the damn mirror again.
“Like I said, I think you should leave,” I say coldly. “Quite frankly, I don’t trust you. And I need people around me whom I can trust.”
There’s a flash of anger in Tina’s eyes. It gets past the affected sexual stare. But just as quickly, she suppresses it.
“You’ll remember this moment when you’re drowning, Governor,” she says to me. “You’ll remember I offered you a life raft and you spit in my hand.”
And then she turns and walks away.
There’s a pause and I look at Michele.
"Listen, I need to sort things out. So in the meantime, no calls," I say. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Michele nods. “What do you want me to do?” she asks me.
What do I want her to do?
What do I even want to do? Look out for number one? Protect my signature piece of legislation?
I need to reset. Before I ever let Liam get under my skin by telling me to go fuck myself.
But how?
I begin to think.
I set up a press conference, and within a few hours, I find myself standing at a podium in front of a crowd of attendees. The atmosphere is tense. Everyone's shifting their gaze from me to the crowd around them, and back again. I know I need to choose my words wisely.