Ted Haggard

ABC News:

Evangelist Admits Meth, Massage, No Sex

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Nov 3, 2006 (AP)— Evangelist Ted Haggard admitted Friday that he bought methamphetamine and received a massage from a gay prostitute who claims he was paid for drug-fueled trysts by the outspoken gay marriage opponent.

Haggard resigned Thursday as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and stepped down as leader of his Colorado megachurch while the two groups investigate the allegations.

Talking to reporters outside his house Friday, Haggard denied the sex allegations but said that he did buy meth from the man because he was curious.

“I bought it for myself but never used it,” he said. “I was tempted, but I never used it.”

Haggard, a married father of five, said he never had sex with Mike Jones, a 49-year-old male prostitute who sparked the scandal when he told a radio station he had had a three-year sexual relationship with the minister. He said he did get a massage from Jones after being referred to him by a Denver hotel.

Haggard resigned as president of the 30 million-member association Thursday and stepped down as the leader of the New Life Church pending investigations into Jones’ claims.

His accuser at least partially failed a polygraph test, so who knows if all of the allegations are true. But the fact that Haggard admits to buying meth and “getting a massage” from a gay prostitute is pretty bad considering he’s the president of the National Evangelical Association and pastor of a 14,000 member church.

“I’ve put myself on extended suspension of my senior pastor’s role and I’ve resigned from the NAE because both of those roles are based on trust, and right now my trust is questionable”, Haggard told a Denver reporter this morning.

Gee, ya think?