Alabama Republicans Defend Moore's Alleged Sexual Abuse Of Teen

GADSDEN, AL - Most of Alabama's Republican leaders say they will still support Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore even if allegations of sexual misconduct involving Moore and underage girls are true. While national GOP leaders have traveled the "if this is true" route in saying Moore should drop out of the race if the allegations are accurate, some local supporters have gone so far as to defend Moore's alleged actions.

Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler told the Washington Examiner, "The allegations are that a man in his early 30s dated teenage girls. Even the Washington Post report says that he never had sexual intercourse with any of the girls and never attempted sexual intercourse."

Ziegler also claimed that there are biblical references that defend what Moore allegedly did.

"Take the Bible. Zachariah and Elizabeth for instance. Zachariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist," Ziegler said, choosing his words carefully before invoking Christ. "Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.

"There's just nothing immoral or illegal here," Ziegler said. "Maybe just a little bit unusual."

Alabama's Bibb County Republican chairman Jerry Pow told Toronto Star reporter Daniel Dale he'd vote for Roy Moore even if Moore did commit the sex crime he is accused of. "I would vote for Judge Moore because I wouldn't want to vote for Doug (Jones)," Pow said. "I'm not saying I support what he did."

"It was 40 years ago," Alabama Marion County GOP chair David Hall told Dale, who tweeted the GOP responses on his feed Thursday night. "I really don't see the relevance of it. He was 32. She was supposedly 14. She's not saying that anything happened other than they kissed."

Covington County GOP Chairman William Blocker told Dale he'd consider voting for Moore even if hard proof of sexual abuse emerged. "There is no option to support Doug Jones, the Democratic nominee. When you do that, you are supporting the entire Democrat party," Blocker said.

Geneva County GOP chairman Riley Seibenhener says he doesn't believe the allegations are true, but if they are, he won't support Moore.

Many state Republican leaders say they do not believe the allegations are true. "These allegations that surfaced today - to my knowledge, they're all bunk. No credibility whatsoever," Mobile County Republican chairman John Skipper said.

State lawmaker Ed Henry told the Cullman Times that he thinks Moore's accusers should be prosecuted. “If they believe this man is predatory, they are guilty of allowing him to exist for 40 years. I think someone should prosecute and go after them. You can’t be a victim 40 years later, in my opinion,” Henry said.

At least one GOP senator, John McCain, said Moore should drop out of the race regardless to save any further embarrassment for the party, but McCain has been the only Republican to express that opinion. Moore's opponent in the Senate race refrained from saying Moore needs to withdraw his candidacy outright.

“Roy Moore needs to answer these serious charges,” Jones said in a statement Thursday. Jones has remained focused on campaigning on other issues rather than use this latest allegation against Moore as political ammunition. Jones and Moore face off in the Senate election Dec. 12.

Read The Washington Post story here, and the Washington Examiner story here.

Watch: Alabama Weighs In On Roy Moore Accusations

Photo by Matthew Cavannaugh/Getty Images News