Rep. Katie Hill Denies Affair With Aide After Nude Pic Published

LOS ANGELES, CA — Los Angeles County freshman Democrat Katie Hill denied allegations of an improper sexual relationship with a congressional staffer Tuesday while her supporters declared her the victim of a smear campaign and revenge porn after a conservative publication published a nude photo of her.

Her statement comes as the scandal stemming from her ongoing divorce emerges as fodder for what is likely to be a heated reelection campaign in 2020. After turning a longtime Republican stronghold blue in 2018, Hill faces a slew of Republican challengers eager to regain a single foothold in Los Angeles County. The scandal, however, has Hill’s supporters declaring her a victim of an abusive husband and conservative media, and her critics accusing her of sexual misconduct for an alleged affair with a congressional staffer.

According to Hill, police are investigating the publication of the private nude photo.

“Intimate photos of me and another individual were published by Republican operatives on the internet without my consent,” Hill said in the statement. “I have notified Capitol Hill police, who are investigating the situation and potential legal violations of those who posted and distributed the photos and therefore will have no further comment on the digital materials.”

The outlet that published the photo, RedState.com, ran a series of articles to expose Hill for alleged sexual impropriety by publishing a series of texts between her estranged husband, Kenny Heslep, and a purported campaign staffer who allegedly dated the couple. The outlet also alleges Hill had a sexual relationship with a congressional aide, which would be a violation of House rules. But the outlet provided no evidence of such an affair. Hill denied the affair with the congressional staffer but did not comment on the alleged affair with a campaign staffer.

"The fact is I am going through a divorce from an abusive husband who seems determined to try to humiliate me," Hill said in a statement to Politico. "I am disgusted that my opponents would seek to exploit such a private matter for political gain. This coordinated effort to try to destroy me and people close to me is despicable and will not succeed,” she said. “I, like many women who have faced attacks like this before, am stronger than those who want me to be afraid."

After winning her seat in a surprise victory over incumbent Steve Knight in 2018, Hill has been viewed as a rising star among Democrats and a prime target of Republicans, who see winning back her seat as a part of the path back to power in the House Of Representatives.

She is the first openly bisexual congresswoman from California, and she serves the 25th District, a seat spanning Simi Valley and Santa Clarita in northern Los Angeles County into Southern Ventura County. Her election in 2018 was part of the blue wave that overtook the House, and it meant the Los Angeles congressional map had turned completely blue.