Max Baucus admits to affair with state office director Melodee Hanes

max-baucusHow do you advance in politics? Just have affairs with politicians. Melodee Hanes was nominated by Max Baucus to be U.S. attorney in Montana. Though Hanes ended her employment with Baucus in the spring of this year, this just goes to show how one advances in politics these days. Neither party Republican or Democrat has the right to throw stones at each other when it comes to these things. Max Baucus of Montana is the latest shining example. A year before Baucus divorced his wife Wanda Baucus, Max began his affair with Melodee Hanes. Baucus spokesman Tyler Matsdorf tried to spin the affair, saying the relationship was not the cause of Baucus’ divorce and that Baucus did not arrange for her current position with DOJ. Rollcall has more:

“In no way was their relationship the cause of their respective divorces. When Senator Baucus and Melodee Hanes, his former state director, realized that their relationship was developing beyond a purely professional nature, Melodee began the process of resigning her Senate employment,” Matsdorf said.

“After withdrawing from consideration for U.S. Attorney, Ms. Hanes independently applied for her current position at the Department of Justice. Having extensive experience and qualifications in the field, Ms. Hanes was awarded the position based solely on her merit. Since then she has excelled in her role,” he added.

Hanes was one of three names Baucus forwarded to the White House for consideration as Montana’s U.S. attorney. President Barack Obama ultimately tapped one of Baucus’ nominees, Mike Cotter, for the position.

Hanes has had a long professional relationship with Baucus, working as field director and counsel to his office between 2003 and 2005 and then as state director and counsel between 2005 and this spring. She also worked as the regional finance director for Baucus’ 2002 re-election campaign. Prior to that, Hanes was a deputy county attorney in Yellowstone County, where she primarily prosecuted felony sexual assault and child abuse cases. Hanes also teaches a class in child abuse law at Drake University Law School in Des Moines Iowa.

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December 5, 2009 · Filed Under Democrats


Comments

  • mn.madhura

    legal assistant who is 34 years old was posing as a real lawyer and taking money from people who thought they were paying legal fees to their lawyer. This case comes from Zambia where James Mushanga of 2066/7 Chawawa Compound has been fully indicted on the charges of offence of an unqualified person trying to practice as real legal advocate. Additionally James Mushanga is facing two counts of getting the money from people by misleading and false pretences

  • vinod

    A legal assistant who is 34 years old was posing as a real lawyer and taking money from people who thought they were paying legal fees to their lawyer. This case comes from Zambia where James Mushanga of 2066/7 Chawawa Compound has been fully indicted on the charges of offence of an unqualified person trying to practice as real legal advocate. Additionally James Mushanga is facing two counts of getting the money from people by misleading and false pretences.