Top Staffer For Republican Senator Resigns In Ginormous Sexxytimes Scandal!

In what could be the most shocking political sex scandal of the day, or at least the midafternoon lull, a top aide to Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire) has resigned after being caught in a disappointingly embarrassing, sad prostitution sting. There weren't even any real prostitutes, for heaven's sake! David Wihby, which is a really fun name to say, was Ayotte's state director in New Hampshire and also a member and vice chair of the Manchester School board; he got caught this weekend in what sounds like the lamest sting operation ever:

Wihby, 62, was one of 10 men arrested while responding to online advertisements from women, Nashua police said Sunday.

Officers from Nashua’s Problem Oriented Policing unit were waiting at two different hotels during the operation conducted on the past two Fridays.

Craigslist has taken the fun out of everything, is what we're saying. No romping, no cavorting, not even a satisfying confrontation with Chris Hanson asking anyone to take a seat.

At least the New Hampshire Union Leader took its best shot at spicing up the decidedly unsexy arrest, with a headline that promised far more than the sad facts could live up to: "Arrest of school board officer in prostitution sting creates shock waves."

Fine, ripples, at least.

Ayotte issued a nice routine cut-'im-loose press statement, complete with her being "shocked and deeply saddened" and adding that "David obviously cannot continue his duties, and I have accepted his resignation. This is a very difficult time, and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved."

Jim Craig, New Hampshire's Labor Commissioner, who had worked with Wihby in the state Department of Labor, also told the Union Leader that he had prayer on his mind:

“I don’t want to speculate on what happened, because I don’t know the details,” said Craig. “Easter is a good day for prayers, and I hope everyone says a prayer for David and his family.”

We tried to dig up some wingnutty dirt on Wihby, but he appears to have been a remarkably un-flamboyant government and political functionary who has been well-liked by his colleagues and until this weekend doesn't appear to have ever said or done anything especially inflammatory. There's a playground named after him in Manchester, and it doesn't look particularly racy, either. Despite Sen. Ayotte's close political ties to Senate warmongers John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Wihby doesn't even seem to have called for anyone or anything to be bombed back into the stone age.

Wihby is currently free from jail on a $2000 personal recognizance bond, and is presumably filling the time between now and his May 11 arraignment applying for a job with the U.S. Secret Service, since he at least seems willing to pay for his prostitutes. 

[ TPM / New Hampshire Union Leader ]