Roy Moore’s first accuser didn’t back down in her first TV interview since her allegations went public

Today Show/Twitter/ (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Leigh Corfman, now 53 years old, gave an interview to “TODAY” — her first on TV — in which she doubled down on her assertion that Alabama senatorial candidate Roy Moore was sexually aggressive with her when she was 14 years old. According to Corfman, Moore pursued her after meeting her at a child custody hearing between her parents. She claims he would later meet with her and sexually assault her, which involved taking her clothes off, touching her and asking her to touch him over his underwear. Moore was 32 years old at the time of the alleged incident.

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“It took away a lot of the specialness of, you know, interactions with men. It took some trust away. It allowed me to delve into some things that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Corfman told “TODAY.” “It took years for me to regain a sense of confidence in myself. And I felt guilty. I felt like I was the one that was to blame. It was decades before I was able to let that go.”

Corfman was the first woman to accuse Moore of sexual misconduct after the longtime Alabama judge ran for the United States Senate. Moore has been mired in accusations from multiple women that he acted inappropriately with them when they were teens.

While some may believe that Corfman and others are accusing Moore in an effort to find fame and fortune, Corfman refuted that notion.

“If anything, this has cost me. I had to take leave from my job. I have no tickets to Tahiti. And my bank account has not flourished,” she told “TODAY’s” Savannah Guthrie. “If anything, it has gone down, because currently, I’m not working.”

As the special United States Senate election draws closer, many in Alabama have urged voters to reject Roy Moore. Several newspapers, including some in Alabama, have published editorials against him.

“STAND FOR DECENCY, REJECT ROY MOORE,” wrote The Birmingham News editorial team. 

One place that seems conflicted on Moore’s Senate prospects is the White House.

A week after Moore was criticized by President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway stopped short of criticizing the Senate candidate.

“I’m telling you that we want the votes in the Senate to get this tax bill through,” Conway told Fox News on Monday. 

In contrast to his opinions on most public issues, President Trump has offered neither personal criticism nor endorsement of Moore since the sexual misconduct allegations came out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXdESK_hKtM

White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short spoke to ABC on Sunday about the president’s views.

“He has concerns about the accusations, but he is also concerned that these accusations are 38 years old,” Short told George Stephanopolous. “Roy Moore has been in public service for decades, and the accusations did not arise until a month before the election.”

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