Rare Contributor
Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore’s lawyer went on MSNBC to defend his client, but his bizarre defense of Moore left the hosts with more questions than answers.
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During an interview Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Live With Velshi & Ruhle,” Moore’s lawyer, Trenton Garmon, was questioned by Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle about his client’s defense regarding the multiple allegations against him that he sexually harassed or assaulted underage girls nearly 40 years ago.
Moore, along with multiple other explanations and defenses, said that he never dated girls without asking their mother’s permission first.
Ruhle questioned Garmon about that, asking, “Why would he need permission from any of these girls’ mothers if they weren’t underage?”
Roy Moore's Attny. Trenton Garmon suggests Ali Velshi's "background" would help him understand why Moore would date underage women — @AliVelshi is from Canada pic.twitter.com/e061tiz9Nx
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 15, 2017
Rather than answering the question directly at first, he pointed to Velshi’s background, saying, “Culturally speaking, I would say there’s differences. I looked up Ali’s background there, and wow, that’s awesome that you have got such a diverse background. It’s really cool to read through that.”
Ruhle seemed truly shocked at Garmon’s response and quickly asked, “What does Ali’s background have to do with dating a 14-year-old?”
Velshi who was born in Kenya to parents of Indian descent and raised in Canada sat there looking on just as perplexed as Ruhle.
“Please answer. What does Ali Velshi’s background have to do with dating children, 14-year-old girls?” Ruhle said, continuing to push for an answer.
“In other countries, there’s arrangement through parents for what we would refer to as consensual marriage,” Garmon responded.
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“Ali’s from Canada,” Ruhle shot back.
“I understand that,” Garmon said. “And Ali’s also spent time in other countries.”
“I don’t know where you’re going with this,” Velshi said, trying to move the conversation back to the subject of Roy Moore’s questionable defense.
“To answer your question,” Garmon finally said. “[Moore] said… his process would be—before he’d date anybody, whether they’re 25, 35, or whether he doesn’t know their age—he would ask the mother’s permission.”
“So there’s no inconsistency in that,” Moore’s lawyer concluded.
Moore has been under fire from both sides of the aisle after multiple allegations against him involving underage girls that he pursued relationships with them when he was in his 30s and they were in their teens.
One girl, Leigh Corfman, was only 14 when Moore allegedly approached her outside of a courthouse and struck up a conversation with her. He asked for her phone number, and just a few days later, picked her up in his car and drove her to his home in the country, where he kissed her and told her how pretty she was.
A few days after that, he took her to his home again, this time initiating further sexual contact with the girl.
“I wanted it over with — I wanted out,” she told The Washington Post. “Please just get this over with. Whatever this is, just get it over.”
Moore’s fifth accuser, Beverly Young Nelson, said that Moore tried to rape her outside a restaurant when she was just 16 years old.
Nelson recalled that she fought him and cried out, so he eventually stopped and got out of the car, but not before threatening the young girl.
“You’re just a child, and I am the District Attorney of Etowah County, and if you tell anyone about this, no one will ever believe you,” Moore allegedly said.
Moore has, so far, denied all sexual assault allegations.
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