William Rainer
Do you remember when Texas Republican Congressman Van Taylor was caught in an affair with an ‘ISIS bride?’ Texas Republicans are shaping up to be bad news.
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In light of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, being acquitted of many criminal charges, it seems appropriate to recall Congressman Van Taylor’s troubles.
According to a 2022 report from the New York Post, Van Taylor was accused of an alleged affair with Tania Joya. Tania was the widow of the former senior leader of the Islamic State before escaping to the US, hence the nickname “ISIS bride.”
Unfortunately, the ‘alleged’ affair turned out to be more than simply alleged. The affair that began in 2020 led Tania to believe that they would be married one day. Keep in mind that Van Taylor at this point is married and has children.
Texas Republican Politicians Are Bad News
Texas Rep. Van Taylor drops reelection bid day after primary over affair with 'ISIS bride' https://t.co/4sob89HWOq pic.twitter.com/C6aocghPJf
— New York Post (@nypost) March 2, 2022
Van Taylor tried to send Tania away in order to salvage his reputation in the public eye. Although Tania’s moral compass did not see adultery as a problem, she spoke up about the affair to call out Van Taylor.
Tania shared: “People can call me a homewrecker but, you know what, f–k that because adultery is something in society that happens.” She went on to say that she truly loved the politician.
When Van Taylor tried to escape the consequences of his self inflicted, terrible situation, Tania warned: “I warned Van I would [tell her]. I was reacting. I was like, she has every right to know what kind of man she’s married to.” With that, Van Taylor admitted to the affair and withdrew his re-election bid.
Van Taylor’s situation reflects the battle between a fractured Republican party in Texas. As reported by Politico, Republican House Speaker Dade Phelan commented on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s acquittal: “The inescapable conclusion is that today’s outcome appears to have been orchestrated from the start, cheating the people of Texas of justice.”
