Following the love e-mails scandal involving Harris County DA Charles A. Rosenthal Jr., the Republicans announced he will no longer run for re-election as district attorney. Wednesday’s announcement was made by Rosenthal’s party leaders, even though Rosenthal had previously said he will not give up and was planning on candidating for the re-elections.
Right in the middle of the love scandal, Rosenthal did not wish to comment on the political announcement. The Harris County DA apologized on Friday for saying things that “have caused pain and difficulty for [his] family, [his] coworkers and friends,” but also said making them public was just a political move from his adversaries.
This is not the first time Rosenthal’s name appears in a scandal, as the district attorney is currently involved in a civil right lawsuit, in which he is accused of trying to cover for the sheriff’s deputies who have been captured on camera while abusing a family during a search warrant execution.
The scandal involving the district attorney and his secretary, Kerry Stevens, broke out last week, revealing a long time ‘relationship’, which Rosenthal said was not a physical one, not since the affair they had 20 years ago, while he was at his first marriage. He is currently married to his second wife Cindy, a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent.
Although the private e-mails may not break any law, except a moral one perhaps, Rosenthal’s reputation was compromised, and his party members felt like he is not the right person anymore to represent their interests and image.
Jared Woodfill, the chairman for the county’s Republican Party, announced on Wednesday at the party’s headquarters in Houston that Rosenthal’s name has been taken off the list, and party members were expected to announce their candidateship until Friday. The only name known so far is Jim Leitner, who is the former Harris County assistant district attorney.