U.S. Rep. Van Taylor, a Republican from Texas, suspended his re-election campaign after confirming that he had an extramarital affair.
Taylor did not provide any details, but conservative media sites have reported that his mistress was Tania Joya, the widow of an American-born ISIS recruiter. Tabloids have referred to Joya as “ISIS bride.”
“About a year ago, I made a horrible mistake that has caused deep hurt and pain among those I love most in this world,” Taylor wrote in an email to supporters. “I had an affair, it was wrong, and it was the greatest failure of my life. I want to apologize for the pain I have caused with my indiscretion, most of all to my wife Anne and our three daughters.”
Joya has renounced her ties to the terrorist organization and works to reform extremists. She claims Taylor paid her $5,000 in hush money. But she contacted one of Taylor’s primary opponents, Suzanne Harp, to let her know about the affair.
“All I wanted was for Suzanne Harp to just say, ‘Hey, I know your little scandal with Tania Joya. Would you like to resign before we embarrass you?’ But it didn’t happen like that,” Joya told The Dallas Morning News.
Instead, the outlet reports, Harp tipped off several right-wing websites.
In a statement, Harp said the revelations were “deeply concerning, and I’m praying for all involved.”
The Associated Press adds:
Taylor, a former Marine and Iraq war combat veteran, was considered one of the Texas delegation’s most conservative members when he was elected in 2018. But he has been sharply criticized by the party’s right wing for voting to certify the 2020 election results and supporting a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
Joya’s first husband, John Georgelas, grew up in Plano, converted to Islam and became a top recruiter for the extremist Islamic State group. In 2013, he took her and their three children to northern Syria where, as Yahya Abu Hassan, he became the most important American fighting for ISIS. He was killed in 2017.
Three weeks after their arrival in Syria, a pregnant Joya fled to Turkey with the children, then to Plano to live near her in-laws. The couple was covered for years by tabloids in her native Britain and profiled in U.S. publications.
The Texas Tribune adds:
Taylor made the stunning announcement Wednesday, hours after he finished his five-way primary with 49% of the vote, just missing the cutoff for winning the primary outright. The runner-up was former Collin County Judge Keith Self, who is now likely to become the next congressman for the 3rd District.
