Embattled Aide Will Leave Gorbachy Campaign

Derrick Shaffey has been asked to leave the Gorbachy campaign

TREETON, MON--An aide to Senator Hanna Gorbachy, who admitted last week to sending offensive and defamatory e-mails using campaign computers has been asked to leave the senator's re-election campaign, a spokeswoman said Sunday.

"Senator Gorbachy asked Mr. [Derrick] Shaffey to resign his position effective immediately," Jorna Morgan, a campaign spokeswoman, said. "Mr. Shaffey indicated he was willing to do that."

Shaffey admitted last week to sending e-mails containing disparaging remarks about Gorbachy's opponent, Representative Rill Stevens (CNS), who is openly gay. The e-mails, sent to another campaign staffer, contained homophobic comments and ridiculing remarks about Stevens and gays and lesbians in general.

Gorbachy immediately condemned Shaffey's behavior, but the senator did not immediately dismiss him from the campaign. Instead he was put on an indefinite suspension without pay until Gorbachy and senior advisors decided what action to take.

The Stevens campaign released a statement attacking Shaffey's actions, calling them "offensive, disgusting, and purely hateful." Representative Stevens also called on Senator Gorbachy to remove Mr. Shaffey from her campaign.

"I don't think there's any way Senator Gorbachy can sincerely say she supports the gay/lesbian community if she keeps Mr. Shaffey on the pay-roll," Stevens told GNN News.

Contacted by GNN Sunday, the Stevens campaign commended Senator Gorbachy for firing Shaffey, but questioned why it took so long.

"We're glad that Senator Gorbachy made the right decision to fire Mr. Shaffey," spokeswoman Mary Konns said. "What we're wondering is why it took so long for the senator to make that decision."

The Gorbachy campaign defended their process, telling GNN that the decision was not made immediately because Mr. Shaffey held a key position in the campaign, and senior advisors had to rearrange staff assignments to cover his position.

"The reason it took so long was purely because of personnel issues, not because there was any doubt about the inappropriate nature of [Shaffey's] actions," Dan Condon, a Gorbachy senior aide told GNN.

Senator Gorbachy will be holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon to personally address the issue. GNN will have live coverage.