Lobbyist Accused of McCain Affair by NYT Speaks, Denies Report

The lobbyist alleged by the New York Times earlier this year to have had an affair with John McCain denied the story in her first public interview since the story broke.

“I did not have a sexual relationship with Senator McCain,” Vicki Iseman told National Journal. “I never had an affair or an inappropriate relationship with Senator McCain, and that means I never acted unethically in my dealings with the senator…I have never even been alone with Senator McCain.”

Iseman, a partner at Alcalde & Fay, a lobbying firm, accused the Times of disregarding many of her answers in its February story. “The New York Times set out to write a story about a ‘romantic relationship’ in exchange for legislative favors,” she said. “The only problem was, they were wrong on all counts.”

Iseman shared email exchanges with Times reporters for the story, in which she accused them of mirroring disgraced Times journalist Jayson Blair in the month before the story’s publication.

–Michael O’Brien