In a heated interview with NBC News, Georgia GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker confirmed that he gave a check to the now-mother of one of his children, but said is was not for an abortion.
Walker’s ex-girlfriend told The Daily Beast earlier this month that the former NFL star sent her money in 2009 after encouraging her to get an abortion.
“Yes, that’s my check,” Walker told NBC journalist Kristen Welker after being presented with an image of the $700 check endorsed by his signature.
However, the candidate said his ex-girlfriend was lying about the reason for the check, although he did not give an alternative reason for sending her the money.
“Show where I have said that this is an abortion,” Walker said of the check, denying that it served as a “receipt” for the procedure.
The woman has said that Walker cut off the relationship in 2011 after she refused to get a second abortion.
When Welker asked why the mother of his child would lie about the accusation, Walker said: “I have no idea, but I’m not worried about it, I know it’s a lie.”
“That’s what the left wants to talk about,” he said of the abortion scandal. “They want this seat so bad, they will talk about everything else except the gas prices and the grocery prices.”
Walker said that Georgia voters should believe his side of the story because “I’ve been very transparent about everything I’ve done.”
“I wrote a book about everything I’ve done,” he said. “I have not tried to hide not one thing I’ve ever done.”
The allegations against Walker have had little impact on polling, with the Trump-backed candidate still in a tight race with Sen. Raphael Warnock (D).
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia News Collaborative poll released last week showed Warnock leading within the 3-point margin of error, 46 percent to 43 percent.
In the NBC interview, Walker also responded to questions about a seeming shift in his views on abortion between the beginning of his campaign and his debate with Warnock on Friday night.
Welker claimed that Walker’s views had changed from opposing exceptions to abortion bans to supporting the Georgia heartbeat law, which includes exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.
“It wasn’t a change,” the politician responded. “I said I would support life.”
Asked if he now supports exceptions, Walker said: “Whether I agree with that, I’m for the people, what the people want, that’s who you’re supposed to represent.”