And Reality Reveals: Thad Cochran Lied During his Campaign. Who Knew? Except Everybody.
According to a press release from Cochran's office, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and Kay Webber were married in a private family ceremony in Gulfport on Saturday. this is the same Kay Webber that Cochran denied having any relationship with that was not just "professional."
Sun Herald reported:
- In a May 2014, The Clarion-Ledger reported that Webber, over the last 12 years, had accompanied Cochran, 76, on at least 33 taxpayer-funded trips out of the country at a cost of more than $150,000.
- At the time, Cochran spokesman Jordan Russell said Webber, 76, had worked for the senator for 33 years and was a key employee and trusted adviser. Russell said there was nothing unusual about her, or other assistants, traveling with Cochran or other senators. He said other Cochran staffers usually go on such trips as well.
- Russell told The Clarion-Ledger that Webber, who makes about $140,000 a year, when traveling "attends official meetings and social functions when appropriate, relays information and action items back and forth to the senator's other staff and helps the senator maintain his travel schedule." He said she deals with constituent requests in D.C., staffs his Capitol office, organizes events for constituents and has other duties consistent with the title executive assistant.
- Also last May, Russell told the New York Times that Webber's travel with the senator was "strictly professional" and was "perfectly appropriate as a senior staff member." He told The Clarion-Ledger the same month that Webber is "a member of the staff and a trusted aide, and any other suggestion is silly gossip."
