Did Republican Rob Riley Really Have a Vasectomy That Would Have Prevented Unintended Pregnancy?

Liberty Duke

What kind of medical condition does Alabama Republican Rob Riley have that would preclude him from causing a pregnancy during an extramarital affair with lobbyist Liberty Duke?
One possibility might be a low sperm count. But the most likely answer, it seems, would be an elective vasectomy.

Since Riley raised the issue himself in our first interview--and it was one of the key points he made in denying the affair and its aftermath--we decided to call him back for clarification.

If Riley was talking about a vasectomy, that raises a number of questions:

* When did he have the procedure done and why?

* Who performed the procedure and were there any complications?

* Was his wife, Leslie McLeod Riley, aware he was having the procedure, and did she sign off on it?

* Given that they have four children, why did Riley and his wife decide that a possible fifth was out of the question? 

It turns out that Riley was not anxious to discuss the matter. (See video at the end of this post.) After identifying myself and explaining that I had a few followup questions, here is how the conversation went:

Rob Riley (RR): I need to tape record this conversation with you, OK?

Legal Schnauzer (LS): That's fine . . . 

RR: I've already told you that there is no truth to anything you've called me about before with respect to Liberty Duke. And I don't know of anything else I've got to say about it, but go ahead.

LS: You said when we spoke before that you had a medical procedure that would not have allowed you to father a child . . . Were you referring to a vasectomy?

RR: Roger, I told you I'm not going to entertain you with this nonsense anymore. You can base it on whatever you want, but it's true. I told you I'm not putting up with anymore of this crap.

LS: Well . . .

RR: Roger, goodbye.

I heard a click on the other end, so I immediately called back. I was put through to Riley's line and got his voice mail, where I left a message. It was not returned.

Do Rob Riley's various denials and explanations make sense? We will consider a number of published reports and public records as we examine that question in upcoming posts.

(To be continued)

Previously in the series:

Rob Riley Touts His Moral Standing On Gambling Before Abruptly Ending Interview On Sticky Affair (July 10, 2013)
 
Rob Riley Had An Affair With Lobbyist Liberty Duke, Leading To Pregnancy And Payments For Abortion (July 2, 2013)

Alabama GOPer Rob Riley Claims He Is Not Capable Of Causing A Pregnancy With Lobbyist Liberty Duke (July 8, 2013)