Heidi Heitkamp, a former Democratic senator from North Dakota, may face legal action after she said a Republican congressman impregnated a young staffer.
During an episode of the “Talking Feds” podcast released on Monday, Heitkamp floated the salacious “rumor” about Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, who recently suspended his campaign for the US Senate in Montana.
“Just to gossip a little bit, there’s a reason why Rosendale backed out of that Senate race,” said Heitkamp. “The rumor is that he impregnated a 20-year-old staff person.”
She also predicted that Rosendale would soon resign from Congress as a result of the alleged incident.
“Just a little rumor, I think their caucus may lose a member in the next couple days,” Heitkamp said of House Republicans.”Might be the congressman from Montana.”
Rosendale, one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, abandoned his Senate campaign after less than a week following former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of his primary opponent, Tim Sheehy.
It remains unclear whether Rosendale will seek reelection to his House seat.
In a statement to Business Insider, Ron Kovach, a Rosendale spokesman, rejected the allegation and alluded to legal action against the ex-senator, who’s now the director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.
“This is 100% false and defamatory and former Sen. Heitkamp will be hearing from our lawyers soon,” said Kovach.
Representatives for Heitkamp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.