Washington: Former New Mexico senator Pete Domenici has revealed that he fathered a son in an extramarital affair with another senator’s daughter more than 30 years ago.
He added that he has kept the secret since then, and only told his own family in the last ‘several months’.
In a statement to the Albuquerque Journal, the 80-year-old Republican, who represented New Mexico for more than 30 years, said the mother of his son ‘made me pledge that we would never reveal that parenthood and I have tried to honour that pledge and so has she’.
According to ABC News, Domenici wrote that he was worried about the privacy of his son, a 34-year-old Nevada lawyer named Adam Laxalt, as well as the potential impact on Laxalt’s mother, Michelle Laxalt, 58.
Domenici has eight other children with his wife Nancy.
In a statement, Domenici said that he was solely responsible for his past action and has caused hurt and disappointment to his wife, children, family, and others.
He added that his family has been aware of these events for several months, and apologised, adding that he has tried to work out to strengthen his relationship.
According to the report, Michelle Laxalt, the daughter of former US senator and Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt, is a former government relations consultant and lobbyist.
Paul Laxalt was a US senator from Nevada from 1974 to 1987 and served as chairman of the Republican National Committee.
Domenici told the newspaper he made the confession because he believed someone else was about to make the story public, it added.
ANI
