Arkansas GOP judge withdraws from unopposed race over sexist, racist comments

Current Circuit Court Judge Mike Maggio (R) is coming under fire for racist and sexist statements he posted on a Louisiana State University fan site, Tiger Droppings.

Matt Campbell at Blue Hog Report first discovered that an anonymous poster to Tiger Droppings named "geauxjudge" had inside information about Charlize Theron's high-profile adoption of a baby boy:

In the post, he indicated that he "offered to be the baby daddy." As revealed by his comments, however, his position on women who aren't wealthy celebrities is decidedly different, as evidenced by screen captures of them from Blue Hog Report:

His comments on race are in a similar vein:

According to KATV 7, the state's Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission -- which regulates the conduct of sitting judges -- is aware of Maggio's postings and is investigating.

Its executive director, David Sachar, released the following statement on Tuesday:

"The JDDC is aware of the allegations that were reported Monday, including the alleged release of confidential information by Circuit Judge Mike Maggio. Under Rule 7C(3) I can confirm the pendency of an investigation by this agency. The judge will have full due process rights during our litigation of this matter. Procedural rules of the JDDC will determine the timing of the events in the case including when more public information is available. This office does not anticipate issuing further public statement until the case concludes with dismissal, agreed resolution or public charges."

Judge Maggio initially responded with a statement of his own, saying that "[a]t the current time, I am unaware of any JDDC complaint," but "[i]f in fact there is a complaint, I am prohibited from commenting."

Late Wednesday night, however, he released a second statement, in which he took "full responsibility for the comments that have been attributed to [him]."

"I apologize deeply for my lapse in personal judgment and for that, I have no excuse," he continued. "The comments posted were not acceptable. These comments are not a reflection of who I am...At this time, in light of the pain I have caused to my family, friends, supporters, the Judicial Branch, and the public, I have requested that the Secretary of State remove me from the ballot."

Watch KATV 7's report on the Judge Maggio's indiscretions below.

KATV - Breaking News, Weather and Razorback Sports