Kentucky GOP Sen. Jason Howell, who sponsored a bill mandating a complaint process for removing “obscene” materials from his state's public schools, is denying that he personally 'liked' obscene images on Twitter, claiming his account was hacked, Kentucky Lantern reported.
Sexually explicit photos remained in Howell’s Twitter “likes” history for almost two years, even after he was questioned about them by a reporter in 2021.
Senate Majority spokesperson Angela Billings defended Howell, saying his Twitter history has nothing to do with the bill.
“He didn’t have the savvy to, I don’t believe, completely understand what that [Twitter] history might have looked like. So it has nothing to do with his sponsorship of Senate Bill 5,” she said.
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When questioned about the likes earlier this month, Howell replied, “Now I regret it."
In a statement this Monday, Howell said he was the victim of hacking “or subject to spam” and accused the Lantern of “digging up” a two-year-old “inquiry.”
“Since the hack, there has been no indication of any additional questionable activity on my personal Twitter account. In May of 2021, I believed the hack was resolved,” he said.
“It would be inappropriate for media outlets to take an editorial stance to try and undermine the legislative process. I remain committed to my constituents and the rest of the Commonwealth with the merits of Senate Bill 5 and will remain unfettered in my efforts,” Howell said.
Read the full report over at the Kentucky Lantern.