A South Carolina congressman has left his wife after several alleged affairs – despite declaring himself a “family values” candidate who supports “traditional marriage.”
Jeff Duncan’s alleged affairs were revealed by his wife of 25 years and mother of his three children, Melody Duncan, as she filed for divorce from Republican lawmakers at a Laurens County courthouse on Friday.
The filing alleged that Duncan, an outspoken Republican who claims on his congressional page that he is “a strong supporter of life and traditional family values,” conducted one of the affairs with a D.C. lobbyist identified in the document as Liz Williams referred to as. It is now believed that Duncan lives with Williams.
Duncan’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from .
The alleged adultery comes just weeks after North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, another hardline Republican who has even been tipped as a potential candidate for Donald Trump, was caught in exclusive reporting by allegedly cheated on her husband with Trump advisor Corey Lewandoswki.
Congressman Jeff Duncan claims to be a champion of “traditional family values.” He is pictured next to his wife Melody, who filed for divorce on Friday, claiming he had multiple affairs behind her back
Duncan celebrated the birth of his first grandchild in February and posed next to his wife Melody before giving a speech in the House of Representatives about his “excitement” about the addition to the family
According to Friday’s filing, Duncan made no secret of his affair with Williams in Washington social circles, and his wife believes he may have even quietly moved in with her.
“(Duncan) admitted to (Melody) that he was having an ongoing sexual relationship with Willaims,” the filing states.
The shocking court statement added that the Republican lawmaker also admitted to “adulterous relationships with many other people, including the parties’ sons and his associates.”
One case alleged by Melody alleged that Duncan touted his “loving” marriage to his wife as recently as August 28 while hosting the conservative fundraiser Faith and Freedom BBQ.
However, just a day later, the filing says he “went directly to the home of his mistress, Liz Williams…where (Melody) is informed and believes he continues to reside.”
Just four months earlier, Duncan celebrated the birth of his first grandchild, posing next to Melody while cradling the child before giving a sycophantic speech on the House floor about the addition to the family.
Duncan is pictured earlier this year announcing the birth of his first grandchild in the House of Representatives
Duncan has become known as a Republican hardliner during his 12 years as a congressman. In the picture, he poses with a can of ivermectin as he arrives at the Capitol in February 2022
“(Melody) is informed and believes that (Duncan’s) extramarital relationship(s) is/are widely known in political circles in South Carolina and Washington DC,” the document continues.
Duncan’s façade as a Republican with “family values” was also evident in the divorce, when Melody claimed he concocted the narrative that his marriage was cold and loveless to “justify the hypocrisy of his public statements and private actions.”
He has spoken out against same-sex marriage – despite reportedly flouting his own “sacred” vows on multiple occasions.
In addition to his affair with Williams, Duncan also had “an extramarital relationship with at least one other woman,” according to court documents.
Their divorce proceedings involve alimony and exclusive possession and use of their marital home and their home in Montana.
Duncan (pictured praying on the floor of the Republican National Convention) has made faith a central part of his political identity
She also demands that Duncan be solely responsible for all of her debts, medical bills, legal and legal fees, and for maintaining her and her children’s health insurance.
Duncan has represented South Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District since 2011 and is up for re-election next year.
In his time in the House, he has become an outspoken conservative, whose Faith and Freedom BBQ noted in his divorce filing that it had become a major fundraising and speaking opportunity for Republican leaders.
In 2021, Noem gave the keynote address, with Duncan saying at the time that he was offering her an opportunity to boost her national profile as a future GOP leader.
But just weeks before his own alleged scandal, Noem saw her reputation as a staunch Republican with “family values” destroyed by allegations that she had carried on a years-long affair with Lewandowski, exclusively reported.
Married South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, 51, and former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski (pictured in Ohio in 2020) have been romancing for years, despite both being married, can reveal
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been married to her husband Bryon Noem since 1992. Lewandowski has been married to 9/11 survivor Alison since 2005 and has four children with her
Noem has often been touted as Donald Trump’s running mate if he secures the 2024 Republican nomination and, like Duncan, had stressed her belief in “family values” for years.
She is another Republican who opposes same-sex marriage because she believes marriage is between a man and a woman – even though she has let another man into her bed behind her husband’s back.
But her chances of joining Trump’s candidacy diminished significantly when it was revealed that she had followed through on the years-long affair.
She rose to prominence as her state’s only member of the House of Representatives for four terms before winning the governor’s office in 2018, promising to uphold the healthy family values that she said South Dakotans have “long embraced.”
Particularly important to her was the defense of “traditional marriage,” which she defined as “a special, God-given union between a man and a woman.”