Wesley Goodman is an American Republican politician who served as the Ohio State Representative for the 87th District from 2016 until his resignation in 2017, following revelations of his numerous homosexual extramarital affairs. His former district consists of the Crawford, Morrow and Wyandot counties, as well as portions of the Marion and Seneca counties. On November 14, 2017, Goodman resigned his seat following alleged "inappropriate behavior" in his state office, later revealed as extramarital sexual activity with a man.
Goodman worked briefly for former Ohio senator and attorney generalMike DeWine before joining Rep. Jim Jordan's staff when he won the election to represent his district in Congress. By 2013, he was serving as the managing director of the Conservative Action Project. In 2015, he was accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man. This was reported to Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, who confronted Goodman about the allegation and referred to other "similar incidents". Perkins withdrew his political support but Goodman did not withdraw his candidacy for the Ohio legislature, and not long afterwards he was elected. These incidents were apparently never reported to the police and did not become public knowledge until after his resignation. On October 2, 2016, State RepresentativeJeffrey McClain stepped down prior to the end of his term to take a position in the administration of Ohio GovernorJohn Kasich. Goodman entered the race to succeed him, and in the Republican primary, defeated with 41% of the vote former State Representative Steve Reinhard, who had represented the same seat from 2001 to 2008. He was unopposed in the general election. His term began on January 4, 2017.
Marriage, sex scandal, and resignation
Goodman described himself as a supporter of "traditional marriage", having told constituents that "The ideals of a loving father and mother, a committed natural marriage, and a caring community are well worth pursuing and protecting." In 2012 he married Bethany Peck, an assistant director of the March for Life and a former staffer for Bob Latta; they had no children and subsequently divorced. Goodman resigned his office November 14, 2017, after a non-staffer witnessed him and an unnamed adult male having consensual sexual relations in Goodman's office. The Speaker of the Ohio House, a Republican, Cliff Rosenberger, described the incident as "inappropriate behavior related to his state office".
