Attorney for former State Senate staffer speaks out, following racy texts scandal

An attorney for the senate aide involved in a sexting scandal with former Arizona State Senator Steve Montenegro held a news conference late Thursday afternoon.

"Senator Montenegro is a moral toad," said Tom Ryan, who is representing Stephanie Holford.

The controversy stems from a series of racy text messages between Montenegro, who is married, and a female staffer. Montenegro is running for the U.S. House seat that Trent Franks resigned from, after allegations surfaced of sexual harassment between Franks and two of his staffers.

Ryan released the alleged texts, which included a topless photo sent by the woman to Montenegro.

"You will see that he was grooming her for a sexual relationship in the way that he was texting with her and communicating with her," said Ryan, who went on to say the texts went from professional to personal and flirtatious. Eventually, the conversations and pictures went to Snapchat, a disappearing message service.

Ryan also read a statement from Holford.

"Over the months we began to flirt, I felt comfortable enough with the relationship that I began to send pictures of myself in various states of undress," read Ryan.

Meanwhile, a statement by Montenegro accused the attorney of spending years targeting him and other conservatives. Montenegro, in the statement, called the claims Ryan "false and defamatory", and called Ryan the "Gloria Allred of Arizona".

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