GOP Stalwart Caught In Prostitution Sting

Peter Hong, a longtime Republican operative in Minnesota, was arrested Wednesday afternoon on a charge of soliciting prostitution in St. Paul.

Police spokesman Peter Panos said that the arrest came during the first day of a two-day sting operation during which "johns" and prostitutes responded to ads placed on the Internet and in print. Thirty-five people were arrested Wednesday and Thursday, Panos said today.

He declined to say where the undercover operation was based.

According to city and county records, Hong, 41, of Minneapolis, was arrested at about 3:40 p.m. on Wednesday and arrived at the Ramsey County jail just after 5 p.m. He was one of at least 19 men swept up during the first day of the sting, police records show.

Hong, reached by phone Thursday, said: "I don't have any comment."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[Bluejay00234]

Perv.

[Blurp]

With that mug, no wonder he has to pay for it.

[joeyfoto]

Who cares? I don't find this puerile level of law enforcement any more relevant when it affects a Republican than when it is used to condemn a Democrat. What is the charge "hypocrisy?" As if there's not enough of that to go around. We are debating issues the will determine the survival of our economy and the functionality of our form of government. When are we going to get past this puritanical obsession with childish diversions. Does anyone else think that it is time for America to grow up?

[doctorwang]

The charge is 'soliciting prostitution'.

[BaileyWo]

The people who put the ads in the paper must be Republicans. At the very least, that is beyond entrapment -- they should be charged for "Promising with no intention of delivering."

Pandering would be another appropriate charge for the County Sheriff. As a matter of fact, I hope MoveOn.org pickets in front of the St. Paul court house with signs that say, "Hoes right here - two for a dollar." It would be a good way to destroy them both.

[ErrinF]

It was his bumper sticker that gave him away. It said "Hong if you like prostitution".

[BaileyWo]

You should see the one on his wife's car. It says "I like Peter," but I'll bet it's not on there today.

[ErrinF]

First Larry Craig, now this guy... when are GOP sexual deviants going to recognize that St. Paul, Minnesota is NOT the best place for them?

[dsdambo]

Elliot Spitzer, Bill Clinton, Barney Frank

[BaileyWo]

Sexual deviants? I'm not sure I'd go that far in characterizing a person falling for a sting that promises an easy piece of the action in downtown. As far as the ironic point concerning St. Paul goes, you must realize as well that the O.T. is perfectly swell when it comes to prostitution (pardon the pun). As long as the prostitute was not the *property* of a patriarch, the man was under no moral obligation to avoid getting laid. If, indeed, she was the property of a patriarch -- such as the wife, daughter, concubine or slave he was in real trouble. Or having spoiled her market value in the case of a virgin owned by any such patriarch, the offender was obliged to purchase his victim and make her his wife.

On the other hand, the founder of your religion, need I remind you, counseled beyond the mere observance of The Law into the realm of spirit itself: "any may who lusts after a woman with his eyes has already committed adultery in his heart," drawing no such arbitrary dichotomies to protect one's self-righteousness. Which is the whole point of keeping your religion out of our courts: as soon as we let you hypocrites start drawing the lines of demarcation, everyone who doesn't show up at the church picnic eventually gets exiled or executed.

[JScott]

Not surprising.

[dsdambo]

Look.....all I have to say is BARNEY FRANK.
Google : Steve Gobie

I don't think it's a Liberal/Conservative issue.

[andvoodoo2]

You're right - ALL you have to say is Barney Frank.

Meanwhile, for a partial list of Republican sex scandals (that I don't have all afternoon to post) see here: http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/Republican_Sex_Scandals

[ErrinF]

Question: How come right wingers like you spend all your time talking about how demonic and horrid the Democrats are, yet when one of your own gets caught doing something wrong, you immediately trot out a Democrats' wrong actions as justification for a Republican's wrong actions? It is complete and utter hypocrisy, the typical double standard posturing of a blind partisan.

[dsdambo]

Yeah like you guys aren't doing it right now on this blog.
At least you admit Barney's actions were wrong.

Did I mention Elliot Spitzer?

[cobobs]

Can't a man have some fun anymore? Stinging a man because he needs a little bit of sex. Please, what a waste of resources.

[andvoodoo2]

How do you feel about prostitution stings that 9 times out of 10 ignore the johns and instead go after the female prostitutes? Is a man looking for some "fun" okay, but a woman trying to make a living a "criminal"? I wonder, were you so concerned when it was the prostitutes getting busted and the johns walking?

[Boboday555]

"The Party of Jesus" strikes again!

[Bluejay00234]

lol

[MemphisBuffalo]

The idea that hooker are sex loving or college girls trying to make a buck is very Polly Anna. Many are have very serious drug problems, victims of abuse and even forced into this job. The idea pushed by the movie "Pretty Woman" of the happy hooker is not real.

[MemphisBuffalo]

The idea that hooker are sex loving or college girls trying to make a buck is very Polly Anna. Many are have very serious drug problems, victims of abuse and even forced into this job. The idea pushed by the movie "Pretty Woman" of the happy hooker is not real.

[MemphisBuffalo]

I think this was a plan by the GOP to cover the Senator Larry Craig bathroom foot tapping. Cover the gay sex with straight sex. After all it is in Minnesota!

[joebhed]

Who cares?

[andvoodoo2]

People who hate repug hypocrites care, that's who.

[jayburd]

If they have to have whores why don't these idiots just go to Nevada, where prostitution is legal? The ones with relatively normal sexual appetites, that is.

[EuLupu]

I had enough with this "prostitution stings"!! Pathetic and nothing else than news making.What the @##@ they solve? Eradicating the older profession on earth?? Global warming?? Ridiculous, simple ridiculous!!
It is one thing to go after pedophiles and child sex and porn and another to go after a guy responding to a horny neglected wife or a college girl wanted to make some money and have some fun aside!! Curious enough men are the target on all these stings although there are thousands of women out there hiring a male prostitute! The new "war on prostitution" is worst than all other "wars", is not even a war, is just a "sting operation" that is set whenever the police likes to have it. If they will address it systematically the only thing they have to do is surf the internet, get the address of thousands of escort services and demolish them! This will keep them busy for years to come and will trigger "100,000 police officers on the internet" presidential campaign slogans!! Go for it McCain, something new and original that will put the lime light back on you!! (no pun intended, just trying to help a guy that knows a lot about the issue).

[Halsey]

EU...yes....it's a silly sting...but the irony which alluded you...is the "family values" hypocracy rampant in politics...and seemingly...the more conservative one is..the more one needs special nookie...and this guy worked for Huckabee..a former Baptist Minister... I was surprised at the GOP credentials however, as it does appear he was soliciting women...not young boys...so..maybe Hong is a closet DEM...

[EuLupu]

So, Halsey, do you BELIEVE these rampant hypocritical politicians?? I don't see no irony here... they do what they suppose to do... elude you.

[MemphisBuffalo]

So how long were you in jail for being "curious?" You seem to have an ax to grind or a very unreal view of prostitution. These are not college girls wanting to make money. Many are victims of sexual abuse and have drug addiction problems. It is not pretty or sexy or fun for them. The movie "Pretty Woman" is not the real world. I suggest you get some help.

[EuLupu]

Attacking the problem head on,hey MemphisBuffalo?? Unreal view of prostitution? "Pretty Woman", huh? Kind of back in time, what about Eliot Spitzer call girl fees? Search on amigo and don't suggest help while you are just guessing. True, sexual abused and sex slaves are quite real but setting up a sting like this one doesn't solve the problem. Just let the police pretending by publishing a "heavy" name as a result of it.

[andvoodoo2]

You said, "there are thousands of women out there hiring a male prostitute".
I've been an attorney with a criminal law practice for more than 20 years. I've prosecuted and defended and I've never encountered a woman who paid a man for sex.

I was an HIV counselor for 8 years for an organization that did anonymous HIV testing. In the thousands of people I counseled for both tests and results who were asked, as part of the test, about ALL of their past sexual encounters, never once did I counsel a woman who paid a man for sex.

Finally, I grew up with 2 close friends who both became high priced call girls. These woman also worked in call in Nevada and Hawaii and out call all over the country and in several foreign countries. We've discussed their work at length. Neither ever encountered a male prostitute who serviced women.

[EuLupu]

"Female sex tourism - romance(sic) tourism" tells you anything?