A New York Democrat running for the House admitted he once partook in bondage modeling photo shoots for Mr. S Leather after the X-rated images resurfaced online.
Christopher Gallant, 37, sported BDSM gear while appearing shirtless in some of the photos reported by the New York Post on Sunday. Other news outlets subsequently picked up the viral story, likely giving Gallant’s opponent ammunition in the last two months of the race.
Gallant is running to replace Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), who has represented New York’s 1st Congressional District since 2023.
Sara Azari, a lawyer for Gallant, revealed the BDSM photos, which were shot around 2010, “are authentic and were taken during a private, consensual photo session involving Chris and his then-partner, with whom he was in a committed four-year relationship.”
Gallant is an openly gay man who was a helicopter pilot for the Army National Guard, an air traffic controller, a union leader, and a volunteer firefighter. He is now running for Congress, albeit with a scandalous past.
“Chris was also friends with the owner of Mr. S Leather, and the shoot was intended to be fun and personal, with the understanding that Mr. S could use select images in connection with certain products,” Azari said.
“He will not allow photographs from a past relationship or employment to be distorted and weaponized for political purposes or used to distract voters from the issues that matter,” she added.
The Suffolk County Conservative Party jumped at the opportunity presented by the photos’ publication to argue that the Democratic congressional candidate is unfit to serve. His lawyer defended him.
“These photographs have no bearing on Chris’s record, qualifications, judgment, or ability to serve,” Azari said. “He remains fully committed to his campaign and to earning the trust of the people he seeks to represent.”
The photos are no longer publicly available on Mr. S Leather’s website, but some of them may be found in archived versions. At some point, Gallant asked Mr. S Leather to stop using photos depicting him in leather gear on its website. The bondage apparel company “honored his request,” Azari said.
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The Cook Political Report says the race between Gallant and LaLota leans in the Republican’s favor.
Still, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has LaLota’s seat as one of the “districts in play” this election cycle. In 2024, the Republican incumbent won his seat by 10 points.