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DANA ROSEMARY SCALLON is meeting with her legal team today amid doubts about the future of her presidential campaign.
Scallon’s statement on last night’s Prime Time debate with regard to unknown allegations against a member of her family which she described as “of a most untrue, malicious and vile nature” has generated speculation as to just what the allegations are about but also regarding the future of her campaign.
The allegations were levelled against a family member yesterday but the details of this are not known.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning political correspondent David McCullagh indicated that a number of newspapers were aware of the allegations but it appears the threat of legal action may have stopped them from reporting them.
A spokesperson for Scallon said that there would be no further comment on the matter at this stage but did say: “Dana is currently meeting with her legal team today regarding the untrue allegations levelled against a family member yesterday”
Watch Dana’s statement in full:
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It is understood the former MEP’s meetings with her lawyers have dominated her time today.
No public events have been taking place and as yet, no public events have been scheduled for tomorrow leading to increasing speculation that Scallon may withdraw from the race.
Whilst she could conceivably no longer contest the election, Scallon would still appear on the ballot paper on 27 October, a Department of Environment spokesperson confirmed today.
Asked directly on last night’s Prime Time whether she would consider withdrawing she answered “I will certainly…” before trailing off mid-sentence.
She continued by saying:
You know I don’t believe that you should ever give in to malicious intent, never. And I do feel that I did say that I would withdraw if there was more difficulty exposing my family. But I think that perhaps that’s the reason that this has been put forward.
Earlier this week, Scallon threatened to withdraw from the presidential race if she continued to be questioned about her family.
It follows the emergence of details of a dispute with her family where her sister testified in a 2008 court case that the former Eurovision winner had not informed the electorate of her dual US-Irish citizenship when she first ran for president in 1997.
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I was going to post something about this, but then I got bored half-way though and now I can’t think of anything witty or interesting to say about Dana. I saw her lose the plot the other night live on air and the whole thing was just embarrassing.
I don’t know what her problem is with her family, but no one has defamed her or libeled her or had ago at her about her sexual partners or her integrity – she’s had it relatively easy on the surface so far, so the whole statement that wasn’t a statement was bizarre.
Is this how she’s going to be with visiting heads of State? Ambush them with concerns about their government or their country and do a piece to camera but refuse to actually tell anyone what she is on about?
The last great non-communicative president we had in this country was de Valera – by the time I was born, his glory days as an orator were long gone, his vision for Ireland achieved in large part while he was an politician, so we seldom heard from him.
Now we seem to be looking at a retreat to those days from Dana, where she makes a scene about something terrible but won’t tell us what it is, grandstanding with the announcement of it all on live TV but supposedly telling to to a paper the next day and then – damp squib!
No paper will carry the story because of the threat of legal action! Is this how a future president conducts herself? There may indeed be horrendous issues going know nothing about, but I have lived through the past fifteen years of things going on in secret in priests parishes and banking halls and it never ends well.
State the position Dana or go away. Instead of looking hurt, you look inept, badly mismanaging a personal issue and letting everyone see it almost take you over instead of dealing with it. Now you’re reduced to making legal threats. I’m becoming bored. Constitutional preservation and preservation of your family reputation. Nothing to interest me there.
I couldn’t care less if she withdraws or not. Her campaign has been half-hearted, ie not appearing at debates, taking far more days off than the other candidates. Perhaps it is time for her to go home ( that is to the USA).
I don’t think I can think of somebody that grates on me as much as Dana. She drives me berserk. She is like that annoying person in a reality tv show that somehow manages to survive and yet she remains as annoying as ever. Get her out!!!
I’ve a pain in me Aras listening to this rubbish. Contest the election and get on with it or just pull out and save the country anymore of your tantrums. Its gone on long enough.
At least 4 of the other candidates will provide merry making and piss taking opportunities to keep us amused
If comments were made about the family member in question, what has it got to do with Dana? Is she going to sue on their behalf? I think she’s just looking for an easy way out, so that she can put the blame on somebody for ruining her presidential campaign.
Whether you are a fan of Dana or not, I don’t think her children and the rest of her family are “fair game” for the media.
I’m disappointed that so many of you on here who expressed such outrage at the smear campaign against David Norris (based on things he had actually said/done) aren’t expressing equal outrage when a member of Dana’s family is seemingly smeared.
There’s a serious lack of balance and consistency on here.
Couldnt agree more … Dana may not win the election, but leave her family alone … disgusting tripe being inspired by the Fg/Labour campaigns … they have character assassinated every canddiate except Higgins, and in truth he has more to answer than all the other candidates cmbined …. IRA support in the 70′s, FF member in the 80′s, drawing 3 pensions (all tax-payer funded), supported Lisbon II and supports the Government on EVERYTHING they are doing to the lowest income earners and welfare recipients in the country,… This gay has more skeletons and is not being challeneged in any debates (any of the ones he has attended, he legged it out pretty quicky in Matt Coopers debate, no hiding there in the long grss (excuse the pun))
We can all be left when that is what is in vogue and right when that is the fashion- a lot of sheeple following the trend with no minds of their own. Amazing how well up and perfect we all are . I wonder why we don’t put our names on the ballot paper or is that not for the perfect among us?
How convenient it would be for her to withdraw. She’s down and out of the race anyway. Her display last night on Prime Time was abysmal. I’ve never been more confused about what her “vision” is for the presidency. Such gibberish!
I am ashamed that she was elected MEP for Connaught/Ulster and as someone who grew up in rural Ireland we have to take our share of the blame in lettiing the world see this person. She is like the mad relative you dont want people to see at a wedding but nevertheless makes a fool out of everyone in sight.
You have a point Martin, Dana made a big mistake in entering this race. I also think those who supported her were either stupid or have no grasp of reality. The bottom line is that she made a complete fool of herself (more than once) on national television, she should pull out before she has a nervous break down.
I don’t know what she’s getting so upset about it for, I mean let’s face it she doesn’t have and pretty much never had a hope of getting a post in the áras, she should just back away now before somebody else digs up something on her.
Furthermore people are getting far to serious about this! You’d swear it was going to be a defining moment in Irish history, when in all honesty, as you look back over the presidents gone before and you look now at the xfactor -esque "contestants" in the run for the candidacy, most of them are a joke in comparison!
The only one, i believe, thats of presidential calibre is Michael d Higgins and he’s a push at best.
Dana would love nothing more than to be in front of the Tv camera for the next 7 years as President of Ireland,
getting all her expensive clothes paid for and getting flown around the world like the important woman she must think she is. Dana more than any of the contestants dose not deserve to be President of Ireland.
There are very few true liberals in Irish public life – they simply hold some ‘liberal’ positions but very few have a true commitment to individual liberty.
Maybe we should vote for the lawyers for the candidates instead on the ballot paper. One cannot ask about the colour of their eyes without legal advice saying that it might upset someone and they are prohibited from talking about it . At least Dana being a US citizen can plead the fifth amendment . The rest have no excuse .
You can read what the scandal is on some of the Irish American websites.
They have printed it.
If they are correct I am not sure why she choose to run with the team she did. Also I do not understand how she thought this would not come out? As it is a serious alligation.
Jeez Veronica……….at least tell us what websites and not come over all “i’ve got a secret and i’m not telling” on us.
You’re as bad as Dana, keeping us in the dark!
The accusations are quite serious and there seems to be a court injunction against publishing them in Irish media, which includes online media so even if you know you are at risk of being taken to court for so much as tweeting the accusations (which, lets just say are in a very ‘David Norris’ direction but much worse) when it would pass any ‘public interest’ test in any other legal system. This whole situation is making a mockery of free speech as much as the election itself is making a mockery of our democratic process.
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