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Haggard fails lie detector
By Mike McPhee Denver Post Staff Writer

Mike Jones, photographed in downtown Denver
on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006. Jones says that
evangelical leader Rev. Ted Haggard paid him
to have sex over several years. (AP / Ed
Andrieski)
Related

* Nov 3:
* Haggard admits buying meth
* Pastor takes leave amid allegations of
gay sex
* Where Haggard stands on gay issues
* "Struggled" on choice to step forward
* Claim against evangelical leader stuns
Springs-area residents
* Haggard sex allegations could shape
votes, political observers say
* Haggard profile: Man of cloth and clout

Embattled minister Ted Haggard admitted
buying methamphetamine from a male
prostitute today but denied ever using the
drug or having sex with him.

The prostitute, Michael Jones, a 49-year-old
gay bodybuilder who claims he had a three-
year, sex-for-pay arrangement with Haggard,
responded that Haggard should come clean,
admit the affair and move on with his life.

When asked his reaction to Haggard's claim
he threw the meth away, Jones scoffed, "It's
just like Clinton, who said he didn't
inhale."

Jones said Haggard didn't use meth the first
year of their meetings, but started taking
it about two years ago. He said Haggard
snorted the meth every time they had sex.

"This is ridiculous," Jones said.
"Yesterday, he didn't even
know me. Today, he admits buying meth but
never using it. Who's more credible?

"The more he goes into denial, the messier
it gets. He should just come clean, admit to
the affair and move on."

For more than two years, Jones didn't know
Haggard was a member of the clergy. He said
he suspected it intuitively, especially when
Haggard would call him from a 719 area-code
telephone, which is in Colorado Springs.

"It didn't matter to me because there was no
emotion in the relationship. It was just
sex," he said. "About 80 percent of my
clientele are married men. I've been with
lots of clergy."

Asked how he would know a client is from the
clergy, Jones smiled slightly and said, "I
just know."

After Jones made the affair public by naming
the influential Haggard on a radio talk show
Thursday, skeptics began to doubt the story,
particularly after Haggard told a television
news crew that night that he never had sex
with Jones and had always remained faithful
to his wife, Gayle, with whom he has five
children.

So this morning Jones submitted to a lie
detector, which he failed. The test
administrator, John Kresnik, characterized
Jones' answers about the sex as "deceptive."
Jones was asked only about the sex and not
about the drugs. Kresnik discounted the test
results because of the stress Jones has been
under and because he hasn't been eating or
sleeping for two days. Kresnik suggested
that Jones retake the test next week. Jones
said he doubted he will retake them.

"I don't want to pursue this anymore," Jones
said this afternoon while being prepped in a
studio for back-to-back national television
interviews. "I've made my point. He's the
one who has discredited himself. He should
admit it and move on."

Jones said he learned how influential and
prominent Haggard was when he saw him on the
History Channel. "I got really angry about
it," he said. "I owed it to the gay
community because of the hypocrisy we put up
with from the religious right. He's up there
preaching to millions that gays shouldn't be
allowed to marry while he's running around
behind his wife's back having sex with a gay
man.

"What's this about the 'sanctity of
marriage'?" he asked. "The divorce rate is
about 50 percent. But they don't want two
consenting adults of the same sex to be able
to marry."

This afternoon, Focus on the Family founder
James C. Dobson released a statement about
the accusations, and Haggard's admissions.

"All of us at Focus on the Family are
heartsick over the allegation, not yet
confirmed, that Ted has had a private life
with a homosexual for several years. We will
await the outcome of this story, but the
possibility that an illicit relationship has
occurred is alarming to us and to millions
of others," the statement read.

It went on to say: "Ted has been my close
friend and colleague for many years...He
will continue to be my friend even if the
worst allegations prove accurate.
Nevertheless sexual sin, whether
heterosexual or homosexual, has serious
consequences and we are extremely concerned
for Ted, his family and his church."

In a press briefing today, White House
spokesman Tony Fratto confirmed that Haggard
had been to the White House several times
but said the allegations shouldn't affect
how other evangelicals will vote in
Tuesday's election. "I think the community
(of evangelicals) understand where the
Republican Party is on issues that are
important to them," he said. "Something that
an individual did that affects them
personally shouldn't affect their interest
in advancing issues that they care about."

Few New Life Staff members are as close to
Haggard as Lance Coles, who takes a behind-
the-scenes role as the church s
administrative pastor and has been with the
church since its founding.

On Thursday, Coles talked to Haggard under
circumstances he never imagined. Haggard
told Coles that not all of the allegations
against him were true, but some were.

Haggard said he was a broken and repentant
man, and pledged to do whatever it takes to
do the right thing, according to Coles.
Coles replied: We ll get through this.

He has done so much good for so many people
for so long, that can t be ignored, Coles
said. He has helped numerous others who have
found themselves in sinful situations with
love, compassion and patience. He s a
perfect candidate to be helped now. As
Christians, we believe in sowing and
reaping. He and Gayle (Haggard's wife) have
sown so much for so many people, they will
reap what we can do for them.

Sitting in his office today with a view of
the Front Range, Coles turned to his
computer screen and watched a Web video of
Haggard telling reporters that he was
referred to Jones for a massage and bought
meth from the man but never used it.

Tears welled up in Cole s eyes. This was
news to him. Some people are going to not
believe Haggard s explanation of his
relationship with Jones, he is told.

I know who he is at its core, Coles said. To
observe his actions in the last 48 hours
just testifies to the state of being worn
pretty thin. I think in his zeal to love and
serve people, he committed himself to so
many noble causes that it brought him to a
point of weakness that we re seeing exposed.

He said if Haggard had used meth, he surely
would have exhibited the signs and that
would have been noticed by those close to
him.

There was a temptation to use the drugs, and
the temptation itself is not all that
shocking, Coles said. We are all tempted.

He said on business trips Haggard
periodically arranges for massages, but it
isn't routine. Coles said he hasn t traveled
with Haggard for years, so his firsthand
knowledge was limited.

Haggard met for several hours Thursday and
then again today with the church's outside
board of overseers, a panel of Haggard's
peers from other congregations that have the
authority of disciplining the senior pastor,
removing him from his post or restoring him
to ministry, said Rob Brendle, an associate
pastor at the church.

Late this afternoon, the board was to
provide an update to the church's senior
staff, which throughout the last 48 hours
has not been privy to some of Haggard's
admissions until learning them from the
media.

Haggard has "willingly and humbly cooperated
with the process and fully submitted
himself" to the oversight group, which
includes three Colorado pastors and a
Louisiana pastor, Larry Stockstill. He is
from the congregation where Haggard worked
as a youth pastor more than two decades ago -
- before, Haggard has explained, he had a
vision while camping and fasting on Pikes
Peak that caused him to start New Life
Church in his basement.

Brendle said the board will "primarily work
with Ted," and he didn't know whether Jones
would be contacted. Brendle said he was
standing behind his senior pastor, and also
wants to be open and forthright with the
broader community about the rapidly moving
developments involving Haggard's status.

As Christians, we are never surprised at
sin, Brendle said. "Ted has been a mentor
and a good friend. I am commited to standing
by him and his family. It is a sad time, but
I am committed to serving New Life Church
and our community. I believe with all my
heart our best days are ahead."

"We believe New Life Church is not a man or
a building," Brendle said. "It s a community
of people who together have a strong and
time-tested relationship that will endure
and grow."

A message from Haggard -- most likely via
video -- is expected to be aired at services
Sunday at New LIfe Church's $18 million,
7,500-seat sanctuary, the largest worship
space in Colorado. The New Life campus rises
on the city's far northern suburbs across
Interstate 25 from the Air Force Academy.

Services are expected to be led Sunday by
interim senior pastor Ross Parsley, a
veteran of the New Life leadership team, and
also include an address from Stockstill.