Lee County Republican Party Chairman Jim Womack on Monday night gave members of the Board of Commissioners a private photo of school board member Patrick Kelly engaged in sexual bondage activity and asked members to request the Lee County Board of Education conduct an investigation into Kelly similar to the one conducted on Womack’s wife in January and February.
The Rant has viewed the photo but will not publish it because it depicts legal activity between consenting adults in a private setting. Further, a second individual in the photo cannot be identified.
The photo has been circulated via email – including to members of the school board – in recent weeks by a number of conservative activists, including John Zumwalt, a Moore County radio show host who challenged Republican state Rep. Jamie Boles of Whispering Pines in the 2016 GOP primary, and at least one of the Sanford men who was charged in connection with the January Capitol siege in Washington, D.C.
Womack cited Zumwalt in his remarks to the Board of Commissioners (see video here; Womack’s comment begins at the 40:50 mark), and The Rant was sent an email about the photo by one of the men arrested in D.C.
Womack, who noted he was speaking not as GOP chairman but as “a private citizen,” said in his statement Monday night that Kelly should resign if it was determined that he was “guilty” of “behavior” that is legal.
A request to the Lee County Board of Education for email traffic regarding the photo to and from its members was acknowledged Monday, but had not been fulfilled as of this writing.
Kelly provided a written statement to The Rant indicating that he intended for the photo to remain private, and that his personal life had no bearing on his abilities as a board member.
“There is a photo of me circulating that shows two single consenting adults engaged in a perfectly legal activity. The photo was intended to be private, and I would have preferred that it remained private. This entire ordeal has caused an enormous amount of pain to me and my family. No one deserves to have their private life put on display like this,” he said. “Those who are attempting to use the photo to further a political goal have created a distraction for the Lee County Board of Education during a time when we desperately need to focus on safely reopening our schools. It is regrettable that there are those who are willing to invade someone’s privacy, and I hope that we can move past this quickly. There is work to be done, and we need to get back to it.”
“In closing, let me be clear,” he continued. “My personal sex life has no bearing on my ability to perform my duties as a member of the Board of Education. I love Lee County, and I have dedicated my life to serving this community. I have proudly served on the Lee County Board of Education for nearly five years, two of them as the Chairman. I have also served on the boards of at least a dozen other non-profit organizations. Throughout all of that, my sexuality wasn’t an issue. And it shouldn’t be an issue now.”
The Rant has learned that Kelly’s attorney, Jon Silverman, has sent cease and desist letters to a number of people who have reportedly trafficked the photo.
The Lee County Board of Commissioners has no statutory authority to force an investigation by the school board on any matter, although there is nothing stopping that body from making a request. A meeting of the Lee County Board of Education is set for tonight, although the agenda currently doesn’t show any planned discussion related to the issue.
Yep, doesn’t surprise me that BOTH Womacks are horrible people!
How embarassing for Sanford Republicans to have such a party leader.
Oh wait, they probably think this is disgusting outing of a private photo is somehow “equivalent” to folks asking what the wife was doing at the 1/6 insurrection “rally.” SHAME!
The internet is forever
Mr.Kelly needs to resign and leave his dirty secrets out of Lee County.
Karen has to be some one with no morals or values just like Kelly.Elected officials need to be held to morals .
JOHN JONES: I wish there was a complaint button on here, attacking fellow commenters is not acceptable. Just stay focused on your own opinions about this issue. Telling commenters who disagree with you that they have no morals does not add anything to the conversation, so please stop.
Womacks – Horrible people, this proves it!
Lee County has a sex pervert on school board .
Why do Republicans nowadays just want to be as despicable as possible? Are they consciously trying to drive every sane person that might be left out of the party for good? What is the end game here?
Once again a political hit piece . . .
First of all the internet is forever and ANYONE could find the photo, if so disposed:
– So it is not private
Second, while the investigation into Mrs. Womack happened, it is in no way similar:
– Private sexual activity, photographed, posted to the WWW is no longer private
vs
– Private citizen attending a public rally NOT THE SAME
WHO TOOK THE PHOTO?
Third citing people’s affiliations, only serves to do, what you claim to be against.
– Publishing people’s PUBLIC home addresses and arrest records is OK, but a PUBLIC photo on the internet is not !?!
Anyone with half a brain and a computer can see this for what is complete and total media bias.
AND this once again is a serious issue with not only the media but the Democrat party as a whole. I ask you again, who took the photos? Do we want people, such as this having open access to our childeren? I think not. Nevermind they were posted by no other than himself.
https://tinyurl.com/yzudeq78
Ok so on the one hand you have a school board representative angry that people raised eyebrows over her participation in an insurrection that aimed to overthrow the foundation of our democracy.
On the other hand, you have a guy upset he is being publicly shamed, for doing literally nothing wrong, as payback because the first school board member can’t let go, even after getting off completely scott free.
I dunno, who do I side with?
That’s a pretty disgusting list of kinks. Don’t want this guy around my kids.
But literally no one would know A THING if it werent for this woman being petty and wanting someone else to get investigated so the heat would come off her. You would literally have no idea what this man enjoyed if it werent for her. Stop acting paranoid with something that every one does and enjoys in different ways. Your kids are fine.
Kelly posted the photo
What he does in his PRIVATE life with CONSENTING ADULTS has nothing to do with the safety of CHILDREN. This doesn’t involve children. This is simply about his right to do whatever he wants in his private sex life with consenting adults. Where does this at all have anything to do with children???
You have to be a Democrat no morals no values .
love you post Frag Out. Facts and common sense seem to only be Republican traits these days. The Dems time will be short lived with all the anti-American and anti-Christian posturing.
Who took the photo? Who cares? There are devices and timers, so maybe one of those was used. I do wonder who was searching multiple BDSM sites to end up recognizing him, and passing the photo around to other republicans before it coming out to the public? I personally don’t care what consenting adults do. I am concerned if government officials take part in an insurrection though. Republicans are becoming terrible people.
Wow . .. so now taking part in a rally is inserrection?
Mike you have no morals .
John Jones, my morality guides my personal life, and has nothing to do with what other people choose to do in their lives. Your morals are yours, and yours alone. They should have no bearing on how others are allowed to live their lives, as long as they are not hurting others.
It was a public rally. you know like the hundreds that took place over America in 2020 alone. But the explicit photo of bondage by a school board member that is uploaded to the Web is a private matter? Just perfect logic there. America is too great for this nonsense and good will always prevail.
Thats why Pediphiles are accepted in Nc
Where? Like where? What did this man do that was even CLOSE to pedophilia? Are you just upset he chooses to partake in a sex life? You’re not one to choose what someone can and can’t do in their private life when they NEVER intended for anything like this to come out.
Once again, thank you former Rep. Mike Stone…..
Partisanship has no place on the damn school board…..
It’s a perpetual pissing contest, shame on all of you !!!!
I don’t think “pediphiles” or pedophiles are accepted anywhere in the US. Besides, I don’t think the Womacks being cry babies about her being present in DC during the attempted coup has anything to do with pedophilia.
Please hold Womack accountable. This is revenge for everything she was being investigated against. This is a man enjoying something in his PRIVATE life. This was consensual, safe, and PRIVATE. No one should have the audacity to act like this changes anything in his job experience because YOU personally feel something about it. I’m going to be extemely disappointed if they decide to do anything against Kelly in this particular situation. This is unprofessional and frankly sad this community is so conservative in this manner.
Private? All evidence to the contrary. Kelly must be made an example.
Hate to say it . . . but this has nothing to do with the Wolmacks, and some have known for years.
Agreed timers etc devices exsist, however would you want this person having access to your duagter?
CCCC or otherwise?
Your sex life is yours, unless you share it with the world!
#TheInternetIsForever
First of all, that website is for a very specific group of people with common interests. It does not equate with “sharing it to the world”.
And to answer your question, I have two teenage daughters and I would trust Patrick Kelly with them at any time.
You know who didn’t protect my oldest daughter? Our school system. When she was in elementary school, she googled her name and saw porn photos she could never unsee. I was not told about this and my child was disciplined for it. For accidentally seeing porn photos when she googled her name. I guess she was supposed to know she shared her name with a porn star.
Another teacher told her in middle school that the Bible was just a bunch of fairy tales.
I didn’t have anyone to help me with my issues back then. Do you know who has helped me with every single issue I’ve brought to him? Patrick Kelly.
I didn’t know any of this about Mr. Kelly until tonight. And I didn’t need to know about it, It is shameful what Mr. Womack has done to drag this man’s private life out in public. By his comments, it seems to be a cheap retaliation shot because of something his wife did in public. I’m sorry that being investigated hurt y’all’s feelings, but do you understand the difference between public and private lives? Mr. Womack is one of the reasons I am quick to say I am unaffiliated because there is no part of me that wants to be associated with him or his wife, or the actions they take.
You people need to find something constructive to do with your time. No one died, no destruction was caused. No Insurrection, no child pornography, non of that. His private life is just that. Trying to get even is not a good look. Get our kids back in school safely.
OMG Someone please post a link. Baaahaahaha
To your question, Do we want “these” people around our children…… The answer is YES…. I would trust a member of the lifestyle or community around my children way before I would a Priest or other member of the clergy… Sorry if that offends but look at the statistics of which are bigger pedophiles, not the people on a fetish site. And who way trolling through the fetish sites in the first place that noticed this mans photo?????? why are we not asking the real questions.. Oh btw if your like your hair pulled or pulling hair or smacking your partners butt or having yours smacked during adult activities THAT my friend is a BSDM act. This is not an unusual interest and it should not be shamed….
As an advocate in the anti-sexual violence movement, it is clear to me that this photo was shared without the consent of not only Mr. Kelly but also the other adult in the video. This itself should be considered an act of sexual violence and those who are circulating the photo should be held criminally responsible. I hope that law enforcement makes the right decision in re-opening the case since Mr. Kelly did make a report.
This is ridiculous. Seriously. What does consenting sex between two adults have to do with being on the board of education. What a stretch.
Had the voters of Lee County had prior knowledge of Mr. Kelly’s “hobby” he would not have been elected to the School Board.
Had all of Lee County known that the Womacks were not local Womacks but out of state people, none would have been elected.
If someone posts pictures on the internet, they are not private. If someone claims that someone else posted these pictures first to law enforcement, but they really posted such pictures themselves, I would call what filing a false police report and a crime. I hope Mr Kelly has Mr Silverman ready to keep his butt out of jail
So you have proof that he posted them, and not someone else? Were they obtained illegally by someone who may, or may not be associated with the republican party? Has this been nothing but a coordinated hit by nefarious parties? It still has yet to be explained who was searching these BDSM sites, and found it??? Seems like it is either the pot calling the kettle black, or a potentially illegal hit job.
I agree, Mike, if the content is BDSM-related, then this is not some random posting on the Internet, so it sounds fishy to me too.
And Anonymous above has a good point about the photo likely was “shared without the consent of not only Mr. Kelly but also the other adult in the video.”
In most states, you can be sued for using someone else’s name, their likeness, or other personal attributes without permission for an exploitative purpose. This sounds like an exploitative purpose to me.
Hey Spauf, As you pointed out: “Had all of Lee County known that the Womacks were not local Womacks but out of state people, none would have been elected.”
Yep, I hear they moved here from Texas, I’d like to send them back
The Womacks are transplants from Texas huh? Well that explains a lot. The picture is getting clearer now.
Actually I thought they were from Washington State but near to Idaho. But I agree that some folks from Texas also have this deeply ingrained anti-government and loud and abrasive habits.
I’m not sure how reliable the info I provided is, after I just heard from someone that Sherry was stationed in WA state when she was in the Army stateside, but she and Jim were married in TX and he is supposedly from there originally.
Just like Democrats. When a Republican citizen is at a legal rally in DC and does nothing illegal it should be investigated. But when a Democrat on a school board has a sexual photo of bondage circulating it is a matter of private, legal activity. The hypocrisy never ceases to amaze us.
Wow, a lot to unpack here. There are a lot of unknowns in this case. There are also lessons to be learned.
1. Can we all agree that what someone does (Legally) in their own home is their business?
2. These photos made it on the internet by someone involved in the activity. They had to be taken on a personal photo device of one of the participants. So no this isn’t some accident. Kelly may not have known about the posting, but he knew about the pictures and it was either him or one of the other participants that took the pic and posted it on the internet.
3. J. Womack didn’t find these pictures, they were sent to him by a concerned citizen.
4. I think J. Womack could have handled this with a little more decorum. Just because one political party slights you doesn’t mean you have to return in kind. To have moral standing you should conduct yourself in a manner that maintains moral standing. this looks like a tit for tat and not legitimate concern of the conduct of a LCSB member, which creates a political distraction that doesn’t focus on the real issue.
5.This not a morality argument, so don’t make it one. Your morals end where mine begin. You may not agree with someones conduct. As long as it is legal between consenting adults. you have no say. It only becomes an issue for you if they try to force you to participate.
6. The Womacks being from some place other than Sanford is irrelevant and flawed logic. There is no criteria to be born and raised in Sanford to participate in the political processes or to hold office. There are many benefits to having people from other places bring new ideas. It is called Diversity. The mindset of not electing someone because they are not from here has actually lead to many of the issues Lee County faces today. We should always be open to new ideas and people with a diverse background to bring Lee County to the future and keep it relevant. Lee County is not an Island unto itself, there is actually a much bigger world out there.
7.Here is the real issue at hand; sharing the pictures, participating in BDSM, J. Womack being from Texas, S. Womack investigated for the rally, dirty politics, who searched for the pics, and a whole host of other discussions going on. The only thing that really matters is the fact, the bell has been rung and it can’t be un-rung. When the students of Lee county see these pictures (AND THEY WILL!) Kelly will have no credibility in the eyes of the students. Many will have the same opinions of “Who Cares”, also many will laugh, giggle, crack jokes, make meme’s, and never look at Mr. Kelly again with the level of respect that any sitting member on the School Board inherently receives by virtue of their position. IMHO, though it may not be fair how this all transpired, and what he does in his private life is his business, the fact that his private life is no longer private either by his own hands or someone in his inner circle. The students now know what they know and either have or will see for themselves his activities and it will have an impact on his ability to perform his duties. It is unfortunate this has happened and the county deserves better leadership from all parties involved. For the sole reason of the impact this will have with the students and their perceptions of him, Mr. Kelly should resign.
FINALLY: I am not born or raised in Lee County, I served my country honorably like many who live here, I chose to retire here with my family and love Lee County. If I ever chose to be active in the Lee County political process, I truly hope that I am evaluated on my credentials and ideas for a better Lee County, and not something so petty as (Well he isn’t from here…)
I am truly disgusted at the political mud-slinging going on in our nation and seeing it filter down to our local communities is just the worst of it all. We the citizens of Lee County need to start demanding better for our community. We may not agree on everything and we may not agree on how to move forward. That does not mean we are enemies worthy of the lowest level of debasement and vitriol towards each other. I have participated in this crap in the past on social media and realized I have allowed myself to become something I didn’t like. I left Social media all together, it foments the worst in all of us. Lee County citizens need to demand better. We need to stop attacking each other and start demanding better from our elected officials. We need to stop electing politicians and start electing actual leaders. It is our fault for electing these people of all parties. There are good people that should run for office and don’t. we need to find them and get them to run so we can elect them and have leaders and not politicians. We need citizen servants, not political sycophants. I am a Conservative Republican and I don’t always agree with what the GOP does or says. I chose the GOP because of the bigger picture of what they say they stand for. Stop voting for the politician that serves your personal best interest, that is a lie. vote for the Leader that will best serve the community. Their political affiliation does not matter. If they are truly citizen servants, then they don’t care who you voted for in the last election or what your political affiliation is. What they care about is what is your concern and how can we solve it, if we can. Not everything is solved by government, but they may be able to facilitate local businesses, organizations, and members of the local community to come up with a solution. Thank you for reading this novel. God Bless all of you.
Dale
Well said, Mr. Roberts –
I am a progressive Democrat, but you are right to call out the petty and irrelevant “the Womacks are not from here” comments, including by me. Shame on me.
I also agree with your overall assessment of the status of our national and local politics and the need for public service-oriented representatives, not the political hacks or one-dimensional candidates that are increasingly the case.
You said: “For the sole reason of the impact this will have with the students and their perceptions of him, Mr. Kelly should resign.”
That will likely be the unfortunate result of this “outing” of Mr. Kelly’s photo, but I hope he sues the pants off those responsible for its publication, that was just disgusting.
Thank you for your service.
That is an interesting point about suing the people that outed him. the point on that is, who posted the pictures online? It had to be someone in his little group. You and I can’t steal photos from their personal camera or phone. so someone in his group that took the pictures had to post them online. Since that is the logical way the pictures made it online, at that point it became public domain and there is really no criminality in the sharing of those photos. He needs to look at his inner circle that had access to those pictures and find out who posted them online. we may agree that what is done in private and what is legal between consenting adults is none of our business. However when it is posted online and we find out about it, then it becomes our business because it lends itself to the character of a person that is an elected position and is responsible to many people. You and I may have no problem with his activities, that does not negate the feelings of others that have a real problem with it and their concerns need to be addressed as well.There is some room for concern when a man is erotically aroused by the act of beating women. I can see how this would concern women that he works with, female students at CCCC, female faculty members, and younger females in our lower education schools. I agree that is very unfortunate that he is in this situation, however, it can now not be ignored. It effects many people in the community that have daughters that are under his authority and the women that he interacts with regularly. The people of Lee county need to know that their children are safe around him, women need to know they are safe around him and that now comes into question, considering the nature of the photos, which I have not see, but have been told that it portrays violence between a man and women in a sexual nature. how can he convince the people of Lee County that he poses no threat to the women of this county? I don’t know the answer to that.
Yeah, I have been guilty of the petty “They’re not from around here” comments, but honestly, they were meant more as a joke than a serious flaw. They (Womacks) have plenty of legitimate flaws (Don’t we all?). I still say it is important to find out two things. Who posted the pics, and who found them on the BDSM website to make it to the inner circle of local Republican politicians, only to be outed by the Womacks?
I do wonder if the Republican who “found” the pictures on the BDSM site is also into that type of lifestyle? It makes perfect sense, otherwise, how would they have found them? It is also possible that this same person also had a relationship with one of the other parties in the pictures, and that is how they came across them. Maybe the “Finder” was actually the person who posted the pics as a way to submarine Mr. Kelly. There could possibly be two lawsuits that Kelly could pursue. Who found them and who posted them are important questions to be answered, especially if someone is going to lose their livelihood and a career.
Unless times have changed radically in the last few years, I just don’t think school aged children/young adults have a clue who their school board members are, let alone have any respect for them to lose. At such young ages, they really don’t care about politics in the least. Oh, there may be one or two on that path, but they are nearly as rare as Unicorns.