And now, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) can be added to that list.
The 2020 presidential candidate was accused by Wohl, a 21-year-old, far-right conspiracy theorist, and Burkman, a Republican lobbyist, on Wednesday of engaging in an extramarital affair with a personal trainer.
But the men repeatedly refused to offer any evidence to the claims that 26-year-old Shawn Newaldass made about engaging in individual and group sex encounters with Harris in exchange for money—or a “series of sexcapades,” as Burkman and Wohl referred to them.
The practice of making such serious allegations without evidence has become a repeated occurrence for Wohl, Burkman and the various accusers they bring forward.
The ex-Marine brought forward by Wohl and Burkman last week who claimed he was in a long-term affair with 2020 candidate Elizabeth Warren was discovered to have lied about his military service, according to information provided at the time to Newsweek by the U.S. Marine Corps. The men offered no corroborating evidence.
Earlier this year, the duo also tried to besmirch Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, by recruiting young Republican men to make false sexual accusations and last year, they manufactured sexual assault allegations against former special counsel Robert Mueller.
Wednesday’s affair was nearly identical to last week’s press conference on Warren: Boxes of Dunkin Donuts laid out for attendees, a private security guard was present and Wohl, Burkman and their accuser spoke from the front porch of Burkman’s Rosslyn, Virginia home as intrigued neighbor’s stood watch and hecklers yelled and played the banjo or bagpipes. One man wore a corn costume while loudly blowing into a party streamer.
At one point, after Wohl picked up a nearby hose and threatened to douse a protester, Burkman convinced Wohl against it. The press conference soon thereafter was forced to end, with the men’s microphone being drowned out by the rowdy protesters.
Newaldass’ allegations were that after serving as Harris’ personal trainer for several years, he began “an extensive sexual relationship” with the California senator this summer after her “workouts became more intense” in the wake of announcing her candidacy for president in January.
From June through roughly sometime in early September, Newaldass claimed he had a total of 11 sexual encounters across the country as he traveled with Harris, several of which involved Harris paying him thousands of dollars for him and other men to have sex with her.
He claimed that, in one instance, he was paid $3,000 in cash to “arrange a small orgy” and $7,500 cash in another for him to find Harris two other men to have sex with.
Speaking to Newsweek after their chaotic front porch press conference, Newaldass, Wohl and Burkman were unable to provide any evidence that would corroborate their claims.
Newsweek was unable to find any record that Newaldass was a personal trainer. Social media accounts, which had his name listed as Shawn Newaldas, were sparse with content and appeared as though they had not been used in months, if not years. There was no evidence that he was a personal trainer. Wohl suggested that several online pictures would show Harris working out with Newaldass, but Newsweek was unable to find any.
It’s unclear how Harris and Newaldass met. Prompted with timeline questions about when and how he met Harris, in addition to how he was put into contact with Burkman and Wohl, Newaldass appeared confused or unwilling to answer. Burkman and Wohl answered the majority of questions posed by Newsweek, including some of those directed at Newaldass.
“Shawn, you’ve got so much on your mind,” Burkman said at one point, as he started to answer a question for Newaldass.
Newaldass said that Harris “came across me,” despite the lack of online evidence that he offered private workout lessons.
“As a personal trainer, I’m actually trying my best to promote myself. Like I said, she found me, and I was promoting myself as the best personal trainer out there,” Newaldass said. “And that’s how it all came about. Because I was now in the process of promoting myself as the greatest.”
At the direction of Burkman, he then began performing fingertip pushups as evidence he worked out.
Wohl said they came to know of Newaldass because of a Harris staffer, whom they allegedly pay and who told them of the allegations involving Newaldass.
Wohl and Burkman claimed that Newaldass had text messages with Harris, but they declined repeatedly to allow Newsweek to review them.
“We’re going to release them at-will,” Wohl said. “But we always feel as principal, sort of generally speaking, that we want to give the candidate a chance to respond before we release damning evidence.”
Wohl and Burkman also claimed that an unknown man who approached them at the press conference as Newaldass was detailing his allegations handed them a cease and desist letter from Harris’ campaign. Afterward, however, Newsweek asked several times to review the document. Wohl initially said he’d already thrown it into the trash, but Burkman interjected, explaining that once their lawyers read over it, Newsweek would be able to view.
“We were not going to accept some shoddily put together cease and desist letter in the middle of our press conference. That’s ridiculous,” Wohl said. “That was a stunt that she pulled today.”
Burkman and Wohl were unsure of the law firm the letter came from, only to say during the press conference that it came from 1776 K St.
A spokesperson for one of the law firms registered at that address, Wiley Rein LLP, told Newsweek they had “no involvement.” Harris’ campaign did not respond about the sexual allegations that were levied or the cease and desist letter.
This story was updated on Oct. 10 with information from the law firm of Wiley Rein.
