Senator David Norris has dropped his bid to be Ireland's president in the wake of controversy over letters he wrote to the Israeli authorities concerning his former partner who had been convicted in Israel of statutory rape.
Norris, who was having difficulty securing the necessary political backing for his independent bid, announced his withdrawal Tuesday outside his home in Dublin.
His presidential bid has taken another blow after the fresh controversy hit his campaign.
Just weeks after comments on pedophilia made by Norris in an interview some years ago had surfaced, it was revealed that the famed James Joyce scholar had written a clemency letter 14 years ago for his former partner, who was convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.
The letter, written on Seanad notepaper and sent in 1997 by Senator Norris to Israeli authorities. It pleaded for clemency for his former partner, Ezra Yitzhak Nawi.
Norris initially said he believed the revelations would cause "serious trouble" to his campaign but added that he remained "committed" to securing the nomination to stand for the presidency, which would see him become the first openly gay president in Europe.
He was correct in that prediction because three Independent TDs withdrew their pledge to support his nomination, this after several members of his campaign team had also quit.
However, one independent TD, Maureen O'Sullivan, said Norris was the victim of a targeted campaign and should only be judged by the public.
"I hope they read the whole article and all of the letters through, then they will see that he was not trying to change the condition for his former partner," she said.
"He was looking at mitigating circumstances regarding the sentence. I've no doubt that there's some campaign against him," she said.
Norris, speaking to reporters, said he deeply regretted all the controversies concerning his former partner of twenty five years ago.
"The fallout from his disgraceful behavior has now spread to me and is in danger of contaminating others close to me both in my political and personal life. It is essential that I act decisively now to halt this negative process. I do not regret supporting and seeking clemency for a friend, but I do regret giving the impression that I did not have sufficient compassion for the victim of Ezra's crime," Norris said "
I have been involved in many campaigns and have written many hundreds of letters on behalf of people in every Continent - persecuted Tibetan monks, East Timorese, death row prisoners in the U.S.
"So here I am today outside my home where all my great journeys have begun to announce the end of my presidential campaign. This has been a most wonderful experience despite the trauma and energy expended."
Norris, an early favorite in the presidential race with bookmakers, needed the support of four city or county councils, or 20 TDs or senators. Fifteen Oireachtas members had pledged support for his campaign before the latest revelations broke.
