A press release from Congressman Joe Walsh. If you wish to read the entire pleading, you can find it here.

Rep. Walsh on Latest Development in Court Case

“Yesterday’s pleading proves that I have been a loving, supportive, involved Dad from the beginning”

WASHINGTON – Yesterday as he has promised to do from the start, Congressman Walsh continued to fight, through the legal system, the untrue allegations by his ex-wife Laura Walsh.

Mr. Walsh filed his pleading along with substantial evidence that for the first time allowed him to submit the full and true story regarding the care of his children.

The key points in the plea are:

• Mr. Walsh was able to prove (backed up with checks cashed by Laura Walsh) that he did in fact make years of payments at a time in which Laura Walsh claimed she received no payments from Mr. Walsh.
• Mr. Walsh did in fact pay his share of the education costs for all of his Children to attend Catholic school; despite the claim that Laura Walsh claims she incurred all of the costs.
• By blatantly and knowingly submitting false information in her pleading Laura Walsh and her attorney’s not only broke Illinois state law, but it is clear that the only point in submitting these allegations was an attempt to tarnish the Congressman’s reputation.
• From 2007 on, the children lived with Mr. Walsh half the time.
• Over a five year period, Mr. Walsh and his wife agreed to both increases and decreases in child support changes, without modifying them in court.
• In fact for almost a full year while Laura Walsh was making $140,000 a year and living in another state, Mr. Walsh provided full time residential custodial care for his youngest son, despite making significantly less money than Laura Walsh.
• At no time did Mr. Walsh ever ask Laura Walsh for child support despite her high salary and the fact that he was the full time care giver of their only remaining dependent child.

“I don’t know why my ex-wife filed this complaint last December, three weeks after I was elected a U.S. Congressman.

“I don’t know why she and her lawyers knowingly filed a complaint with outright untrue allegations and claims.

“I don’t know why they have gone public and politicized this conflict.

“I do know that I won’t engage this case in the media, I won’t do that to my children and I won’t do that to the mother of my children.

“Throughout our marriage and after our divorce, my ex wife and I have both done our best to be loving supportive parents to all three of our children.

“As much as I have tried to sit down with her and work things out these past nine months, I still do not understand why she has decided to take this public route.

“Her actions though have left me no choice but to defend myself through the court system.

“While I have tried to avoid discussing this case with the press, it is clear that the media are now fixated on this case, and are willing to report on her allegations as though they are true.

“Now that I have submitted my pleading which is backed up by substantial evidence, I can only hope that the press will report on the facts with the same vigor they were willing to report on uncorroborated allegations.

“I have unfairly endured two months of media ridicule as a “\’deadbeat dad.’

“My children have had to endure this as well. Yesterday’s pleading proves this charge is unfounded and shows that I have been a loving, supportive, involved Dad from the beginning.

“I understand that politics is a rough business and I have been an outspoken member of Congress who has clearly become a target.

“But to lie about me, especially my worth as a Father just isn’t right and I won’t put up with it.”

Mr. Walsh filed his pleading yesterday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.