A Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Maryland was arrested Friday for making a false report about child trafficking, the Harford County Sheriff’s office said in a press release.Driving the news: Ryan Dark White, who is running for Senate under the name Jon McGreevey, told police officers in April that a man at an adult bookstore in Edgewood, Maryland, was forcing a young girl to perform sexual acts on male customers. An investigation found that the report was false, police said. “At no time were any sex acts performed or offered by any of the individuals in the establishment as reported by White,” police said. The Senate candidate was an employee of the adult bookstore.What they’re saying: “It is shameful that a candidate for public office would make up such a story and use it to further his own political agenda,” Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler said in a statement. “Fearmongering and antagonism caused wasted time and energy by our personnel, whose time would have been better served protecting the citizens of Harford County, instead of investigating lies,” Gahler added.Background: White, or McGreevey, will face off against nine other Republican candidates in Tuesday’s primary election in Maryland. White was able to run under the name McGreevey due to a Maryland law that allows a candidate to use an alternate name if they sign an affidavit affirming that they are generally known by that name in press accounts or everyday life. All of the Republican candidates will face an uphill battle to beat out the incumbent, Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen, in November. Van Hollen’s seat is solidly Democratic, according to the Cook Political Report.
Source :axios.com