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Cornyn And Cruz Under Pressure Over Allegations In Alabama Senate Race

Bob Daemmrich: Ted Cruz/Roy Moore campaign/Shelby Knowles: John Cornyn
Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, center, flanked by U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (left) and John Cornyn.

WASHINGTON — Texas' two U.S. senators found themselves under intense pressure Thursday after explosive allegations surfaced that a candidate both men have endorsed pursued underage teenage girls decades ago. 

The Washington Post is reporting that Roy Moore, the Alabama Republican nominee in an upcoming Senate special election to succeed U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, tried to become romantically involved with four girls between the ages of 14 and 18 while he was in his 30s. 

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have both endorsed Moore in his bid. 

Less than an hour after the story broke, senators were called to their chamber for a routine vote and were met with a crush of reporters. 

Cornyn, the second-ranking GOP senator, called the allegations "deeply disturbing and troubling." 

"I think it's up to the governor and the folks in Alabama to make that decision as far as what the next step is," he said. 

Cruz declined to answer questions as he passed reporters. 

A cascade of other GOP senators — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — told reporters that if the allegations are true, Moore must drop out of the race. 

Cornyn then returned to reporters. 

"Obviously, it's very troubling, but I think people are trying to sort it out and figure out what the appropriate response is, including Sen. [Luther] Strange," he said, referring to the temporarily-appointed senator whom Moore defeated in the GOP primary.

"If it is true... I don't think this candidacy is sustainable, but we believe in a presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and so I think it's important for the facts to come out." 

Cruz is in a particularly complicated political position. Prior to the Washington Post report, Brietbart News had its own pre-emptive story that was highly defensive of Moore. Former White House adviser Steve Bannon runs the website. He recently threatened to challenge every GOP senator in their primaries with the exception of Cruz. 

The Texas Tribune provided this story.

Abby Livingston joined the Tribune in 2014 as the publication's first Washington Bureau Chief. Previously, she covered political campaigns, House leadership and Congress for Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper. A seventh-generation Texan, Abby graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. She grew up in Fort Worth and has appeared in an episode of "The Bold and The Beautiful." Abby pitched and produced political segments for CNN and worked as an editor for The Hotline, National Journal’s campaign tipsheet. Abby began her journalism career as a desk assistant at NBC News in Washington, working her way up to the political unit, where she researched stories for Nightly News, the Today Show and Meet the Press. In keeping with the Trib’s great history of hiring softball stars, Abby is a three-time MVP (the most in game history —Ed.) for The Bad News Babes, the women’s press softball team that takes on female members of Congress in the annual Congressional Women’s Softball breast cancer charity game.