Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R.) said Friday that she has "no reason to disbelieve" the women who have accused Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of sexual misconduct but will still vote for her party's nominee.
"I will cast my ballot on December 12th, and I do believe that the nominee of the party is the one I will vote for," she told reporters. "I believe in the Republican Party and what we stand for, and most important, we need to have a Republican in the United States Senate to vote on the things like Supreme Court justices, other appointments that the Senate has to confirm, and make major decisions."
Ivey did not say that Moore's accusers are lying, however. When a reporter asked whether she believes any of the women who came forward with accusations, Ivey noted the devastating timing of the allegations but said she has no reason to "disbelieve" them.
"I certainly have no reason to disbelieve any of them," Ivey said. "The timing is a little curious, but at the same time, I have no reason to disbelieve them."
A reporter also asked Ivey if she will be proud to vote for Moore; the governor responded that she will because all Alabamians should be proud to cast a vote.
"Every Alabamian has a right and a duty to vote to determine who their U.S. Senate person is going to be from Alabama, and, yes, I'm proud to vote and I hope every Alabamian will be proud to cast their vote," she said.
Moore's campaign has been rocked by a series of recent sexual assault and misconduct allegations levied against him.
A Washington Post report from last week described the stories of four women, who said that Moore pursued relationships with them while they were teenagers and he was in his 30s. One of the women said that she was 14 when he pursued her and initiated a sexual encounter. Five more women have come forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct since the initial report.
Moore's campaign has painted the allegations as politically motivated.
Moore, a former Alabama Supreme Court justice, was removed from the court twice, and he has run against the Republican Party's national establishment. He has argued that GOP leaders, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), who have called on him to drop out of the race are conspiring to "steal this election from the people of Alabama."