LAURENS — Following accusations of adultery with a Washington lobbyist made by his wife, U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan said in a statement he is focusing on the impending government shutdown.
Duncan, a Republican first elected in 2010, released a statement Sept. 27 on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying his family is “dealing with a difficult and private moment.”
My family is dealing with a difficult and private moment and I’m not going to comment on a deeply personal matter. My focus is fighting on behalf of the people of South Carolina’s 3rd District as we stare down the barrel of a government shutdown as the liberal extremists try…
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) September 27, 2023
Duncan’s wife filed for divorce Sept. 22, according to family court records.
In court filings published by multiple media outlets, Duncan’s wife, Melody Hodges Duncan, says Duncan left their marriage after he admitted to her he has had an ongoing sexual relationship with Liz Williams, a Washington lobbyist.
Williams worked as a federal liaison for the National Rifle Association from 2006 to 2011, her LinkedIn profile shows, and now runs her own lobbying firm, Williams & Company.
In court filings, Duncan’s wife said her husband has had a previous affair over the course of their nearly 35-year marriage.
In her filing, made in Laurens County’s family court, Melody Duncan said the congressman has admitted these relationships to many other people, despite portraying an image of himself as a “dedicated, dutiful husband,” court filings show.
Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment from The Post and Courier on Sept. 28.
The couple has three children.
Duncan’s released statement was geared toward the approaching cutoff this weekend in which Congress needs to adopt budget requirements or face a federal government shutdown.
“My focus is fighting on behalf of the people of South Carolina’s 3rd District as we stare down the barrel of a government shutdown as the liberal extremists try forcing us to continue spending beyond our means,” his message read.
“I am proud to have one of the most conservative voting records in all of Congress, and that is the approach I will continue taking on behalf of my constituents to fight back against this fiscal insanity,” he said.
The district covers a 10-county area in the western part of South Carolina.
