Oregonian publishes interview with woman claiming Erickson paid for her abortion

If Mike Erickson thought the allegations of abortion that his opponent brought up in the primary were behind him, The Oregonian's Monday cover story will be a shock.

It is an in-depth interview with Tawnya, the woman who claims she had a relationship with Erickson (R-Lake Oswego) in 2001. Tawnya gives her version of the events that she says led to her pregnancy and later an abortion paid for by Erickson. Oregonian reporters Janie Har and Steve Mayes corroborated her story with a paper trail and two of Tawnya's friends during that time. The reporters flatly determined, "Their story conflicts directly with Erickson's version."

Erickson continued to deny allegations that he paid for Tawnya's abortion, acknowledging that he did give her $300 for a doctor's appointment, but he did not know what that appointment was for. He denied seeing her after the abortion, and then fessed up to a trip to Mexico after Oregonian reporters unearthed plane tickets for Erickson and Tawnya.

Six weeks ago, Erickson, the Republican candidate to replace Darlene Hooley (D-Canby) in the 5th Congressional District, was running a strong campaign based on a values platform that included, according to his website, his determination to "protect the sanctity of life and preserve traditional marriage." Erickson's website no longer mentions abortion, abstinence, or right-to-life.

Days before the Republican primary Kevin Mannix's campaign put out a press released making the allegations about Tawnya, Erickson and the abortion public.

Erickson went on to beat Mannix by a narrow margin in the primary, but Mannix has said he will not endorse Erickson in the general election.