Cunningham inches back into public as Army confirms probe

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham has inched back into the public sphere after The Associated Press reported the Democratic contender had an intimate encounter this summer with a public relations consultant.

He spoke to a Raleigh television station on Wednesday, the same day the U.S. Army says it’s investigating Cunningham, who is a lieutenant colonel in the reserves.

Cunningham acknowledged late last week that he and the woman had exchanged sexually suggestive text messages and apologized.

The AP reported on Tuesday that the relationship appeared to extend beyond texts to an intimate encounter as recent as July.