The chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party who was once filmed making sexually explicit comments has announced his bid to be the next Democratic National Committee chair.
Raymond Buckley, who would be the country’s first openly gay chair of a major national party, says he will bring much-needed “urgent reform” to the DNC if elected. But Buckley doesn’t come without baggage of his own.
In 2007, as Buckley was running for chair of the state Democratic Party, video surfaced on YouTube showing him making sexually explicit comments and unzipping his pants on camera. “Would you like me to fuck you hard?” he says into the camera.
The video has since been spun into remixes like the one below.
WATCH:
Then-Democratic Rep. Paul Hodes called the video “highly disturbing” and said “proper authorities should look into the matter to determine the best course of action.”
Around the same time, Buckley’s former housemate, state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt accused Buckley of possessing child pornography, prompting a months-long investigation into the matter.
Then-attorney general and current Senator Kelly Ayotte headed up the investigation before saying she found no evidence to corroborate the allegations. (RELATED: DNC Chair Frontrunner Hiding From Questions About His Anti-Semitic Ties)
In addition to his statewide position, Buckley is a current member of the DNC’s LGBT caucus. He made a brief appearance at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Buckley, who did not return TheDC’s request for comment, will face an uphill battle in his campaign for DNC chair.
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean are among the more well established candidates for the party’s top job. (RELATED: Keith Ellison Failed To Disclose Group Tied To Muslim Brotherhood Sponsored Mecca Pilgrimage)