BACHELORETTE star Sean McLaughlin’s politician father Steven has been accused of 'sexual harassment' years before his son’s TV debut, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.
Sean, 25, wooed Charity Lawson, 27, during the Barbie singing competition that aired on July 10, resulting in him receiving more alone time with the show's lead.
Despite his good looks and charm, the software sales rep from Tampa, Florida, has yet to disclose crucial information about his background, including his politician father who made headlines years before his son signed up for The Bachelorette.
Steven McLaughlin, a former Republican member of the New York State Assembly and the current County Executive of Rensselaer County, NY, has been faced with an onslaught of sexual harassment and bullying allegations, high-profile complaints, and stealing money from his campaign fund.
In September 2017, during the 59-year-old's initial run for county executive, a female legislative aide accused him of "roughing her up"- calling her "an awful f***ing human being," "still fat" and "a vicious c**t."
The phone conversation audio was leaked on the Times Union.
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Later that year, it had publicly come out that he had been sanctioned for his actions relating to a June 2016 incident in which a female Assembly aide accused him of allegedly asking her to provide nude photos of herself following a brief encounter.
Steven "vehemently denied" the charges and that sexual harassment occurred, according to The New York Times.
Following a 17-month investigation, it was revealed that Sean's father had reportedly lied to investigators and leaked the name of the accuser.
He was then disciplined - disbarred from hiring interns to work in his office and undergoing extra sensitivity training - after violating the Assembly's harassment, discrimination and retaliation policy.
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ARREST & INDICTMENT
It wasn't a smooth road ahead after getting sworn in as Rensselaer County Executive in January 2018.
In December 2021, news broke that the politician was arrested and indicted on two felony counts, including grand larceny in the third degree for misusing campaign funds to pay personal debts.
According to reports, prosecutors alleged he took $5,000 from his campaign account back in 2017 and directed $3,500 of that to pay off a debt he had with a staffer.
He was also charged with offering a false instrument in the first-degree for filing a financial disclosure report with the New York State Board of Elections, claiming that the campaign expenditure was for "consulting."
At the time, he was facing a minimum sentence of two years and a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.
The lengthy criminal case was finally settled earlier this year after a two-day campaign finance trial.
Steven was acquitted on January 25 after being found not guilty.
The case has since been sealed from the public as of January, The U.S. Sun can confirm.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to ABC and Sean and Steven McLaughlin for comment.
WINNING OVER CHARITY
Steven's sons, Sean and Danny, have both supported his campaign when he was running for County Executive at the time given they have each been pictured with their father.
Sean, who is based in Tampa, appears to have a close relationship with his politician father.
The former Barstool Sports sales intern gave a shout out to Steven on Instagram on June 19, 2022.
"Happy Father’s Day to the goat! Thanks for being on the bag last week and the good genes #BelieveInSteve," he captioned a pic of the two of them golfing together.
It's unclear about Steven's perspective on his son going on a reality show to find love.
However, Sean has been lacking in support from the other Bachelorette contestants.
Appearing as "Double Denim Ken" during last Monday's group date, Sean won the singing competition for having the confidence that Charity was looking for, especially after grabbing her from the judge's panel and kissing her in front of the crowd.
They then enjoyed a romantic stroll down the pier where they continued their make out sesh.
Meanwhile, the other men were feeling hostile towards the "pretty boy," who Aaron Schwartzman claimed was not a "real man."
NOT HERE FOR IT
Sean returned from his brief one-on-one on a high and then, feeling confident, he was the first guy who grabbed Charity during the night portion of the group date.
He then got into it after the pompous golfer stole more time with the family therapist.
Aaron, who was eliminated later that night, questioned if he was the "only child" because of his selfish behavior.
"You're a child, you really are. You're a child. You're a selfish, privileged child," he fired off to cameras while sharing his thoughts on Sean.
He was then disinvited to join the men on the couch after being "rude" and stealing time away from them.
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At the end of the night, Sean received a rose from Charity, guaranteeing his spot in next week's round of dates.
The Bachelorette drama continues every Monday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
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