Married lawmaker pulls down GF's vest and kisses her breast during virtual Congress session, forced to resign
A married Argentinian MP was forced to resign after embarrassing himself during a virtual session of Congress, during which he reportedly kissed his girlfriend's newly enhanced breast in front of fellow lawmakers. 47-year-old Juan Emilio Ameri raised eyebrows as he cavorted with his girlfriend during an on-camera session being played on a large screen in parliament, pulling her close and snuggling with her in front of everybody.
At one point in the footage, which quickly went viral, Ameri was seen staring at his girlfriend's breasts before pulling down her vest and kissing one. As expected, the session was immediately interrupted by House President Sergio Massa, who reported "a serious offense" that resulted in a 180-day suspension for the disgraced lawmaker from Salta.
Ameri later told Todo Noticias (TN) through tears that he had resigned from office. “It was serious, really. I take responsibility. I’m very ashamed,” he told the outlet. Ameri claimed he thought his internet had gone down and so he assumed he was off-camera. Furthermore, he admitted he couldn't keep his hands off his girlfriend because she recently had had a b**b job.
“I saw that my partner came out of the bathroom and I asked how she was, due to the operation,” he told TN. “At that moment she sat with me and I kissed her on the breast without realizing that the connection had returned. It was a moment of intimacy with my partner that leaked. It was serious, really, I take charge and I am very ashamed. I am very distressed by what is happening,” Ameri told the outlet.
According to local media, the politician was estranged from his wife. Some identified the girlfriend in the footage as one of his advisers Celeste Burgos. “I apologize to the citizens, to my family, to my partner, for all this situation,” the disgraced politician told TN. “I want to apologize to my mother, my sisters, my daughters, with whom I have not yet spoken,” he added.
Images and video of the incident spread like wildfire on social media, coupled with criticisms from fellow politicians across the landscape.
Speaking to TN after the embarrassing session, Massa said Ameri's actions had "discredited the entire political class." He noted how some lawmakers had already "exceeded the limit" during remote sessions — including some instances of drinking alcohol or falling asleep during a session. "If we do not act quickly, people lose respect for politics," Massa warned.
That said, Ameri is no stranger to controversy. In December 2019, just days before he began his term in office, Realpolitik published a story alleging that Ameri had sexually harassed a 17-year-old female activist. It came after the 'victim' took to Facebook and allegedly posted images of a WhatsApp conversation they had in which Ameri appeared to be trying to seduce her. However, the lawmaker strongly denied the claims and brushed it aside as a smear campaign by his opposition.
It's worth noting that virtual sessions amid the pandemic have tripped up lawmakers before. EU lawmaker Luke Ming Flanagan of Ireland grabbed headlines in June after he appeared on camera wearing no trousers while discussing policy matters with his European Parliament counterparts.
