Elizabeth Ray (born Betty Lou Ray on May 14, 1943, in Marshall, North Carolina[1]) is an American former beauty queen who was the central figure in a much-publicized sex scandal in 1976 that ended the career of U.S. Rep. Wayne Hays (D-Ohio).
Elizabeth Ray | |
|---|---|
| Born | Betty Lou Ray May 14, 1943 Marshall, North Carolina, U.S. |
The Washington Post reported that Ray had been on the payroll of a committee run by Hays for two years as a clerk-secretary. During that time, she admitted, her actual job duties were providing Congressman Hays sexual favors: "I can't type, I can't file, I can't even answer the phone."[2] Ray, who had won the title of Miss Virginia 1975 in a beauty contest, says she worked briefly as a stewardess, waitress and car rental clerk before beginning work on Capitol Hill in the summer of 1972. Ray also admitted having sex with married Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) at his houseboat in August 1972. According to Ray, the meeting was arranged by Rep. Kenneth J. Gray (D-Illinois), her boss at the time, in exchange for Gravel's support of a bill Gray was pushing.[3][4][5] Both Gravel and Gray denied the accusations and a federal investigation ended with no charges being filed. Decades later, Gravel admitted having sex with Ray, but continued to maintain that it was not in exchange for his vote.[6]
After the Hays scandal broke, she authored a book titled The Washington Fringe Benefit. She later posed for Playboy several times and explored acting and stand-up comedy. However, these efforts did not develop into a career.[7][better source needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Brainy History
- ^ Clark, Marion; Maxa, Rudy (May 23, 1976). "Closed Session Romance on the Hill". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ Crewdson, John M. (June 12, 1976). "U.S. Studies Charge of Sex-for-Vote Bid". The New York Times. pp. 1, 19. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ "Miss Ray Said to Link Tryst to Building Project". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 13, 1976. p. 26, § 1. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ Oelsner, Lesley (June 14, 1976). "Rep. Howe Held on Sex Charge in Utah; Gravel Denies Sex on Boat With Miss Ray". The New York Times. pp. 1, 23. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ Gravel, Mike; Lauria, Joe (2008). A Political Odyssey: The Rise of American Militarism and One Man's Fight to Stop It. New York: Seven Stories Press. p. 196. ISBN 9781583228265. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
- ^ IMDB
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