Chris Gallant turns resurfaced BDSM photos into campaign message

Democratic congressional candidate Chris Gallant says he will not apologize for or conceal old BDSM modeling photos that resurfaced last month, and has turned the attention into a social media campaign. The images were made for San Francisco retailer Mr. S Leather around 2010, before Gallant began his campaign for New York’s 1st Congressional District. Gallant told The New York Times he has no regrets about the photos, saying his friends already know about his private life. He has described the images’ release as a coordinated political hit intended to drive him from the race. The reports do not establish who supplied the images or whether there was political coordination. Gallant has said he does not know who alerted the New York Post to them. The photos had been removed from Mr. S Leather’s website at Gallant’s request before his campaign, according to reports, but remained accessible through web archives. His attorney, Sara Azari, said the pictures came from a private, consensual shoot with Gallant’s former partner. Azari said the agreement allowed selected images to be used in connection with certain products, not unrestricted distribution or use by third parties.