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Woman who endorsed Joe Morrissey charged with prostitution

Posted at 11:24 PM, Oct 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-27 23:29:49-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- With less than two weeks until election day, Richmond’s leading candidate for Mayor made an unusual endorsement announcement Thursday: the support of 75 women.

“I stand today with the women of Richmond who my opponents overlooked accepting the most valued endorsement of this campaign, the endorsement of the hard-working of this city,” Morrissey said.

One of those women was 28-year-old Kristal Stallings.

“I work a minimum wage job, I make 7.25 an hour…I have to work 12-16 hours a day just to keep a roof over our head and food in our stomachs,” Stallings told the cameras.

Kristal Stallings

Kristal Stallings

She said she is voting for Morrissey because he took the time to ask about her life and her needs.

“Believe it or not, I’m one pay check away from being homeless,” Stallings said.

After the press conference, CBS 6 learned Henrico police charged Stallings Wednesday with prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Police said they located an ad for sexual services in exchange for money online, and when they contacted the number they found Stallings.

CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit asked Morrissey about Stallings.

He said she makes phone calls for the campaign, and he did not know about her charges.

Morrissey said he has no intention of firing her, and, if anything, he will give her more work.

joe-morrissey-presser

We asked voters in one of the districts Morrissey is most popular in, what they thought about the charges.

All of them said they would still vote for Morrissey.

“Maybe by him employing her will get her off the street. People don’t go and do these things because they want to they do it because circumstances have caused them to be in that position,” Yolandia Gibson, a Richmond Voter, said.

“I don’t think it’s going to be the highfalutin woman that’s going to vote for him, I think it’s the down to earth woman that’s working despite how she’s working,” Eulalee Wong, a Richmond Voter, said.

Hipolit talked to Stallings over the phone.

She did not want to do an interview, but she said she is innocent and she is confident the charges will be dismissed.

Another person with a run-in with the law has endorsed a different candidate.

Former City Council Member Chuck Richardson, who was convicted of a felony for selling heroin while in office, endorsed Jack Berry.

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