August 17, 2018
Update, 8/25/18 7:17 a.m.: Nothstein said he has been cleared of wrongdoing by the investigators.
Original story: Pennsylvania congressional candidate Marty Nothstein was removed from his post as executive director of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in the Lehigh Valley because of a sexual misconduct allegation, the Morning Call reports.
According to the Morning Call, an anonymous tip was reportedly called in to USA Cycling in October, 11 days after Nothstein announced he was running for office, about an alleged incident in 2000. Nothstein won an Olympic gold medal in cycling that year.
Nothstein said during a press conference Friday he was first notified of the allegations via email in February of this year, and said he denies the allegations. He said he was informed he was under investigation by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an independent wing of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Nothstein confirmed he's been removed from his post at Valley Preferred; the Morning Call said he was placed on leave in February.
Nothstein currently serves as a Commissioner-At-Large for Lehigh County.
During the press conference, which was broadcast by The Morning Call on its Facebook page, Nothstein called the new story “a case of some poor reporting, not providing complete facts.” He said he believes the tip call to USA Cycling was politically motivated.
“I don’t have any idea who would do this,” Nothstein said. “There’s lots of people out there.”
Nothstein's lawyer said during the press conference that there was no investigation done by USA Cycling or Valley Preferred.
Nothstein’s opponent, Susan Wild, is a Democrat and currently works as Allentown’s city solicitor. She was endorsed by former President Barack Obama in July.
The midterm elections will be held November 6, 2018.
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