Son Decries Herschel Walker as Abortion Story Leads to Accusations of Family Violence

The adult son of former NFL star and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker accused his father of violence and dishonesty late Monday following The Daily Beast'sbombshell report that the self-styled purveyor of "family values" and fervent enemy of reproductive rights paid for a former girlfriend's abortion in 2009.

Citing the unnamed ex-girlfriend's account, a receipt from the abortion clinic, a "get well" card from Walker, and a bank deposit receipt, The Daily Beastreported that Walker "reimbursed" the woman for the abortion and "told her it would be more convenient to terminate the pregnancy, saying it was 'not the right time' for him to have a child."

Walker is now running to unseat Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) on a platform that includes support for a federal ban on all abortions, with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the person giving birth.

Shortly after The Daily Beast's story--which Walker denied--was published, Walker's 23-year-old son Christian took to Twitter to decry what he said were his father's lies and past violent behavior.

"I know my mom and I would really appreciate if my father Herschel Walker stopped lying and making a mockery of us," wrote Christian Walker, a right-wing social media personality. "You're not a 'family man' when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over six times in six months running from your violence."

The Atlanta-Journal Constitutionreported Monday that "Christian Walker is the son of Cindy Grossman, an ex-wife of Walker who has accused the Republican of threatening to choke and shoot her."

"She obtained a restraining order against him in 2005 after he allegedly threatened to kill her and her then-boyfriend," the newspaper noted. "'He held the gun to my temple and said he was gonna blow my brains out,' Grossman said in a CNN interview in 2008."

The abortion report marked the latest revelation in a campaign that's been plagued with scandals largely related to Walker's family life and personal conduct, including allegations that he has tried to hide his other three children--stories seen as politically relevant given his "family values" posturing and criticism of "the fatherless home."

The Georgia Senate seat for which Walker is contending--and, if recent polling is any indication, has a shot at winning--is crucial, as it helped Democrats gain their slim majority. Walker has continued to receive raucous applause from right-wing religious audiences on the campaign trail in Georgia despite the accusations against him.

Asked about The Daily Beast's story, Warnock--a proponent of abortion rights--toldreporters Monday that he will "let the pundits decide how they think it will impact the race."

"But I have been consistent in my view that a patient's room is too narrow and cramped for space for a woman and the government," Warnock added. "My view on that has not changed."