A former staff member from the campaign of Jackson Lahmeyer, a congressional candidate endorsed by Trump, has disclosed that their relationship went beyond just playful texting and became physical.

In an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail, Caitlin Simmons Key, a former Miss Oklahoma USA, confessed that she and Lahmeyer, a megachurch pastor, exchanged numerous kisses during the intense campaign period earlier this year.

Key shared a message from the married father of five, where he expressed, “I enjoyed those lips.”

The Republican primary race for Oklahoma’s first district, scheduled for Tuesday, took a dramatic turn on Sunday night after a Daily Mail investigation unveiled suggestive texts sent by the 34-year-old to Key, who was involved in fundraising for his campaign.

Key has now acknowledged that the texts initially shared were merely a glimpse into the deeper level of closeness they experienced.

‘The truth is there is more to the story,’ the 40-year-old single mom says. ‘I showed mercy on him by not releasing it. If he wants to further discredit me, he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do about why he continues to lie.’

‘I am not the only person who knows things,’ Key adds. ‘And you should stop now before there’s nothing else to hide.’

Lahmeyer declined to comment on the record for the original story, instead issuing a statement on Facebook blasting ‘a distorted story from a British Tabloid.’ He said it had already been ‘dealt with privately between me and my wife, Kendra, through counsel and prayer with God and spiritual advisors.’ Lahmeyer admitted only to ‘crossing a boundary line through text messaging.’

Former Miss Oklahoma USA Caitlin Simmons Key tells the Daily Mail: ‘The truth is there is more to the story. I showed mercy on him by not releasing it. If he wants to further discredit me, he’s going to have a lot of explaining to do about why he continues to lie.’

Former Miss Oklahoma USA Caitlin Simmons Key tells the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview that she and Lahmeyer shared several kisses as they worked closely together in the heat of the campaign and now reveals a text from the married father-of-five, telling her: ‘I enjoyed those lips.’ (left) Lahmeyer’s carefully worded statement disguised a frantic effort behind the scenes after he canceled his sermon at Sheridan Church on Sunday, calling Key multiple times and texting her demanding answers (right texts to Key)

The congressional candidate with his five children and his wife Kendra

Former Miss Oklahoma USA Caitlin Simmons Key tells the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview that she and Lahmeyer shared several kisses as they worked closely together in the heat of the campaign this spring

Roger Stone, left, speaks alongside the congressional candidate and Kendra in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2021

But the carefully worded statement disguised a frantic effort behind the scenes after he canceled his sermon at Sheridan Church on Sunday, calling Key multiple times and texting her for answers.

Trump doubled down regardless, posting a second endorsement of his ‘MAGA Warrior’ on Truth Social Monday. Lahmeyer’s campaign fired off the statement in a text to supporters, casting the candidate as the victim of a ‘Deep State’ smear by ‘career politicians.’

The scandal has gone off like a bomb in a race that was, until last week, Lahmeyer’s to lose. His odds on betting market Polymarket plunged from 87 percent Friday to 56 percent Monday as the Daily Mail’s story spread.

Rivals are knifing him. Kim David, one of ten Republicans in the field, said Lahmeyer ‘lacks the character and judgment to serve us in Congress,’ urging voters to back her instead Tuesday.

Whoever wins the primary will be the heavy favorite in November in the deep-red Tulsa-area district which has been in GOP hands without interruption since 1987.

Key, who says she never wanted the spotlight, is unsparing about the way Lahmeyer’s camp has tried to reframe the story since it broke.

‘First, I was not paid by anyone to tell this story. In fact, I initially declined to comment because this isn’t the kind of attention anyone wants,’ she says.

‘The story that was published is not the full story. The difference is that what was left out doesn’t help him, it makes the situation more troubling for him, not less.’

Caitlin Simmons Key on a trip to Chicago

‘You are a home wrecking whore. Did you enjoy ruining our family?’ Lahmeyer’s wife, Kendra, wrote to Key on May 9: ‘He has 5 kids’

The texts shared with the Daily Mail trace an intimacy that deepened through the spring. From a black-tie party at Mar-a-Lago, he messaged her selfies and called her ‘super thin and very cute’; when Key asked why he was texting her from the gala, he replied: ‘I like texting you lol’

Lahmeyer, Key and Republican operative Roger Stone 

The pastor’s statement, she argues, dodges everything that matters.

‘His statement spends a lot of time attacking the publication, questioning motives, and suggesting political agendas. What it doesn’t do is address the actual content of the messages, the relationship that existed, or the conduct that led us here,’ she says.

Key does not pretend to be a saint. ‘I’ve never claimed to be perfect. I think the whole world knows at this point that I’ve messed up a lot,’ she says. ‘And I knew going public would likely turn a lot of that attention onto me rather than onto the important point of electing someone who is dishonest.’

The lurid headlines, she insists, never scared her off. ‘I knew that plenty of people would come out of the woodwork with headlines of their own, claiming they knew this or that about me. People have their own agendas and that’s something I’m just not surprised by.’

‘This was not a decision impulsively made, but one I had to make peace with knowing that I would be dragged through the mud. Lastly, I knew what the salaciousness of the headline would be, and I was OK with that because I knew that if people actually read the story they would find out what was actually going on,’ she says.

Then comes the warning shot as she seizes on Lahmeyer’s own admission that the narrative didn’t tell the entire story.

‘There’s something else that Jackson is right about. The narrative is distorted, and there is more to this story. And if Jackson believes the public deserves more context, I welcome that conversation. There are facts and circumstances that have still not been discussed publicly and he knows exactly what I’m referring to.’

What stung most, Key adds, was watching her account recast as a partisan hit job in the campaign’s text blast to supporters.

Caitlin Simmons Key, a 40-year-old single mom who worked as a fundraiser for Jackson Lahmeyer’s campaign, told the Daily Mail that she and the congressional candidate shared inappropriate texts before his wife learned of the relationship on the eve of Mother’s Day

He sent a selfie from his room at a Hyatt Place and floated a ‘late invite.’ She declined. Key says she was the one urging realism about his marriage. ‘And at some point – if u need to get divorced. Then ok,’ she texted him. His reply: ‘Not right now tho lol’

Key denied being romantically involved in a text message to Kendra. ‘If he feels differently towards me, that is nothing I have control of. I am dating someone!’ she said

Kendra Lahmeyer’s furious texts to Caitlin Simmons Key

‘My eyes continue to open more and more by the hour,’ she says. ‘Now a troubling text blast has gone out, referring to my story as “Deep State.” While he may still have the endorsement of powerful figures, it’s the voters here at home who are deciding whether he’s fit for the job.’

Key urges people not to vote for Lahmeyer, stating that the only reason he wants to go to Washington is to ‘make all this money.’

She closes with a stinging final warning as she flatly rejects his framing. ‘I can assure you, I’m not Deep State. So just stop. Stop before there’s nothing left to hide from.’

Lahmeyer declined to comment to Key’s latest revelations on Monday.

Key first met Lahmeyer in 2022, when he was a political newcomer mounting a long-shot Republican primary challenge to Senator James Lankford.

She was active on the Oklahoma conservative scene; he was the pastor who had refused to shut his church during COVID. She signed on to raise money.

Lahmeyer lost in a landslide, but the two stayed in touch and, she says, grew closer as she went through a bruising divorce.

‘Eventually, the conversations crossed the line of probably what most people would consider appropriate for a married man and a single woman,’ she said.

Key was active on the Oklahoma conservative scene

‘Kendra wanted to recover all of our messages. I deleted them,’ Lahmeyer wrote to Key. ‘I told her I got way too close to you and became emotionally attached. She lost it on me’

Key says she went through her phone and deleted thousands of messages before abandoning the effort. She ultimately sent Lahmeyer nothing and kept everything. ‘I’m not doing this bullshit,’ she texted Lahmeyer. ‘She’s not ruining my future bc of her fears. Nothing is going on!’

Lahmeyer cast the fallout as his alone to absorb, apologizing on May 10

In a text when Key mentioned struggling with rent, Lahmeyer answered: ‘I got you’

As his national profile climbed, he founded Pastors for Trump and was brought into the president’s new White House Faith Office. The texts trace an intimacy that deepened through the spring.

From a black-tie party at Mar-a-Lago, he sent her selfies and called her ‘super thin and very cute’; he floated a ‘late invite’ from a hotel room. She declined.

When she mentioned struggling with rent, he answered: ‘I got you.’

When she pushed him to be realistic about his life as a married pastor, he turned possessive: ‘I can still be jealous.’

She put it to him bluntly: ‘U r in love with me and we don’t even have sex.’ His reply: ‘Well… hahah. I’m a fan of you how about that lol.’

‘Nobody knew how close we were,’ Key says. ‘Not one person on the planet besides me and him.’

It was Trump who lit the fuse. The day after the president’s first endorsement on May 6, Key shared it on Facebook, vouching that she knew Lahmeyer and his family well. Within hours his wife Kendra had discovered the texts in his phone.

‘You are a home wrecking whore. Did you enjoy ruining our family?’ Kendra wrote to Key on the eve of Mother’s Day, May 9. ‘He has 5 kids.’

Key was swiftly cut off by Lahmeyer, she says, yet cash payments which do not appear in the campaign’s FEC filings kept coming, as recently as the start of June, which she believes were meant to keep her quiet 

Key and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani who endorsed Lahmeyer

What followed, Key says, was a scramble to contain the fallout, with Lahmeyer coaching her to delete the evidence.

‘Ok send me a screen shot of our last several texts and I’ll show which ones to remove,’ he texted on May 11.

She says she deleted thousands of messages before abandoning the effort, sending him nothing and keeping everything.

Then he cut her off and went, in her words, ‘absolute ghost.’

Yet the cash kept coming, $500 a week she says was sent by campaign manager John Killian through CashApp, payments that do not appear in the campaign’s FEC filings.

‘They think that five hundred dollars a week is going to keep me quiet,’ she says.

The university initiated the probe following reports that Franco had rebuffed an internship offer from VryfID, a New York City-based startup, on the grounds of the founders’ Jewish heritage. According to company founders Gabe and Aiden Einhorn, VryfID is designed to assist renters by linking them with landlords and verifying identities to mitigate fraud.

In an email to Franco, Aiden Einhorn noted, “Hi Austin, I noticed you weren’t on the call today. Understanding that Sundays might not be ideal for meetings, I still wish to have a brief conversation to share more about our company and its mission. College students are a critical part of VryfID’s growth, and as a rising senior at NYU Stern, I believe students play a pivotal role in our success.”

Franco allegedly responded with, “Not interested in working for a Jew. Thanks,” prompting widespread outrage and the ongoing investigation.

“Not interested in working for a Jew. Thanks,” Franco reportedly said.

Aiden Einhorn and Gabe Einhorn founded VryfID. (Gabe Einhorn)

“This kid applied to our job on handshake, we accepted him, and then he responded this,” Gabe Einhorn said.

Franco reportedly sent the message through Handshake, a job posting board, after applying for a summer internship at the company.

After Gabe Einhorn posted a screenshot of the exchange, Franco said, “I was stating why I was not interested after you had asked to interview 3 times. I found out you were Jewish after the fact.”

A woman walks by a Cornell University sign in Ithaca, N.Y., on Jan. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

“My experiences with Jews have not been pleasant, both in person and online. This is not to say I havent had positive experiences, but on the aggregate that is not the case,” Franco said. “Obviously, the reactions by your community only serves to further prove my point and indicate your post on X was not done in good faith. I am sure that if you indicated you didn’t want to work for someone who was white or Christian this would not have blown up to the capacity it has here today nor would you have been intimated as I have been.”

Cornell University said in a statement to News Media that it condemns antisemitism, adding that its Office of Civil Rights has opened an investigation.

“Cornell University learned of a deeply disturbing comment by a student on the Handshake platform in violation of the online job board’s terms of service. This incident has been referred to the Cornell Office of Civil Rights for investigation under university policy,” a university spokesperson said. “Cornell condemns antisemitism and all forms of hatred and discrimination in the strongest possible terms. The university is steadfastly committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for every member of our community.”

Gabe Einhorn told Fox News that Franco is just another example of someone who overgeneralizes others.

“There’s too much hate in the world right now and to overgeneralize one specific religion or one specific race is never a good idea because you see people that are, across the board from different walks of life, that could become friends, do business together, that can build a family together,” Gabe Einhorn said. “So I never think it’s a good idea to overgeneralize in that sense.”

Gabe added that he only shared the initial screenshot on X to expose antisemitism.

“The goal for me in that initial post was just to show the fact that there is clear antisemitism in the world after seeing people try to deny it and tell me that it doesn’t exist, I was trying to show an example of, ‘look, this is clearly antisemitism, you can’t argue against it,’” he said.

Franco was supposed to be on an X Space Sunday night, but backed out.

A man walks through the Cornell University campus in Ithaca, New York, on Nov. 3, 2023. The university canceled classes after a student was accused of making violent antisemitic threats. (Matt Burkhartt/Getty Images)

“I know everyone was looking forward to a podcast tonight at 10 PM, but I think it would be best to put this on hold. I would like to see how things develop with Cornell and whether or not I will have the opportunity to attend in the fall,” Franco said. “Regardless of the decisions made here today or in the future, know that even if you disagree with me, I will fight for what I believe is right—not for money, power, or something material, but for the cause itself.”

News Media reached out to Franco for comment.

A German cycling event descended into disarray when an elderly woman on a mobility scooter slowly moved into the path of oncoming cyclists, causing a massive pile-up and launching participants from their bikes, as captured in dramatic footage.

On Sunday, over 100 cyclists from all over Europe gathered for the Saarland Trofeo Juniors in Germany, each eager to secure a prestigious podium finish.

While racing through the scenic countryside, they encountered an unforeseen hurdle — the elderly woman and her scooter.

Surprised spectators filmed the moment when the woman edged her scooter out from the crowd of onlookers and directly into the cyclists’ route. Although one cyclist skillfully maneuvered around the scooter, the rider trailing him was not as lucky.

The second cyclist collided with the scooter, narrowly missing its unsuspecting operator and was thrown from his bike. The crash resulted in at least four more competitors being taken down, leaving them scattered across the roadway, as shown in the video.

The first victim, Dutch cyclist Paul Vriesman, posted on social media that he was involved in “a very nasty looking crash” but “got away with it relatively well.”

Vriesman, who was involved in another harrowing crash at the beginning of the racing season, added that he was “lost for words on how something like this can happen.

“So much hard work and yet another setback,” he grimly concluded.

Miraculously, all the cyclists taken out by the wayward scooter and its chain reaction escaped without serious injury, according to The Telegraph.

Cycling commentator Los Brolin, who shared the now-viral video, urged spectators to make sure they don’t edge beyond the designated sidelines.

“Even a small step onto the road can have serious consequences at these speeds. This was not even the first incident of this kind during the race. Junior racing is already dangerous enough without spectators making it even more dangerous,” he wrote on social media.

Sindre Orholm-Lønseth of Norway finished first in the race. Splinter van’t Hoff of the Netherlands and Elias Wändel of Germany rounded out second and third.

In 2021, a French woman was arrested for causing an infamous, bloody crash during the Tour de France.

She was seen holding up a poster that read “Go! Gran, Grandad” in French and German. German cyclist Tony Martin clipped her sign, causing a domino effect of crashes around him.

The woman fled the scene, but turned herself in to police four days later. The Tour de France later agreed not to press charges against her

In a tragic incident on Monday, an Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, resulting in the deaths of all eight crew members aboard. The base, which is situated northeast of Lancaster in the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles from Los Angeles, confirmed that the aircraft was on a routine test mission at the time of the crash.

According to a statement from the base, the crash occurred at 11:20 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time. “Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable,” the statement revealed. Emergency response teams quickly arrived at the scene, with officials actively working to account for all personnel involved. Currently, an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

In a somber press conference held later that afternoon, officials confirmed the loss of eight lives. The crew consisted of a mix of uniformed military personnel, government civilians, and contractors. As they proceed with notifying the families, the names of the victims have not been disclosed.

Colonel James Hayes addressed the media, expressing deep sorrow over the incident. “We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable, and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” Hayes stated, underscoring the profound impact of the tragedy on the community.

“We lost eight great Americans. This crash is deemed to be unsurvivable, and right now, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones,” Colonel James Hayes said at the press conference.

Hayes said the B-52 bomber crashed shortly after takeoff for a mission supporting the “Radar Modernization Program,” which he described as a local test mission. Upon impact, the aircraft instantly burst into flames.

First responders quickly took action to extinguish the blaze. Officials reviewed the footage of the crash and deemed it unrecoverable and unsurvivable. Hayes noted that test missions take place every day, multiple times a day, at the Air Force Base.

AIR7 flew over the runway at the Air Force Base, where the still-smoldering charred debris of the B-52 bomber was visible. It appeared that what was left of the bomber was mostly ash.

Just a few hundred yards away from the crash site, an intact B-52 bomber was seen in AIR7 video.

Shocking cellphone video shows a massive amount of smoke and fire immediately after the crash.

“At this point, we don’t have any indication as to what the cause was of this. We won’t be able to release that information, and we don’t have an availability to get that anytime soon,” Hayes said.

Officials said an interim safety board is doing an initial gathering of facts, which will then be handed to a safety investigation board, which will look into the root causes of the crash. He said that process will take about 30 days.

Then, those findings will be sent to an accident investigation board, which will determine what information can be released to the public and next of kin. That process can take upwards of six months, Hayes said.

The Air Force and NASA regularly conduct test flights of new and developmental aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base.

The B-52 Stratofortress — which typically carries a crew of five — is a long-range bomber first introduced in the 1950s that remains a central part of the U.S. military’s air power. Built by Boeing, the aircraft is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons over long distances and has been used in conflicts ranging from Vietnam to operations in the Iran war.

ABC News contributed to this report.

Madonna, renowned for her seemingly ageless appearance, has often been criticized for using filters and Photoshop excessively in her social media posts.

But fans of the Queen of Pop got a rare unfiltered look at the 67-year-old after she recently appeared on streamer Gymskin’s channel to promote her new album.

In a recent video shared on a British influencer’s Kick channel, the iconic singer appeared without any digital enhancements, relying solely on the flattering light of a bright ring lamp.

Despite being seen in a more natural state, the “Hung Up” singer still presented a youthful appearance, though not as impeccably smooth as in her meticulously edited Instagram images.

Fans were taken aback by seeing this unfiltered side of Madonna, with many applauding her for embracing authenticity and showing the world her true self.

“I enjoy seeing Madonna without filters. Yes, she looks older, but I think she looks fantastic. To anyone disagreeing, try comparing her to other 67-year-olds,” one admirer commented.

Madonna stunned fans after showcasing her unfiltered appearance on a live stream 

Fans were shocked to see the ‘real’ Madonna in all her glory, with many praising the entertainer for finally feeling comfortable enough to reveal her true self to the world

‘What do you mean, people are shocked by her appearance? For goodness sake, she looks great for a woman who’s almost 70,’ added another.

A third wrote, ‘I love that she didn’t have this filtered. She looks just fine without all those filters.’

However, a few naysayers couldn’t resist criticising the pop legend, with one asking, ‘Why couldn’t she just age gracefully?’

Another added, ‘I see Madonna blending into Faye Dunaway.’ 

Madonna is continuing to push the envelope with her new album, this time with one of her wildest music videos in years.

In one outrageous scene from her 10-minute Confessions II visual, the 67-year-old drags a young man into a toilet stall for a raunchy rendezvous during a dance party in a nightclub bathroom.

The Material Girl initially gets down on her knees while someone else watches over the top of the cubicle with a look of complete shock.

The man then grabs Madonna’s backside and lifts her up so that she can mount him.

The 67-year-old recently shared a heavily edited image to social media, which was taken at a listening party for her new album

The Hung Up hitmaker is known for her filtered Instagram photos, so fans were happy to see her showing off her natural beauty for once

It’s unclear if the pair are just doing a raunchy dance routine in the stall or something more X-rated.

The jaw-dropping music video is a short film to promote the release of her forthcoming album, Confessions II. 

The big budget visual features a host of celebrity cameos, including Moss, Benedict Cumberbatch, Odessa A’zion, and even Julia Garner, who is set to play Madonna in an upcoming biopic.

The video features the first six songs from Confessions II.

‘In an era dominated by 2-minute songs and 15-second homemade cell phone videos, Madonna just gave us a 10-minute cinematic musical experience full of artistry and storytelling,’ gushed one fan.

‘In a time when visuals barely matter anymore, Madonna shows up with a whole film for six songs. This is what music video culture used to mean – she’s showing us once again why she’s the last TRUE POPSTAR!’ added another. 

Madonna recently released a jaw-dropping short film to promote her Confessions II album

In one outrageous scene from her 10-minute Confessions II music video, the 67-year-old drags a young man into a toilet stall for a raunchy rendezvous

Confessions II, which is the sequel to Madonna’s iconic 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor, drops on July 3. 

Madonna previously confronted criticism about her appearance in a lengthy Instagram post hitting out at ‘ageism and misogyny.’

She complained that we live in a ‘world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.’ 

The star continued, declaring that she wasn’t about to start apologizing for ‘any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start.’ 

At the time, the Like a Prayer singer said that while she felt she has been ‘degraded’ since her earliest days of fame, ‘I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come.’ 

A federal judge has ruled that a teenage stepbrother accused of murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepner on a Carnival cruise ship must remain in detention until his trial. This decision comes after the court determined that no conditions could ensure the community’s safety should he be released.

The accused, Timothy Hudson, referred to in court documents as T.H. due to his minor status, was initially permitted to stay with a family member under stringent conditions. He was 16 at the time of the alleged crime.

However, on June 10, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres responded to a government request by revoking Hudson’s release. This decision followed the transfer of Hudson’s case from juvenile to adult court, altering the legal parameters significantly.

Federal prosecutors have introduced new evidence, filed under seal, in the ongoing case against Timothy Hudson. He stands accused of the sexual assault and murder of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard the Carnival cruise ship.