Senate candidate Roy Moore denies sexual misconduct allegations

Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women in a new report from the Washington Post. One accuser says Moore initiated a sexual encounter with her in 1979 when she was 14 years old and he was 32.

"Judge Roy Moore has endured the most outlandish attacks on any candidate in the modern political arena, but this story in today’s Washington Post alleging sexual impropriety takes the cake," read a statement from Moore's campaign, calling the story a "last ditch Hail Mary" by liberal organizations backing his Democratic Senate rival Doug Jones.

"After over 40 years of public service, if any of these allegations were true, they would have been made public long before now," the statement continued, with Moore himself calling the report a "completely false and desperate political attack."

The report immediately led to sweeping backlash in the political world, with a number of prominent members of Moore's own party calling for the candidate to withdraw from the race if the story is genuine.

"If these allegations are true, he must step aside," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a statement.

“The allegations against Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore are deeply troubling,” said Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., the chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee, in a statement. “If these allegations are found to be true, Roy Moore must drop out of the Alabama special Senate election.”