Mike Jones (personal trainer)
Encyclopedia
Michael F. "Mike" Jones (born May 7, 1957, in Colorado
, USA) is an author, personal trainer
and a former escort
and masseur who gained world wide notice when he went public with allegations that he had had a three-year affair
with Ted Haggard
, an American evangelical
preacher
and founder of the New Life Church
.
, a Denver suburb. His mother died a few years ago; his father is still alive. Jones says he was picked on in school and that made him take up bodybuilding
. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado.
show on Denver radio station KHOW
630 AM.
Jones claimed that upon discovering the real identity of the man he knew as "Art" (Haggard's middle name is Arthur), and finding that Haggard was a major public figure
in opposition of gay marriage, the hypocrisy drove him to reveal the situation. On November 2, 2006, Jones alleged that Haggard paid for sex with him during trysts that had been taking place on an almost monthly basis during the previous three years. Jones contends the relationship was strictly physical and not emotional. Jones also stated "[Haggard] had told me he loved snorting meth before [he] has sex with his wife" and that Haggard had also revealed a fantasy he had of having an orgy with "about six young college guys ranging from 18 to 22 in age."
On November 3, 2006, Haggard resigned his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals
and temporarily stepped aside as pastor of his church as a result of the allegations. The group later announced that he had been fired. On November 5, 2006 Haggard stated that his removal was permanent.
On November 6, Ted Haggard confessed to his followers that he was guilty of "sexual immorality." He did so with a letter addressed to his congregation, read by another clergyman. The letter also asked his followers to refrain from blaming Jones, and in fact thanked him for bringing his "problems" to light so he could get help. Jones, when interviewed by telephone, said he felt bad for Haggard during the tough times: "I wish him well. I wish his family well. My intent was never to destroy his family. My intent was to expose a hypocrite."
On November 27, 2006, the website 365gay.com reported that the Denver Police Department still wanted to contact Jones for further questioning.
Dan Savage
and a number of gay-oriented bloggers asked the gay community to help Jones with his legal difficulties and harassment by Haggard's followers. He was also been criticized for violating the confidentiality of an escort/client relationship. Jones's response to the critics was:
. "I've been with many politicians and all I can tell you is, for a fact, that Larry Craig is a hypocrite."
In December 2007, eight gay men came forward alleging either sexual encounters with Craig, or attempts by Craig to engage in sexual encounters, to the Idaho Statesman
newspaper. Four of the eight men gave graphic, recorded details of their alleged sexual encounters to the Idaho Statesman which the newspaper in turn published on their web site. One of the four was Jones. Jones claims that Craig paid him $200 for a massage and oral sex. A Craig spokesman responded, "Mike Jones is lying in order to sell his book [about Ted Haggard] - plain and simple. Larry has never met Mike Jones."
syndicated talk show, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show episode 1088.
On January 29, 2007, Jones paid a visit to the New Life Church.
On March 10, 2007, Jones listed the massage table upon which he and Ted Haggard had sex on eBay
as "Ted Haggard Massage Table." By March 12, with six days to go, the bidding had reached $1250, but eBay removed the item from auction under pressure from religious group Transforming Congregations.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA) is an author, personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
and a former escort
Male prostitution
Male prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual acts for money. Compared to female sex workers, male sex workers have been far less studied by researchers, and while studies suggest that there are differences between the ways these two groups look at their work, more research is needed.Male...
and masseur who gained world wide notice when he went public with allegations that he had had a three-year affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
with Ted Haggard
Ted Haggard
Ted Arthur Haggard is an American evangelical pastor. Known as Pastor Ted to the congregation he served, he was the founder and former pastor of the New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado; a founder of the Association of Life-Giving Churches; and was leader of the National Association of...
, an American evangelical
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and founder of the New Life Church
New Life Church (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
New Life Church is a non-denominational charismatic Evangelical Christian megachurch located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. New Life Church has more than 10,000 members and is pastored by Brady Boyd.-History:...
.
Private life
Jones grew up in Edgewater, ColoradoEdgewater, Colorado
The City of Edgewater is a Home Rule Municipality located in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Edgewater is located on the northwest side of Denver, in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population is 5,170...
, a Denver suburb. His mother died a few years ago; his father is still alive. Jones says he was picked on in school and that made him take up bodybuilding
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado.
Involvement in Haggard sex scandal
Jones claimed to have had a three-year sexual relationship with Haggard, which ended in August 2006, and for which Haggard paid Jones. He first made the allegations on the Peter BoylesPeter Boyles
Peter Boyles is a popular and controversial radio host in Denver, Colorado.Boyles can be heard on his morning drive-time talk show on 630 KHOW in Denver and on khow.com. His strong political opinions do not fit the usual radio talk show liberal or conservative stereotypes. For instance, although...
show on Denver radio station KHOW
KHOW
KHOW is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format to the Denver-Boulder, USA area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications and features programing from Westwood One, Premiere Radio Networks and ABC Radio....
630 AM.
Jones claimed that upon discovering the real identity of the man he knew as "Art" (Haggard's middle name is Arthur), and finding that Haggard was a major public figure
Public figure
Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with actual malice...
in opposition of gay marriage, the hypocrisy drove him to reveal the situation. On November 2, 2006, Jones alleged that Haggard paid for sex with him during trysts that had been taking place on an almost monthly basis during the previous three years. Jones contends the relationship was strictly physical and not emotional. Jones also stated "[Haggard] had told me he loved snorting meth before [he] has sex with his wife" and that Haggard had also revealed a fantasy he had of having an orgy with "about six young college guys ranging from 18 to 22 in age."
On November 3, 2006, Haggard resigned his leadership of the National Association of Evangelicals
National Association of Evangelicals
The National Association of Evangelicals is a fellowship of member denominations, churches, organizations, and individuals. Its goal is to honor God by connecting and representing evangelicals in the United States. Today it works in four main areas: Church & Faith Partners, Government Relations,...
and temporarily stepped aside as pastor of his church as a result of the allegations. The group later announced that he had been fired. On November 5, 2006 Haggard stated that his removal was permanent.
On November 6, Ted Haggard confessed to his followers that he was guilty of "sexual immorality." He did so with a letter addressed to his congregation, read by another clergyman. The letter also asked his followers to refrain from blaming Jones, and in fact thanked him for bringing his "problems" to light so he could get help. Jones, when interviewed by telephone, said he felt bad for Haggard during the tough times: "I wish him well. I wish his family well. My intent was never to destroy his family. My intent was to expose a hypocrite."
On November 27, 2006, the website 365gay.com reported that the Denver Police Department still wanted to contact Jones for further questioning.
Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
and a number of gay-oriented bloggers asked the gay community to help Jones with his legal difficulties and harassment by Haggard's followers. He was also been criticized for violating the confidentiality of an escort/client relationship. Jones's response to the critics was:
[T]his was unique ... someone who is spewing hatred; who's spewing discrimination; who's touching millions of people's lives by his verbal content. And you know what? It couldn’t continue. And I'm sorry that some people feel that way, but I can't change that. I had to do it.
Involvement in Larry Craig sex scandal
On October 5, 2007, it was made known that Jones, during the filming of a radio interview, made allegations of having had at least one prior encounter with U.S. Senator Larry CraigLarry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
. "I've been with many politicians and all I can tell you is, for a fact, that Larry Craig is a hypocrite."
In December 2007, eight gay men came forward alleging either sexual encounters with Craig, or attempts by Craig to engage in sexual encounters, to the Idaho Statesman
Idaho Statesman
The Idaho Statesman is a U.S. daily newspaper serving the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area. The paper has a circulation of 61,000 daily, 83,038 Sunday, and employs about 300 people. It is owned by The McClatchy Company....
newspaper. Four of the eight men gave graphic, recorded details of their alleged sexual encounters to the Idaho Statesman which the newspaper in turn published on their web site. One of the four was Jones. Jones claims that Craig paid him $200 for a massage and oral sex. A Craig spokesman responded, "Mike Jones is lying in order to sell his book [about Ted Haggard] - plain and simple. Larry has never met Mike Jones."
In the media
On December 11, 2006 Jones appeared on the Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
syndicated talk show, The Dr. Keith Ablow Show episode 1088.
On January 29, 2007, Jones paid a visit to the New Life Church.
On March 10, 2007, Jones listed the massage table upon which he and Ted Haggard had sex on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
as "Ted Haggard Massage Table." By March 12, with six days to go, the bidding had reached $1250, but eBay removed the item from auction under pressure from religious group Transforming Congregations.
Published work
- I Had to Say Something: The Art of Ted Haggard's Fall (Seven Stories Press, 2007), with Sam Gallegos. ISBN 1583227687