Tea Party Congressman Walsh Sued for Child Support

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jul 28, 2011 1:30PM

8th District Rep. Joe Walsh (center) at a "Cup 'O Joe With Joe" meeting in Lake Zurich in January. (Photo from the congressman's website.)

8th District Rep. Joe Walsh, the freshman congressman whose emerged as one of the hardliners in the debt ceiling debate and as a politician who constantly preaches fiscal responsibility, is being sued by his ex-wife for unpaid child support. Well, that can be embarrassing.

R. Steven Polachek, Walsh's attorney, says the claim by Laura Walsh that the congressman owes $117,437 in child support is unfounded. Polachek and Laura Walsh's attorneys each accuse the other of stalling to put together a settlement agreement. The Sun-Times obtained court documents from the suit that show child support disputes between the walshes goes back nine years and that Rep. Walsh lent his congressional campaign $35,000 last year at a time when he told his wife he couldn't meet his obligations because he was between jobs. Laura Walsh has gone to the court to garnish walsh's wages and dispute his claims of poverty.

In the most recent court filings from December, Laura Walsh requested her ex-husband's be suspended until he repays his child support.