Mark Suben is currently the district attorney for Cortland County in upstate New York currently serving his second term after he was re-election on Nov. 6th. In the 1970s, he was a porn star named Gus Thomas. Suben denied these claims to the press before the election, but has now come forward to admit they’re true and apologize to the press for lying to them.
He held a press conference yesterday to address the issue where he read a prepared statement and did not answer any questions. He stated that he believe that youths involved in criminal cases can turn their lives around and become productive members of society following it with:
I know this firsthand. I used bad judgment myself in my youth. Recently, materials have been circulated alleging (indicating) that I was an actor in the adult film industry years ago in New York.
Those allegations are true. I was an actor in adult films in the early 1970s. I also acted in other venues, off-Broadway, soap operas.
A few weeks ago, when asked, I denied this to members of the press. I regret that and I apologize. I was shocked to be confronted by this so many years later.
I was embarrassed for my family and friends who have stood by me. I also denied my actions to my family, my friends and my staff. After that brief period of my life, I found my calling in the law, particularly in prosecution, and have dedicated my life and my career to doing what I’ve been elected to do – protecting my home community.
I will continue to do that. I cannot defend my bad judgment, both my involvement years ago and my denial of it recently.
Frankly, it all just makes me kind of sad knowing that this will be an issue. I mean, who cared if he was a porn star in the 70s? I care inasmuch as I think it’s hilarious. Look at that picture on the right up there! That’s from one of his movies.
I know people will claim it’s the lying that’s the problem, but they don’t mean that because in the same position they would have done the same thing. People upset over this are upset about the sex and the only reason Suben lied was because he had to because people like them make it so that sex is considered a dirty and shameful thing that if you’ve ever been videotaped doing means you can’t be a talented and devoted public servant.
I don’t know if Suben’s been good at his job, but that’s all that should really matter. If he lied about something related to that it’d matter, but lying about porn really is no one’s business. Or it’d matter if as a DA he crusaded against pornography, but I doubt that’s the case.
Just look at the hissy fit people threw when Sasha Grey dared to give back to her community by reading to children. The Horror! How dare some one who has had sex be allowed near children! Don’t they know the children could catch the sex? It’s basically pedophilia!
Except it’s not. It’s a bunch of people freaking out about their own repressed desires. I bet a quick search of anyone arguing against Sasha Grey reading to kids or Suben being DA would prove that they’re not so innocent an are fully capable of enjoying the work of these people in that field and still doing a reasonably good job in their own.
(h/t The Post-Standard)