[url]http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/03/haggard.allegations/index.html[/url]

[QUOTE]COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (CNN) -- The Rev. Ted Haggard, who resigned as one of the nation's top evangelical leaders, admitted Friday he had contacted male prostitute Mike Jones "for a massage" and bought drugs from him.

Haggard said he never had sex with Jones and never used the methamphetamine drug he bought.

He was one of a group of religious leaders who regularly participated in conference calls with White House aides. (Watch what Haggard said about the drugs he bought -- 1:59)

Haggard told reporters earlier this week that he did not know Jones, who claims to have had a three-year sex-for-money relationship with the pastor.

Haggard, 50, resigned Thursday as leader of the National Association of Evangelicals -- a group representing more than 45,000 churches and 30 million people -- and he also stepped down temporarily from leadership at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Haggard told CNN affiliate KUSA-TV on Friday that he received Jones' name as "a referral" from a hotel where he was staying in Denver.

He did not name the hotel. "I did call him," Haggard said. "I called him to buy some meth, but I threw it away.

"I was buying it for me, but I never used it. I was tempted, I bought it, but I never used it.

"He told me about it. I went there for a massage."

Earlier, Jones said he would not back down from his allegations despite a polygraph test that a polygraph administrator said showed "deception."

Jones took the test voluntarily, answering questions about his alleged ties with the Haggard.

Test administrator John Kresnik said the results "did show deception" but that Jones was physically and mentally exhausted. Kresnik said he would like to take the test again after Jones had slept and eaten, which could provide more trustworthy results. (Watch Haggard's response to whether he knows gay men in Denver -- 2:07 )

The Rev. Ross Parsley, who assumed leadership of Haggard's church, said Haggard had made "some admission of indiscretion -- not an admission to all of the material that has been discussed, but there is an admission of some guilt."

Time magazine named Haggard as one 2005's 25 most influential evangelical leaders and has close ties with the White House, participating in a regular conference call with other religious leaders. ()

White House counselor Dan Bartlett said Friday that the "revelations" are "shocking and disgraceful if they turn out to be true. I think it's important that we do find out exactly what it is right and what is wrong here and get to the bottom of it."

Haggard has put himself on administrative leave as senior pastor of the 14,000-member Colorado Springs church.

Church members who spoke with The Associated Press were stunned. "It's political, right before the elections," said longtime member Brian Boals, according to the AP. Another, E.J. Cox, 25, told the AP the allegations are "ridiculous." "People are always saying stuff about Pastor Ted," she told AP. "You just sort of blow it off. He's just like anyone else in the public eye."

Jones: 'I won't back down'
During a radio interview after the polygraph test, Jones said, "I'm disappointed. I won't back down from statements." (Watch Jones' take on Haggard's denial -- 1:20)

Haggard told CNN affiliate KUSA-TV on Wednesday, "I've never had a gay relationship with anybody. I'm steady with my wife. I'm faithful to my wife."

He added, "I have never done drugs, ever -- not even in high school."

Jones said he has an envelope containing two $100 bills from Haggard, and saved telephone messages from him.

KUSA reported that a nationally known voice recognition expert concluded the voicemails left for Jones probably were from Haggard. A more detailed analysis was under way.

In at least one of the messages, the speaker identifies himself as "Art." Jones said Haggard used the name Art during their alleged three-year affair, with the last tryst occurring in August.

Haggard's middle name is Arthur.

Haggard told reporters this week he does not know Mike Jones.

"He knows I'm Mike Jones," Jones told KHOW. Asked whether he believed Haggard was "lying," Jones responded, "He's lying."

Jones added that if he were making up the accusation, "I could've made it even worse than it was. But I'm just telling you what happened when I was with him."

State considers same-sex marriage ban
Jones said that four months ago he learned Haggard's true identity when he saw him on television. He said he became upset when he learned that Haggard's church supported the proposed constitutional ban.

Colorado is one of eight states where voters will consider bans on same-sex marriage.

"I cried many nights, I got sick tormenting myself about whether I should do this," he said. "I finally had to come to peace with myself ... I had to do the moral thing."

Jones, who said he no longer worked as a prostitute, described himself as a Christian and said that while he was a registered Democrat, he had voted for Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush for president.

In a written statement issued by his church Thursday, Haggard said he could "not continue to minister under the cloud created by the accusations."

"I am voluntarily stepping aside from leadership so that the overseer process can be allowed to proceed with integrity," he said. "I hope to be able to discuss this matter in more detail at a later date. In the interim, I will seek both spiritual advice and guidance."

The church's lawyer, Martin Nussbaum, told the Denver Post earlier Thursday that Haggard's resignation as head of the National Association of Evangelicals was in no way an admission of guilt.

Under the church's governing structure, a board of overseers, made up of four senior pastors of other congregations, will lead the inquiry, with the power to discipline or remove Haggard or restore him to the pulpit, according to the church's statement.

Before word broke of "some admission of guilt," other prominent religious conservative leaders openly supported Haggard.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family -- which is also based in Colorado Springs -- called it "unconscionable that the legitimate news media would report a rumor like this based on nothing but one man's accusation." "Ted Haggard is a friend of mine, and it appears someone is trying to damage his reputation as a way of influencing the outcome of Tuesday's election," Dobson said in a written statement.

Richard Cizik, vice president for governmental affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, told CNN that "the accusations do not comport with the person that I know."

"Since 1942, the NAE has never had a moral, ethical or financial scandal of any sort. Thus, this is very painful," Cizik said. "I believe that our record of speaking and acting in conformity with biblical values will be upheld."
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I call BS, first he denies he ever did drugs or had sex with a male prostitute. Then all of a sudden he admits to calling the guy to buy him drugs and to recieve a massage but there was no sex involved. *BS meter explodes* This guy is one of the most influencial bible thumpers around and now it is outed that he might of had a sexual relationship with a male hooker for three years. Of course he denies it and his friends play it off as people trying to get a bill to ban gay marriage defeted. You know what I see, I see a self hating gay man who lies to others in the guise of a man of the cloth. Personally I don't care that he is gay, but to lie to his people about such things....wait isn't that a sin in his religion? Guess it is ok since he is a Reverand, those rules don't apply to him.