Cambridge, Massachusetts, city councilor Paul Toner issued an apology during a Monday council meeting after he was announced to be amongst over two dozen men charged with paying for sex through a Massachusetts brothel. Shortly before the meeting began, Toner read a brief statement, apologizing and saying that he takes his job very seriously. "All Americans, including elected officials, are entitled to the right to due process, but some have already judged and convicted me," Toner said.
Toner gave no indications that he would consider stepping down from the city council. The high-end brothels Toner allegedly frequented were operated out of luxury apartments in Cambridge, Watertown, and in eastern Virginia. According to a Cambridge police report, Toner allegedly sent messages to brothel operators asking if certain employees were free on numerous occasions.
The responses included a list of prices for "Girlfriend Experience Services," which sometimes cost up to $1,000 for two hours. Toner, who is in his second term with the Cambridge City Council, is a former head of the Massachusetts Teachers Association and a former member of the state's Higher Education Board. Several community leaders and some Cambridge residents have called for Toner to resign from the council.
"It could be a real distraction, I think, if it continues to swirl around him while he's trying to do his job," resident Helena McDonald said..