Trump-backed Parnell loses custody battle, suspends campaign

Sean Parnell, the candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, on Monday suspended his campaign after he lost a court fight over custody of his three children in which the judge said he believed allegations of abuse by Parnell’s estranged wife.

Pennsylvania Republican congressional candidate Sean Parnell speaks ahead of a campaign rally with President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020 in Moon Township, Pa. [File photo: AP/Keith Srakocic]

In a statement, Parnell said he was devastated by the judge's decision, and planned to ask the judge to reconsider, but that he cannot continue his campaign.

The high-stakes campaign in the battleground state could help determine control of the U.S. Senate in next year’s election.

The decision by a judge in Butler County came two weeks after Parnell took the stand to deny allegations by his estranged wife that he had hurt her and the children.

The judge, James Arner, wrote in an order Monday that Parnell's estranged wife, Laurie Snell, will have sole legal custody of the school-age children, as well as primary physical custody. Parnell will have physical custody on three weekends per month, Arner wrote.

Snell was “the more credible witness,” Arner summed up in his 16-page opinion, saying she could remember and describe details in a convincing manner.

Pennsylvania’s Senate seat is opening up with the retirement of two-term Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, and both Republicans and Democrats have a big field of candidates in the politically divided state.

Parnell's withdrawal comes as many in the state Republican Party remain undecided about their field, which includes conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, real estate investor Jeff Bartos and Carla Sands, Trump’s ambassador to Denmark.

Also swirling is a suggestion from Mehmet Oz — the cardiac surgeon and longtime host of TV’s “Dr. Oz Show” who gained fame as a protege of Oprah Winfrey — that he is being encouraged to enter the Republican primary.

Parnell's withdrawal represents a major blow to Trump, who had enthusiastically endorsed Parnell in September with the encouragement of his eldest son.

Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich said Trump and Parnell spoke before Parnell’s announcement and that Parnell informed Trump of his intention to suspend his campaign, given the decision.

He said on Twitter that the Pennsylvania Senate race “remains a top priority” for the former president and that “rallying our movement behind the best America 1st candidate remains critical.”

Parnell’s candidacy was a constant presence in the custody case, with the judge noting in his opinion that Parnell argued that Snell “is motivated to embarrass him in public and damage his political career,” while Snell argued that Parnell “is motivated to preserve a public image and his political career.”

Snell testified about enduring years of rage and abuse from Parnell, including once when he choked her so hard she had to bite him to get free and another time when he slapped one of their children hard enough to leave welts through the back of the child’s shirt.

Parnell's testimony, rather, he found “less credible," saying Parnell was “somewhat evasive" and simply denied Snell's allegations.

“Upon consideration of the credible evidence, I find that Sean Parnell did commit some acts of abuse in the past” against Snell, Arner wrote. He also believed that Parnell slapped the child, as Snell testified, Arner wrote.

But, he wrote, Snell having agreed previously that Parnell can have substantial periods of unsupervised custody indicates that she does not view him as posing harm to the children, Arner wrote.

Snell's lawyer, Jen Gilliland Vanasdale, said Snell “is grateful that justice prevailed.”