EXCLUSIVE: Democrats Hit by Wave of Scandals, Arrests and Controversies
Democrats face a wave of scandals, arrests and controversies that intensify scrutiny of party ranks.
Aug. 10 2026, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
July turned into a real-life episode of Politicians Gone Wild, as four figures tied to Democratic politics were swept up in a bizarre string of controversies involving a fatal shot teenager, an alleged child-luring incident, a meth bust and a widely mocked TikTok stunt, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Topping the list is progressive "Squad" member Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, who was thrust into the spotlight after the body of 18-year-old Yoseliani Marte was discovered July 18 inside a $1.15million Boston home owned by Pressley's husband, Conan Harris, 49.
Politicians' Relatives Face Separate Scrutiny
Rep. Ayanna Pressley's husband Conan Harris owns the Boston home where 18-year-old Yoseliani Marte was found fatally shot.
Investigators said the teen died from a single gunshot wound and was found in a second-floor bedroom of the Mattapan rental property. Authorities have not accused Pressley or Harris of any wrongdoing.
Pressley and Harris issued separate statements expressing condolences to the victim's family, with the congresswoman's spokesperson stressing that Pressley is not the property's landlord.
Meanwhile, Betarti Gabbard, the 55-year-old brother of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, was arrested July 17 after allegedly attempting to lure several children into his Waikiki hotel room with gum and money five days earlier.
Gabbard was charged with second-degree custodial interference after a vigilant parent reported the alleged incident to police. Gabbard's family says he is receiving medical and psychiatric treatment following the arrest.
Gillum Faces New Drug Charges
Tulsi Gabbard's brother Betarti Gabbard was arrested over an alleged child-luring incident in Waikiki.
"We love him and asked him to follow the protocol at the hospital, which he says he will do," said his father, Hawaii Democratic state Sen. Mike Gabbard.
Elsewhere, former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, the 2018 Democratic nominee for Florida governor, was arrested in Alabama on July 2 and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia possession.
Gillum, 47, was pulled over on Highway 98 near Mobile after officers said he was driving erratically. Police allegedly found methamphetamine, marijuana and a glass pipe in his vehicle.
The married politician, who in 2020 was found "inebriated" in a Miami Beach hotel room with a male escort, was released on bail the following day. The onetime rising star of the Democratic Party pleaded not guilty and quickly enrolled in a drug treatment program.
Democrats Endure Month of Controversies
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Alabama police arrested Andrew Gillum after allegedly finding methamphetamine, marijuana and a glass pipe in his vehicle.
An Aug. 4 hearing will determine whether the felony case proceeds to trial or is handled through a court-supervised treatment program.
Finally, rounding out the list is fellow "Squad" Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who posted a bizarre video jumping on the viral TikTok "Netflix documentary" trend and pretending to prepare for an interview about Minnesota "defeating" ICE's "racist terror campaign."
"Me preparing for the documentary on how we defeated ICE's racist terror campaign in Minnesota," reads the text superimposed on the video, which was widely mocked on social media as "cringe."
"All in all," said one political analyst, "it wasn't a good month for the Democrats."
