John Warner loved to swim in the Senate pool – naked. And as surprising as that fact might be, John Warner was not the only politician in Congress, who enjoyed swimming in the buff in the shared pool, according to former North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan.
John Warner used to swim in the Senate pool in his birthday suit along with numerous other senators whose identities have not been revealed. During the 2008 Senate election, Janet Kay Ruthven Hagan, a Democrat was able to beat Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina.
In January of 2009, after being sworn in, settling in her office, and meeting her staff; the newly elected Senator decided to go do some laps in the Senate pool.
The politician was stunned when she was told that while she can use the gym, she can not swim in the Senate pool because there was an unwritten rule that stated – no girls allowed.
Baffled by the news, Hagan asked why, and who came up with the stupid rule. Hagan was told that the Senate pool was a male-only pool because five-term United States Senator from Virginia John Warner enjoyed swimming naked.
Hagan later learned that John William Warner was not alone, many other male senators whose names have not been revealed, used to swim nude.
In January 2009, Hagan gave a speech at a pro-choice women’s luncheon sponsored by EMILY’s List in Washington, where she spoke about the “John Warner swimming in the Senate pool naked” story.
She said at the event:
“Imagine my surprise when I tried to use the Senate members’ gym recently and found out that there is a pool, but — guess what — it’s only for the men.”
John Warner, who retired from the Senate the same year, never commented on the naked swim story. But Eva Malecki, communications officer for the Architect of the Capitol, was quick to issue a statement denying the story. Malecki claimed that Hagan was ill-informed and added:
“The Senate gym is a co-ed facility for senators.There are no rules prohibiting women senators from using the pool.”
But according to several sources, including, pollster Celinda Lake, who spoke to Politico, the mens-only nude-swim sessions in the Senate pool existed.
Lake confirmed that Senator Chuck Schumer, from New York, head of the Rules Committee, and several other female senators had to fight to end the practice.
