Senator's Husband Admits Paying For Sex

TROY, Mich. (AP) -- The husband of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow told police he paid a prostitute $150 for sex at a hotel, according to a police report.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Thomas Athans, the husband of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., left, reportedly told police on Feb. 26, 2008 he used the Internet to make a date with a prostitute and paid her 0 for sex at a hotel in Troy, Mich.

Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by police who were investigating prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.

The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News first reported on the case.

Stabenow, D-Mich., said in a statement it was "very disturbing and serious. Obviously it's a deeply difficult and personal matter."

Troy police had set up a stakeout at the Residence Inn because of allegations of prostitution at a room in the motel, the police report said.

Officers said they saw Athans enter the room Feb. 26 and leave 15 minutes later, and they stopped him and informed him of the investigation.

He told the officers he had used the Internet to make a date with a prostitute and paid her $150 for oral sex at the motel, the report said.

Athans was cooperative and didn't ask for preferential treatment, said police Lt. Gerry Scherlinck.

Police did not file any charges against him stemming from the prostitution investigation.

Stabenow and Athans married in 2003. He started TalkUSA Radio in 2006 after leading programming at Air America, the liberal network that declared bankruptcy that year.

Police said they arrested Alycia Martin, 20, of Westland in the hotel room on a charge of prostitution. She was arraigned March 12 and freed on $100 bail pending a hearing on April 22. There is no telephone listing for her in Westland and she did not have an attorney of record to speak for her Wednesday.

***

Associated Press writers David N. Goodman and Corey Williams in Detroit and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.