Glamorous Democrat lawmaker, 31, was accused of demanding sex from male aide then making him run her ERRANDS... now her very turbulent past is revealed

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:44, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 19:44, 10 July 2026 The sleepy Pacific Northwest city of Olympia has rarely seen a political scandal like it. Jaws dropped across the Washington State capital in fall 2024 when Thurston County commissioner Emily Clouse was accused in a lawsuit of demanding sexual favors from her executive aide, just months into her first term in office.  The underling who sued her, Allyn Hershey, said his relationship with the 31-year-old Democrat lawmaker had started as a consensual one. But he alleged in a court paper that it became difficult to reject Clouse's 'increasingly unwelcome' sexual advances because he was her professional subordinate.  Hershey also claimed that Clouse exploited him by forcing her to run errands. He alleged that Clouse, who earns $148,000-a-year, made him drive her around, buy her food and loan her cash - which he said she never repaid, according to the lawsuit. Sharing his misery at working for Clouse, Hershey told The Olympian: 'A lot of this was unwelcome, but I felt pressured into doing so because my entire job was to keep Emily happy.' Emily Clouse, pictured, was accused in a lawsuit of sexually harassing a male subordinate just months into her first term as Thurston County Commissioner in Olympia, Washington Allyn Hershey (right) said in a lawsuit that he was in a consensual relationship with Clouse but that he felt pressured into sex with her - and that she'd make him run his errands   Two years on, the scandal has started to fade from memory, thanks in part to $300,000 of taxpayer cash given to Hershey in January 2025 to settle his sexual harassment lawsuit.  Clouse was suspended from her job, then reinstated and censured over her behavior after the settlement was reached. She survived a subsequent recall attempt.  A third party investigation cleared Clouse of sexual harassment - but concluded that she had acted against the best interests of her constituents.  Embarrassingly, Clouse's behavior forced Thurston County to introduce new rules aimed at maintaining appropriate boundaries between staffers.    Despite the scandal, Clouse is running for re-election in November 2026, with the Daily Mail now able to reveal a turbulent romantic past that may further concern voters.  The tattooed lawmaker, who has a septum piercing and multiple neon-colored streaks in her dark hair, had been through two divorces before the age of 30. Clouse had divorced two men before the age of 30. Her second husband Wesley Rainey is pictured   Clouse was cleared of sexual harassment by an independent investigation but found to have acted against the interests of her constituents. Hershey was paid a $300,000 settlement. Clouse was censured but allowed to keep her job One ended so badly that Clouse sought - and was granted - a restraining order against her ex.  That was Clouse's most recent marriage, to Wesley Scott Rainey. The couple wed in Olympia in January 2016 while both worked as military intelligence analysts.  They split just three-and-a-half years later, in October 2019.  Rainey, who is ten years Clouse's senior, moved across the United States to Virginia after the relationship foundered.  Clouse also sought a restraining order against Rainey in October 2019. Around the same time, Rainey asked the court for a divorce and to impose a mutual restraining order on the two.  Clouse is pictured at a campaign event. She is running for re-election in November against two moderate Democrats She said in court papers that Rainey was a recovering alcoholic whose behavior left her in fear of 'damage to the home [and] neglect of pets.'   Clouse alleged: 'I will either be verbally harassed or threatened. Today he threw the car key at me and continuously slammed doors and tries to intimidate me.'   She claimed in court papers that he would enter her then 'temporary bedroom unannounced' and even threatened to take away her 'shoes and clothes' to sell. Clouse continued: 'He has been feeling "mentally unstable" and I believe he has started drinking again.  'Wes is a recovering alcoholic and when he drinks he can become violent. I need this order put in place to return home. I do not have another safe place to go.' Clouse and her former aide Allyn Hershey are seen together in a group picture shared to her social media page She went on to allege that Rainey was tracking the location of her vehicle through a BMW app, the court papers said.  Clouse and Rainey's troubled marriage came to a formal end when their divorce was finalized in 2022.  The lawmaker's first marriage was even shorter. She spent just six months as the wife of Joseph Mapu in the early 2010s. Clouse married Mapu in June 2013, with the couple splitting at the end of the year, while Clouse was deployed to Kuwait with the US Army. Divorce papers were filed in Washington State in February 2014, with Clouse saying the marriage was 'irretrievably broken.'  No further details were given, but the former couple became embroiled in an ugly spat after Mapu claimed that Clouse had failed to pay him $2,145 in spousal maintenance. Clouse said she had done so on the advice of her divorce attorney, then took a dig at her ex over claims he 'never pursued any job other than working at Office Depot and 7-Eleven.'  She added: '[His] laziness and inability to communicate with any party involved has caused this issue to drag on for 8 months.' Two of Clouse's fellow Democrats named Nic Dunning and Michelle Gipson are running against her in the November election in a bid to unseat her The marriage was formally dissolved in October 2014.  Clouse's love life exploded into public view a decade later, after aide Allyn Hershey's allegation of sexual harassment.  Hershey's lawsuit said that after he reported Clouse's alleged behavior to HR, she tried to fire him 30 minutes later, then falsely accused him of sexually assaulting her. Hershey claimed other officials tried to suppress his claims, allegedly asking him 'what amount of money' it would take to make his claims go away. He was upset to be put on administrative leave after making the allegation, with Hershey saying the move gave them impression of 'guilt or wrongdoing' per his suit. Hershey's suit sought $750,000 in damages and was ultimately resolved with a $300,000 settlement. Clouse released a delicately-worded statement after her censure, saying: 'I recognize that my first year was difficult for many people. 'I’ve taken the concerns raised really seriously, reflected on them, worked to strengthen boundaries and internal processes in my office.  'Public trust matters, and I remain committed to upholding that public trust.' The Daily Mail has contacted Clouse, Hershey, Rainey and Mapu for comment.  Two of Clouse's fellow Democrats named Nic Dunning and Michelle Gipson are running against her in the November election in a bid to unseat her.  And given that Clouse's name is now heavily associated with scandal, many voters will likely regard both alternatives very closely when the time comes to mark their ballot.