Cynthia Tucker, former editorial page editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now tucked away in Washington, D.C., as the paper's national political columnist, doesn't mince words when talking about Eddie Long.
Long, the minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, was sued for allegedly coercing young male church members into sexual relationships. A settlement between Long, the church and the four men is reportedly close at hand. Long denied all accusations.
But in her blog today, Tucker calls out Long as a "homophobe, narcissist and a con artist."
"Given Long’s extremely flexible ethics over the years, it’s no surprise that he chose to engage in hush-hush negotiations aimed at settling the sexual misconduct allegations brought against him by four young men," Tucker writes.
"If the civil cases are settled — a settlement is reportedly close — they will likely require non-disclosure agreements by all parties. Long would then continue to insist that he did nothing wrong."