DCCC chair talks about enjoying the drug ecstasy in college

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney has decided to talk about his psychedelic drug use while a student at the University of Virginia.

Mr. Maloney, who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, appeared Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” where host Joe Scarborough and MSNBC panelists Mike Barnicle, Willie Geist, former Sen. Claire McCaskill, Jonathan Lemire, and Gene Robinson each shared their favorite year and movie.

Mr. Scarborough first mentioned the year 1986 and the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” as his favorites and eventually, the question came to the DCCC chairman.

“I would also go with 1986. Worst year for the Red Sox,” he said referencing the Boston Red Sox World Series loss to the New York Mets. “I was at UVA. The MDMA was really pure, and we enjoyed REM. And I went to all kinds of places that only Mike Barnicle might appreciate.”

The conversation first delved into personal drug use when Mr. Scarborough mocked Mr. Barnicle as a baby boomer who was “smoking dope in the sixties” and watching “The Graduate” while “listening to the Beatles ‘White’ album backward.”

But Mr. Barnicle claimed he was a “grower” and was “importing stuff from Taiwan and Saigon and everything like that,” he added over the panelists’ laughter. “It was huge.”

Mr. Robinson said his favorite year was 1970 and was “buying from” Mr. Barnicle. At this point, Mr. Geist interjected to introduce Mr. Maloney into the discussion to talk about a new poll that shows culture war attacks on Democrats by the GOP are “alarmingly” effective.  

However, Mr. Geist first asked the New York Democrat about his favorite film and year but gave him an option to pass on the question. Mr. Maloney first discussed painting houses and being a lifeguard when he was in high school before mentioning his drug use at UVA.

He is in a competitive reelection battle in his district this cycle as he figures out how to help Democrats maintain as many House seats as possible in a year where electoral winds are blowing against his party.  

Republicans took a jab at Mr. Maloney for his remarks.

“NOW we understand why @spmaloney keeps telling people @HouseDemocrats have a shot at holding the majority,” The National Congressional Committee tweeted above a video clip of Mr. Maloney’s comments on “Morning Joe.”

The Washington Times reached out to the DCCC for comment and did not hear back.

Mr. Maloney’s likely GOP opponent in the general election, state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, excoriated the chairman for his comments. 

“Sean Patrick Maloney has become an embarrassment to the Hudson Valley.  Members of Congress are supposed to be leaders. Instead of setting an example for our children, Maloney is now appearing on national television and bragging about his use of hard drugs,” Mr. Schmitt said in a statement. “Maloney has turned his back on the families he was elected to represent and become a caricature of what a member of Congress is supposed to be.  It’s no wonder that our recent poll shows that we have taken the lead in this race.”