[Below] Deneeta Pope's second husband Michael Thompson, whom she married in May 2012. Paul Ryan and his wife were present at their wedding.
A week or so ago, the internet was abuzz over a 2005 interview Paul Ryan gave where he stated his college girlfriend was black.
Anywho, it was only a matter of time before some media source tracked her down. MailOnline, TMZ and other sources released the deets on Ryan's ex, Daneeta Pope. Pope is 40 years old and a realtor in Chicago.
Daneeta Pope speaks about fitness. Via [Wall Street Journal]
Via Daily Mail:
'I'm a Democrat, but he's a really nice guy!': Paul Ryan's college sweetheart speaks out for the first time about the relationship that opened his eyes to racism
eneeta Pope, 40, dated Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan after they met at college Pope, now an Obama supporter, was thrust into the spotlight by the re-emergence of Ryan's remarks that his 'college sweetheart was black'
Ryan said he suffered 'ugly comments' over the relationship At Miami University,
Pope was a cheerleader and he was in a fraternity
She donated $2,000 to his campaign to become a Congressman in 1997 But she also donated cash to Barack Obama's campaign in 2008
Pope is now a I.T. specialist and realtor in Chicago and recently married her second husband
Ryan married Janna Little in 2000 and they have three children
But Pope, an I.T. specialist and realtor living in Chicago, denies that they experienced any racism as a couple. Pope also said that while their relationship was not very serious, they have remained friends through the years. 'It tells you the kind of guy Paul is when you learn that he has remained friends with all of his friends that he met in college.'
Michael Steel, campaign spokesman for Ryan, confirmed to MailOnline on Thursday that 'Mr Ryan dated Ms Pope in college' in the 1990s.
In a 2005 interview, Mitt Romney’s future running mate said that he had been confronted with racism personally, because he had dated an African-American and also had a brother with a black wife. ‘I have a sister-in-law who’s African American,’ he told Milwaukee Magazine. ‘My college sweetheart was black,' he added. ‘I just experienced some ugly comments, some racist views from people who I thought were friends of mine.'
Pope, who married her second husband in May, said Ryan and his wife were present at the nuptials. She said: 'A week before his vice presidential nomination, Paul and Janna came to our wedding in Chicago to see Michael and I get married.'
A registered Democrat since at least 2008, in 2009 she made three donations of $324 each to President Barack Obama's inaugural fund. 'I am indeed a Democrat. That’s no secret. But although I have a different political association to Paul, I support him and wish him continued success.'
It is not known how the two met or at what point in their college education but it is clear that they both had much in common, not least their sporting prowess and steely will to succeed.
Ryan Donmoyer, a journalist who interviewed Ryan in 1999, wrote that then freshman congressman for Wisconsin's first district had told him that he had dated a black former cheerleader for five years.
Steel, Representative Ryan's spokesman, said: 'They dated in the mid-1990s, and broke up several years before Mr Ryan met Mrs Ryan [in 1999].' Donmoyer wrote that after Ryan's relationship with Pope, who graduated in 1994, two years after him eventually fizzled out when he went to Washington D.C. to pursue his political ambitions on Capitol Hill and she to Chicago when she left Ohio.
Records held by the Federal Election Commission show that Pope, then 28 and working for PricewaterhouseCoopers, gave $1,000 to his Republican primary campaign in 1998 and the same amount for his general election race. He won both elections, putting him on track for political stardom and perhaps one day the U.S. presidency.
Pope married her second husband Michael Thompson, 43, three months ago. He is an IT specialist and is president of Thompson Court Reporters, a Chicago-based firm that supplies online legal information nationwide.
The newlyweds live in the Lincoln Park home that Pope bought and is situated on a leafy street in the affluent suburb. A neighbour who asked not to be named, said, ‘They’re a pleasant couple and this is a great neighbourhood. Whenever I seen them, they look happy.’
Today, Pope is also a realtor for @Properties in Chicago and also has her own property portfolio.
Two years ago, she bought a $1.05 million four-bedroom 4.5-bath condominium in the Lincoln Park area of the city.
Via MailOnline:
Pope said she met the future vice presidential candidate through friends at Miami University some 20 years ago.
Pope, 40, said: 'Paul is a very nice guy, a kind guy and a family guy. He's very approachable and a very likeable person.'
The relationship and the negative reaction he said he suffered from his so-called friends were a formative experience in the political evolution of the VP pick who described himself as a 'big, big fan' of Martin Luther King and is a staunch advocate of civil rights.
Pope also said that while their relationship was not very serious, they have remained friends through the years. 'It tells you the kind of guy Paul is when you learn that he has remained friends with all of his friends that he met in college.'
A registered Democrat since at least 2008, in 2009 she made three donations of $324 each to President Barack Obama's inaugural fund. 'I am indeed a Democrat. That’s no secret. But although I have a different political association to Paul, I support him and wish him continued success.'
Side Note: As stated in the previous post about this subject, [check archives]. No one cares that Paul Ryan dated a black woman for five years!
This has NOTHING to do with his politics! That's the reason I WILL NOT be voting for Romney/Paul.
I am a proud supporter of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, I will be re-electing them both!
