Assessing the behavior of those who cash in on affairs.

What should we think of a woman (or man) who engages in a voluntary sexual encounter with a married public figure and then threatens to expose the relationship unless she is paid for her silence? Several women are currently in the news for having been paid and then seeking to undo their nondisclosure agreements.   

Let me be clear: I am not talking about victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other predatory relationships. I’m talking about a purely consensual, mutually satisfying, short- or long-term relationship that one party threatens to expose unless paid. There’s a legal term for such demands — it’s called extortion, and it’s punishable by double-digit years in prison.   

In some respects, such... Read More