U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., has asked the FBI to investigate a false claim that the winner of a contest put on by the head of the “Girls Gone Wild” franchise would intern in his office this summer.
“We believe someone outside Senator Pryor’s office has broken the law by fraudulently impersonating a U.S. Senator, fraudulently attempting to sell a government position and using the Senate seal without authorization,” said Lisa Ackerman, a spokeswoman for Pryor.
“Girls Gone Wild” founder Joe Francis issued a press release earlier Wednesday claiming that a four-week summer internship to Pryor’s office would be part of a prize package for the winner of his reality show, “The Search for the Hottest Girl in America.”
Francis claimed he purchased the internship during a private auction last weekend to benefit a Los Angeles-based temple.
Ackerman said that Pryor’s office “does not sell, auction or donate internships” and has asked the FBI to “fully investigate” who perpetrated the fraud.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
On a press conference call with Arkansas reporters, Pryor called the Francis statement a “hoax” that was probably done as a “publicity stunt.”
“At first, I think, you kind of want to chuckle about something like that, but really it’s pretty serious,” Pryor said. “It’s just kind of out of left field. I really don’t have any comment other than to say it is a hoax and there is no basis for it.”
Pryor’s office has already selected 19 summer interns who will spend five weeks in his office. The interns have already been notified.
In a press release distributed by PR Newswire, Francis explains that he felt there was no better way to empower women than to send the winner of Girls Gone Wild’s “Search for the Hottest Girl in America” contest to Washington, D.C.
“I truly believe that women, not men, should be making decisions for women in this country,” he said.
Francis’ program airs Thursday nights on HDNet. The winner of the contest will be announced next Thursday.