CORTLAND COUNTY -- Cortland County District Attorney Mark Suben admitted Friday he took part in pornographic films in the 1970s.

At press conference on Friday afternoon, hours after this story was first published on CNYCentral.com, he admitted that he took part in pornographic films in the 1970s. He also admitted that he first lied to the press and his family about the films.

A video surfaced on YouTube Thursday claiming that Cortland County District Attorney Mark Suben was a porn star during the 1970's. The video, produced by an individual calling himself Irwin Schmeck, runs 15 minutes and shows clips from a number of pornographic films featuring an actor named Gus Thomas.


The video entitled "DistrictAttorneypornstar3" tries to make the case that Gus Thomas is an alias for Mark Suben. The producer compares images of Mark Suben with those of Gus Thomas. It also presents circumstantial evidence that places Suben in New York City as a struggling actor during the 70's, which is where the pornographic films were produced.

Suben read the following statement at the press conference and did not answer questions from the media.

"Recently materials have been circulated alleging that I was involved in the adult film industry 40 years ago in New York. Those allegations are true I was an actor in adult films for a short period in the early 70s. I was also an actor in other venues including off Broadway, soap operas and commercial advertisements. A few weeks ago, when asked, I denied this to members of the press. I regret that and apologize for it. I was shocked and embarrassed to be confronted with this so many years later. I was embarrassed for my family and friends who stood by me. I also denied my actions to my family, my friends and my staff," said Suben.

Suben continued, saying, "I do not defend my bad judgment, both my involvement so many years ago and my denial recently. I humbly apologize to all who have supported me and believed in me from the bottom of my heart. And finally I thank my family and friends for their love and support. Without them I would not be the man I have become."


District Attorney Suben was not immediately available for comment after CNY Central first contacted him about this story, but last month he adamantly denied that he was a porn star. In a conversation with CNY Central's Jim Kenyon, on camera in Cortland in late October, Suben said "there's no truth" to the claim and referred to Gus Thomas as a "look alike."


"I have heard these rumors for years... There are people who don't like me," Suben told Kenyon in October.


Suben starred in a movie called "Angels" under his own name in the 70s. The film was not pornographic and co-starred the late Vince Schiavelli, a character actor who also starred in the hit film "Ghost."


Suben told Kenyon, "I wasn't a very successful actor... I was a production student" in the 70's.

According to the website IMBD, a database listing movies and actors, the names Mark Suben and Gus Thomas are linked and classified as alternate names, along with the names Robert Bell and Irwin Schmeck. The video claiming Suben was a porn star was posted under the username of Irwin Schmeck.

The site not only lists the film "Angels" but also refers to 12 other titles of pornographic films starring Gus Thomas. Those films included "Deep Throat Part 2," "Lecher," "The Love Witch," and "Doctor's Teenage Dilemma."

When Kenyon talked with Suben in October, Suben accused his political opponents of being behind a campaign to smear his reputation. During that interview, Suben was accompanied by his wife Susan and a friend, Gary Walter. Walter demonstrated that websites like IMBD can be manipulated to spread misinformation.

Suben subsequently won reelection to a second term as Cortland County District Attorney this month.

Less than two hours after CNY Central posted this story, Stuben announced a press conference where he confirmed the allegations are true.

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=826355#.UKazrK5dC1c

I find it interesting this is a strong supporter and campaign leader for Obama in New York and he is doing something that is a classic Obama move. Lie about something until election day then come clean.

I hope this guy is tossed out of office and soon. To be a District Attorney you need to have and be of good moral character and this guy isn't. Someone who lies to the voters, his wife and close friends and familly is not someone of good moral character.

“Young people who make foolish mistakes. . . often grow up to be productive members of their community. I know that first hand. Because I used bad judgment myself in my youth.”

]
— Mark Suben, the district attorney for Cortland County, N.Y., explaining why he always tries to be fair to young offenders: Because, as he confessed at a press conference Friday, he starred in a number of porn films (“The Lecher,” “The Dr.’s Teenage Dilemma,” etc.) in the early 1970s. Whoa! Suben’s admission was prompted by the release of an anonymous YouTube Thursday presenting his old film clips as evidence. The prosecutor had previously denied rumors about his thespian past to reporters when it came up during his successful reelection campaign, reports Syracuse’s WSTM-TV.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/quoted-porn-star-turned-prosecutor-mark-suben/2012/11/16/a66e1ac8-3035-11e2-a30e-5ca76eeec857_blog.html

so now , actions from thirty years ago , define ones character?

interesting,,,

was porn acting illegal? was he married?

Do people really care about this?

It's the principle.
He lied.
His lies may have influenced his being reelected.
He had the chance to do the right thing and failed.
He lies about his distant past, who's to say he won't lie to get convictions.
Toss the liar.

Angels, and 2 other films out of that 12 aren't pornographic, not that it matters, just saying.

Does it only count as porn if it's doggie style?
Throw her a bone!

The above-quoted statement is a leap in logic. It assumes something that is not proven to be true.



Voters can do that if they want to when Suben is up for re-election.

The sad thing is that what Suben did during the 1970s in no way affects his ability to perform his current job, and plenty of elder adults did things as young adults that they later regret. So, Suben shouldn't have felt the need to lie. Yet, he did lie, and he will pay a price for doing so, either now or later.

There are a lot of liars out there. I don't think he is out there by himself. And, for sure not just the Democrats but Republican liars also.

I couldn't tell you if this liar is from which party.

A liar is a liar and he proved he will lie if he thinks there's a chance he won't be found out.

Oh my! someone lying about doing something they are ashamed of now. You know what I call that behaviour? I call it being human.

Suben's political affiliation isn't relevant to the story about him in the OP. So, it wasn't necessary to mention his political affiliation in this thread's title.

Maybe if he had fessed up when confronted,the Voters might have said,well,Boys will be Boys!
But lying about it bit him in his Patoot!

I have no idea how long the liar has been prosecuting folks.

Perhaps, if he's been doing it a while, his convictions should be investigated to see if he put away innocent folks.

I, and probably about a bazillion other people, sure don't.

He lied about his past because he was embarrassed by it. That fact doesn't necessarily mean that he did anything wrong while performing his current job.