Ivie Clay: “Devastated” to learn of divorce from media
Ivie Clay
ST. LOUIS — U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay’s wife issued a stinging statement today, attacking the congressman for not telling her — or their children — about his divorce filing before it was reported in the media.
She says the congressman still has not discussed the split with his son and daughter since filing for divorce last week.
Ivie Clay, in a statement issued through her attorney, also criticized Circuit Court Clerk Mariano V. Favazza, whose conversation with Rep. Clay on Monday preceded a motion from the congressman to seal the case.
“I and my children are devastated and embarrassed that my husband let us find out from the children’s friends and the media that he had filed for divorce, and mostly that he still has not contacted our children,” Ivie Clay said. “I would have wanted to prepare the children.”
Ivie Clay, who works at the St. Louis Development Corp., a city agency, married Lacy Clay in 1992, when he was a Missouri state senator.
“I have been a loving, supportive wife throughout our 17-year marriage,” Ivie Clay said. “I have raised the children and held down the fort so that my husband could work 4 days a week, first in Jefferson City and now in Washington, DC, travel overseas, and do everything required to fulfill the duties of his elected office – all while working my own full-time job.”
In the statement, Ivie’s lawyer, Susan M. Hais, criticized Favazza for contacting the congressman — and not Ivie or her legal counsel — in what he said was an attempt to make sure that a motion to seal the case had not been filed.
At the time, no request to close the case existed. However, one was filed and granted on the congressman’s behalf Monday afternoon, hours after a reporter from the Post-Dispatch asked to see it. Favazza confirmed that he told Rep. Clay that a reporter was asking to see the case file.
Hais said the “file was sealed–not through the procedure mandated by the case law and rules of court of this state–but by the intercession of the Circuit Clerk of the City, taking it upon himself to affirmatively contact one party in this case–Mr. Clay’s attorney–to warn him and coach him, apparently, concerning the sealing of the file, in an improper ex parte manner, to the detriment of Mrs. Clay, the press, and the public.”
Hais also suggested that the political influence of Clay, who took over the Congressional seat from his father in 2001, could make it impossible to have a fair hearing in St. Louis courts.
Said Hais: “Is it conceivable to try a case in a Circuit where at least half of the Judges have been appointed to the bench in part or whole because of the ‘good offices’ of the Petitioner Congressman?”
View the entire statement from Ivie Clay here.
A spokesman for Rep. Clay has declined comment, calling the divorce a “private family matter.”
Ivie,
You go girl. Don’t let Lacy take you for a fool!
Wow. That’s just gotta…sting.
Niiiiice… The courts should have gone about sealing the file in the proper way. And why bother to seal them at all unless he is hiding something. What a way to spring something like this on your children. Mr. Clay should be ashamed of himself…
Unbelievable! That he would do this to his family is really sad and speaks volumes about his character.
Favazza’s actions are reprehensible and sexist. He ought to be ashamed — offering the powerful male a helping hand in a divorce suit without consulting the other side. Can he be reprimanded for not following legal procedure?
Bummer for all involved. Hopefully things will work in a civilized manner and that the family won’t be too terribly torn apart…
Lacy, ever heard the expression “what goes around comes around”? Guess what? It’s coming around!
Hais will get ‘em. She’s good.
Lacy Clay is partly responsible for the collapse in the real estate market and the subsequent recession. While sitting on the House Financial Servicses Committee, he demonized the regulator of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae for bringing to light the improper and illegal bookkeeping practices in both organizations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Rg3LcSNylA
DON’T GET MAD, GET EVEN IN 2010 WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLLS. Missouri needs to elect someone who possesses the character that we want I children to see as roll models. Do you want this guy representing you? Do you want this guy to be a roll model for your children?
Ms Clay, Keep your chin and head up. You are an extraordinary lady. Know that you have support in the community!
If Lacy has anything of value, he can kiss it goodbye.
I always felt he was an idiot dirtball. The fact that he didn’t even have the stones to tell his kids or wife in person proves that fact.
Based on all the previous comments, I say this knowing I may get piled on but . . .
That headline is pretty misleading. If you actually read the linked statement from Ms. Clay’s lawyer you will see that she was ‘devastated’ when her lawyer wasn’t copied on the divorce filing. Meaning that before he filed it, she already had hired a divorce attorney. The statement also mentions prior communications between their attorneys. So, she was hardly blindsided. She knew he was going to file, or they wouldn’t have both retained attorneys already.
Whatever you might dislike about him, she is certainly putting her own spin on things in the media as well.
I can only imagine this is going to get uglier and uglier going forward.
When you are a public figure, you should know that your life is an open book. I thiink the Circuit Clerk gave legal advice and should be suspended for 6 months without pay pending a hearing to determine if he should continue in is position because he possibly violated Mrs. Lacy’s due process.
The Circuit Clerk should not be personally involved in a motion to seal records. This is outrageous. I agree that suspension without pay would be warranted. I also agree that Lazy should be voted out of office.
edl, just because she hired a lawyer doesn’t mean the kids knew! i’m sure she was more devastated that her kids found out through the media than from their own parents….
Scum bag of scum bags. The real embarassment is that he’s an elected representative yet in effect represents no other than himself. Ruined a nice graduation with a invective filled speech at UMSL a few years ago and was nearly booed of the stage. A moron in office if ever there was one.
Assuming, both Clay and Favazza will be running for reelection in 2010 - vote against them both and get them out of office - Lacy Clay is a dispicable man for not talking with his children prior and besides being generally a bafoon, Favazza probably violated the law by informing one party in a suit and not the other. Both need to go!
I know Lacy; he’s my friend. I dont know Ivy as well, but have always had great respect and admiration for her, and have no choice but to accept what she says as true. I’ve long thought that a person doesnt have the obligation to stay with you forever if they’re not happy, but that the least they owe you is the respect to tell you to you’re face if/when it’s over. If Lacy didnt do this, and it seems that he didnt, I’m sure he would acknowledge that he could have done this better and that it will never be considered his finest hour. Maturity always seemed to me the ability to do the right thing even when it wasnt easy. And I presume that Ivy could release the contents of the file if she wanted, but I personally dont care and it’s none of my business and I wish them both well. Wouldnt mind seeing Ivy run against Favazza, tho. Not judging, just saying.
On a more personal note, when my mom filed for divorce after 30 years, I was older, but no one told me. I heard it from my dad when I listened to him cry on the phone for a year. He got over it somewhat, had another 30 more or less happy years, and I managed to have good relationships with both of them (dad passed two years ago, Mom just turned 84 and hanging in there), but some of the children (3 besides myself) did have strained relationships with our parents to some extent thereafter. Never easy on the kids, no matter what age. Relationships complicated and come with no guarantees. In my opinion, they go where they’re supposed to go and it’s good to stay peaceful and do your best while they get there, and if it’s over hope they have the character and decency to tell you if it’s over or in trouble, and preferably before they have someone else. Just saying. But the facts of the Clays are not our business and we should wish them both peace and well.
EDL,
If I had Lazy Clay as a husband I would have hired me a lawyer long time ago. Her spin is the truth, their kids didn’t know until a friend of the kids told them. It sounds like you maybe the Women on the side, you feel you need to take up for Lazy Clay. I hope you still love him when this is all over with and still be able to go to the bank. Ivie Kick his butt.
In this page and one other, someone had alluded to his drug use. What are the accusations?
In regard to him as a politician, he is the unqualified heir to a throne in a gerrymandered district. Short of finding a dead hooker in his car, his seat is safe. However, it might be nice to have someone else to vote for. Last time it was between Lacy and a libertarian. The libertarian got 15%.
Lacy Clay has one supporter, Bill Haas.
If Lacy Clay was running against BooBoo the Clown, BooBoo would get my vote. What a dud!
I am even more sad that this man is my congressman.
Flaco, 3 dead hookers in Lacy’s car and the nuts in that district would re-elect him.
If Ivie knew ahead of time that they were going to divorce (hence the hiring of a lawyer) then it is just as much her responsibility as his to tell their children.
All I was saying is that the headline is misleading, and someone accuses me of sleeping with the congressman?
You people are crazy.
Flaco is right. It will take a dead hoker or a live boy to get Clay out of that office. Anyway, in that district he may be father of the year.
A spokesman for Rep. Clay has declined comment, calling the divorce a “private family matter.” Yeah, so much of a private matter that he didn’t think he needed to share it with his own wife and kids.
Heartless
I don’t think he will be elected again. If this is how he hides things from his own children and wife. Kind of makes you wonder what he does behind our backs, doesn’t it ????? Not a very smart man .
I reviewed some of the comments… seems many of them are people that know this guy. This is the Honerable Lacey Clay the representative from Missouri. Now, Ivie and Susan Hais, do you homework and give this bagworm what he deserves. Find out his motive/person that has motivated him to make such a low life decison. Then after they see how he acts, i suspect they will learn that he will do it to them as well.
The next story is this… I will bet the people in his district will re-elect this bagworm and tell him that it does not matter that he is a low life. Bets?
Way to go Congressman Clay! Good to see you were able to do what most men were not - - - get the “ups” in the beginnings of the divorce. There’s nothing wrong with what you did. Women do this all the time. Right on!
EDL, Who are you? You think you know something? How can you say that Ivie knew unless you are the other woman, a staffer, or a Clay family member.
The fact is, you don’t know. Most sane people call their kids and wife and let them know so that the won’t be blindsided by an article in the paper.
How dare you try to defend this behavior of the Congressman.
You should be ashamed.
No honor! No backbone! If he treats his family this way, why would he respect his constituents? He’d get the boot in my district.
Spicypink -
if you actually read my comments you will know where I got the information from.
I am in no way involved, and don’t know the Clay’s. But any idiot that can read can figure that out. Maybe you should actually read that statement from Ivie’s lawyer. It makes it abundantly clear that Ivie had already had a divorce attorney on retainer before the congressman filed. I can’t imagine she would’ve hired that lawyer if she didn’t know that the divorce was imminent. Just read it.
Sorry you had to find out the way you did. Of course, no real suprise here. Politicans need to have at least one divorce (McCain, Gingrich, Guliani) before they can get to the next higher office. Lacy Clay has been sticking it to his constituents for years - just your turn I suppose.
Sealing the files is common for those who are “on the down low” to avoid embarrassment. I’m sure Mrs. Greevey was in shock too
“First, she was extremely disappointed that, despite the prior communications between the parties attorneys, including the customary request by the Hais Law Firm that Congressman Clay’s attorney forward a copy of the petition upon filing, this was not done, so that Mrs. Clay found out by reading it in the press.”
Prior communications between attorney’s.
Duh.
Favazza should take a leave of absence for his role in this issue.
Let the facts speak for themeselves after the documents are released. If the kids were not informed, shame on Rep. Clay.
Vote him out next election!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If he doesn’t care for his family, he’s not going to care for his the voters in his ward.
Get rid of his smarmy butt in Family Court. Don’t forget the non-minor child support for college. Afterwards, challenge him in the Primary for his congressional seat. You’ll kill him with the women’s vote!
He was never good enough to represent the people anyway.
What a sorry excuse for a man - there is no way Ivie and her children should have found out from the media and the friends of her children.
If this is true and it certainly appears so, this is pathetically immature, cruel, and coward like. What kind of human being could treat their family in such a way? I tell you, a very cold, narcissistic coward who SHOULD NOT BE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION representing human beings!
Also, we can all see how Ivie will be treated as shown by the Circuit Court Clerk, Mariano V. Favazza’s actions. This man should have been booted out of his office long ago during the time when those he supervised was illegally stamping court orders with judge signature stamps.
Who was the judge who acted in this way?
edl said:
“First, she was extremely disappointed that, despite the prior communications between the parties attorneys, including the customary request by the Hais Law Firm that Congressman Clay’s attorney forward a copy of the petition upon filing, this was not done, so that Mrs. Clay found out by reading it in the press.”
Prior communications between attorney’s.
Duh.”
Well, edl, my take on reading that same passage was that both parties might have hired lawyers, but neither had actually filed for divorce. Perhaps a reconciliation had been anticipated or discussed, perhaps not. Regardless, was she supposed to inform her children that it was probable that their father was going to file suit? What if he decided not to do so? (Hmm, a politician changing his mind! Quelle surprise!) If Ms. Ivie had been waiting for the “customary” copy upon the actual filing (which is stressed in the passage that you quoted), then, yes, she could have been surprised by the timing of the actual filing. Most importantly, if she were waiting for the copy of the filing before informing her children, both she and the children had no reason to “know” before the media did.
Please don’t post sarcastic or demeaning comments, such as “Duh!,” unless you are quite certain that you yourself read the article carefully. Additionally, I suggest you revisit the rules for apostrophe use.
Don’t believe anything Susan Hais says. She’s one of the most unethical lawyers I have ever known, and that is saying a lot. She’s manipulative, untruthful, and cares more about making the money then in representing the client.
allie kather,
Your description of Susan Hais identify 99.999999999999% of attorneys and I must say the majarity of human beings. (Lol).
I was quick to judge Clay and must apologize for my above statements earlier.
I should have considered that nothing is usually as it appears on the surface just from personal experience alone.
According to his wife’s letter, their attorneys had been in talks before the filing of his papers so; it was no surprise to her that a divorce was coming. They both appear to have left the children out and he could have let her know that he had filed the papers before others learned of it. There had to be some kind of miscommunication with Alan Mandel being out the country and all, probably his brother filing it or some other person in that office who dropped the ball not notifying the wife’s attorney.
I am very saddened that they could not work it out. Divorce is a very cruel thing to do to a faithful and loyal wife, if this is what she was according to her statement.
NO apologies for Circuit Court Clerk, Mariano V. Favazza or the court for behaving in an unethical ex-parte manner.
Hey ya hoochie ESL or EDL or whatever the hell your abbreviation is, (Extra Slutty Loser or Extremely Dim-witted Low Life) have you ever thought that they might have filed for a separation prior to the Congressman’s ignorant actions. Maybe that’s why Ivie needed to retain an attorney. You’re just so educated on the marital legal system. You just need to stay where you are on your back with your legs up. Ivie, you take him out, take ever damn penny that man is worth, do his bank account wrong, and make sure you get that mortgage of yours paid off by him. You have my support for whatever course of action you choose to take.
Sad but not surprising knowing Lacy. He will still get elected for as long as he wants the job in that district.
D. Walker, I do not follow your point.
Whether the attorneys talked does not matter. High profile people, always have attorneys. The kids probably thought that they were separated which has happened before and always with a reconciliation.
Why couldn’t the Congressman have called his kids and said that I filed today for a divorce from your mother. I know there will be some mean people and unkind comments so be prepared and know that I want the best for you. Instead a teenager said she saw it on the internet. That is unexcusable.
And by the way, he still hasn’t called them last check. If you think this is ok, something is wrong with you.
Ivie if you don’t do anything else you can say you kicked Lacy Clay’s A@@ today.
Teeheehee Lacy!!!
I would advise Mr. Clay to settle this matter quickly and quietly. Susan Hais is an excellant attorney with a great staff. Perhaps, more importantly, she is very political with views that totally oppose Mr. Clay. Mr. Clay has an excellant personal injury attorney that is totally overmatched by Mrs. Hais in family law. Mr. Clay, you cannot win. Do the smart thing! Overpay to make this go away quietly.
I had no idea when I read this yesterday that Mr. Clay had not told his wife and children he was starting divorce proceedings. That’s really quite slimey. This man is on the national stage. Did he think this wasn’t going to come out? Hello…..give someone a little power and he or she thinks they can do no wrong. To totally disregard his children’s feelings is beyond arrogant.
Ivie, Draw this thing out as long as you can. Don’t settle anything swiftly. The congressman would like for you and the kids to just go away.
I’d like for this to still be going in 2012.
Phil–I take it you work for Susan Hais. I’m sure you do want her to be paid, and a lot. She would make Helen Keller the bad guy in any court of law.
Well Well Well Now!
I heard Lacy Clay HIMSELF has called trying to find out who is leaving comments under the name SPICYPINK.
He’s reading ya’ll. Next thing his phone works. Instead of trying to find out who I am, call your kids. School is out and they still haven’t heard from you. I’ll stop leaving comments when I know they’ve heard from you…NOT!
Leaving comments is my 1st Amendment Right, something you and your power can’t take away.
I sure she had some idea of the filing. In a marriage u know when things aren’t right. So women get so hung up on being “Mrs” that they neglect their wifely duties. And that is when “Mr” starts to stray and become unhappy. Anyway, she knew and to obtain sympathy she made her comment. As a good mother one should protect her children at the first site of trouble. And not blast their father in the media. She should of made the same statement as her husband. Now other kids can tease her children about “your daddy divorcing you momma and didn’t tell her…ha ha” (kids can be mean)
Check this out ..http://www.kmox.com/topic/ap_news.php?story=AP/APTV/State/MO/n/MO–ClayDivorce
Now what u think!!
Lacy, maybe you and Roy Blunt have more in common that we all thought. Roy boy dumped his “good christain wife” for a high powered Washington lobbiest. Now you are dumping your wife for whom or what? Details to follow, i’m sure. Every dog has his day and Mr. Clay you are sure one DAWG!
How sad to hear this. Ivie Clay has been an upstanding parent and has raised two well rounded, beautiful children. How sad this is for the kids. All we can hope for is that the kids are ok through all of this cause it looks like it is going to get ugly. Ivie and those beautiful kids didn’t deserve this. Lacy should have been up front with Ivie and the kids. Not giving her a chance to have her say in court is downright wrong, she’s invested way more in those 17 years than he has. Hang in there Ivie, you are in our prayers.