Republican Candidate Received Topless Pic From Staffer in Flirtatious Text Exchange: Reports

An Arizona Republican Congressional candidate and church minister received a topless selfie from a female legislative staffer during a flirtatious exchange of messages, according to reports.

Former Arizona state Senator Steve Montenegro, who is married and has a child, exchanged the messages with the unnamed female staffer days before deciding to run for Congress in December, 12 News reported Tuesday.

During one exchange in November, while Montenegro was away on a working trip in Tennessee, the staffer sent a topless picture to his cellphone, reported AZCentral.com. "You should have come," he allegedly replied.

Montenegro reportedly urged the staffer to use Snapchat, which automatically deletes messages after they're sent, after receiving the picture, 12 News reported.

Montenegro is campaigning to replace Trent Franks, who resigned after staffers accused him of sexual misconduct, in Arizona's 8th Congressional District. He has emphasized his work as a minister and the fact that he is a family man while on the campaign trail.

In the exchange of messages, he mentioned the Franks harassment scandal, but the staffer assured him: "You would never, ever have to worry about me."

After 12 News broadcast a report on the messages, Montenegro released a statement describing the report as "false tabloid trash."

"I assumed the distortions would be limited to my votes or positions on issues," he said.

The campaign did not specify which claims in the report are false or distorted.

"Tonight I saw a despicable example of the tabloid trash that conservatives around this country have to deal with on a regular basis," Montenegro said in the statement.

"I am blessed with an amazing wife and marriage. The media wants to drag us down with just a week to go, but we are not going to dignify this false tabloid trash with any further response."