The wife of fiercely pro-life presidential hopeful Rick Santorum had a six-year love affair with an abortion doctor, 40 years her senior - and incredibly who delivered her as a baby - it has emerged.
Karen Santorum, 51, who, like her husband, opposes abortion even in cases of rape, dated Pittsburgh abortion pioneer Tom Allen during the 1980s.
When they met, Mrs Santorum, who then went by the name of Karen Garver, was a 22-year-old nursing student at Duquesne University while Allen was a 63-year-old divorcee and father-of-six.
Allen, now 92, co-founded Pittsburgh's first abortion clinic in the 1970s, and was close friend of Mrs Santorum's parents.
Her father was a pediatrician and many of his patients were referred to him by Allen.
Karen and Rick Santorum married in 1990. They have seven living children together, all of whom are home-schooled.
Interviewed recently by the Daily Beast website Mr Allen said: 'Karen was a lovely girl, very intelligent and sweet.
'Karen had no problems with what I did for a living.'
Accounts of Allen paint the picture of a caddish playboy - a wine and opera aficionado whose first marriage is said to have failed due to his penchant for much younger women.
Now forced to use a walking frame he retains his cheeky smile and remains a strong supporter of for reproductive rights.
He began dating his current wife Judi - 30 years his junior - a few months after splitting from Santorum. The couple have now been married for 16 years.
Allen claims his relationship with Mrs Santorum: 'wasn’t that big a deal, at least to me,' and admits to having had several young girlfriends before meeting her.
He said: 'My first marriage didn’t do very well because of that behavior.'
A close friend of her parents, Allen had effectively known Santorum her whole life after delivering her as a baby.
Their relationship began when she phoned him for advice while looking for an apartment to rent near Duquesne.
She moved into the basement apartment of the block where he lived on the top two floors but it wasn't long before they were cohabiting.
Recalling the day they began their relationship Mr Allen recalls: 'That first night, as soon as it got dark, she called to say she was scared and asked if she could come up.
'I figured it was a come-on, but that was OK.'
The pair lived together for nearly five years, during which time Allen paid to have her teeth straightened and bought her a grand piano.
The couple enjoyed several European holidays as well as a trip to Hong Kong together.
According to Allen’s youngest daughter, Candy who, at 51, is the same age as Santorum, the relationship did not go down well with Santorum's parents.
Allen says they split up on good terms in 1988 because Santorum wanted to have children which was something he had already done.
Although it was already known that Mrs Santorum had dated an abortion doctor, the fresh details of their relationship could damage Santorum's campaign to be picked as the next Republican Presidential nominee.
Rick Santorum is well-known for his hard-line pro-life views and Christian conservatives form a core part of his support base
He has described abortions as a great moral wrong and believes doctors who provide them should face legal proceedings.
According to a Gallup poll, Mr Santorum is currently standing in third place in the race to become the Republican nominee behind Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
He is yet to comment on his wife's relationship with Mr Allen.
Do you think Rick was bummed to find out his wife was not a virgin?
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