Carper, who has been in the Senate since 2001, admitted to hitting his first wife in the face in 1998 interview. Despite this, he managed to maintain his political career for decades, denying allegations of abuse against his first wife, Diane Carper.
In a 1981 court deposition, Carper admitted to slapping his wife, causing discoloration and puffiness around her left eye. However, the local News Journal chose not to report on the allegations during his 1982 run for Congress, stating that the charges could not be substantiated.
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Carper's admission of abuse resurfaced in 2017, but he insists he did not try to hide the incident. "I have made many mistakes in my life and have always been willing to admit them," Carper said. "One of those mistakes took place 37 years ago when I slapped my then-wife, Diane, during a heated argument. It was wrong. I regretted it then and I still do today."
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Carper's retirement means that his name will not appear on the Senate ballot for the first time since 1999. He said on Monday that it was "time to step aside and pass the torch to the next generation." Carper serves on the national advisory board for Joe Biden's reelection campaign and began his political career at the urging of the former senator.
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The News Journal, which did not report on the allegations of abuse against Carper during his 1982 run for Congress, made no mention of spousal abuse in its piece on his retirement. Instead, the paper wrote that Carper was "known for his quirks."
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