Given the atmosphere on the right these days, I suppose it would be useless to point out how unethical; indeed, depraved; it is to persist in a claim like this when you know there are serious doubts about its veracity.

When I was running for office, I would rather have died than use an unverified and frankly dubious claim like this against my opponent. My opponent felt the same way and in fact refused to use some dirt someone had sent him about me.