Rick Santorum's Wife Dated Abortion Doctor for 6 Years

A stunning report that could hurt Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum with conservatives -- his wife dated an abortion doctor for six years before she met her future husband. Not only that, the man was actually the doctor who delivered her and is 40 years older than her.

When Karen Santorum, nee Garver, was born in 1960, the obstetrician was a fellow named Dr. Tom Allen. Fast-forward 22 years -- Karen was a nursing student looking for an apartment. Allen was still friendly with Karen's parents and offered her his basement apartment. She accepted, reports the New York Daily News.

Shortly thereafter she apparently took another offer the 63-year-old Allen made. They would date for six years.

The relationship has been public knowledge for some time, but the now 92-year-old Allen is talking in depth to The Daily Beast about it.

“Karen had no problems with what I did for a living,” said Allen, who co-founded the first abortion clinic in Pittsburgh in the 1970s. “We never really discussed it."

Allen said the relationship "wasn't a big deal," pointing out he had many young girlfriends before he met Karen.

The couple broke up in 1988 when Karen said she wanted to have children, something Allen didn't want to do given his advanced age.

She later met Santorum and they married in 1990.