From the New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

Today, from the very beginning, Roy Moore has built a legal and political career as a conservative crusader and man of faith.

It's the early battles he fought on that front that may shield him from the recent accusations in today's special election. It's Tuesday, December 12th.

So over the years, Roy Moore had built up something of a reputation around town, a very quiet reputation.

When I was 15 years old, I began working after school as a waitress. Mr. Roy Moore came in almost every night.

But it was known to people who lived there that perhaps he had an eye for younger women.

Alan Blinder has been covering Roy Moore for years.

But he would look for and date women for younger than he was.

He would compliment me on my looks. He would sometimes pull the ends of my long hair as I walked by him.

But he never faced any significant scrutiny for it.

He said you're just a child. And he said I am the district attorney of Edelwock County.

And if you tell anyone about this, no one will ever blame you.

People just ignored it. To be quite frank with you until this year.

Decades later, in the lead up to today's special election in Alabama, those allegations have come under intense scrutiny.

But the fact that the people of Alabama may look past those claims can be traced back to a different reputation that Roy Moore was building during that time.

Roy Moore is kind of a hot shot, a lawyer. When he's in gas in the 1970s, he is provocative.

He is stirring people up. He's willing to say controversial things to people.

And he's not toiling an anonymity to say the least.

It was obvious he was trying to make a name for himself as kind of a crusader.

Bill Willard was a lawyer in gas in Alabama in the 1970s.

This first case that I had before, I'd been appointed to represent a young lady.

It was an arson case. He was accused of having burned her business in order to collect the insurance money.

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