Posted on 03/12/2010 5:17:37 AM PST by Utah Binger
Hush money plagues Garn / Representative says he gave woman $150,000 after 1985 nude incident in hot tub
Statement from Representative Kevin Garn - Delivered from the floor of the House on March 11, 2010
SALT LAKE CITY -- A top leader in the Utah House of Representatives, Rep. Kevin Garn, 55, admits he paid a woman to keep quiet about an incident in a hot tub 25 years ago.
Garn, a prominent Layton businessman, said Thursday he paid a former Cedar City woman $150,000 eight years ago and that the deal included a confidentiality agreement.
"This came up eight years ago when I ran for Congress," he said.
The incident, Garn says, did not result in any criminal charges.
Garn went public with the incident in a statement on the floor of the House just minutes after lawmakers wrapped up the 2010 session.
With his wife at his side, Garn said he made a mistake and asked for forgiveness from any "shame" he may have brought the statehouse. He also apologized to the woman, whom he did not name.
"I sat in a hot tub naked with her. Nothing happened," said Garn, the majority leader.
Following the floor speech, House members gave him a standing ovation.
"We know a man of integrity and leader ... an asset to Utah," said an emotional Rep. David Clark, House speaker, just moments after Garn's revelation.
The woman earlier in the evening called the Standard-Examiner and identified herself as Sheryl Maher.
Maher, now living in New Hampshire, said the incident has haunted her. She said she was 15 at the time of the incident.
"I never wanted to do this," said Maher, explaining that she has resisted going public with the incident.
Garn and Maher differ on the details of the events of 25 years ago. Maher said there was more to the situation than sitting in a hot tub.
Garn was in the state House of Representatives from 1991-2002 where he served as assistant majority whip. He left in 2002 in an unsuccessful bid for the Republic nomination for the U.S. House 1st District seat that was eventually won by Rob Bishop.
Garn said he has no plans to resign from his position and said he had sat down with Maher and her LDS bishop to try and resolve the matter.
On a slow news day we get this from the Ogden Standard examiner.
Home town news ping
only an issue with Republicans
I would say you could ask Charlie Wilson...but he just passed.....
Well, if nothing is going to happen I’d sit nude with a politician in a hot tub for only $75000.
I won’t go lower though, I have standards!
$150,000 to a 15 year old? Something is fishy here.
She was a baby of 15...
How old was he ???
17 or 37 ???
Plus what led up to him being naked in a hot tub ???
I too partied with naked people in hot tubs when I was a kid.
But to tell the world about it now?
This idiot must think this will help his political standing.
Glenn Beck...Where are you? A morgbot has sinned....Glenn....?
This proves it. The evil mormon church sanctions naked hot tub parties. There is no freakin’ way this is some lone wolf mormon doing this on his own. Get the pitchforks sharpened and be at my place at midnight. Evil cultist bastards.
This didn’t take long.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/12/kevin-garn-confession-uta_n_496323.html
Thanks for posting, commenting. Where do all of these cretins come from?
BUMP-TO-THE-TRUTH!
YEAH Interesting that her age is mentioned 3/4 of the way down the page. Sheesh.
But maybe he wasnt a kid at the time....
OK he was born in 1955 so that makes him 55...
25 years ago he was a 30 year old man messing around with a 15 year old...
Jail Bait City...
I wonder if he is a member of the Smith or Young family.
But - but, I thought you Mormons were "better" than all the rest of us. At least that's what you try to tell us....you're so good, such good family people, etc. etc...
It just proves that Mormons are sinners, just like the rest of us, and they need salvation from their sins as much as the rest of us.
Hmm... Don't remember reading or hearing that proclamation from the Church.
Making stuff up again?
I'm the first to admit that I'm a sinner, like anyone else.
It’s about a Republican who did something extremely stupid with a 15 yr. old and paid hush money.
Aren’t you being a “tad” defensive over this? Or are you just trying to throw out a “pre-emptive” strike to stir up a crap storm?
He was either 28 or 30 and her boss.
It just proves that Mormons are sinners, just like the rest of us, and they need salvation from their sins as much as the rest of us.
- - - - - -
Don’t you know Mormons aren’t sinners, they don’t need a REAL Savior, they just need a Mortgage Broker for sin to cover their debts until they can ‘work it off’, at least according to Boyd K. Packer.
And I fell for that, although in my defense I was the same age as the girl Garn when hot-tubbing with.
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