[Colofornian]

From the article: Deseret News editors decided not to run a story about the indiscretion at that time, since the GOP primary was only weeks away and the incident had occurred years before...Because Garn lost that primary, and so was also retiring from the Utah House, the newspaper never published a story...Since the Deseret News believed that the woman had signed a legal agreement not to speak about the matter again, it did not pursue the story, in part because it had happened so long ago when Garn was in his 20s.

Hmm...I guess this newspaper owned by the Mormon church wants to explain why they've kept silent on a 15 yo hot-tubbing naked with an eventual legislator for these past eight years. (They're certainly falling all over themselves trying to explain that...but something I just don't understand...if they didn't go public with it because Garn was then "in his 20s" -- why would that make it irrelevant -- re: their consideration to publish or NOT publish -- that the girl was in her mid-teens?)

[Pollster1]

In his defense, I don’t see an indication that they went beyond hottubbing together. Still, naked with a 15 y/o when he was 28? Gross. He might want to “spend more time with his family”.

[A_perfect_lady]

If I were him, I wouldn’t be tearfully apologizing. I’d be coldly saying “Yes, I did it and I paid her to keep her mouth shut. Now I want my money back.”

[stormer]

He was in his 20s and the girl was “nearly” half his age? Yikes! Anyway you do the math it stinks.

[stormer]

Icky.

[Colofornian]

Here's some of the readers' comments on this same story @ the Salt Lake Tribune...here's 3 of them:

ok. this guy is on the house ethics committee as well as the joint appropriations subcommittee on public education. he belongs to the party that never ceases to trumpet its devotion to "family values."

15 should get you 20.

Perhaps the Prophet, Warren Jeffs, can offer some advice on proper conduct with minors. It will be also be fun to watch his political and religious peers drop him like a hot potato when the former "president of the LDS young woman's group" gives her side of the story. No wonder Utah is the laughing stock of this country! Hypocrisy is alive and well, while Life remains Elevated (along with other unmentionables) in this purdy great theocracy.

For these & other comments, see: Tribtowns

[lewislynn]

Well at the time it was a dream come true I’m sure

[Upstate NY Guy]

Seems like if he did not touch her or tell her to disrobe he may have made a huge mistake in paying her the 150 grand. Would have been smarter to go to the police and say he was being blackmailed by a teenage girl who stripped down in his presence.

Then again, there might be more to this than he is admitting.

[dmz]

A 28 year old guy. Naked in a hot tub with a naked female (let’s ignore the age of the girl for just a moment).

No sexual contact?

Gentleman on this thread .... does that not stretch the boundaries of believablity beyond its ability to return to its former shape?

Let’s see. No sexual contact. Does he mean while they were in the hot tub? Or is he using the Bill Clinton definition of sex?

Sorry. Except for the skinny dipping in the river with a dozen or so after my sister’s wedding (she and her hubby not involved), I’m pretty sure that I have had sexual contact with every female with whom I have been naked with. It’s kind of the point of getting naked together.

OK. Now factor the age back in. And the payoff. He would not want me on his jury.

Roman Polanski, anyone?

[bigbob]

Big deal. If it wasn’t sexual, it wasn’t sexual. Move along.

[BradtotheBone]

GUILTY!

http://www.thecreativenews.com/photo-cheryl-maher-finally-say-a-word-against-kevin-garn/2010/03/12/

[PGR88]

I grew up a blue-collar kid from Upstate New York, and never for the life of me, could understand the attraction of hot-tubbing for people out West. It all seemed so Disco and the 1970’s!

[Elsie]

The editors decided to wait to see if Garn advanced in the primary before deciding to publish a story or not.

So they were going to zap him IF he adcvanced?

I find that doubtful.

[Rad_J]

garn just resigned