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McEntee: Garn's hot tub interlude much more than a 'mistake'
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | March 13, 2010 | Peg McEntee

Posted on 03/14/2010 9:13:38 AM PDT by Colofornian

For Kevin Garn, it's been 25 years of hiding, of paying big money for "secrecy," of presenting himself as a devoted public servant, twice rising to the status of House Majority Leader in the Utah Legislature.

In the same 25 years, Cheryl Maher has been plagued by substance abuse and mental illness, even as she served in leadership roles in the LDS Church -- as did Garn, a former bishop.

This week, it all came out: In 1985, Garn, then 30 and married, and Maher, a 15-year-old who worked for him, took off their clothes and climbed into a hot tub. Garn insists there was no physical contact but admits what he did was wrong. Maher says there was touching, but won't elaborate.

But under the circumstances, what Garn did amounts to exploitation of an underage girl.

It's easy to understand why he kept quiet about it all these years, even paying Maher $150,000 in 2003 to buy her silence. Garn says he considered it extortion, but arranged for her to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Last week, he told his legislative colleagues that he'd been afraid, that he should have told the truth long ago but didn't want to be judged for "one of my life's worst decisions."

I can't know all the reasons why Maher, until last week, kept her part of the bargain. That big check had something to do with it.

But I do know that all too often in such circumstances, young people can bear their own burden of guilt and shame. Often, there's no one to talk to about what they've seen or experienced, and sometimes they aren't believed if they do talk.

So, brick by brick, they can build their own prisons. Maher says her life unraveled in the years after the hot tub episode. She later married, but says she had a problem with pills and "was a mess."

Today, she says, she's going through a divorce and a custody battle and went public for her own peace of mind.

She has seen Garn a couple of times in the last few years, apparently amicably. But two years ago, she told Garn's son in an e-mail that "nothing will stop me" from getting "justice and compensation."

Garn resigned from the Legislature Saturday. Only Maher knows what her next step will be.

Garn can say he expects public humiliation, but can't allow a "foolish mistake to continue to shadow my life."

Well, let's get it straight. Getting naked in a hot tub with a 15-year-old goes far beyond a "mistake."

Kevin Garn, like so many caught in such circumstances, should take a long look in the psychic mirror. He may find a greater truth, and a far more difficult one, in his reflection.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Utah
KEYWORDS: blunders; garn; lds; mormon; mormon1; registeredoffender; scandals; sexualexploitation
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From the article: But under the circumstances, what Garn did amounts to exploitation of an underage girl...Garn can say he expects public humiliation, but can't allow a "foolish mistake to continue to shadow my life." Well, let's get it straight. Getting naked in a hot tub with a 15-year-old goes far beyond a "mistake."

A crime may have been committed here. And this goes beyond a couple of "creepy" mistakes. (The victim says she was in a hot tub with Garn on two occasions, the first shortly after she just turned 15...just six years after he taught her Lds Sunday School when she was a fourth grader...he was also her employer...which meant he abused the trust and authority he had and had built up).

1 posted on 03/14/2010 9:13:38 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

Not sayin’ it was right, but coincidence does not prove causation. Unless “we” are trained mental health experts with access to the files, it’s probably time to let this go. Garn may be a creep but he resigned. If there is evidence of crime, let the Utah authorities go after him tooth and nail.

If not, can we drop it now?


2 posted on 03/14/2010 9:19:13 AM PDT by bigbob
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To: bigbob
If we were to gather up all the manure in this case we would have enough fertilizer for the entire state of Utah for the next ten years...


3 posted on 03/14/2010 9:23:30 AM PDT by darkwing104 (Lets get dangerous)
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To: Colofornian
Well, let's get it straight. Getting naked in a hot tub with a 15-year-old goes far beyond a "mistake."
Unless you're a Hollywood director. Then you can forcibly sodomize said 15-year-old girl and be considered a "genius".
4 posted on 03/14/2010 9:25:43 AM PDT by Bratch
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To: Colofornian; Pebcak

What has gone wrong in our society that creeps like this think they have the right to do things like this, and without repercussions?

Bear in mind, though, that if he had been fLDS, it would have been “acceptable” and people on many blogs (and even here) would be saying that preventing him from molesting a child was interfering with his first amendment religious rights.


5 posted on 03/14/2010 9:29:14 AM PDT by MizSterious (Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm? John Page, 1744-1808)
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To: Colofornian; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

6 posted on 03/14/2010 9:30:13 AM PDT by narses ("lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi")
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To: bigbob

Seems to me like there’s evidence of a crime (his confession, her admission). The girl was barely 15. He was her Sunday school teacher and boss. Anywhere but Utah (and Hollywood), that would be a crime. Resignation is not enough. Jail the jerk.


7 posted on 03/14/2010 9:31:16 AM PDT by MizSterious (Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm? John Page, 1744-1808)
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To: reaganaut; Elsie; Tennessee Nana; Dr. Eckleburg; Alex Murphy; HarleyD; P-Marlowe; Quix
Mormon Hot Tub Party Ping!

Sometimes it make me break out in a cold sweat! One two three four!

Hot tub! Ha! Da!
Ah-full of water!
I say hot tub! Ha!
Day! Ba! Very, very hot... Very hot! Da!
Hot tub! Gonna get ya hot-a!
Gonna make ya sweat! Hey! Say!
Hot tub! Rub a dub in the hot tub!
Rub a dub with me!

Should I get in the hot tub?
(Yeah!)
Will it make me sweat?
(Yeah!)
Should I get in the hot tub?
(Yeah!)
Will it make me wet?
(Yeah!)
Well, well, well...

Hot tub! Ah!
Get in!
Gonna get in the water!
Gonna make me sweat! Ah!
Here I go in the hot tub!

HHHHIIIGGGHH!!

Too hot in the hot tub! Ma!
Burn myself!
Make it cooler!
Good G,d!
Gonna make me...

I'm gonna get in the hot tub..
I'm gonna get in the hot tub..
I'm gonna get in the hot tub..
Ha! Lilin! Lidilin! Eh!
A gonna make me sweat-ah!
Dah! Gonna make me sweat!
Gonna make me sweat-ah!
Dah! Gonna get me in the hot tub!
I can't stand it!
Here I go! I can't stand it!

Here I go in the hot tub!
Gonna get in the hot tub!
Gonna get it wet-ah!
Good G.d!
HHHIIIIGGHHH!! Ha!
Good G.d!
Rub a dub!
In the hot tub!
Rub a dub with me!
Good G,d!
Rub a dub in the hot tub!
Gonna set me free!

8 posted on 03/14/2010 9:42:20 AM PDT by Gamecock (We aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. (R.C. Sproul))
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To: MizSterious; Colofornian; Utah Binger; bigbob; darkwing104
Seems to me like there’s evidence of a crime (his confession, her admission). The girl was barely 15. He was her Sunday school teacher and boss. Anywhere but Utah (and Hollywood), that would be a crime. Resignation is not enough. Jail the jerk.

It appears to me that Garn paid $150,000 to avoid being listed on the registered sex offender list for life!

In retrospect, that must have seemed like quite a bargain.

9 posted on 03/14/2010 9:44:25 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 ("The Economy Is So Bad, Even 'Rosy Scenario' Lost Her Job"-Jim Geraghty)
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To: Colofornian

He is a pathetic loser and she is no better.

Blaming her pill abuse and that on getting into a hottub? PLEASE! Its not like she was forced into that hottub.

She wants money and attention.


10 posted on 03/14/2010 9:53:57 AM PDT by JRochelle (My predictions on 2/3/2010: It will be Thune/Rubio in '12.)
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To: Bratch

Well, let’s get it straight. Getting naked in a hot tub with a 15-year-old goes far beyond a “mistake.”
Unless you’re a Hollywood director. Then you can forcibly sodomize said 15-year-old girl and be considered a “genius”.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I almost sprayed coffee on my monitor! Funny (but sad) observation!


11 posted on 03/14/2010 10:00:11 AM PDT by Artcore
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To: Colofornian

Wasnt this the guy the Utah legislation all applauded when this came out ???

Dont any of them have a sense of dencency and shame ???


12 posted on 03/14/2010 10:16:34 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: greyfoxx39

13 posted on 03/14/2010 10:21:43 AM PDT by Utah Binger (Mount Carmel Utah, Twelve Miles East of Zion National Park)
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To: Bratch
Unless you're a Hollywood director. Then you can forcibly sodomize said 15-year-old girl and be considered a "genius".

To be fair, Polanski's interlude was with a 13 y/o. That's different, whether because she's two years younger, because he drugged her first, because he's been convicted of the rape, or because he's a liberal. In any case, we're as shocked at the conservative LDS pervert's actions as we are at the harassment that Polanski is receiving from conservatives with no compassion.

14 posted on 03/14/2010 10:26:04 AM PDT by Pollster1 (Natural born citizen of the USA, with the birth certificate to prove it)
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To: Gamecock

Mormon Hot Tub Party Ping

- - — - - - -
ROFL.


15 posted on 03/14/2010 10:31:14 AM PDT by reaganaut (Don't mind me, I did a little to much LDS in the 80's)
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To: Colofornian

Garn says he considered it extortion, but arranged for her to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

- - - - - —
If it was extortion, then he should have gone to the police not paid her and make her sign a “nondisclosure agreement”.


16 posted on 03/14/2010 10:33:17 AM PDT by reaganaut (Don't mind me, I did a little to much LDS in the 80's)
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To: Colofornian

, she’s going through a divorce and a custody battle and went public for her own peace of mind.

- - - - - - - - -
More likely she went public to avoid it being used against her in the divorce and custody fight.


17 posted on 03/14/2010 10:35:10 AM PDT by reaganaut (Don't mind me, I did a little to much LDS in the 80's)
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To: bigbob

Peg McEntee

18 posted on 03/14/2010 10:38:43 AM PDT by kcvl
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To: kcvl

Ouch!


19 posted on 03/14/2010 10:50:35 AM PDT by Utah Binger (Mount Carmel Utah, Twelve Miles East of Zion National Park)
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To: greyfoxx39

Did she get the money or did her parents? Was there a lawyer who drew up the confidentiality agreement?

And if her parents knew why didn’t they contact they authorities right after it happened?


20 posted on 03/14/2010 11:02:37 AM PDT by CaptainK (...please make it stop. Shake a can of pennies at it.)
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