Rep. Kevin Garn, Majority Leader of the Utah House of Representatives, has disclosed that he had a nude hot tub experience with a 15-year-old employee in 1985 and later paid Cheryl Maher $150,000 if she would keep quiet. He was running for Congress at the time.
When the incident occurred, Garn, a conservative family-value Repbulican, was married. He paid Cheryl Maher the money in 2002 to hush the matter up after she contacted media when he was running for Congress.
He had a lawyer draft a non-disclosure agreement. In his press conference with his wife, Garn said “I expect to suffer public humiliation and embarrassment. Some lessons are hard to learn. This is something I should’ve done back in 2002 but I was scared. I did not want to be publicly judged by one of my life’s [worst mistakes].”
At the time, Maher was a 15-year-old employee at Garn’s business Pegasus Records and KSG Enterprises. He insists that they did not have sex and stated:
I can unequivocally tell you there was no physical contact, there was no touching, there was no intercourse, there was none of those things. It simply did not occur. …I’m not trying to downplay what did occur but I want to make it very plain.
Maher says that there was contact and there are allegations of a cover-up in 2002, here.
Garn has refused to resign, here.
For the full story, click he
Salt Lake Trib reports Garn has resigned.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14670240
cbrown…
As the mother of 2 teenaged boys, I can assure you that if any adult was groping either of them I would be out for war. Stupid comment!
In defense of Garn, when he said family values he never specified which values or whose family.
Buddha,
Thank you for spanking Mr. Brown. His response is just what you would suspect from someone who listens to Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.
By the way, is he going to go to the same rehabe as Tiger now?
cbrown,
You obviously don’t read this blog or you’d know that your statement is a complete pantsload. This isn’t a partisan site although we do have self-described Republicans and Democrats posting. Many describe themselves here as independent. Some are even more esoteric. For example, if required to describe myself I’d say I’m a Jeffersonian Constitutionalist and Anti-fascist. If anything, this is a non-partisan blog. Most people who post here think both parties suck. We’ll hammer pols from any party for acting like a criminal or a moron (not mutually exclusive states mind you).
Have a nice day.
And stay away from Rihanna.
If you are not that C. Brown, most humble apologies.
Now if he was a Democrat groping a boy liberals would be defending him.
A read of these emails between Garn and his wife, Tanya, and Maher’s husband is quite enlightening. It’s available for download here:
http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/blog-3279-women-garn-lying-about-no-contact-in-hottub-when-she-was-15.html
It’s an LDS love-fest with all concerned bargaining over a 15 year old’s lost virtue. It is disgusting and stunning at the same time for its fawning praise of Mormon values even as the price of keeping the depravity of this public servant from the public is discussed. Wonder where shielding corruption is found in the Book of Mormon?
Sex is the most basic driving force in nature once any individual creature continues to survive life’s’ perils. However, what Mr. Garn did was unconscionably wrong because it damaged the young girl’s innocent perspectives on life. How was she ever going to have a successful marriage from the confusion engendered upon her by a sexually sick, mindless older man? That is why there are age of consent laws. Many 15-year-old girls are emotionally unsuited for sexual relationships because of the awkwardness that accompanies that period of maturation.
This also equally applies to boys. Last week, a 33-year-old beautiful, married mother who was a teacher had an affair with her 14-year-old male student. Now, most any normal heterosexual male reading this might think ‘right on, lucky dude!’ or ‘man, where were those hot teachin’ babes when I was 14! However, can this young man—similar to the young lady in the Garn case—ever expect to have normal sexual relationships in his life? On average, I do not think he can. There are many issues with which he must confront and sort out.
Garn must be charged with pedophilia based on the State laws at the time of his crime. He most certainly robbed Ms. Maher of her youth and set her up for many failures regarding future sexual relationships. She said she was in love with Garn and any man or woman who has gone through the rollercoaster emotions of a failed relationship knows that it is hard enough for an adult to cope with those emotional trials; then imagine what it must be like for a psychologically underdeveloped 15-year-old.
FFLEO:
no, a real snorkel as in scuba diving. Although he was apparently engaged in hot tub diving.
Ha! But don’t snorkles only work on the same sex–as in males?
FFLEO:
maybe he had a snorkle.
Rep. Kevin Garn–another politician who did not inhale. Of course, he most likely did not in this case because inhaling underwater in a hot tub is dangerous foreplay…
John:
I thought he was 30 when he was in the tub.
So two fifteen year olds were in a hot tub, but 17 years later when he is 32 years old and running for congress he is scared of being judged for what he did as a kid?!?!?
He’s an idiot.
Byron
(Where’d he get the $150,000?)
a loan from the church?
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LOL!
(Where’d he get the $150,000?)
a loan from the church?
A 30 year old, married, Ethical man knows it’s wrong to get naked with a fifteen year old girl in a hot tub, a Moral man won’t do it.
An 55 year old, Ethical man knows it’s wrong to pay hush money to cover up wrong doing, a Moral man won’t do it.
If one has not developed good. moral behavior by the age of thirty, one is never going to … I offer up as proof … Rep. Kevin Garn, Republican, and Majority Leader of the Utah House of Representatives.
(Where’d he get the $150,000?)
Late Update: Maher now says Garn is lying about their being no contact during the hot-tub incident, although she won’t offer specifics, other than to say: “Let’s just say this. He really loves to massage.” She also says that Garn was her 4th-grade Sunday school teacher.
Hmmm………..