Deseret News takes own lumps on story of Kevin Garn, Cheryl Maher

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah House Majority Leader Kevin Garn is not the only one taking lumps for hot-tubbing in the nude with a 15-year-old and later paying her hush money. The Deseret News is, too — for knowing about the incident eight years ago and not reporting it.

"It was a bad decision not to report it," said Kelly McBride, ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute, a journalism training organization.

"You essentially have someone who has presented one face to the public and it has been revealed that may not be true and accurate. And most likely you guys (the Deseret News) helped him present his narrative to the public. For that reason alone, you have an obligation to correct the record," she said in a telephone interview.

That was typical of many comments on web sites and from some readers. But top Deseret News editors say they believe they made the right choice back in 2002, and they still defend it.

Former Deseret News reporter Jerry Spangler said the episode began in 2002 when he wrote a profile of Garn and his congressional race just before the Republican primary election. He said Cheryl Maher called him to say "there is a side of him you don't know about," and told him about the nude hot-tubbing.

Maher said Friday that she also contacted the Salt Lake Tribune in 2002 and told it the same story.

"It was the week before the election," Spangler said. He remembers writing a draft of a story about the incident with Bob Bernick, the political editor, and inviting Garn to comment. He also remembers that Maher was hesitant to give many details and seemed "flaky."

He and Bernick said Garn came into the Deseret News offices and met with them and several editors. "I remember him crying," and confessing what happened, Spangler said.

But by then it was nearly the weekend before the election. Spangler said editor-in-chief at the time, John Hughes, and managing editor Rick Hall chose not to run the story.

Spangler said they questioned if something that had happened 17 years earlier was still news and said they did not want it to be the main issue on the minds of voters as they voted in the primary. When Garn lost — which meant he would be out of politics — Spangler said editors decided the story was moot.

Both Hughes and Hall said Friday that they do not remember the incident nor the discussion about how to handle it and why. "You think I would because it sounds juicy, but I don't," Hughes said. "Maybe we discussed it out, and I just moved on."

Hall, who is still managing editor, said he does not dispute Spangler's version of what happened. While he can't remember it, he also says he thinks the right call was made.