The Deseret News, one of two major daily papers in Salt Lake City and owned by the LDS Mormon Church, admitted today that it sat on a story in 2002 of a state legislator being nude in a hot tub with a teen girl 25 years ago.
The News added the information at the end of a story today about Rep. Kevin Garn admitting to the incident at the close of a legislative session on Thursday.
“In a tearful statement in a packed House chambers, Garn said the mistake has 'now come back to haunt me' as the woman has gone public with the story,” the paper reported. “The Layton Republican said he entered into a confidentiality agreement with the woman in 2002 and paid her $150,000.”
At the bottom of the story, the News revealed it had found out about the incident during a 2002 discussion with Garn, but offered no excuse for keeping it private until now.