SALT LAKE CITY—
Utah House Majority Leader Kevin Garn made an announcement Thursday that he sat nude in a hot tub with a then 15-year-old girl more than 25 years ago. Garn said he was 28-years-old at the time and the girl was 15. Garn made the announcement on the House floor on the last day of the state's legislative session and said he paid the woman $150,000 to keep quiet about the incident while he ran for Congress in 2002."I was 28-years-old and I foolishly went hot-tubbing with a young woman nearly half my age," said Garn in his public statement.
Garn said nothing sexual in nature took place. He publicly apologized and said it was "clearly inappropriate" and his fault.
The woman, Cheryl Maher, allegedly talked to several newspapers and sent e-mails about the incident during the legislative session. Garn allegedly made an agreement with Maher and decided to come clean.
"We have no idea what really happened because we only have his description," said Sen. Bob Bennett. "There are no other eyewitnesses. From his description, it sounds like something that we should put behind us."
FOX 13 talked with Garn's wife on the phone.
"My husband has always been honest with me and he's a very honest man," she said.
Garn has one week left to file for reelection as Utah House Majority Leader. There has been no word yet if he is planning on running.
FOX 13's Nineveh Dinha reports.
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