Officials’ shenanigans not off-limits

I was attending an editors’ meeting in the 70s when I was asked in a confidential session what I was working on.

I replied that I didn’t feel comfortable with providing many details but could report it was an important piece that dealt with a startling affair John F Kennedy had.

There was immediate concern expressed about relevance, considering the length of time that had expired – more than 10 years. But, more importantly, there was an unwritten rule by editors nationwide that the private dalliances of public officials (and their drinking habits) were offlimits unless there was hard evidence that they were interfering with the office holder’s ability to do his or her job.

‘‘We don’t publish those kinds of stories about anyone, including presidents,’’ the inquisitor said. ‘‘Besides, Kennedy’s escapades have been known for years and little or nothing has been reported.’’

‘‘You’re correct,’’ I responded. ‘‘But get ready; that’s about to change and probably sooner than later few politicians or celebrities are going to get a pass on their sexual shenanigans.’’ Then I felt compelled to provide one more fact. ‘‘Besides,’’ I said, ‘‘the lady in this case also was a Mafia party girl, connected to Sam Giancana, the Chicago crime boss, and furthermore J Edgar Hoover knew about it.’’

I couldn’t resist twisting the knife. ‘‘My guess is you will find this serious enough to consider, and my guess also is most of you will want to reconsider the policy of silence.’’

Well, it’s taken a while, but we now have a perfect storm created by the internet and the determination of women victimised over the years to right the wrongs.

The Kennedy expose took place not long after a special team known simply as the Church Committee – named after its chairman, Idaho Democratic Senator Frank Church – was created to investigate the intelligence and other activities of the CIA and FBI.

Church worked overtime to put the lid on our story, but failed.

Now nearly every news flash unveils the antics of serial fondlers, feel coppers and worse from Hollywood West to Hollywood East (Congress). Word came recently that Minnesota Democratic Senator Al Franken was at least a one-time groper before his political career, when he was a Saturday Night Live player. He has apologised.

Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore’s alleged penchant for teenage girls years ago while he was in his 30s has let off such an intensifying stench as to set his party’s leadership into spasms.

First it was Bill Cosby who seemed to have pushed his idea of consensual to the limit with the alleged use of drugs. Now it’s Harvey Weinstein, the bigtime movie producer who has been accused by plenty of stars in La La Land and elsewhere of inappropriate behaviour. The days when the mainline press conspired to keep public attention away from the fact Franklin Roosevelt was a cripple by not publishing his picture in a wheelchair – or more pertinent in this case, his affairs with Marguerite ‘‘Missy’’ Lehand and Lucy Mercer – are long gone, as they should be. That decision, however, helped Roosevelt win at least one election and perhaps two more than he should have as his health deteriorated.

The editors who were negligent in reporting on the private lives of elected officials were wrong. A longtime friend who worked for one of the Southwest’s leading newspapers asked if I thought he should report that a Speaker of the US House from his state was an alcoholic and carouser. ‘‘Absolutely,’’ I said, ‘‘he clearly isn’t doing his job while at the Zebra Room (a favourite watering hole) every afternoon.’’

His report was the beginning of the end for the Speaker just as the John Kennedy story broke some serious ice. By the way, every editor ran it.

❚ Dan Thomasson is an op-ed columnist for Tribune News Service.