New York Post

Not even priest can whitewash away sins

- Andrea Peyser andrea.peyser@nypost.com

KERRY Kennedy played the Catholic card in her druggeddri­ving trial Tuesday, producing an actual Irish priest who testified that in the 41 years he’s known the jetsetter — from the days she lived in Virginia to the time she cracked up her Lexus SUV in Westcheste­r — he’s never seen her on a bender. Now, I think I’ve seen everything. Defense lawyer William Aronwald asked the Rev. Gerard Creedon if Kerry, 54, has a reputation for being sober. “Very sober,’’ the priest shot back in a thick Irish brogue.

“I’ve never seen her drunk,’’ added Father Creedon, who enjoys all the perks of being a Kennedy family friend — “weddings, funerals, birthdays.’’ Plus, vacations with members of America’s version of a royal family.

As far as witnesses to Kerry’s character go, that was about as good as it got. Except for Kerry’s sister Rory, 45 — a documentar­y filmmaker whose 35 movies include one about their mother, Ethel — who called Kerry “my best friend.’’

“I believe Kerry has a stellar reputation for honesty,’’ testified Rory, who also said she’s familiar with Kerry’s globetrott­ing efforts to save children and gays and political dissidents around the world.

What all this Kennedy love has to do with a misdemeano­r case of driving while ability impaired by drugs takes a smarter person than me to figure out. Kerry is accused of hitting a tractortra­iler truck on the interstate on July 13, 2012, while zonked out on the sleeping pill Ambien.

She claims she made a mistake and took the drug in place of her thyroid medication.

Last up was videograph­er Jack Roth, whose video went from Kerry’s fabulous house, down her driveway and through the winding streets of tony Bedford to Interstate 684, the scene of the alleged crime.

A priest, a sister, and a videograph­er.

The privileged daughter of slain Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, niece of slain President John F. Kennedy and exwife of Gov. Cuomo will have to do better to prove to me that she’s not responsibl­e for making a mess.

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