Accounts conflict on who knew secret (former OR Gov's underage sex abuse)

[Ediacara]

Accounts conflict on who knew secret

Sunday, June 13, 2004
BRENT WALTH and JEFF MAPES

A former confidant of Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he discussed Neil Goldschmidt's sexual abuse of an underage girl with Kulongoski years before the governor named Goldschmidt to run Oregon's university system.

The account by Fred Leonhardt challenges Kulongoski's assertions that he was unaware of the abuse until the day before Goldschmidt publicly revealed it on May 6. The governor has since stated that he never would have chosen Goldschmidt for the higher education job had he known of the abuse.

Kulongoski declined to be interviewed for this story, and his office disputed the account of Leonhardt, who was a speechwriter for Goldschmidt when he was governor from 1987 to 1991.

More at the Oregonian

ON EDIT: changed the title's explanation a little

[salin]

1. am I wrong... or is the heading on the thread misleading

reads as though the governor is implicated in sex abuse of a minor... when the story seems to be about whether or not the governor knew about another person's behavior (sex abuse of a minor) before appointing him to head higher education. The latter is still a BIG DEAL - but its not quite the same as implying the governor was involved in the actual abuse.

[rumguy]

2. the governor had a sexual relationship with a 14 y.o. girl

I believe it occurred when he was mayor of Portland. Hard to believe, but it's true. He admitted it and has made a financial settlement with the victim.

[salin]

4. Now I am confused

so the governor had a relationship with an underaged girl - but this story is only about the governor's appointing someone else (Goldschmitd) accused of a similar offense to the top higher education office in the state? And the former story doesn't get tied in to the latter? Or am i misreading the current story? its all creepy - and I am completely lost.

[salin]

6. Never mind- got the explanation below

and now am following what the story is about. Thanks.

[Ediacara]

7. Goldschmitd is the former governor

who admitted the relationship, Kulingoski is the current governor who appointed Goldschmitd to the higher ed post. Kulingoski may or may not have known about Goldschmitd's relationship when he appointed him to the post, which is what this article is about.

[Ediacara]

3. There is only a limited amount of characters I can put in a title

And the complete title from the Oregonian was so utterly vague, no one would have bothered to read it.

I tried to add some info so that people would know the gist of the story, and the one implicated is a former Oregon governor, so I thought it was an OK addition of text, although you're right, it could be taken the wrong way.

[salin]

5. Oh - thank you

now I get the connection - to the higher ed appointment and the governer. Same person. Current governor gets embroiled by making the appointment. Got it.

[Ediacara]

8. I went ahead and changed my explanation

so it's hopefully a little more clear.