Even if true, Clinton's got competition in the love-child department.
The Washington Post
September 05, 1998, Saturday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A01
LENGTH: 861 words
HEADLINE: Burton Fathered Child In Extramarital Affair; GOP Lawmaker Decries Probes Into His Past
BYLINE: Edward Walsh, Washington Post Staff Writer
BODY: House Government Reform and Oversight Committee Chairman Dan Burton (R-Ind.), one of President Clinton's most
persistent and combative critics, acknowledged yesterday that he is the father of a child who was born out of wedlock.
In a written statement released to the Indianapolis Star and News, Burton said he was making the disclosure to end
harassment of the child's mother and others by news organizations. He also sought to link interest in his private life by
news organizations to his role in investigating 1996 campaign fund-raising abuses by Clinton's reelection committee and
the Democratic National Committee.
"There was a relationship many years ago from which a child was born," Burton said in the statement. "I am the father.
With my wife's knowledge, I have fulfilled my responsibilities as the father."
"I'm not going to talk any more about my personal life," the Indiana Republican added. "I've hurt some people that I love
very much. Enough is enough."
Burton provided no details about the woman or the child. But in its editions today, the Star and News reported that
Burton had the extramarital relationship with the woman and fathered the child in the early 1980s, when he was a
member of the Indiana Senate and the woman worked for a state agency. The newspaper said the woman, who is
married, and her teenage son live in central Indiana but did not disclose their names or exact location.
Burton's admission ended days of intense speculation over possible embarrassing news stories dealing with his private
life. Earlier this week, the Indianapolis paper reported that Burton had been warning people in his district, which includes
parts of Indianapolis and its northern suburbs, that Vanity Fair magazine was about to publish a "scandal story" about
his personal life.
The disclosure comes as Burton and his House colleagues await a report from independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr
on Clinton's admitted sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. Some Republicans have
warned that the White House planned a "scorched earth" defense, delving into the private lives of congressional
Republicans as a way to shield Clinton from the consequences of the Lewinsky scandal.
The White House has denied any such intention and specifically denied that it played any role in the investigations of
Burton's private life by news organizations. Vic Caleca, deputy managing editor of the Indianapolis Star and News, said
Burton acknowledged the illegiti mate son in an interview yesterday morning after realizing that the paper had enough
evidence to publish today's story.
Asked why the story was newsworthy, Caleca said: "Congressman Burton has consistently gotten high marks from the
Christian Coalition. He certainly has put himself to the fore in the Clinton investigation. It's a sad fact of the '90s that for
someone who's spoken out and positioned himself on family values kinds of issues, we think it's relevant. It's a character
issue."
Caleca said that the woman and the boy had "rebuffed" the paper in several interview attempts and that the Star and
News will not name them. "What put it over the top was that he had actually fathered a child," he said.
Burton is one of the House's most conservative Republicans and, as chairman of the House committee that has been
investigating campaign finance abuses, one of Clinton's most dogged pursuers. In April, he called the president "a
scumbag" and said that was why he was "out to get" Clinton.
Burton began his statement acknowledging his out-of-wedlock child by referring to his role in the campaign fund-raising
investigation, which he said had brought him "under attack from people inside and outside the Clinton administration. I
was prepared for this, and I made a promise to the American people that I would never allow these attacks to deter my
efforts to uncover the truth."
Without mentioning Clinton, Burton also sought to contrast his admission with allegations that have been made against
the president in the Lewinsky investigation. "I have never perjured myself," he said. "I have never committed obstruction
of justice. I have been as straight as an arrow in my public duty. But this is private."
Burton said that his wife, Barbara, was aware of the child and that he had apologized to her and their family.
Burton told the Indianapolis Star and News that he had paid child support to the mother of his child over the years.
"I have tried to be as straight as I could be with my family on all this," Burton told the newspaper. "I tried to keep it
between my family and this lady's family."
According to the Star and News, Burton has been in Indiana the last two days discussing the situation with the woman,
their child, his family and closest friends.
"What bothers me the most is not about me," Burton told the newspaper. "I know this is hard for someone to believe
about a politician, but I have watched everybody's hearts being ripped out today. I just don't want anybody to be hurt
any more than they are going to be hurt. I made a mistake."
Staff writer Howard Kurtz contributed to this report. |
