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Accused of Pedophelia Republican Commits Suicide

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Bianca
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« on: September 09, 2007, 05:31:54 pm »


It's the turn of my present hometown, St. Petersburg, Florida:






                                      Scandal and suicide on St. Pete City Council





As police investigate allegations of sexual abuse, St. Petersburg City Council Chairman John Bryan kills himself.



By ABHI RAGHUNATHAN, AARON SHAROCKMAN and CHRIS TISCH
Published September 8, 2007

                                                      The death of John Bryan



Friday morning in family court, St. Petersburg Council Chairman John Bryan agreed to stay away from his teenage daughters. Early in the afternoon, he resigned from the Council. And at roughly 5:45 p.m., he was found dead at a home he owned in Citrus County, slumped in a golf cart in the garage with a riding mower running.

Bryan's neighbors, co-workers dumbfounded
Those who knew him remember him warmly
A council in transition faces a "big shock"
Download Bryan's resignation letter (PDF)

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Breaking News Video
 


ST. PETERSBURG - City Council Chairman John Bryan walked into City Hall just after 1 p.m. Friday and handed in his resignation letter.

Less than five hours later, he was slumped over in a golf cart in the garage of his Floral City house, dead from carbon monoxide poisoning. He was 56.

Bryan's suicide came after news spread Friday that authorities were investigating allegations that he had sexually abused three girls, including two of his adopted daughters, ages 12 and 15. Ron Stuart, a spokesman for the Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court, said the third alleged victim was a nanny for Bryan years ago and no longer lives in the area.

For city officials, the allegations were as jarring as they were sickening. Bryan was a hometown business hero, a pillar of the community, a powerful voice on the City Council and a fierce ally of Mayor Rick Baker.

St. Petersburg Times reporter Dan DeWitt went to Bryan's home in Citrus County on Friday afternoon seeking an interview about the allegations. DeWitt drove about 100 yards up a gravelly driveway and walked toward Bryan's lakefront home about 5:45 p.m. He heard a motor running in the garage, a tan block building about 20 feet from the house, and smelled exhaust fumes.

He looked through a small window into the garage and saw a man resembling Bryan slumped over in a white golf cart. A red riding mower was running, and the room was filled with smoke. Two four-wheelers in the garage had also run out of gas, Citrus County officials later said.

DeWitt called 911 and tried to open the garage door, which was locked. Five minutes later, paramedics arrived and broke into the garage. A paramedic told DeWitt that Bryan was dead.

"I was stunned," DeWitt said.

In an enclosed space, carbon monoxide can quickly render people unconscious and kill them in minutes, officials said.

St. Petersburg police declined to comment on news of Bryan's suicide, or on their investigation. Bryan left a note, but DeWitt said Citrus County deputies would not let him see it.

- - -

Around midmorning Friday, Bryan attended a shelter hearing in front of Circuit Judge Raymond Gross at the criminal court complex in Largo. Such hearings determine who has custody of children while authorities investigate abuse allegations.

The hearing was brief, according to court spokesman Stuart. St. Petersburg police had opened a criminal investigation into Bryan.

Authorities were investigating allegations that Bryan had sexually abused two of his adopted daughters, Stuart said. The Times is withholding their names because of the nature of the allegations.

In addition, authorities were investigating whether Bryan had sexually abused his former nanny, whom he had also adopted. The former nanny is now 38.

Stuart said Bryan admitted to a sexual relationship with the nanny, but said it was consensual and occurred after the nanny turned 18. "He claims she was of age," Stuart said Friday afternoon.

Judge Gross ordered Bryan to have no contact with the children, Stuart said. Gross allowed the children to remain at home with their mother, Alicia Bryan.

"Mr. Bryan agreed to this," Stuart said.

- - -

News of the allegations spread quickly after the court hearing.

Between 1 and 2 p.m., Bryan walked into the City Hall office of City Attorney John Wolfe. He handed over his letter of resignation from the City Council. It was dated Aug. 20, and it said the resignation was effective starting Sept. 7. The "7" appeared to be written in, though the rest of the letter was typed.

Wolfe said Bryan asked him if the letter was sufficient, then he left.

"It is imperative for me to preserve what is of utmost importance to me, my family," Bryan wrote.

"I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the citizens of this great community for their confidence in me to represent them."

About an hour after Bryan resigned, city officials announced plans to hold a news conference in City Hall to discuss a criminal investigation into a City Council member.

At 3:45 p.m., Mayor Rick Baker and acting City Council Chairman James Bennett, who had been vice chairman before Bryan's resignation, gave brief statements.

"As you are aware, we have received news today concerning the resignation of City Council Chair John Bryan," Baker said. "I am saddened by the news."

Late Friday evening, after learning of Bryan's death, Baker added: "My thoughts and prayers are with the Bryan family tonight."

At the news conference, police Chief Chuck Harmon said the department was conducting a criminal investigation but he could not provide details.

Harmon did say that the investigation was not related to Bryan's role as a City Council member. The chief declined to respond to questions.

News organizations began reporting the news about the allegations faced by Bryan as soon as the news conference ended.

DeWitt then drove to Citrus, where he found Bryan dead in the garage at 9285 E Gobbler Drive in Floral City.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Office said Bryan's wife was notified of his death at 8:15 p.m. Friday. His body was removed for autopsy to the medical examiner's office in Leesburg.

- - -

A former developer of single-family homes, Bryan retired in 1999 and focused on what he called his first priority, his family.

Bryan had a total of five children, two from a previous marriage along with the three he adopted.

Bryan was first elected to the City Council in 2001, after running unsuccessfully in 1998. He won re-election four years later with 56 percent of the vote.

A staunch Republican and former finance chairman for U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, Bryan helped push Baker's agenda through the City Council.

From the dais, Bryan was both gruff and blunt. He would correct residents who misspoke, and he did not take criticism quietly. More than once, he threatened to remove council visitors who clapped or spoke out of turn at meetings.

During his two terms, Bryan pushed for upgrades to city pools and recreation facilities. He was instrumental in the creation of a city skate park and brought a climbing rock to Straub Park downtown.

Bryan was active in the local foster care system. He was co-chairman of the Stakeholder's Group, a local board that provides direction to the foster care system. He also served on a Pinellas-Pasco board of the Sarasota YMCA, which oversees foster care services in the two counties.

Bryan resigned from both boards in late July, citing a busy schedule and other personal reasons.

In his resignation letter from the City Council, Bryan spoke fondly of his public service.

"I will forever preserve the memories of serving the city of St. Petersburg," he wrote. "It has been the greatest honor of my life."


http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/08/Southpinellas/Scandal_and_suicide_o.shtml
« Last Edit: September 09, 2007, 05:45:04 pm by Bianca2001 » Report Spam   Logged

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Bianca
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« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2007, 05:43:33 pm »






 Friends and colleagues of City Councilman John Bryan were shocked by sex abuse allegations that led to his suicide.

But not everyone was surprised.

Stories about Bryan's sexual indiscretions had been circulating for nearly two decades.

"I heard the rumors, but you never know if someone's out to get him or no," said Bill Dudley, who was in the Northeast Exchange Club with Bryan. "So I never paid much attention to them. You have to take rumors at face value."

Just as stunning as the rumors, perhaps, is that many of Bryan's closest associates say they never heard them.

Mayor Rick Baker said he didn't know of them.

Current police Chief Chuck Harmon and former police Chief Goliath Davis both said Saturday that they never heard any questions about Bryan's past.

"I wasn't made aware of any type of allegation against Mr. Bryan until this week," Harmon said.

Those who did hear them include Jerry Knight, St. Petersburg's one-time fire chief. He said he couldn't substantiate the rumors.

"I don't know that anybody knows," he said Saturday. "That's the whole issue."

Daniel Price, 77, who was part of a luncheon group with Bryan, also said he heard the gossip.

"The stories about Bryan flouting around with little girls have been abroad in the land for 15 years," Price said.

Former St. Petersburg Times reporter Jon Wilson said he also heard the speculation and looked into it while covering the 2001 city election.

Wilson, now retired from the newspaper, said he heard Bryan had an inappropriate relationship with his oldest adopted daughter.

Wilson said he made a few phone calls inquiring about the alleged sexual abuse. About 15 minutes into his work, Bryan called him.

"He said none of it was true," Wilson recalled.

Wilson said Bryan gave him the woman's phone number and urged him to call her. Wilson placed several calls to the woman, none of which she returned, he recalled.

Wilson said he performed standard background checks on Bryan and reviewed the file of his divorce from his first wife.

"I thought there was an awful lot of smoke, but we could just never find the fire," Wilson said Saturday.

Wilson recalled that most of the whispers came from City Hall outsiders.

Community activist and political gadfly Lorraine Margeson said she heard the rumors while working on Kathleen Ford's mayoral campaign in 2000.

"It was widely rumored that there were suspicions that Mr. Bryan had tendencies toward pedophilia," Margeson said. "I would find it hard to believe that no one else heard these rumors before, because they were widely discussed."

The rumors seemed to fade after Bryan won the election, Wilson said.

Only recently did they take on more substance.

Authorities recently learned of allegations that Bryan sexually abused his oldest adopted daughter, now 38, years ago. They also were told of accusations that more recently he sexually abused his other two adopted daughters, ages 12 and 15.

Family services officials held a hearing Friday morning, during which a judge ordered Bryan to have no contact with the children. St. Petersburg police also launched a criminal investigation.

Bryan admitted in court to a sexual relationship with his oldest daughter but said it occurred after she turned 18, courts spokesman Ron Stuart said.

Bryan resigned as council chairman, then took his life Friday at his second home in Floral City.

If the rumors were swirling in months or years past, City Councilman Herb Polson said he never heard them.

"I am absolutely shocked by the suggestion that any of those things took place," Polson said. "This is the first time I've heard any of this."

George Rahdert, a friend and political supporter, said Bryan never hinted at the trouble mounting in his life or indicated he knew of an ongoing investigation. He and Bryan had lunch a little more than two weeks ago.

"John was just the kind of guy who never looked like he had any big problems," said Rahdert, a developer and an attorney who also represents the St. Petersburg Times.

He added that he recalled hearing of "some whispers from political enemies" when Bryan first explored getting into politics, but nothing specific and nothing as horrible as sexual abuse.

Robert Skinner said he suspects there was something to the rumors.

Skinner, 45, worked as a foreman for Bryan's home construction business for four years in the early 1980s.

Skinner said Bryan bragged about sexual liaisons with high-priced prostitutes in Tampa.

Skinner said Bryan also made sexual advances toward young female employees and often pursued sexual relationships with women whose homes he built.

Skinner said Bryan did all this while he was married to his first wife.

"He did have a problem. He should have gotten help," Skinner said.

Still, Skinner said Bryan was a good man who treated him well. They vacationed and raced boats together. Skinner helped build the house in Floral City where Bryan ended his life Friday.

Skinner said he "loved him like a father."

"He also had this little dark side," he said.


http://www.tampabay.com/
« Last Edit: September 09, 2007, 08:33:59 pm by Bianca2001 » Report Spam   Logged

Your mind understands what you have been taught; your heart what is true.
Bianca
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« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2007, 02:01:12 pm »



B I L L   M A H E R :








24 - HOUR REPUBLICAN PARTY PEOPLE



Read More: child abuse, David Vitter, larry craig, Mark Foley, real time with Bill Maher, Republican Party, Rev. Ted Haggard, Breaking Politics News

         

New Rule: Republicans changed their party before -- from the party that freed the slaves to the party that freed Scooter Libby -- and they survived. Now it's time for them to stop pretending they're still the party of Reagan and take up a new banner: The Party of Superfreaky Superfreaks.


 


This week, the chairman of the St. Petersburg, Florida, City Council was accused of having sex with his two adopted daughters and their nanny. And he could have been in real trouble, too, if it turned out the nanny was an illegal. But he got ahead of the story when he killed himself by sitting in the garage with the doors closed and the riding lawn mower on.

Two guesses which party he was a member of. And the first guess doesn't count.

And that's not fair. You knew he was a Republican, because even in death, he was still wasting gas.

Republicans sex scandals are getting to be like Iraqi car bombings. By the time you hear about one, there's been another. Ted Haggard, Mark Foley, Bob Allen, Vitter, Craig... It's like "Clue" only the answer is always "A Republican... in the washroom... with his ****."

The Republicans should run on that. "America: You're 230 But We'll Still f*** You." Especially if you're a dude.

It's not really inspiring, but it's better than "Mitt Romney: He Has Hair."




Bill Maher is the host of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" which airs every Friday at 11PM.
« Last Edit: September 14, 2007, 02:11:19 pm by Bianca2001 » Report Spam   Logged

Your mind understands what you have been taught; your heart what is true.
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