Governor Jeb Bush’s Son Violated Florida’s Sodomy Law and Doesn’t Get
Charged
What if the GOP hadn’t stolen this from under all our noses? (excerpt)
Working
For Change, December 11, 2000
By David Corn
[snip]
All pundits and political junkies will have their favorite what-if. Here is mine. Two
days before the election, a London newspaper, The Mail, ran an item noting that
Governor Jeb Bush’s 16-year-old-son John (aka "Jebby") had been busted by
the police a month earlier for having had sex with a bare-to-the-waist 17-year-old girl in
a Jeep Cherokee parked at a Tallahassee shopping mall. Two security officers had come upon
the scene — the action was occurring at 10:00 pm — and they called in the
police.
The issue was not that George W. Bush’s nephew was engaged in truly a youthful
indiscretion. But according to Artie Brown, one of the two security guards, Jebby spoke to
his father-the-governor and then said, "My dad will fix it." And maybe Jeb Bush
did. Jebby was never charged. There was a police report filed that noted that the cops had
investigated a possible crime of "sexual misconduct." But Sergeant Oscar
Brannon, who filed the report, said charges were not pursued because the lustful couple
had not been in public view. Brown, though, contradicted that assessment. And in his
report, Brannon did note that shortly after he arrived at the parking lot, "I became
aware of the political ties" of the male suspect.
The important question is, did Governor Jeb Bush use his clout to protect a son caught
not acting in accordance with Republican family values? This is not an insignificant
query, for had Big Jeb intervened in any manner it would be an abuse of office.
The police report was leaked to the major newspapers of Florida. None went with the
story. So on the final weekend of the campaign — when George W. was working the
Sunshine State hard — the only mention of this potential trouble appeared across the
Atlantic.
Ponder how those last days might have played out had this news emerged —
particuarly after the electorate had been treated to revelations regarding George W.
Bush’s 1976 drunk-driving arrest. Would Bush’s appearances in Florida have been
dominated by questions regarding the possible interference of his brother in a police
matter? Might Jeb have been distracted and forced to take time away from his efforts to
win Florida for his brother? What if? Certainly, such a ruckus could have cost the Bush
clan 538 votes.
[snip]
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