Presidential Affairs and Expose' Journalism--1802 Style!

Reports of political infidelity and/or scandalous liaisons are an almost daily affair (pardon the pun!). Talk radio and 24-hour Cable News networks have virtually unlimited resources to track down politicians via cell phone cameras and the web.

There is a sense that this is a relatively new phenomenon, evidenced by the now well- known behavior of President Kennedy, whose White House trysts with women such as Marilyn Monroe were suppressed by a media that chose to look the other way.

Not so.

Well, certainly the 1960’s journalists chose to keep to themselves suspicions of hanky-panky, but perhaps the first journalistic expose was published on this date in 1802.

Yes, 1802!

The Richmond Recorder published a report that Thomas Jefferson, living at Monticello and at the time temporarily retired from politics—had kept one of his female slaves as a mistress. The article gave the woman’s name as only “Sally”, but it was referring to Sally Hemings, who had served as a maid and seamstress to Jefferson's deceased wife Martha. The article was largely dismissed, in part because many people believed the publisher, James Callendar, was exacting revenge for having been snubbed by then-President Jefferson for a political appointment.

The newspaper article correctly stated that Sally Hemings was herself the half-black, half sister to Jefferson’s dead wife-and went on to state that Heming’s son John bore a “striking resemblance to those of the President himself”.

Jefferson chose not to respond to the allegations.

Nonetheless, the rumors persisted-and it is true that although Jefferson never freed Sally, he did free her (his) children at their 21st birthdays.

In 2000, a committee used DNA evidence to conclude that Jefferson did indeed father at least one of Heming’s six children. Watch the fascinating short video below:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHzHurZjuh8

The author of the Declaration of Independence had his reputation tarnished for keeping slaves, but also for carrying on his affair with someone who appeared to have no free choice in the matter. Hemings left Monticello after Jefferson’s death in 1826. Her family has now been officially welcomed by the more "traditional" descendants of our third President.

As for the journalist who blew the whistle-perhaps another lesson is evident. Critical press motivated by personal revenge tarnishes the source as well as the target. It also proves that at the end of the day, even our Founding Fathers were human---and in this case, “Fathers” of more than just our country!

If you’d like my blog in your box daily, just let me know! Tim.moore@citcomm.com