John Kerry... Deadbeat Dad?

www.crushkerry.com ^ | 4/19/04 | www.crushkerry.com

[crushkerry]

On the campaign trail the Kerry's look like a devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky brood. But like many upper crust families, the Kerry's too have a dark history; one swirling in a shadowy fog of divorce, depression, thoughts of suicide, and perhaps even deadbeat parenting.

It all started in 1971 when Julia Thorne met a young Yale grad and Navy boy named John Kerry. We have covered this early part of the story in some detail before.

What is clear is that Thorne suffered from severe depression. She was also so lonely during her life with the ambitious Kerry, she contemplated suicide more than once. But, thank God, Miz Thorne found help through the healing touch of therapy. Away from John Kerry she found balance and happiness.

But that's also where the story gets weird. You see, John Kerry became a bit of a drifter in those post-Julia Thorne days. He fancied himself a bit of a playboy and dated numerous B-list actresses.

And, according to the Boston Globe, found himself is some financial trouble:

He took out a $473,000 loan to purchase a home in Washington, thinking his daughters would be staying with him for periods of time. It was "a huge mistake," he says, as he found himself returning to Boston most weekends to maintain his ties to his children and the state. He sold the D.C. home and bought a Boston condo but "lost his shirt" when he sold it a few years later, as he told the Globe in 1996. "He was broke," [Kerry comrade] Blum says.

At the time, Kerry had to hit the speaking circuit to collect honoraria (a practice that is now illegal for members of Congress) in order "to meet child-support payments, campaign debts, and tuition costs." He collected over $120,000 from such entities as Big Oil and Big Tobacco.

He must not have done a good job of making those child support payments, though. Shortly thereafter Julia Thorne filed a law suit against John Kerry to get more child support from him. The story was covered only briefly in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on June 10th, 1995:

Sen. John Kerry's ex-wife is suing him for higher support payments, saying his income is up substantially. The lawsuit was filed April 6, seven weeks before the Massachusetts Democrat married Teresa Heinz, the widow of Sen. John Heinz III of Pennsylvania. She controls a fortune estimated at $675 million.

Both Kerry and his former wife, Julia Thorne, said the lawsuit has nothing to do with his remarrying May 26. They divorced in 1988.

The story raised some troubling questions. Like, did John Kerry ever miss any of his child support payments during his cash-strapped, Hollywood-lovin' days? And just how little was he paying Thorne for child support? Thorne is the heiress to a $300 million Wall Street fortune, which leads us to believe it was more a matter of principle than of money. Nonetheless, we think voters are entitled to answers.

During the primary, John Kerry said, "The highest office in the land requires the highest level of openness for the American people.... As president, openness will be the hallmark of my administration, not some talking point."

We ask for nothing less before we consider whether or not to put a potential deadbeat dad in the White House.

[LadyDoc]

Shortly thereafter Julia Thorne filed a law suit against John Kerry to get more child support from him.

Ummm...hate not to bash the guy, but she was richer than he was, so why was she suing for child support?

Sounds like he did his best to put up with a whining wife who decided to be "depressed" because he worked too hard...I know lots of doctors wives who became depressed or alcoholic and blamed their hubbies...(never occured to them that a lot of the "companionship" they wanted from their husbands could be found in friends and relatives, indeed in most societies this companionship with friends not husbands is considered normal for women)

And it sounds like a lot of his money problems were from trying to care for his kids-- i.e. larger house etc.

No wonder he prefers Heintz: She doesn't whine all day, and has her own career before he met her.

[crushkerry]

Bump

[OldFriend]

Seems to me there was a story that after their separation but before their divorce, the first wife supported Kerry while he drifted thru various starlets and enjoyed the single life.

[OldFriend]

Who wrote your rant......ketchupboy himself?

[lonestar]

Thorne is the heiress to a $300 million Wall Street fortune, which leads us to believe it was more a matter of principle than of money. Nonetheless, we think voters are entitled to answers.

I agree with this.

You really think he was thinking of his kids when he bought a house in DC?

[elli1]

The Kerry girls would have been 18 & 21, respectively, in 1995. Sounds like the private college tuition bills were hitting the mailbox & time for the boarding school, private college educated daddy-o to pony up some more cash. Given that Ms Thorne resorted to suing for additional support (as opposed to Kerry voluntarily upping the ante) is interesting.

[netmilsmom]

You are correct.
My ex-boss is a Psych. While he worked his booty off to give wifey everything she dreamed of, she turned to chemicals. She (along with her scum lawyer brother) decided she would be better off without him.

After 5 years of her never being satisfied with enough in a divorce settlement, the papers finally went through. He ended up with his 15,000 practice. In the meantime, she got the house, the kids, the cars, all of the savings and 4000.00 a month in alimony and child support. That was actually more than he made after expenses.

He was forced to close the practice and go into the private sector to make more money.

Here is the strange thing, she was taking down a tree with a new boyfriend. The tree fell on her and she died (actually very tragic for her kids). She had soured her kids on their father so much that they refused to live with him. They chose to live with the Uncle. My ex-boss had to continue to pay alimony on the dead wife and the brother sued the Hospital where she was treated and got a healthy settlement.

Men,you have no rights. Think carefully before you have children with that sexy young thing, you could lose everything.

[aruanan]

Ummm...hate not to bash the guy, but she was richer than he was, so why was she suing for child support?

Because as the father he has a financial responsibility to his children that is not eliminated by his former wife's wealth.

[Rummyfan]

I'm sure Kerry has all that information down at campaign headquarters, along with his service records from the Navy, and Teresa's tax returns, etc etc. He told us we are welcome to come check it out on MTP yesterday. How many journalists were down at headquarters this morning waiting for them to open I wonder.

[Rebelbase]

"He must not have done a good job of making those child support payments, though. Shortly thereafter Julia Thorne filed a law suit against John Kerry to get more child support from him"

I think Kerry is a scumbag who would ruin this nation, but to infer that he wasn't making payments just because his ex filed for more money is an accusation that borders on libel, IMO.

Anyone who has been through the custody rigner before knows that child support adjustments are part of the game and should expected during the life of the custody agreement.

[SamAdams76]

Because as the father he has a financial responsibility to his children that is not eliminated by his former wife's wealth.

Too bad the sentiment doesn't work both ways. There are fathers who gain custody of their kids in a divorce and only rarely does the ex-wife have to pony up. In fact, the ex-wife sometimes even gets alimony (on top of not having to pay child support).

As for Kerry, imagine having an ex-wife worth $300 million and a current wife worth $600 million! Problems like that, I do believe I could handle.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Your tagline is hilarious!

When my husband divorced me, he gave me custody of my children, unconstested. I had an income, he did not (he was disabled; long story). I asked for no child support, no alimony. The papers came back that he had to pay me ~$280 per month on $0 income, and I was to pay him $50 a month alimony(!)

He never paid (he died about 2 years ago), but that was OK. The whole thing made no sense.

[Walkingfeather]

what was our mistake with Howard Dean? We crushed him too early. It is too early to crush kerry. We need a wounded (politically) kerry to limp into the final stretch. What we dont need is a politically dead democrat being replaced at the convention by a dark horse faced hilary.

[SpinyNorman]

Maybe it was a way of getting back at him after she became depressed after the realization that she was only a source of income he used to perpertuate the lifestyle that he had become accustomed to (or thought he should).

Afterall, a gigolo DOES have a responsibility to keep his "hostess" satisfied. Sounds like J F'n K fell down on the job.

Maybe she just wanted her money back for services not rendered!

[mewzilla]

He had other responsibilities in addition to the financial one, ones that he could have and should have still met even if strapped for cash. Wonder if he met those?

[fight_truth_decay]

This story serves no purpose..I checked the site. Sorry! Embellishments.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

I'm ready and willing to bash Kerry whenever possible. This, however, is much too speculative. Worth looking into, but I wouldn't use it until more facts were available.

[elli1]

And it sounds like a lot of his money problems were from trying to care for his kids-- i.e. larger house etc.

I think his money problems came from not being able to support himself in the style to which he had become accustomed to by his wealthy mom & wealthy ex-wife---and the ''etc.'' expense involved in sniffing around after Hollywood actresses. Kerry's money management philosophy appears to consist of finding a wealthy woman to pick up the tab. Clearly, he can't be trusted w/ real estate, having encumbered the house he co-''owns'' w/ a $6 million mortgage.

[sandbar]

>Ummm...hate not to bash the guy, but she was richer than >he was, so why was she suing for child support?

Technically, I make more than my non-working ex husband, does that mean that he doesn't owe me?

It IS about principle. He can be running around like a big hotshot Hollywood star, but can't pay his child support?