Pubdate: Tue, 20 Jun 2006
Source: Palm Beach Post, The (FL)
Copyright: 2006 The Palm Beach Post
Contact:  http://www.palmbeachpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/333
Author: Brian E. Crowley, Palm Beach Post Political Editor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

DIVORCE PAPERS SHOW A WAYWARD GALLAGHER

A somber Tom Gallagher apologized Monday for his "poor choices" 28 
years ago, including smoking marijuana and acting badly during his 
first marriage.

Gallagher, Florida's chief financial officer and a GOP candidate for 
governor, was joined by his wife, Laura, during a 30-minute 
conference call with reporters. The campaign also provided court 
documents from the 1979 divorce that ended Gallagher's first marriage.

In one of those documents, a legislative aide testifies that she 
"began to date" Gallagher, then a state representative, in June 1978. 
The woman said she was living in a condominium then owned by 
Gallagher. His wife at the time, Anne Louise, found out and filed for divorce.

The decision to speak about those events came after Gallagher's 
gubernatorial campaign was contacted by The Tampa Tribune for a story 
about them.

Gallagher, now 62, remarried in 1998 and has a 7-year-old son from 
that marriage.

In his bid to win the Republican primary in which he faces Attorney 
General Charlie Crist, Gallagher has portrayed himself as a deeply 
religious family man and a social conservative.

He acknowledged Monday that he was not always so family-oriented but 
says that changed with his marriage to Laura and the birth of their 
son. He said his wife knew about his past before they married, and 
she said Monday, "He's a good man. He's a good father."

Gallagher said the most difficult part of talking publicly about the 
past was telling his son, Charlie.

"I told him that Dad has done some things that are wrong," said 
Gallagher. He said he told Charlie that there were things he was "not 
very proud of and very sorry for doing them."

Gallagher said Monday he used marijuana more than 25 years ago but 
did not sell the drug or use any other drug. In the court documents 
provided by Gallagher's campaign, the woman with whom Gallagher had 
an affair declined to answer questions from his wife's lawyer about 
whether he ever used or sold marijuana.

Gallagher did not directly answer a question about how his affair 
might affect his campaign.

"The documents speak for themselves," Gallagher said. "I made 
mistakes that I regret in my first marriage. The divorce was a result 
of my actions, certainly not hers, and I take full responsibility for 
that marriage and I'm disappointed in myself that I hurt people that 
I cared about."

The court divorce documents suggest that Tom and Anne Louise 
Gallagher, who did not have children, ended their 10-year marriage 
with an unpleasant divorce.

He showed up at the marital home to try to take the family dog, 
according to the court documents. That led to a shattered screen door 
and threats of a restraining order. Gallagher also was accused of 
trying to take the car his soon-to-be ex was using.

A Dade County judge, who is not identified in the court documents, 
admonished Gallagher and gave him a prophetic warning.

"You're a public figure. You don't need any adverse publicity," the judge said.

"Yes sir," Gallagher said.

Later the judge said if he was compelled to write a court order, it 
would create a "public record that could be used adversely against 
you in the future in one of your future campaigns."

"Yes sir."

"So do you read me?"

"Yes sir."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman