Hart ‘Not Telling Truth’ About Weekend Encounter, Editor Says

Officials from the Miami Herald took issue Tuesday with key facts in Gary Hart’s account of his weekend encounter with a Miami actress that has rocked his campaign for the Democratic nomination for President.

In a speech to the American Newspaper Publishers Assn. here Tuesday, Hart called the Herald story of the encounter “false and misleading” and charged that the reporters who staked out his Washington town house this weekend to report the story “refused” to interview actress Donna Rice before filing their report, “which we asked them and urged them to do.”

Hart later said that when he “confronted” reporters outside his home Saturday night, “we offered them all the facts in the story, and they refused that until they filed their story, until they made their Sunday deadline.”

Tom Fiedler, the Herald’s political editor and author of the story about Hart’s weekend, told reporters afterward: “He’s not telling the truth.”

Fiedler, said he and two other Herald reporters “repeatedly” asked Hart if they could talk to Rice when they talked with the candidate outside his home about 10 p.m. Saturday.

Hart absolutely refused, Fiedler said, arguing that Rice was a private figure and that they had no right to invade her privacy. Hart also declined to identify Rice and said he did not even know her occupation, Fiedler said.

The only offer to talk to Rice, Fiedler said, came more than two hours later when William Broadhurst, an attorney who is a friend of Hart’s, called Fiedler at the hotel where he was writing his story. Broadhurst then offered to allow the Herald to talk to Rice on the condition that the Herald delay publication of the story, Fiedler said.

Fiedler said Broadhurst then also refused to allow the Herald to interview Rice on the phone, insisting instead that reporters talk with her at his town house.

Fiedler also differed with Hart over the interview they conducted with the candidate. Hart said he had noticed reporters staking out his home and he “had to roust them out” to talk to them.

Fiedler said two Herald reporters decided to identify themselves after Hart walked past them as they sat in a parked car outside his home. They got out of the car, Fielder said, and “virtually chased them (Hart and Rice) down the alley” behind Hart’s house to talk to him.