Kennedy Testifies at Florida Grand Jury

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) testified Friday before a grand jury investigating obstruction-of-justice charges related to the rape case against his nephew, but he is not the target of the probe, a prosecutor said.

William G. Barry, a former FBI agent who spoke to two police officers at the Kennedy compound the day after William Kennedy Smith allegedly raped a woman there, is the subject of the investigation, State Atty. David H. Bludworth said.

“Sen. Kennedy is a witness, not the subject,” Bludworth said, adding that the grand jury will reconvene in coming weeks to hear more witnesses and resolve the misdemeanor case.

Kennedy emerged from nearly 80 minutes of questioning and said he could not comment on the case. He was immediately driven to the airport.

As Kennedy left for New York, his spokesman, Paul Donovan, told reporters outside the courthouse: “He is cooperating every way possible. He answered all the questions.”

Asked if the senator believes that Barry has done anything wrong, Donovan replied, “I don’t think there was ever any intention by Bill Barry or anyone else to mislead police.”

Barry, a longtime family friend who served as bodyguard to the senator’s late brother, Robert F. Kennedy, did not appear here Friday. Barry’s son, Matthew, 29, reached at the family home in suburban New York City, said, “Anybody who knows my father knows he did nothing wrong.”

According to a police report, Barry told two detectives who arrived at the Kennedy estate on March 31, a day after the alleged rape, that Smith had flown to Washington and that the senator was not in the house. But police later learned that Smith and Kennedy were on the estate grounds at the time.

Smith was indicted earlier that month on charges of felony sexual battery and misdemeanor assault. He is scheduled to stand trial here Jan. 13.