The Franklin Scandal A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse and Betrayal Nick Bryant THE FRANKLIN SCANDAL: A STORY OF POWERBROKERS, CHILD ABUSE & BETRAYAL COPYRIGHT © 2009, 2011 NICK BRYANT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRESENTATION COPYRIGHT © 2009, 2011 TRINE DAY, LLC Published by: Trine Day LLC PO Box 577 Walterville, OR 97489 1-800-556-2012 www.TrineDay.com [email protected] Library of Congress Control Number: 2009926991 Bryant, Nick The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal— 1st ed. p. cm. (acid-free paper) Includes references and index. Epub (ISBN-13) 978-1-936296-44-6 (ISBN-10) 1-936296-44-6 Mobi (ISBN-13) 978-1-936296-45-3 (ISBN-10) 1-936296-45-4 Print/Hardcover (ISBN-13) 978-0-9777953-5-2 (ISBN-10) 0-9777953-5-7 Print/Softcover (ISBN-13) 978-1-936296-07-1 (ISBN-10) 1-936296-07-1 1. Political corruption—Nebraska—Douglas County—Investigative Case Studies. 2. Political corruption—United States—Washington DC— Investigative Case Studies 3. Child Abuse—United States—Nebraska— Investigative Case Studies. 4. Child Abuse—Pedophilia—Pandering—Investigative Case Studies. 5. Franklin Scandal—Mechanics of cover-up—Nebraska—Douglas County— Investigative Case Studies. 1. Title FIRST EDITION 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the USA Distribution to the Trade by: Independent Publishers Group (IPG) 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 312.337.0747 www.ipgbook.com Publisher’s Foreword This book has been “on my desk” for far too long; that it is even on my desk is in itself a story, and also a very, very sad commentary on the vacuous times in which we live. I first heard about Nick Bryant long before I met him. The word came to me from folks in Nebraska: there was a reporter out there asking questions and saying he was writing a story about the Franklin scandal for a major magazine. Having pitched this very topic and other “suppressed” material to many magazines for years, I thought, “Yeah, sure, sounds like a ‘vacuum- cleaner’ operation to me. (That’s spook parlance for sending someone out into the field to see what they can dig up, who’s where and who’s talking, and about what.) It will never be printed.” A short while later someone gave me Nick’s phone number; I called and we spoke. He definitely knew the subject, and seemed undaunted by the challenges of reporting this tragedy. I had asked several other writers to look at the situation and pen a book; all came back and said they had kids and were frightened—all turned me down. So, Nick’s courage impressed me, and then there was his advocacy, concern and heart-felt empathy for children, especially the disadvantaged and challenged. I told Nick TrineDay wanted to publish an in-depth look at the Franklin scandal. He said he was looking to do the same, but he was hoping to get it placed at a major publishing house. Nick was a successful freelance journalist living in Manhattan, with many friends in the news and print fields, and he was actively shopping a magazine article and a book project around the city. He was with America’s top literary agency—surely they could do something. “New York won’t print it, but we will, or at the very least, they may publish it because they know TrineDay will,” I bluntly said at the time. For the next couple of years we stayed in touch. Nick would let me know of his progress, or lack of it, with NY magazine and book publishers, and I would send him TrineDay’s latest outputs. Later, after his agency dropped him, apparently, over this very story and his magazine article was turned down by everybody, TrineDay brought Nick out to Oregon; we met, sized each other up, and soon agreed to work together. Now, years later, finally, a book. One that answers many questions, while spawning more. A big one being, “Now, what?” What can we the people do when our institutions are so debased that terrible child abuse is covered up using some of our most vaunted governmental agencies, and our “free press” actively misleads us, participating in a venal bamboozlement of our body politic? How and for whom does this system operate when the “watchdogs of the press” turn into the lap dogs of the corrupt? Inveterate champion of the “Franklin” cause, lawyer John DeCamp, tells the story of a judge, who, when asked in chambers about why this scandal keeps getting covered up, even though everyone knows it’s for real, said, “You won’t like it, but this will help you understand—read Billy Budd.” To make a long story short, the judge was implying that sometimes one must allow evil to happen for the system to survive, that the tragedies of a few don’t measure up to the security of all. To that self-serving delusion I say, “Hogwash!” There is no system so sacrosanct that it can condone sadistic child abuse. The terms “honey-trap” and “national security” do not absolve dirty deeds done at the expense of us all; those are simply terms used to deter investigations and consequences. In my opinion, any “security” bought by such a debasement brings us nothing but a deep stain. I believe an honest look at the facts reveals private agendas, systemic corruption, and very real, horrific abuse … not legitimate “statecraft.” Therefore, I hope and pray that this book will help us, “We the People,” take notice of this gross crime and take some long overdue action. What kind of action? Stand up, speak out and tell your friends. Get outraged, write your elected representatives, call your local news—ask them to cover this story. Get involved locally with your feet, speech and heart. Get involved globally on the Internet. For in this computer age, we the people do have tools to bring about true change. Do we have the courage, the will? We shall see, for time has certainly brought us a way. Peace, Kris Millegan Publisher TrineDay June 15, 2009