What Exactly is Maryland
Delegate Jon Cardin Hiding?
Maryland Official Cites Pedophile Murder Case to Withhold
Information from the Public
Bowie, MD -- Today, International Healing Foundation (IHF), a
non-profit therapeutic organization in Bowie, MD expressed disappointment in
Maryland Delegate Jon Cardin’s lack of transparency with the public. In a March
27 letter in response to IHF’s allegations of defamation and misconduct in
reference to HB 91, a bill that sought to take
away the rights of minor clients to seek counseling for unwanted same-sex
attractions (SSA), Delegate Cardin stated: “I
welcome any investigations you or your lawyers wish to pursue,” yet when IHF
submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for key documents that would
reveal any illegal or improper conduct on the Delegate’s part, he refused to
release them, citing Maryland “legislative privilege.”
In making his claim for legislative
privilege, Cardin relies on a pedophile murder case in order to withhold
information from the public. He cites Hamilton vs. Verdow, in which a pedophile
molested and murdered two young boys in 1980. At the time, the Maryland
Attorney General refused to hand over documents on the pedophile, asserting
that they were privileged by law. The court agreed with Maryland and went so
far as to cite the United States vs. Nixon case in favor of privilege. This
doctrine is also referred to as a “privilege for governmental secrets.”
“It
is ironic for Delegate Cardin to cite a pedophile murder case in order to
justify the withholding of documents that could, in fact, help young people in
Maryland heal from the trauma of child molestation,” commented Christopher
Doyle, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Director of IHF. “In nearly
twenty-five years, our clinic has witnessed that approximately half of our
clients who seek therapy for unwanted homosexual feelings have a history of
childhood sexual abuse that may have contributed to their unwanted same-sex
attraction.”
Research published in the scientific
peer-reviewed literature demonstrates a link between childhood homosexual molestation
and later development of same-sex attraction for some individuals. For example,
a 2001 study in the prestigious Archives of Sexual Behavior found
that among 942 participants, forty-six percent of the homosexual men in
contrast to 7% of the heterosexual men reported homosexual molestation, while twenty-two
percent of lesbian women in contrast to 1% of heterosexual women reported
homosexual molestation.
“In the effort to encourage full
disclosure and accountability of state public officials, Cardin should release
the documents requested to promote the public interest and safety of children
in Maryland. There should be no governmental secrets about our children,”
commented Doyle.
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International Healing Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit
organization serving the LGBT community, individuals with unwanted same-sex
attractions, and their families. Since 1990, it has helped thousands of
individuals, families, and communities struggling with sexual orientation. For
more information, visit: www.ComingOutLoved.com
