Today is the anniversary of one of the most famous political scandals of the 1960’s. If not for it, we might have had a second Kennedy brother become President.
On July 18, 1969, Sen. Edward Kennedy attended a cookout at a cottage on Chappaquiddick Island. He was one of six men and there were six young ladies in attendance. The women had all been campaign aides for his brother Robert’s presidential campaign in 1968. They were called the “Boiler Room Girls”. At 11:15, Kennedy and Mary Jo Koppechne left the party in his Oldsmobile. Kennedy claimed he was taking an ill Kopechne back to her hotel room (but she left here purse and hotel room key at the cottage). Instead of taking a left to stay on the blacktop, he took a right onto a dirt road and ended up running off a wooden bridge crossing a tidal pond. The car flipped over, but Kennedy was able to get out. Mary Jo was not able to. Kennedy claimed he dove in several times, but could not reach her. He then headed back to the cottage on foot. He passed several houses, including one just 150 yards from the accident. He did not attempt to find a phone. When he reached the cottage, he enlisted two friends to drive to the accident. His friends tried unsuccessfully to rescue Mary Jo. Then they drove Kennedy back to the ferry that led to his hotel. The trio discussed what to do, with a pay phone nearby. His friends urged him to call the police. Instead, Kennedy suddenly jumped in the water and swam to his hotel. He changed clothes and went to sleep. The next morning he behaved like nothing had happened. Meanwhile, the car was spotted by two fishermen around 8 A.M. A scuba diver recovered the body. Kennedy made several phone calls that morning, but none were to report the accident. He finally went to the police station at 10 A.M., after he heard that the car had been found. He claimed he had been suffering from a concussion which caused shock and confusion. He vehemently denied that he was drunk and claimed that he and Mary Jo were not headed for a romantic liaison. Justice decided to take his word for what happened. The fact that he took a “wrong turn” onto a dirt road that led to a secluded beach with a single woman who had not taken her purse or hotel key with her was not proof enough. He was sentenced to two months in jail (which was suspended) and had his license suspended temporarily. He might have gotten off easy, but the suspicious nature of Kopechne’s death was enough to end Kennedy’s chances of ever being President.
https://www.history.com/news/ted-kennedy-chappaquiddick-incident-what-really-happened-facts
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/incident-on-chappaquiddick-island
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chappaquiddick_incident
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