page 92
"For 15 years, Carrie Phillips held out the delusional hope that Harding would quit politics, divorce his wife and marry her. Her great fear was that he would run for President - once in the White House divorce would be impossible..."
Harding assured her he wasn't going to run. So when he did, she admitted her affair to her husband, who, it is said, helped her blackmail Harding.
"Harding responded by writing a letter to Phillips offering her an ultimatum. He could retire completely from politics "to avoid disgrace in the public eye" and never speak to her again, or he could continue to run for president and pay her big bucks. He promised, "I will pay you $5,000 ( $57,000 today) per year in March each year, so long as I am in the public service." Harding's salary as senator was $7000. The president in the 1920's made $65,000. If he won the presidency, there would be plenty of money to cover Phillips' hush money payments..."
Meanwhile Harding had another mistress, Nan Britton, who had a child by him.
page 95
"Harding actually took comfort in the Democrats focus on Carrie Phillips because it distracted them from his illegitimate child."From Larry Flynt and David Eisenbach's book.
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