Was there an agenda behind exposing Josh Duggar? It turns out that a tip lead to In Touch magazine digging into the Duggar family’s background, and nobody is exposing the source of that first tip. However, when journalist Rick Egusquiza began to dig in, he says he found plenty of people willing to talk. If you haven’t heard it yet, expect it to be the source of new agenda and persecution claims from Duggar supporters: Egusquiza is an openly gay man.
The Advocate interviewed him, asking 19 questions about his search through Josh Duggar’s background, and the full interview deserves a read. As far as an agenda goes, while the journalist says he was disgusted with much of what he learned about the Duggars and their anti-gay and anti-trans political campaigns, he says he didn’t know much about them before he began — so it would be a bit out of the way to suggest he started with any agenda other than finding the story.
Was there an agenda, political or otherwise, behind that first tip to In Touch ? Maybe someone particularly wanted to hurt the Duggars (or hurt them back ), or maybe someone just wasn’t happy with the story being covered up. Or, just maybe, there’s still more to the story, and the old news needed to see light of day for the rest of it to come out.
Closing the interview, Equisquiza was asked if he would take on the Duck Dynasty family and find out what they’ve got in their closets next. (Not that Phil Robertson’s anti-gay rant , declarations of longing for pre-civil rights days , suggestion to woo underaged women who will ‘ get your ducks ,’ or weird fantasy about atheists being forced to watch their children raped and abused did anything to put an end to the show).
The answer to that, though, was telling.
“I’ll get on that, but I don’t think we’re done with the Duggars yet.”
Not yet done with the Duggars? Is there more information already uncovered and yet to be released? Maybe so. According to 5 News , the second law enforcement organization to release information on Josh Duggar released over 50 pages . In Touch has released fewer than 40 pages total , between the first and second police report combined — and only 4 pages of that are from the second report.
The Duggar family moved fast to have Josh’s police report destroyed — perhaps in hopes of keeping whatever else may be in those 50 pages under wraps. They may have successfully prevented any more information from leaving the police record room — but it sounds like the stop may have come too late.
Could this be why Josh Duggar isn’t talking to the press, instead having his parents and younger sisters form a protective shield, speaking to Megyn Kelly in his place?
[Screengrab via TLC ]