According to the story Fred Snodgrass told us, the trouble began when his wife began staying out late, coming home intoxicated, and spending mysterious amounts of time with the future head of the House Judiciary Committee. Her wild ways made raising a family difficult. After Fred confronted her about her behavior, Cherie Snodgrass promised to change her ways, but quickly went back to her pattern of carousing and infidelity. This went on for several years, and although the couple briefly reunited, their marriage was doomed.

In our effort to get to the bottom of the story, we sent our reporting staff to interview Cherie Snodgrass to find whether this account of her behavior was accurate. The results were inconclusive.