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According to his relatives, Vidal spent a lot of his immense fortune on legal fees to conceal his guilty secret. This came as a shock to those who thought Vidal had spent most of his money on his chronic alcohol addiction and his generous patronage of young male prostitutes brought to his house daily by his secretary. Speaking to Tim Teeman, who wrote a book about Vidal’s sex-life, his sister compared Vidal to Jerry Sandusky, the notorious sports coach paedophile. Vidal spent $1 million on legal costs to keep Buckley from revealing details of his dealings with underage boys.  Mr Steers, an actor and film director, said: ‘I know Buckley had a file on him that Gore feared. Buckley had something over him. It would make sense if that material was about him having underage sex.’

According to his relatives, Vidal spent a lot of his immense fortune on legal fees to conceal his guilty secret. This came as a shock to those who thought Vidal had spent most of his money on his chronic alcohol addiction and his generous patronage of young male prostitutes brought to his house daily by his secretary. Speaking to Tim Teeman, who wrote a book about Vidal’s sex-life, his sister compared Vidal to Jerry Sandusky, the notorious sports coach paedophile. Vidal spent $1 million on legal costs to keep Buckley from revealing details of his dealings with underage boys.  Mr Steers, an actor and film director, said: ‘I know Buckley had a file on him that Gore feared. Buckley had something over him. It would make sense if that material was about him having underage sex.’

And he added, pointedly: ‘Gore spent a lot of time in Bangkok, after all.’ The Thai capital is infamous for child prostitution and Gore would visit every year. Friends say he had sex there with young male prostitutes.

And he added, pointedly: ‘Gore spent a lot of time in Bangkok, after all.’ The Thai capital is infamous for child prostitution and Gore would visit every year. Friends say he had sex there with young male prostitutes.

Mr Steers said Gore appeared to condone child abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests: ‘He would say that the young guys involved were hustlers who were sending signals.’

Mr Steers said Gore appeared to condone child abuse perpetrated by Catholic priests: ‘He would say that the young guys involved were hustlers who were sending signals.’

He added that when Vidal’s half-brother, Jamie Auchinloss, was caught with child pornography, ‘Gore would not condemn him’.

He added that when Vidal’s half-brother, Jamie Auchinloss, was caught with child pornography, ‘Gore would not condemn him’.

In the Seventies, Vidal even spoke out in support of paedophiles who formed a notorious group set up to campaign for legalised sex between adults and children called NAMBLA, the North-American Man/Boy Love Association.

In the Seventies, Vidal even spoke out in support of paedophiles who formed a notorious group set up to campaign for legalised sex between adults and children called NAMBLA, the North-American Man/Boy Love Association.

One of his friends admitted he was astonished when Vidal once told him: ‘You know I’m a pederast.’

One of his friends admitted he was astonished when Vidal once told him: ‘You know I’m a pederast.’

Vidal had other dark secrets, his half-sister told Teeman. In 1957, he and a group of men, including the British poet Stephen Spender, beat up a male prostitute under a bridge. Burr Steers says the incident - which has never been reported - happened in England.  

Vidal had other dark secrets, his half-sister told Teeman. In 1957, he and a group of men, including the British poet Stephen Spender, beat up a male prostitute under a bridge. Burr Steers says the incident - which has never been reported - happened in England.   

  In 2012, several years after William Buckley’s death, his son, Christopher, said he had thrown away the file his father kept on Vidal.”

Vidal lived with a male partner, Howard Austen, but this relationship was like most homosexual partnerships, a matter of convenient house-sharing by two promiscuous people.

Vidal lived with a male partner, Howard Austen, but this relationship was like most homosexual partnerships, a matter of convenient house-sharing by two promiscuous people.