Gerald Gainous Explained

Gerald Bryan Gainous Jr.[1] (born c.1951)[2] was a resident of Washington D.C. who climbed the fence surrounding the White House four times in 1975 and 1976 during the Ford administration.[3]

In the first incident, which occurred November 26, 1975, he was able to walk about the grounds without being stopped for about 90 minutes.[4] He approached the President's daughter, Susan Ford, as she was unloading camera equipment from her car, before carrying on.[5] He was freed on probation after that incident.

Gainous claimed he was trying to gain the President's attention in order to obtain a pardon for his father who had been convicted of conspiring to import heroin.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Chaplin . Gordon . The White House Cases . 4 November 2022 . The Washington Post . 2 October 1977.
  2. News: WHITE HOUSE ORDERS REPORT ON INTRUDER . 4 November 2022 . The New York Times . 16 December 1975.
  3. News: Reading Eagle . August 16, 1976 . 6 . Young Man Again Caught Scaling White House Fence. August 7, 2011 .
  4. [Federation of American Scientists]
  5. http://prop1.org/park/pave/rev9.htm Protection of the White House Complex in the Twentieth Century
  6. News: Calgary Herald . August 16, 1976 . 8 . White House fence stunt repeated: Intruder getting familiar. August 7, 2011 .