The photograph portrayed a Miami part-time model, Donna Rice sitting on the lap of Democrat Presidential candidate on a yacht in the Atlantic Ocean, on the way to Bahamas.

It was only a week back Gary Hart had left his wife in Colorado to spend his weekend with the known actress.

A Washington Post reporter later asked Gary, - "Have you ever committed adultery?" and Hart didn't reply. The chat was being telecast live. It was beginning of his fall from the grace.

Hart went to his home in Colorado, withdrawing from the presidential race. And before retreating on May 8, he gave a farewell speech, full of bitterness.

Hart had earlier been accused of being a womaniser. Annoyed and irritated, he had thrown a challenge to reporters to put a "tail on him." And the reporter caught him red-handed.

There are other side of Hart-Donna scandal. Allegations have time and again been made that the affair of Hart and Donna was an engineered one - to discredit Hart.

The scandal created a big furore in America, with big players chipping in to rack moolah. Penthouse and Playboy were ready to pay millions to Dona Rice for revealing her intimate relationship. She however, has remained tight-lipped about the affair.

Controversies have not left trail of Hart. After having lost to presidency, Hart was appointed to the Commission on National Security by the Clinton administration only to be caught in a homeland security controversy later. The Congress, on the other hand has appointed Dona Rice, to the Child Online Protection Commission.