Complex sentence: Thorpe denied any such relationship while admitting that the two had been friends, and with the help of political colleagues and a compliant press ensured that any rumours of misconduct were unreported for more than a decade.
Split into simpler sentences: Thorpe denied any such relationship, while admitting that the two had been friends. With the help of political colleagues and a compliant press, he was able to ensure that rumours of misconduct were unreported for more than a decade.