"Give Me Back My Reputation!"(Flashback)

Time Mag ^ | 6/8/87 | GEORGE J. CHURCH

[ricks_place]

At the time it seemed a daring gamble: the defense rested its case without calling a single witness, relying entirely on cross-examination and closing arguments to make its points. But as it turned out, it was no gamble at all: several jurors had already decided that the prosecution had no case, and once the nine-month trial ended, the rest of the twelve-member panel agreed. Only one vote was needed to acquit all ten defendants of each of the ten charges against them. All that remained after 9 1/2 hours of deliberations was for Jury Forewoman Rosa Milligan to pronounce the words not guilty 100 times.

Thus ended the long ordeal of Raymond Donovan, the first U.S. Cabinet member to be indicted while in office. Almost from the time of his confirmation as Secretary of Labor in 1981, Donovan was plagued by allegations that he had maintained close ties with mobsters while he was a construction executive in New Jersey. A special prosecutor investigated him twice and concluded each time that there was "insufficient credible evidence" to indict Donovan for anything. Nonetheless, in 1984 Bronx District Attorney Mario Merola persuaded a grand jury to indict Donovan and the other defendants on charges of larceny and fraud in connection with a subway-tunnel deal. The next year, after a judge refused to dismiss the indictment, Donovan felt obliged to resign. Small wonder, then, that after his acquittal Donovan, rigid and pale, called out to Prosecutor Stephen Bookin, "Give me back my reputation!"

[ricks_place]

Deja vu all over again!

Future News Item: After his acquittal Scooter Libby called out to Prosecutor Fitzpatrick, "Give me back my reputation!"

[Ken522]

Has Mr. Libby been acquitted? I'm sorry, I haven't seen much about this in the last week or so ...

[Lurker]

I remember watching this poor man standing in DC asking "Where do I go to get my reputation back?"

Sorry sir, but of all the Bureaus, Depts, Agencies and the like in DC there is no place that handles that.

L

[Guenevere]

no...not yet

[sgtbono2002]

We may not be able to give back Scooter Libby his reputation,but we can sure take away Fitzgeralds.

Fitzgerald should be prosecuted for bringing up this case in the first case. For wasting money on a case hat should have been closed a week after it started, For working for the DNC instead of the Government he was supposedly workin for.

[JohnLongIsland]

fitzy has done an a number one job of destroying his own reputation, only in d.c. the scum couple who deliberately were out to ruin american security with their little plan are getting away unscathed; in our founding father's days plame/wilson would have been hanged from their toes.

[Trunk 71-74]

All this -- and I STILL can't get a copy of the Barrett Report from my Senator!

[Rumplemeyer]

I know Ray Donovan and Ron Schiavone, they started with nothing and built one of the best companies in the industry.

They are good people, Ron Schiavone is a Rhodes Scholar extremely smart and does not suffer fools well, Ray Donovan, while not a Rhodes Scholar is Ron's equal.

I remember during his conformation hearings Ted Kennedy (Bozo, Ma) questioned the mob allegations it went something like this,
Kennedy: "Mr. Donovan how do you answer these allegation about you mob connections?"

Donovan: "They are not true Senator"

Kennedy: "How do you explain them?"

Donovan: "Well Senator, what can you say when someone thinks you did something...but you know you didn't...but they still think you did....you say you didn't...but they still think you did..."

Kennedy (turning red then plaid sputtering like he needed a drink really, really, really bad): "No further questions."

I was laughed so hard I almost wet my pants, Teddy looked like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming train, shaking like he had the DT's, he may have, and red in the face.

Schiavone Construction Co. has become a billion dollar a year company, bigger and better than they ever were, all because of good leadership and hard work.

No I don't work for them, they are a competitor.

[iopscusa]

You can get a copy of the Barrett travesty, you just can't get a readable one...we have to keep this cover-up in the news...maybe it will be released during the '08 cmpaign to nail old Krusty...sure!

[Trunk 71-74]

I like your way of thinking. A little delay, with the correct timing, and ....

Thanks.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Ted Kennedy (Bozo, Ma) questioned the mob allegations

That's very unfair to the thousands of respectable Bozos out there to be compared with this fat good-for-nothing massive waste of human space. There. That corrects it. I agree with everything else in your reply.

[wildcatf4f3]

I'm still favoring tar and feathers

[Rumplemeyer]

Attempting to tar and feather the "Cap Cod Orcha" would be a waist of tar and feathers.

[Rumplemeyer]

But it would be fun to watch the fat bastard running down the street in his baggie boxer shorts looking like the result of a dust up between a Asphalt Tack Oil truck and a Live Chicken truck.

[robertpaulsen]

Hmmmm. OJ was found not guilty. I'm surprised he hasn't asked the question, "Where do I go to get my reputation back?"

Does an acquittal mean you're innocent? Or does it simply mean the government couldn't prove the charges?

[Larry Lucido]

Kennedy: "How do you explain them?"

"I don't know, Senator. How did your old man explain them?"

[wildbill]

Wonder what ever happened to Donavan after all that?

I'm sure the prosecutor waltzed away scot free of any punishment or damages in the lawsuit.

[CutePuppy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Donovan

Donovan is part owner of Fiddler's Elbow Country Club.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler's_Elbow_Country_Club

[wildbill]

I don't think it's nice to call a volunteer Cabinet officer whose career was entirely in the the private sector a 'politician' unless he has run for office or been an activist at the party level beyond donating money to candidates.

Call someone a 'politician' and where do they go to get their reputation back?

[CutePuppy]

You're right. Thank you. Fixed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Donovan