Reporters Grilled In Rumor Probe (Who is MD4BUSH?)

WBAL ^ | Saturday, February 19, 2005 | WBAL Radio and The Associated Press

[hoosiermama]

BUMP

[reformjoy]

Right now, google links to 70 pages of
entries for "md4bush"...

Wild!

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Good sleuth work. Thanks for the post.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

In any case, I don't believe they should be released unless there is a subpoena. Villain or not, they are his private emails.

I agree with this and your previous points. I didn't know at the time I had posted that MD4BUSH had already posted (allegedly) FReepmail from NCPAC.

Seems to me that MD4BUSH may have risked his rights by posting NCPAC's Freepmail (presumably, without permission). Nonetheless, your point is well taken -- any communications via FR should only be released following agreement by the parties or in response to subpoena.

Hopefully, Governor Ehrlich will ask for this soon. MD4BUSH would seem to have forfeited any protection as per rules of the forum. He seems to be a scumbag wanker to me.

[TheBrotherhood]

"MD4BUSH has been banned since this business broke. I saw rumors that he had deleted his freepmail before he was banned, but of course I have no way to know if it's true or not. In any case, I don't believe they should be released unless there is a subpoena. Villain or not, they are his private emails."

I agree that they should not be released. But, if MD4BUSH deleted his emails, a subpoena to him is useless, since he's no longer in possession of them. Unless the subpoena is served to FR, of course.

[TheBrotherhood]

Can you post the search term you used, or can I just search for MD4BUSH?

[TheBrotherhood]

"any communications via FR should only be released following agreement by the parties or in response to subpoena."

I agree. But I saw once someone posting in the forum an exchange of FReep mail. This was a while back before I registered to FR.

[ApesForEvolution]

I'll wait for the book/movie to come out...

[GVnana]

Have you ever seen the media "get it right"?

For the record,

gathered a number of Steffen's most damaging postings on the Web

Steffan's "most damaging postings" were taken from Freepmail, not publicly posted. The man was clearly set-up and betrayed.

[Djarum]

Evidently he persuaded NCPAC (Steffen) to send him some private freepmails and enough information to establish his identity. He then turned that identity and some unspecified "email" mentioned by the Washington Post, probably a freepmail or freepmails, over to the Post.

How could the WP verify the correspondence as authentic? Their source must have been trusted.

[DanTheAdmin]

Sometimes my ability to screw up amazes me...

[TaxRelief]

...it appears to me (and I can only go by appearances) that MD4BUSH is either a left-wing reporter or a Democrat operator

Or someone with a vendetta against FR, like one of Hannity's friends...

[Isara]

I'll wait for the book/movie to come out...

Who is going to write the book? Jim?

[TheForceOfOne]

"This is intended to be a thorough investigation that will include leaving no rock unturned.".......

My guess is there's a lot more going on behind the scenes then we are privy too. This is a major rock to be turned no doubt. I suspect lawyers have taken over by now on all sides.

[mr.sarcastic]

Bookmark bump

[FairfaxVA]

One of the contributing authors at the Baltimore Sun who has been involved with this story is Michael Dresser. Hmm...judging by his initials, it doesn't seem like a stretch to me.

[yooper]

"Jervis S. Finney, chief counsel to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., has questioned members of the media - including two Sun reporters - about "MD4BUSH," an anonymous contributor to a Web site that posted adultery rumors about Mayor Martin O'Malley."

It used to be that reporters questioned the politicians and their reps, not the other way around. Seems like something is back-asswards here.

"In that case, he said, it was suggested that there are times when it is appropriate for the media to reveal information and sources."

Only if they do not ever want any further info from the source in the future. Protect your source. It's the number one cardinal rule of journalism, and many journalists have gone to jail rather than turn canary.

[yooper]

"A court would certainly order FR to divulge MD4BUSH's identifying information."

I would hope that JimRob would refuse. Don't know how he feels about this, but like it or not, intended or not, JR and FR have become the biggest journalist in the US due to this site. He might not write the articles, but he, through us, has acquired major power in reporting, discussing, and influencing what is going on in the power corridors of the United States, and the world for that matter.

JimRob is bigger than Rush. If you don't believe it, think back to how many times you have listened to Rush and thought, "I read about that last night."

There is no doubt in my mind that Rush regularly uses FR as a source for what he is going to discuss in the morning.

Any journalist worth his salt NEVER reveals a source.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Exactly!
FreeRepublic has a published privacy policy.

Jervis Finney will have to employ subpoena powers to obtain infromation.

Jim Robinson is probably last on his list of people he wants to talk with. Jervis wants everyone else to provide an answer first.

[conservative in nyc]

I've seen no convincing evidence that Mayor O'Malley had an affair with Sade Bedinwa or that Sade gave birth to any of his children. Her move to New York was a step UP from her Baltimore TV job -- New York is the largest television market in the county. Sade probably didn't leave Baltimore to squash rumors of any affair.

Privacy agreements aside, if I were Jim Robinson, I'd want to be 100% sure of MD4Bush's identity before releasing his or her real name. Remember what happened to Richard Jewell? IIRC, I think he sued NBC when he was wrongly named as the Centennial Olympic Park bomber.