Posted on 02/19/2005 8:34:22 AM PST by Isara
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. Finney said he was asking the questions as part of his investigation into the activities of Joseph Steffen, an aide to the governor who was fired February 8 for his involvement in spreading the rumors about O'Malley's personal life, The (Baltimore) Sun reported. O'Malley has denied the rumors. MD4BUSH had several Web log exchanges with Steffen about the O'Malley rumors and gathered a number of Steffen's most damaging postings on the Web shortly after the story reporting Steffens' connection with the rumors broke on a media Web site. In a Feb. 16 letter to Sun reporter Michael Dresser, Finney cited a federal appeals court panel's decision this week that undercuts reporters' right to shield their sources. In a separate letter to Sun columnist Michael Olesker, Finney asked "whether you are in fact 'MD4BUSH."' Olesker and Dresser said they had no knowledge of MD4BUSH. "Of course I'm not that guy," Olesker said in an interview. "It's not me, and I have no idea who it is." Dresser said, "I am not MD4BUSH, and I would not care to speculate who MD4BUSH might be." Finney's questions followed Freedom of Information Act requests by The Sun and other media about details of the administration's investigation into Steffen's activities. Dresser made The Sun's Freedom of Information Act request. Olesker and Dresser appear to be the only ones to have received written questions this week as part of the investigation. Finney said that he "verbally" asked other media members about MD4BUSH and intends to follow up in written form. He said the decision to question the media is part of his effort to conduct a thorough investigation into the spreading of the rumors about the mayor. "I am trying to seek information that is relevant to the governor - whether a state employee or official might be MD4BUSH," Finney said. In support of his decision to question the media, Finney cited the U.S. Court of Appeals case involving reporters Matthew Cooper of Time and Judith Miller of The New York Times, who face contempt-of-court charges for refusing to tell prosecutors about their confidential talks with an official or officials in the Bush White House who revealed the identity of a CIA operative. In that case, he said, it was suggested that there are times when it is appropriate for the media to reveal information and sources. "It's up to the newspaper whether this is one of those times," Finney said. "It's entirely appropriate for me to ask the question. If you all are going to decline to answer the question, then so be it." On Friday, the Ehrlich administration supported Finney's decision to question reporters and promised that the investigation would continue to be aggressive. "Inquiries related to the identity of MD4BUSH is part of the investigation requested by Governor Ehrlich," said Shareese N. DeLeaver, a spokeswoman for the governor. "This is intended to be a thorough investigation that will include leaving no rock unturned." Several other media organizations, including WBAL have been contacted by the governor's office, regarding MD4BUSH.
Rumors in Baltimore? How about some facts: I have an ex-brother-in-law who used to deliver payoffs to the mayor there for his construction bosses. That's not a rumor.
The Baltimore and/or Maryland politicians have been crooked since before any of us were born. Fact.
Thanks.
I have read many of these posts on the original thread. It's clear that MD4BUSH (Presumably meant to imply "Maryland for Bush") is an agent provocateur, pretending to be a conservative and egging other people on to cross the line with his comments.
Steffen NEVER posted any of these rumors about the mayor. He did comment on some of them, innocuously, as far as I can see. And evidently he sent private emails to MD4BUSH which were then given to the Washington Post.
The first Washington Post article slammed Steffen and falsely claimed that he spread rumors on FR, which was characterized as a nasty extreme right-wing site. The second article backpedaled, mentioned MD4BUSH for the first time, but didn't explain what his role was.
They may still go after the Washington Post. Evidently the Post fears so, or they wouldn't have backpedaled and gone suddenly silent on what normally would have been an extensive propaganda campaign against Governor Erlich.
The Valarie Plame case is backfiring on the MSM big time, and setting precedents that may be useful in the MD4BUSH scam. I have no inside knowledge on this, but have followed the threads with interest, because this is yet another instance in which the MSM may have stepped into it.
Only if there were a legal requirement to do so. This sounds almost like the way $cientologists get access to names of people who speak out against them on the internet, by threat to ISPs and forum administrators, without any legal action.
A Freerepublic.com search of this name gives a huge set of posts, some of them to "NCPAC".
MD4Bush posts:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?id=173184
While a court might so order, the question is one of jurisdiction. A MD court would have none, since FR is based in CA. It would, I think, require an order from a federal court to force Jim to turn over such information.
However, it's worth remembering when you post on public forums that your identity may well not be as secret as you might want it to be.
While most forums, like FR, are run by scrupulous individuals, I have no doubt that others are not. I see things posted on some forums which represent huge risks on the part of the poster.
Let's take an example: Suppose there was a forum which had, as its theme, the 2nd amendment. Perhaps it's even a closed forum, requiring membership.
That would seem safe enough for many people. But...suppose such a forum were run, not by like-thinkers, but by some government organization, like the ATF. The feds have been known to run sting operations, and setting up a discussion forum is pretty much a no-brainer, even for a fed.
The point is that it's best to watch your written statements, especially if they could be actionable or lead someone to some activities you'd rather not be known.
Jim's very careful about pulling posts that advocate criminal activities, but they're here for a while before being pulled. It's very dangerous to disclose illegal activities in any public place, and every place on the web is a public place.
Let those who can hear, hear.
Dangerous precedents could be set if we all start promoting identifying people who post. Threats agains national security are one thing, but the poster -- even one who may be liable for a lawsuit -- deserves protection until a court orders their files to be produced.
"Dangerous precedents could be set if we all start promoting identifying people who post. Threats agains national security are one thing, but the poster -- even one who may be liable for a lawsuit -- deserves protection until a court orders their files to be produced."
I absolutely agree!
You haven't grasped this situation in the least. The Gov is friends with Steffen and Steffen knows he was set up by MD4Bush. The Gov is working the sitation to 1) implicate the media and 2) get to the bottom of who MD4Bush is.
I wish him well in implicating the MSM, especially the Washington Post. I don't think it is our duty, nor would it be wise, to help him in identifying anyone here. Let him find it the proper way, through legal channels.
Because I thought Steffen WAS MD4BUSH.
Okay, so now this MD4BUSH person is implicated because he did what? Bait Steffen? Also post confidential stuff?
Yes. I am not clear about this at all.
I agree with you. But I am inclined to leave it up to Jim Robinson what he should do about releasing the name in the case of an obvious troll and agent provocateur like MD4BUSH, who signed up on FR with the apparent intention of abusing the site and abusing other members. Indeed, he violated a private confidence when he apparently gave private Freepmails to the Washington Post, which were then used in an effort to falsely smear Governor Erlich, thus unjustly forcing a good man--and fellow freeper--to resign his post.
I remember Jim saying, many years ago, that the identities of Freepers would only be pried from his proverbial cold dead fingers. I have trusted him ever since to preserve our confidences. But I don't see why Jim should risk sacrificing himself on behalf of someone who appears to be an agent of the enemy, and who appears to have signed up under false pretences with the intention of booby trapping and injuring other freepers and damaging the reputation of FreeRepublic.
Identities of Freepers or banned Freepers should not be revealed in the case of ordinary disputes and fallings out, no matter how bad their behavior. If they wish to reveal their identities, that's another matter. But deliberate, premeditated, and malicious actions such as MD4BUSH appears to have indulged in from the moment he first signed up fall into a different category.
That's Jim's decision to make, as far as I'm concerned.
I was not arguing that point; with which I agree.
I think the Guv is going about it the right way…
See my 22 and 31.
Maybe MD4Bush is a reporter for a MSM newspaper, looking to create a story. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!
You're right, of course. Which was the whole point of my original post.
Baltimore is the most corrupt city of almost them all and has been for years. They haven't had an honest election in ages.
What's weirder, the citizens of Baltimore are so nonchalant about it. It's like that kind like that their mayor is a philanderer, or their senator a lesbian, that their elections may or may not be true.
It's a mindset you have to experience perhaps before you could believe it exists.
But hey, that's just me.
I did. I'm starting to get it.
I had a feeling…
Okay, in a nutshell – Steffen is/was NCPAC here on FR. The WA PO outed him for spreading rumors on FR about the “Boy Mayor”. Now under scrutiny it seems that MD4Bush may have set him up. MAY have. Now the Guv is getting to the bottom of it. Does this help?
Results 1 - 100 of about 2,120 from freerepublic.com for MD4Bush. (0.42 seconds)
Give the man a stuffed animal! :-D
Nope, me too. I've known too many people in California, North Carolina and Washington, D.C. from local politicians all the way to the White House Chief of Staff level to know that people get corrupted with power and greed.
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