Reporters Grilled In Rumor Probe (Who is MD4BUSH?)

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

[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.

[cake_crumb]

Who gives a crap what some anonymous poster says on the web unless it's confiurmabble? Otherwise, it nothing more than watercooler gossip and should be treated as such. This is a BAD trend

[HighWheeler]

Well here is an MD4Bush post from this thread that makes a direct accusation:

---------------

Posted by MD4Bush to NCPAC On News/Activism 10/27/2004 3:09:45 PM EDT · 19 of 29

I lot of the undecided people I have talked to say that Phonyheit-911 just made them want to vote for Bush, because the movie was so shameless and so full of lies. Thanks Mike Moore--GOP hero! By the way nice comment on Mikulski, she is a lezbo, funny how that hasn't been in the news either.

[Eva]

Absurd, maybe, but I think that you have missed the crux of the story. A reporter bated a staffer in Erhlich's administration into discussing the rumors about the mayor in private Freep mail, then took the emails to the WA Post to write about. The Post put out an article claiming that Erlich was using his staff to spread the rumors and destroy O'Malley. The staffer got fired, but in the course of his investigation into the source of the rumors (to clear Erlich's name) Erlich is investigating the reporters who baited the staffer. Now, if the investigation happens to turn up evidence that the rumors are true, that wouldn't be a bad thing for Erlich, and also, if he can prove that the Sun reporters baited the staffer and then
turned the info over to the WaPost, Erlich can reinforce is ban on state employees talking to Sun reporters.

[DanTheAdmin]

Hey! I live here and work in the heart of the sewer - downtown Baltimore. The level of political corruption and voter ignorance is frightening.

[hipaatwo]

I might be going out on a limb here but check this out,look at the initials of the authors..M..matthew D..david

Uproar Brings Focus on Role Of Bloggers

By David Snyder and Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, February 11, 2005; Page B01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15385-2005Feb10.html

plus I found this when googling MD4Bush
IS MD4BUSH REALLY WASHINGTON POST REPORTERS David Snyder and Matthew Mosk
Source: THE NET
URL Source: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=David+Snyder+and+Matthew+Mosk&btnG=Google+Search
Published: Feb 11, 2005
Author: TLBSHOW
http://libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=84460

[Cicero]

Normally it wouldn't make any difference. But after reading all the threads, it appears to me (and I can only go by appearances) that MD4BUSH is either a left-wing reporter or a Democrat operator who signed up on false pretences and tried to egg other freepers on to say indiscrete things.

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.

The Post then used this information to initiate a propaganda campaign against Governor Erlich.

That's an entirely different kettle of fish from posting comments on the internet.

[DanTheAdmin]

Now, watch closely, she'll be one of those in line to protect the identity of MD4Bush...

[Ciexyz]

Thanks for pulling up all those posts. Most interesting.

[TommyDale]

If Barbara Mikulski finds that this hurts her reputation to the point of financial loss, she could very well go after the guy who posted it through the legal channels. She may also have to prove it is not true. She would definitely have to prove something.

[Cold Heat]

Can you contact these guys and say "Hello McFly" send me a subpeana!

ROFLMAO!

[Cold Heat]

Yes, that is my take exactly.

[DanTheAdmin]

>>hurts her reputation<<

Now that'll be the day! This is Maryland - nobody cares!

That's our beloved Babs! Saint Babs! /sarcasm

She'll be in office as long as she runs...

[TommyDale]

That's what I was getting at -- that for her to claim her reputation is damaged is a joke. Anyway, being a public figure is always a hazard.

[DanTheAdmin]

Ahhh, now I get your point, thanks.

[lowbridge]

bump

[Cicero]

Interesting. A Google search turns up 24 recent references to MD4BUSH, but no earlier references.

I had no reason to search earlier, but I wonder if Google has been cleaning up embarrassing evidence, as someone suggests earlier on this thread.

Usually, Google is pretty straight. But I was taken aback by the recent information that Google executives donate almost exclusively to the Democrats. And they might cooperate quietly if the political heavies in the Dem party twisted their arms.

[cake_crumb]

Volunteering the identity of MD4BUSH without the authorites first properly and legally requesting the information as a valid part of the investigation would set a bad precedent, possibly violating the individual's right to privacy. It would also make Jim and FR look cowardly and snivelling.

[Congressman Billybob]

I fully understand the point that you and others have made. I also fully understand that Jim Robinson almost certainly will not release any information about MD4BUSH absent a subpoena from an appropriate authority.

I'm just frustrated that information to advance this story toward the truth is apparently available. But it isn't getting out there. And the truth will help clarify the public issue as well as reflect properly on FR.

John / Billybob

[MeekOneGOP]

MD4BUSH

[SuziQ]

The problem here is not just the rumors, but the hijacking of Free Republic to create the situation needed to remove someone from his job. MD4BUSH posted the rumors about Mayor O'Malley, even adding some information that most folks outside Baltimore would not have known. If I remember correctly, Steffen (I don't remember his freeper handle) simply responded publicly, on the thread, that the rumors were out there, but I don't remember him adding any other information. I don't know what went on in freepmail, but that could not be construed has having 'spread rumors' because it was 'private correspondence' to which all us other Freepers were not privy.

It was the making public of MD4BUSH's posts, along with Steffen's innocuous answers, and the Freepmail, in the Wash. Composts's article that precipitated the 'resignation' of Steffen from Erlich's staff.

I believe that Jim is checking this out as much as he can. He knows it's not right (and could even be felonious) to use Private Freepmail in such a public manner to discredit someone. Frankly, I hope his information nails MD4BUSH to the wall!