Posted on 04/20/2005 9:18:27 AM PDT by ArmyBratproud
The woman whose testimony now threatens to derail John Bolton's nomination as U.N. ambassador claims he was "genuinely behaving like a madman" during a 1994 trip to Moscow.
But she's a self-described "liberal Democrat" who helped organize the Dallas chapter of "Mothers Opposing Bush" during last year's presidential campaign.
Story Continues Below
Melody Townsel first offered her bizarre allegation to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 8, in a letter claiming that during a trip ten years ago to Kyrgyzstan, Bolton chased her through the halls of a her hotel throwing objects and screaming threats.
In her unlikely account Ms. Townsel said the harassment was not sexual.
Still, her uncorroborated story appears to have prompted at least one key Republican on the committee to withdraw his support for Bolton, forcing a delay in the vote.
"I don't feel comfortable voting today," Ohio Republican George Voinovich told the committee on Tuesday. "I think we ought to get the information [and] get a chance to have [the allegations] rebutted," he added.
Ms. Townsel was a subcontractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development at the time she and Bolton worked together.
"For nearly two weeks, while I awaited fresh direction from my company and from USAID, John Bolton hounded me in such an appalling way that I eventually retreated to my hotel room and stayed there," Townsel claimed, in quotes first reported by the New York Sun on Monday.
"Mr. Bolton, of course, then routinely visited me there to pound on the door and shout threats," she continued.
The paper also uncovered the Bolton accuser's anti-Bush credentials.
Townsel's allegations which were touted by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's ranking Democrat, Joe Biden, who told his colleagues on Tuesday that the Bolton accuser was willing to sign a sworn affidavit to back her story.
Biden read from Townsel's letter:
"When I was dispatching a letter to AID, my hell began. Mr. Bolton proceeded to chase me through the halls of a Russian hotel, throwing things at me, shoving threatening letters under my door, and genuinely behaving like a madman."
But in an interview with the Sun, Townsel admitted that she has no witnesses to back her claims. "There were people aware of the harassment, but they are not willing to come forward because they have existing business with the government," she said.
Townsel also admitted she was a staunch Bush basher, explaining, "There is no question that I have been a vocal and outspoken critic of this administration and I am a very liberal Democrat."
Asked why she didn't go public with her complaint in 2001, when Bolton's nomination for undersecretary of state was being considered by the same committee, Townsel said that at the time she had retreated from politics and was raising young children.
Mike Androvett is an attorney and veteran print and broadcast journalist. Among his many honors are four regional Emmy Awards for news reporting and documentary research and writing. In addition, he has earned a dozen state awards for journalistic excellence from the Associated Press and United Press International.
During his career as a journalist, Mike covered local beats, headed up an award winning investigative reporting unit and fought for the viewers rights as a consumer reporter. Highlights of his career include coverage of the Mike Tyson rape trial in Indianapolis and the 52 day siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco. At the NBC affiliate in Dallas, Mike anchored the highly rated "live" coverage of the O.J. Simpson murder trial. As part of the Simpson trial coverage, Mike enlisted the aid of more than 50 attorneys and legal experts to provide commentary and analysis.
In 1988, Mike graduated from the Indiana University School of Law. He attended law school at night while reporting for the Indianapolis CBS-TV affiliate during the day. It was as a lawyer-journalist that he first realized attorneys in high-profile litigation could use assistance in dealing with the growing demands and needs of the local and national media.
In September, 1995, this realization led to the formation of Androvett & McDonald Legal Media/Marketing, a public relations firm created exclusively for attorneys. In his work, Mike has been involved as a litigation pr specialist in the Michael Irvin drug possession case, the so-called "cadet killing" case and several other well publicized and important legal controversies.
Mike, and his wife Crystal as well as their son Mathew and daughter Alexandra, live in Dallas.
Is that how the media and Biden are claiming they got it?
With Zuniga doing work for the DNC/Dean gang....
There is some sort of medium exchange going on.
ROFLOL!!!
Androvett Legal Media and Marketing, huh? I seem to remember a Mike Androvett that might have been a news reporter in Dallas a while back---
There was a "famous" (for Dallas) Mike Androvett that I remember, don't know if that information helps, but if he was a news reporter, maybe there are TV interviews or something with her---
Do we have a thread for all these stories? ;-)
Brat, let's keep these together; and thanks for the ping.
Thank you --- I didn't think I was imagining Mike Androvett's former employment---
You posted much more than an "I think", like I always, do!
LOL
I am not much help, but my heart and energy are in the right place--
Androvett, Townsel, and Boyd---WOW
Anyone need a new job?! ROFLOL!
Marketing and Design Coordinator (477)
Dallas, TX
Salary Range: $35 +Available: March 22nd, 2005
Posted: March 22nd, 2005
[Apply for this listing]
Dallas-based public relations and advertising agency seeks a full-time marketing & design coordinator. Daily responsibilities include working with clients to coordinate advertising and marketing needs; working with graphic designers on print campaigns, brochures, mailers, html newsletters, website publishing/editing/FTP; directing/overseeing photo sessions; corresponding with local and national publications to schedule ad buys; writing of press releases; proofing/editing and submitting clients' materials for approval to the State Bar of Texas Advertising Review Committee. Familiarity with Timeslips software would be helpful. Client base is exclusively attorneys and law firms.
The position allows for an immense amount of growth and creativity in a collegial work environment. Must be able to meet deadlines while juggling various client projects.
Email cover letter (no calls, please) with resume to:
Pat Rafferty
Androvett Legal Media & Marketing
pat@legalpr.com
Degree Preferred:BA/BS
Experience:
Ideal candidate will have strong writing skills; familiarity with Microsoft Office software including Power Point and Excel. To qualify for this position you must have basic graphic design experience using Adobe Creative Suite Premium software with a focus on Illustrator. Mac experience a plus.
Sorry for all my popping in and out .. bunch if stuff to do at home
I can't say about the media .. But Biden is not saying how he got the letter ... he just says that information was recently brought to his and the committees attention
Gee .. what timing too don't ya think
Sorry, if getting that job MIGHT mean running into Sharon Boyd or Townsel, $35K isn't NEAR enough, in fact, in Dallas, that would almost be considered minimum wage!! LOL
Oh that's right, Kerry's on the committee!
Where are you finding all of these press statements put out by Townsel??
yes I did hear the interview .. lots of accusation and nothing to back it up
My other question is .. where as she been all these years .. this isn't the first job Bolton was appointed too
Yikes....
Starting to see a link between liberal reporters/media, lawyers, and dems!
Horrifying, personal John Bolton story
by amyindallas
Fri Apr 15th, 2005 at 07:15:42 PDT
My best friend since college, Melody Townsel, was stationed in Kyrgyzstan on a US AID project. During her stay there, she became embroiled in a controversy in which the oh-so-diplomatic John Bolton was a key player. She described the incident in a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee members (who have thus far responded with a yawn), and I wanted to share it with a larger audience.
This is posted on the DailyKos. That's how it was picked up by so-called news organizations.
"...shoving threatening letters under my door..."
Threatening letters - PROOF - but of course if this really happened she would have those letters. And copies would have been given to this committee.
She is just so much Bovine Feces!
04.18.05 BOLTON, THE BACK STORY
Last Friday evening, a woman named Melody Townsel appeared on Air America's THE MAJORITY REPORT telling a fascinating story about "her bizarre and harassing run-in with John Bolton" while serving in Kyrgyzstan on a US AID project in 1994.
What's more. MS. Townsel suspects that her experience with John Bolton may not be unique.
Listen to Air Checks of this Majority Report exclusive. Not into reading? DAILY KOS has the print version.
Finally there is some verifiable dirt on one of these sick bastards in line to run our country into the ground.
Of course this doe not mean that Dubya will rethink his candidate's nomination.
Posted by recoveringliberal at 01:30 PM PDT |
I was hoping you would chime in .....It's starting to get overwhelming. The info, thanks to the great research of some folks on this thread...is coming hard and fast.
Yeah....I know others have kept threads together before.
So if you find some other Bolton type threads with Townsel....
Start a thread with the list and ping me.
I am going to dig back through and find those posts about Zuniga being paid by the Dean folks...and I'll post the stuff on this thread.
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