Posted on 11/01/2005 8:04:52 PM PST by No Longer Free State
Governor Ehrlich's Chief Counsel has sent a letter to the co-chairs of a legislative committee investigating hiring and firing practices of the Ehrlich administration.
Included in that letter obtained by WBAL News, Jervis Finney provides the co-chairs with documents he says he uncovered during his investigation into the identity of "MD4Bush".
He points to a now-former State Democratic Party official Ryan O'Doherty who he says sent an email to party supporters hours before the Washington Post published it's first story about the rumors about Mayor O'Malley.
That email document reads:
"There will be a big story in the Post either tomorrow or Thursday that credits Governor Ehrlich's staff for creating and spreading the nasty and untrue rumor about our Mayor and his family. Steve asked me to contact you to see if you could show your disgust by calling into WBAL Radio after the story hits. The guys on WBAL obviously could try to protect Ehrlich, so we need as many folks as possible to call 410-467-WBAL. I will e-mail the story to you as soon as it hits and read it carefully and then call in and raise hell. Don't call in until after the story is published in the Washington Post - It is top secret!"
The Governor's chief counsel, in his letter, then points to an email circulated just after midnight the day the O'Malley story was run in the Post. He says it is an e-mail sent to members of the media with a cropped picture of Governor Ehrlich with Joseph Steffen that was sent from the email address "smitty_1945 @ Yahoo.com". The email had the header ...James Smith.
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith says that is not him and he has never been connected to that email address and he has never had or used that email address. He says he is not the James Smith in the header of that document.
WBAL News has called Ryan O'Doherty and he has not returned the call.
In a written statement to WBAL News, Jervis Finney says:
"The e-mail raises serious questions about the former Maryland Democratic Party official's involvement in the MD4Bush conspiracy. That is all we will say now. The General Assembly's Personnel Committee, utilizing its subpoena power, is empowered to learn the truth about this matter."
Excellent analysis.
There's some squirrelly stuff going on here.
Read this from bottom up: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?name=MD4Bush
While this exposes a charicature of a conservative as a talented lefty trying to act conservative would portray himself as, there's more.
This is the first post that mentions O'Malley (publicly, as opposed to FReepMail): http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1174344/posts
This thread drags in xcullen and for some reason theheadman replies on this thread 9 months after the fact, at a time when the whole affair was at a certain boiling point: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1174344/posts?page=92#92
Here's the line on xcullen: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?name=xcullen
Read from it what you will, but I'd like to hear what he got in freepmail prior to this post because the history looks pretty legit. Don't know much about xcullen, myself.
Here's theheadman: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/user-posts?name=theheadman
One post. One time. Defending MD4Bush. Looks like damage control to me.
Note also that MD4Bush seems to put some effort into discrediting Keyes. Perhaps he thought it was worth some effort at the time, despite the fact Keyes was pretty much a non-player by then.
Also tries to discredit Rove, repeatedly, and uses the alleged Rove example to claim "We need this kinda stuff in MD". and later this: " But I read some of your comments about Keyes you said you work on a lot of campaigns and in MD doing special ops, reminded me of Rove."
Would love to know more about the removed comment in this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1252516/posts
Also tries to bait the slime in this post about Mikulski: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1258921/posts?page=19#19
Couldn't resist praising Clinton here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1274611/posts?page=25#25
Gloats about political damage to Kerick here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1300213/posts?page=71#71
Since 3-13-99.
You must hold the record for a sleeper troll.
We will use their democracy to destroy their democracy....where have I heard that before?
smitty_1945@Yahoo.com AKA MD4Bush AKA Ryan O'Doherty illegally logged on to NCPAC's work computer while NCPAC was away for lunch or some sort.
NCPAC (Steffen) was a known GOP activist. By logging onto his computer, MD4Bush learned that he surfed at Free Republic.
MD4Bush then came to Free Republic and posted some rumors about Democrat O'Malley to NCPAC. NCPAC/Steffen told him "don't go there" but then MD4Bush sent those public posts (and some private freepmails) to the Washington Post, where the "don't go there" comment was ignored...the WaPost story claimed that NCPAC (i.e. Steffen) had a hand in spreading rumors about O'Malley (even though it was all MD4Bush doing the rumor-mongering). This got Steffen fired and a huge investigation going that targeted Governor Ehrlich's downsizing effort as a partisan endeavor.
But wait, there's more. MD4Bush worked for another Democrat...O'Malley's likely 2006 primary competitor for governor, Duncan.
So MD4Bush got the WaPost to run a hit piece that blamed NCPAC's boss (GOP Governor Ehrlich) for having his staff spread rumors against Democrat Duncan's Democratic Primary (circa 2006) competition, Democrat Mayor O'Malley.
...so now you know.
Lawsuits against Free Republic might result if any information is released just to respond to some news story.
Also, just as it was pointed out that the Washington Post's reporter used MD4Bush's signon, it does not mean that someone could frame another person within the Democratic party. Someone using another person password, computer, and email can spoof who the original person is.
Best for Free Republic to report on what the media has to say, but not provide any information unless all legal jeopardy is resolved.
A real, current example is NYT reporter asking Rove or Libby about Valeria Plame. It does not matter what a reporter says -- it is still necessary not to confirm or deny information. Libby and Rove are under pressure because of that situation.
I don't want Jim Robinson to be put under any legal pressure nor Free Republic. It's not worth it. Better to let the media go into a feeding frenzy over this and not release information unless Jim Robinson is issued a subpoena for the information, and this all goes through proper legal channels.
BTTT
I don't think there is anything here that the WA PO and those investigators have not seen..I have not said a word to JR about doing anything concerning this. All one has to do is put the names in search and all this pops up..It keeps the record clearly visible..so no one can spin it.
Ryan O'Doherty
From: http://neighborspac.org/cql_expenditures.htm
Ryan ODoherty******************** (address is marked out -- see web link)
Baltimore, MD *****-****
Nature of entity and/or service as reported on CQL 8872: "Self employed, Consultant"
Phone: Not Listed
Website: None known
Email: None known
Principal: Ryan C. ODoherty, Maryland Democratic Party, Information Technology Coordinator
Description of firm or individual: Ryan C. O'Doherty is the brother of CQL president, Damian C. ODoherty.
Probable nature of expenditure: Unknown
CQL EXPENDITURE: $2,000.00*
* Neighbors for a Better Montgomery welcomes any clarification CQL can provide on this expenditure.
Seems they are missing his email address (smitty_1945@yahoo.com ?)
Seems other information can be filled in on this person.
Maybe the $2,000 was somehow related to MD4Bush...
I think I somehow posted to the wrong the link...
There was one interesting web link on Ryan O'Doherty -- said that his email address was unknown and what he did as a consultant was unknown... I thought that was funny.
This was in regards to some money he received from his brother's firm CQL.
No problem...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1513908/posts
Md. GOP Seeks Wider Firing Probe
Washington Post ^ | 11/02/05 | Washington Post Staff Writers
Lame response!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1513908/posts
Md. GOP Seeks Wider Firing Probe
Washington Post ^ | 11/02/05 | Washington Post Staff Writers
Their response
...and for a complete description of MD4Bush's moral character, go to King Prout's home page.
I'm bookmarking that great summary. And let me say "Thank you!" for all of us out here who can't follow this stuff as closely as we'd like.
Now that's a cool tagline. :-)
Yes, indeed. With the rapid response from which the Post put it to print, there is no way possible that they were not involved. I imagine it was the Post that instructed MD4BUSH to put the emails online in an attempt to cover involvement. Sloppy work. I await the subpoenas.
I will e-mail the story to you as soon as it hits. Read it carefully and then call in and raise hell. Don't call in until after the story is published... |
||
And like the good sheeple that they are, they'll do just what they're told! Leftists follow orders well (because they like dictators); |
OK, I didn't know that MD4Bush logged on to Steffan's computer or that he worked for Duncan. Makes sense now. Seems to me the real culprit here is the Washington Post for running the story. O'Doherty, had he not been caught, did a fine job in the dirty tricks department.
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