Free Republic

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- An ever-present aide to Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney took a leave of absence Friday after he became the subject of investigations in two states for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer. His attorney denied the charges. Jay Garrity, who serves as director of operations and is constantly at the side of the former Massachusetts governor, is accused of leaving a lengthy message with the answering service of a plumbing company on Mother's Day, identifying himself as "Trooper Garrity" of the Massachusetts State Police and complaining about erratic driving by a company driver... Jake Wark, spokesman...

The New Hampshire attorney general has launched a criminal probe into allegations that a security guard for former Gov. Mitt Romney illegally pulled over a New York Times [NYT] reporter and claimed he ran the journalist’s license plate. The AG is probing accusations that Jay Garrity, a longtime Romney aide once cited by Boston police for having illegal police equipment, pulled over Times reporter Mark Leibovich in Dover, N.H., May 29. Leibovich said Garrity directed him off the road, told him he ran his plate and said he was not allowed to follow Romney’s SUV. “The AG was contacted about...

State Police are investigating one of Mitt Romney's top campaign aides for allegedly impersonating a trooper by calling a Wilmington company and threatening to cite the driver of a company van for erratic driving, according to two law enforcement sources familiar with the probe. Jay Garrity, who is director of operations on Romney's presidential campaign and a constant presence at his side, became the primary target of the investigation, according to one of the sources, after authorities traced the cellphone used to make the call back to him. The investigation comes three years after Garrity, while working for Romney in...