Posted on 02/20/2005 3:04:27 AM PST by Jim Robinson
BALTIMORE (AP) -- Jervis S. Finney, chief counsel to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., has questioned two journalists about "MD4BUSH," an anonymous contributor to a Web site that posted rumors about Mayor Martin O'Malley.
Mr. 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 Feb. 8 for his involvement in spreading rumors about Mr. O'Malley's personal life, the Baltimore Sun reported.
~snip~
In a Feb. 16 letter to Sun reporter Michael Dresser, Mr. Finney cited a federal appeals court panel's decision last week that undercut reporters' right to shield their sources. In a letter to Sun columnist Michael Olesker, Mr. Finney wondered "whether you are in fact 'MD4BUSH.' "
~snip~
Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser said they had no knowledge of MD4BUSH.
"Of course I'm not that guy," Mr. Olesker said. "It's not me, and I have no idea who it is."
Said Mr. Dresser: "I am not MD4BUSH, and I would not care to speculate who MD4BUSH might be."
~snip~
Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser appear to be the only ones to have received written questions last week as part of the investigation.
Mr. 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 press 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," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
ping
Hopefully, they'll get around to asking The Washington Post reporter, David Snyder. I believe he broke the MD4Bush story and I doubt he can deny knowing MD4Bush's real ID (the proof of this is in our logs). Also, perhaps they should start looking into the folks at mddems.org (see: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1347080/posts )
Tagging yesterday's related thread:
"Reporters Grilled In Rumor Probe (Who is MD4BUSH?)"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1346701/posts
Share. You'll feel better.
I hope I'm right.
Check a good meat thermometer. Down about 40 degrees or so is the proper temperature for serving revenge.
You are right.
I think Jim is probably doing all the sharing that is prudent right now. I'm enjoying the waiting game. It's not like he's "quidam" from the Whitewater days and is talking out his posterior.
Ping
ping
Keep up the great work Jim--do I hear the sound of a nutshell getting ready to crack in this case?
I just heard(after they discussed the judge saying individual Sun reporters have no right to "access" to the Gov.)
Juan Williams spreading the original Steffan story on Beltway Boys..Fred Barnes said that's silly.. he's heard those rumors for years.
They are after Erlich..Juan said the Sun has buckets of ink to spread this at the Sun to discredit the Gov.
.Fred:..They tried that last time and he still won...
So why does no one mention the Wa Po part of this..Hmmm?
Are there any reporters locally with the initials M. D.?
What if MD4Bush is a family member of the Gubner?
Many good possibles here, stay tuned!
They are concentrating on the Sun and ignoring WaPo...I wonder why?
Jurisdiction, perhaps?
That could be it indeed...
Uh, MD is for Maryland. 4 Bush ... you get the picture.
The odds are very remote that MD4BUSH was a pubbie, given the coordination between the release of the WashPost story and the spamming of previously private freepmail exchanges between NCPAC and MD4BUSH into three places in FR just minutes before the story was posted on the WashPost website. The preferred bunkmakes for the Compost are Dems.
I believe that the Sun is owned by the ComPost - so they may be able to suck in the ComPost through the Sun.
That's the guy I was trying to think of the other day but said "Pardek" instead. Sorry for the insult.
I think it is a fact of life on FR that with the "Free" comes posers, disrupters,fantasizers, no-lifers besides the well-educated, literate, handsome types like myself. /sarcasm
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