Star Witness Is a No-Show In Investigation of Firings (FReeper NCPAC)

Washington Post ^ | 5/12/06 | Matthew Mosk

[conservative in nyc]

For the Maryland lawmakers who have spent eight months investigating why so many state employees were fired by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s administration, yesterday was supposed to be the big day.

After more than 20 witnesses subpoenaed, sworn and grilled, it was time for the main event. Time to get back to where it all started. Time to hear from Joe Steffen.

"I half expected him to burst in the hearing room in dramatic fashion, wearing a cape or something," said Ward B. Coe III, the special counsel hired last year to conduct the probe.

But the man who signed his e-mails "POD," for Prince of Darkness, whose boasts on the Internet brought about the probe, who went on radio and promised to come clean before the committee was nowhere to be found.

And that was not for lack of trying.

Coe said he called Steffen's cellphone repeatedly and got no answer. He called people who he thought might know Steffen's whereabouts. A process server he sent to Steffen's northeast Baltimore apartment knocked on doors and talked to neighbors. Nothing.

Coe considers Steffen "a central figure in this investigation," and there was no question yesterday why he wants to put Steffen under oath.

--Snip--

Steffen kept a low profile during the months after his name surfaced in the news, in connection not with the personnel questions but with his Internet discussions about one of Ehrlich's chief political rivals, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D). In those communications, Steffen took credit for helping "give float" to a widely circulating rumor that O'Malley was having an extramarital affair -- a rumor the mayor vehemently denied.

--Snip--

[conservative in nyc]

The Special Legislative Committee meets again on May 22.

[conservative in nyc]

MD4Bush Ping!

See also:
Panel hears more testimony on state firings (Baltimore Sun)
Panel grills Schisler over firings (The Gazette)

[martin_fierro]

"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?"

[Dems_R_Losers]

This SOB Matthew Mosk continues to lie out his a-- about Joe Steffen and his "e-mails."

[NormsRevenge]

Methinks he's the M in MD4Bush.

[Buck W.]

OK...once more from the top. Who's who?

[conservative in nyc]

Short cheat sheet:

NCPAC=Joseph Steffen=FReeper accused by the Washington Post of spreading Internet rumors about Baltimore Mayor O'Malley's (D) sexual indiscretions here on Free Republic; fired from his job in Maryland Governor Ehrlich's (R) administration as a result.

MD4Bush=Free Republic user name used to coax NCPAC into discussing Mayor O'Malley's sexual indiscretions; may be Ryan O'Doherty, a former Democrat Party of Maryland worker - Mr. O'Doherty's Democrat party e-mail address was used to register MD4Bush's FReeper account at one time.

Some think WaPo reporter Matthew Mosk may have been or was in cahoots with MD4Bush. He admits logging onto MD4Bush's Free Republic account, the WaPo claims only to collaborate MD4Bush-NCPAC's private Freepmail exchange.

[Buck W.]

Any thoughts on why Steffen didn't show?

[Jet Jaguar]

bump

[Anti-Bubba182]

Thanks for the ping.

[rllngrk33]

Steffen took credit for helping "give float" to a widely circulating rumor that O'Malley was having an extramarital affair -- a rumor the mayor vehemently denied

I think this statement is a flat out lie. That's not the way I remember it when I read the posts between NCPAC and MD4BUSH.