Bizarre twists in accusations against DiSomma
photo via facebook
The story of the alleged arrest warrant, for a traffic violation, out of Dallas for Red Bank Republican Council candidate Sean DiSomma took bizarre twist and turns on Friday as Dallas officials confirmed to MMM and RedBankGreen, early in the day, that there had never been a warrant on DiSomma. Late Friday, a Dallas official told RedBankGreen that DiSomma was in “capias warrant status” and the Dallas Court website was updated to reflect that status. The official told RBG that the warrant was issued because DiSomma’s 2011 check paying his traffic violation fine bounced one year after it had been submitted, which would have been in January or February of 2012.
Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal released an audio clip produced on Friday, purported to be a recording on the Dallas Court’s automated response system indicating that there was an “alias warrant” issued for DiSomma.
DiSomma, who provided documentation showing he paid his fines on Thursday evening, hours after he was made aware of the situation by members of the press following up on Gopal’s accusations, said the he was caught up in a “bureaucratic nightmare” with the Dallas Courts and that he was being defamed by the Monmouth Democrats.
Late Thursday night, through conversations with the Dallas Police Department and multiple visits to the DallasCityHall website, MMM confirmed that the accusation, made by the Monmouth County Democrats and reported by the Asbury Park Press and NJ.com without verification, that Red Bank Republican Council candidate Sean DiSomma was the subject of an arrest warrant for an unpaid traffic ticket was false.
On Friday morning, we spoke with Trisha at the Dallas Municipal Court who confirmed that there was no warrant issued for DiSomma’s arrest and that there never had been a warrant issued for DiSomma. DiSomma sent us documentation that he paid his fines on Thursday night.
RedBankGreen reported that they too spoke with an employee of the Dallas Court who confirmed that there was no warrant for DiSomma.
Friday afternoon, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal sent us an audio clip, recorded sometime on Friday, of the Dallas Court System’s automated response which indicated that there was an “alias warrant” issued for DiSomma. The audio can be heard here.
Gopal issued the following statement accompanied by the audio:
“For a candidate who throws around the words ‘liar’ and ‘corrupt’ so loosely, lacking any respect for his neighbors, its not surprising he continues to call everyone and anyone a liar, whom he does not agree with.
This has nothing to do with an unanswered traffic ticket. It has to do with responsibility and character. Accusing your opponents of mishandling Red Bank’s finances when the challenger himself chooses to ignore a summons and a potential fine he owes to another municipality is utter hypocrisy.
Attached is an audio clip showing an automated response from the Dallas Municipal Court recorded on October 25th stating that the status of the summons is an “alias warrant”. If the candidate wants debate the issue of what an Alias Warrant is for the next 11 days, that is up to him, but we first suggest he deals with the City of Dallas, Texas. We are going to focus on responsibility and character – the two issues we are bringing up as he continues to call his opponents ‘liars’ and ‘corrupt’. For a candidate who has only recently become a resident of Red Bank to allege financial mismanagement of the incumbent council members when he himself has ignored his own personal responsibility is undeserving of the public trust.”
RedBankGreen reported, in the same post where they said an employee told them there was no warrant, that on late Friday afternoon Dallas City public information officer Jose Torres said that DiSomma was in “capias warrant status.” Torres said that DiSomma had paid his fine in January of 2011, but that his check was returned for insufficient funds one year later. How does a check bounce after one year?!
Early Friday evening, the Dallas Court’s website was updated to indicate that a “capias pro fine” warrant was issued for DiSomma at 12:00AM on Friday morning. Click here to view a screenshot of the capias pro fine warrant notice.
On Thursday night and Friday morning the Dallas Court’s website indicated that there was no warrant for DiSomma. Click here for that screenshot.
To review, on Thursday afternoon Gopal issued a statement saying that DiSomma had a warrant for his arrest out in Dallas for an unpaid speeding ticket. He provided a link to the Dallas Court’s website that indicated there was no warrant for DiSomma and the that violation was for running a stop sign. At MMM’s request, Gopal then sent us what he said would be a copy of the warrant. What Gopal sent was a WARRANT OF ARREST NOTICE, that said a warrant may be issued if DiSomma did not clear up the matter. Click here to see that document.
MMM then called the Dallas Police Department. The officer we spoke to confirmed that Dallas sends warnings, i.e., the WARRANT OF ARREST NOTICE, before issuing warrants and directed us to the Sheriff’s Department Warrant Division for confirmation of DiSomma’s status. A call to the Sheriff’s Department pointed us back to the Dallas Court website and the notice that the warrant status was “N/A.” DiSomma sent us documentation that he paid his fine on Thursday night. He said he recalled paying the fine in 2011, would search his bank records for documentation of such, and seek a refund for the double payment.
MMM and RedBankGreen both received confirmation from Dallas Court employees on Friday that there was no warrant for DiSomma. Later on Friday, Gopal submitted a recording produced on Friday that purported to be a automated response from the Dallas Court System that indicated there was an “alias warrant” out for DiSomma. Later, RedBankGreen was told by Jose Torres, a Dallas Court public information officer, that DiSomma was in “capias warrant status” and that the check he submitted to pay his fine in January of 2011 bounced one year later.
The Dallas Court website says an Alias Warrant is when a defendant fails to make an appearance. A Capias Warrant is when a defendant has a guilty judgment and fails to follow a court order.
Cue Rod Sterling introducing an episode of The Twilight Zone.
MMM slammed the Asbury Park Press and NJ.com for their shoddy journalism on Thursday and Friday when they reported that DiSomma had a warrant for his arrest issued without verifying such with the Dallas Court. In APP’s case, they published an ambiguous statement that the warrant had been confirmed. The statement was ambiguous as to who was doing the confirmation. Did the APP reporter confirm the warrant with Dallas? If so, the statement was not sourced. Or was the APP reporting that the Monmouth Democrats confirmed the warrant? Either way, it was shoddy journalism that put a young man’s reputation at risk.
In their latest update on Friday evening, there is still no indication that APP called anyone in Dallas to verify the facts of this bizarre tale. It’s getting to be towards the end of the month. Maybe Gannett has used up all of their minutes. NJ.com called Dallas, but only reported the definition of an “alias warrant” as a result of that call. They reported DiSomma’s claim that he is being defamed by the Monmouth Democrats.
Via email, Gopal asked MMM for an apology for “making me look bad” and for not rushing to publish his audio and statement.
Sorry Vin, you still look bad. MMM didn’t make you look bad. In your quest to defend council seats in Red Bank and throw an opponent off his game, you recklessly released contradictory and poorly researched information in an effort to destroy a young man’s reputation. We used to expect better from you. Your “responsibility and character” is now a greater question than DiSomma’s.
Given all the contradictions out of Dallas, there are now more questions than answers about this situation.
MMM would rather get “scooped” by the shoddy work of the APP and NJ.com than to report falsehoods and half-truths. We’re not shy about taking shots at politicians, Republicans or Democrats, but not before we’ve done our homework.
For their part, DiSomma and the Red Bank Republicans have thus far resisted the temptation to retaliate with personal attacks against the Red Bank Democratic candidates.
More from my site
Additional Confirmation: No Warrant For DiSomma
Zipprich blames Republicans for his DUI becoming public- DiSomma: Squash Zipprich DUI Video
Sweeney coming to Red Bank to raise campaign cash for Murphy and Dupont- DiSomma to Sweeney: Stay out of Red Bank
RED BANK: ZIPPRICH OWNS ‘ASTROTURF’ URL
Red Bank GOP Won’t Challenge Menna For Mayor
Gopal Surrenders Red Bank
Winners and Losers of 2013, Part 3
Monmouth Dems Have A Freeholder Primary
Art, when was this ticket issued? And when was the fine paid? This fine according to the article was just paid on Thursday?
This is bizarre and puzzling indeed. Why was the gap between the issuance of the summons and payment so wide? Was there a “bounced” check involved?
Keep us updated.
Jim,
The ticket was issued on January 14, 2011.
Yesterday, a Dallas public information officer told RedBankGreen that DiSomma’s 2011 check paying his fine was returned for insufficient funds one year after the fact.
DiSomma paid the fine online on Thursday night, a few hours after he became aware of the situation, and sent me a screenshot of the transaction from his bank’s website.
NJ Democrats, when they have nothing, and they always have nothing, will even make a big stink about their opponent farting in public. In other words when the Government fails, you are the blame as in DiSomma’s case.
This is an opportunity for DiSomma to point out that Democrats like citing bureaucratic systems they build bungle and stumble and hurt citizens like Obamacare.
Stop defending yourself and go for their juggler.
They are getting beaten on the issues, and they choose to distract to voters on a “non event”
Remember this “October Surprise”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/nov/04/uselections2000.usa4
This, like a ticket is a “non event” when compared to the important issues of the day.
I could easily see a check bouncing a year later after getting lost in the beauracracy of a city like Dallas.
Yet, Vin Gopal tries to desperately distract people because liberals can’t debate on the issues because everytime, the lie that is liberalism loses.
Jim Granelli
This whole thing is ridiculous. Leave DiSomma alone. It’s a ticket for blowing a stop sign. Let’s focus on Red Bank, how their library is closing because the Dems can’t cough up the money for it and how they had to take out bonds to pay for retiring employees unused sick and vacation days. Those are the real crimes and the real focus of this race not a traffic ticket which has since been paid.
Sniff, sniff, waaahhhhh…leave me alone Art! I am just playing the game that Convicted corrupt politician Joe Vas taught me to play!
Time to set the record straight. The Asbury Park Press verified it’s information Art, and for you to state otherwise without talking to me is inaccurate. You sent those tweets to me after I left for home and after the close of business Thursday night, one of which I replied to Friday morning a soon as I saw it, informing you I did check with the Dallas municipal court. So I guess you just defamed me.
Second, after calling the court on Thursday for confirmation , I also called DiSomma’s attorney, the Monmouth County Supt. of Elections to confirm his voter registration and I spoke to DiSomma himself about the ticket and the democrats allegations that he didn’t live in Red Bank. I guess you choose to ignore the fact that we printed his explanation about residency and got that right.
Third, I spent the entire day Friday on the phone with and sending e-mails to Dallas Municipal officials, after talking to Sean DiSomma that morning. You can read it in the APP right now, but here’s how that went down so no one jumps to conclusions or makes an assumption: I called the court office and identified myself as a reporter, which is what journalists are supposed to do. She declined to comment and referred me to the court open public records number. So I question how you got “Trisha” to talk to you unless you didn’t properly identify yourself as a journalist. I called and left a message. I called the Dallas city hall public information officer next, explained what I needed and he requested I put it in an e-mail, which I sent before noon. He replied he’d see what he could find. I e-mailed him mid afternoon and got no reply. Besides doing on line research, I called the Texas state bar association to ask for an attorney to explain the difference between an “alias” warrant, which DiSomma told me is what the court had out for him, and an arrest warrant. They gave my information to a Dallas criminal attorney. It was still inconclusive whether an Alias warrant would result in DiSomma’s arrest. Meanwhile, I had been periodically checking the violations website for DiSomma’s citiation to see if it posted his payment. In the late afternoon it displayed a red banner indicating a Capira warrant had been issued and the fine increased to $484. It was dated Oct 25, at midnight. I e-mailed the link to Sean DiSomma and we spoke by phone about how he’d paid the ticket late Thursday night (11:37 pm to be exact) on line and that he’d called the court several times on Friday and was told there was no warrant. And that’s what Fridays story reflected. But I wanted you to know so you can’t accuse me of defaming anyone. Because this is difference between you and I – I’ll call the person in question and get their statement person to person, not post something on social media, where the person may or may not see it and if they fail to see it, then yell GOTCHA! If this is what you call doing your homework, then you get a D.
Out of all this, the one person who has been open and courteous about this matter has been Sean DiSomma. You could take a lesson from him.
Hmmmm – did the check “bounce” because they didn’t try to deposit for a year? Might have been considered a stale date.
Bureaucracy … why wasn’t it deposited within ten days of receipt?
It’s time for a change in Red Bank politics – end the politics of destruction and nonsense.
VOTE REPUBLICAN!
Thanks for clearing that up, Larry.
You should have made your sourcing on confirmation clearer in your stories on APP.com.
Did you speak to anyone in Dallas before you posted the first story about this on Thursday night, after business hours? After you and I were both on DiSomma’s press conference in Red Bank, after business hours?
I first tried to reach you to on Thursday night because it was not clear in your piece that you spoke to anyone in Dallas. At that time, between 10:30 and 11, after I spoke with the Dallas PD.
I first tried to reach you via text. I searched your portfolio on APP for a phone number. The text bounced back.
That’s when I tired tried to reach you via direct messages on twitter. I have my direct message set to go to my cell phone. I was hoping you did too.
None of your stories reflected that anyone in Dallas told Sean that there was no warrant.
I identified myself as a reporter from New Jersey to Trisha and the Dallas PD.
Here are links to screenshots of the DM’s I sent you Thursday night, Larry: http://www.moremonmouthmusings.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/dm1lhiggs102413.png http://www.moremonmouthmusings.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/dm1lhiggs2102413.png
Why aren’t you attacking the DEMOCRATS?
After all, the following information is true, courtesy of from the Red Bank Green link you provided us, THANK you for helping me expose your hypocrisy…
George Coffenberg · Top Commenter · Monmouth University
From what I gather Vin Gopal’s concern is Sean’s responsibility and character which is fine for him to question. The real issue is how does this entire story that made its way to the Asbury park press and star ledger factor into running the borough of red bank. If an unpaid traffic ticket is the worst thing Sean has done it pails in comparison with people involved in the Red Bank Democratic Party let alone the state democratic party.
Ed McKenna former mayor and head of the red bank democratic party has 3 crashes (leaving the scene of an accident, hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk causing her serious injuries and a dwi while driving in the wrong direction on the parkway). Ed McKenna’s charity acquired a building valued at over 1 million dollars for $1 dollar. Ed McKenna’s Red Bank Affordable Housing Corp has William Katchen as its CPA.
Mr. Katchen is under investigation for 3.6 million in missing affordable housing funds related to Paramus Affordable Housing Corp. He was also banned from working in affordable housing for 1 year back in the 90’s due to mishandling housing funds.
That investigation also involves Dennis Oury and Joseph Ferriero who owned Government Grants Consulting LLC The Decotiis law firm that helped create Red Bank Affordable Housing Corp is now involved in the Joseph Ferriero indictment for alleged kickbacks/bribary related to projects at the meadowlands. Red Bank Affordable Housing Corp was given property that cost the taxpayers 2.45 million for just $1,
Joseph Ferriero was the head of the Bergen County Democratice Party. Part of his 75 page indictment is related to the company that provides the Red Bank Borough Website. In addition I have asked Ms Lee and Ms Horgan some very direct questions related to the Cedar Crossing Affordable Housing project and why after 3 years they have roughly 35% of the units unsold.I still have not heard back which is probably why they have now stopped promoting their honest and transparent platform.
The Red Bank Democratic Party prior to John Lynch pleading guilty to political corruption received donations from a PAC co-run between John Lynch and Alfred Decotiis. Part of the Lynch investigation was centered on the River Street School conversion and a new senior housing project behind the borough hall.
Here is an article related to Ferriero’s indictment related to the website provider for Red Bank Borough
http://www.northjersey.com/news/224351181_Ferriero_s_racketeering_case_has_Nutley_tie.html
Here is an article related to Ferriero’s indictment mentioning Decotiis
http://www.northjersey.com/news/bergen/bergen_news/Big_lawyers_play_role_in_Ferriero_indictment.html
YOU WON’T ATTACK THE DEMOCRATS BILL BECAUSE YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE
JCG
A little “whine” with that cheese, eh Larry?
My gosh, gee, golly; you went off on a rant didn’t you? I certainly hope you don’t write your articles like that.
The issue for you is though, that ANYTHING coming directly from ANY political party this late in the game should be suspect. You do know the term “October surprise,” right?
And those wascally Democrats are excellent at that game. You should have done extra homework to ensure that the whole story was told.
Besides that, Larry; a ticket? A TICKET?
Why doesn’t the Press drill down to the issues and report on that?
The answer would be that the Press is a shill for those same Democrats who tossed you a dog of a story; and you bit at it only to get egg on your face.
Signed,
Silence Dogood, Redux.
hey Jim I do not care what a ass like you thinks. You know all about being a hypocrite you fat phony.
But seriously, before we blame the Dems for being the devil worshipers that they obviously are, maybe Di Somma shoulda paid his traffic ticket. Just saying.
And why can’t Red Bank find any Republicans to run for their council positions that aren’t dubious? Cindy Burnham, despite he protestations, did move to Red Bank only a year ago for the express purpose of sitting on its council. She’ll say otherwise, but that would be a lie. Di Somma is another one. He just showed up out of no where. Why would Red Bank residents want outsiders deciding what’s best for them?
Sorry, Art, a partisan blogger calling real reporters out is like Keith Richards telling Elvis he uses too many drugs. You are the one responsible for the sloppy reporting here – if you had triple checked your sources like Chris Robbins or Larry Higgs, you would have gotten the story right the first time like they did.
Instead, you posted wild assumptions and cherry picked quotes from the one source who told you exactly what you wanted to hear, then you flew a banner to denigrate the real journalists in the picture. You should be ashamed of yourself, you are nothing better than an unethical partisan prostitute. You called on them to make an apology yesterday when you claimed their reporting was wrong – by the same token, you owe them a retraction and apology today, or you’re nothing but a hack.
Larry
Silence Dogood, Redux’s comment got me thinking.
I understand when a County Chairman issues a statement alleging a crime committed by an opposing candidate, that responsible journalists will take it seriously enough to look into and report on.
But last year around this time, another County Chairman, Sam Thompson of Middlesex, who is also a State Senator publically asked the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee to look into the allegations that Senator Bob Menendez cavorted with underage Dominican girls. A significant campaign donor of Menendez’s allegedly paid the girls for their services. Thompson also requested that the Senate Ethics committee investigate the allegedly free flights on a private jet that the donor gave to Menendez.
Yet none of the Gannett papers in NJ or any of the large New Jersey papers for that matter reported on Thompson’s letter to the Ethics Committee or the whole affair until after the Miami Herald reported that the FBI had raided the donor’s medical office.
Why do you think, Larry, that your editors had you spend all that time you wrote about above tracking down a traffic warrant for a Red Bank Council candidate, but that they ignored Sam Thompson’s concerns about Bob Menendez?
Hey Larry, since when is a minor traffic ticket newsworthy?
What’s next? Are you and the Asbury Park Press going to report that a certain Red Bank woman left unscooped dog poop at the public park?
Call me. I’ll name names.
1(555) YEL-LOWW
I think you hit the nail on the head Art, that we’re all getting conflicting information from court websites and phone in ticket status updates. Those were the sources for Thursdays APP article. Any material provided by a party organization is going to be researched before publication or it doesn’t go in the paper. Mr. DiSomma and I spoke before both articles were published.
This matter could be easily be cleared up by the city of Dallas returning my e-mailed questions, which was the city public information officer’s preferred method of communication after I spoke to him on Friday. That would put the issue to bed once and for all. Mr. DiSomma provided me with a screen shot of his bank statement showing the Thursday night payment. The problem now seems to be with the court records catching up with his Thursday night payment.
@ Mr DoGood- I was responding to an accusation that the APP and I were derelict in our journalistic duties and there was a need to state how I researched the article and the sourcing. If it came off as whining, my apologies. And I am at every Red Bank council meeting and have been reporting on the issues through out the year. Also note that the Thursday article also contained information from the Republican candidates Thursday press conference about local taxes.
Art, I cover Red Bank which is why I pursued that story. I don’t live in Red Bank and have no stake in the outcome of that race. I can’t speak to the Middlesex County issue because that is not my coverage area and I have no knowledge of that issue.
And for the record I am responding personally and not speaking for the paper.
This kind of crap journalism is the reason the APP readership is dropping faster than Monica Lewinsky in front of Bill Clinton. They want to disqualify a person over a traffic ticket? With all the damage that Democrats have done to New Jersey, we are supposed to get riled up over a silly traffic ticket. Can’t wait for this liberal rag to go under. One less liberal rag, means one less mouthpiece for Obama’s talking points. Hey Larry, you want to be a real journalist? Go do some investigative reporting and find Obama’s college transcript and his passport.
Amen.
JCG
Sooooooo, Larry,
You are aware of conflicting reports and you and The Asbury Park Press mess with a young man’s life and reputation,
…over a minor traffic ticket??!!?
“Now There You Go Again.” Sad to use a beautiful Reagan quote on such a horrid person like yourself, but it fits.
You are like a broken record, saying the same thing over and over and over again. You make charges that you could NEVER prove.
You call me a joke over at that other “blog.”
We’ll, I think I certainly answered that charge over there. No use wasting extra keystrokes here on a hateful person like yourself.
DO YOU EVEN REALIZE HOW CHILDISH AND HATEFUL YOU LOOK?
Actually, asked and answered because if you did, you wouldn’t be doing the self destructive things that you do.
You just keep digging a deeper whole every time you write. Why don’t you just quit, especially here because you are spinning wheels at a place where people know me and know that you are a freaking loon with your charges.
Come on bill, “I’m calling you out.”
Either post your real name or STFU.
As I have said, I bet you would NEVER use such language in person or attach your name to it, lest you be branded a hater in public.
Instead, like a coward, you post such poppycock from behind the safety of a computer screen. You drag my wife into it and you insinuate horrific things.
Does that stuff REALLY make you feel good, like a man bill? Who beat you up bill when you were a child, that you could hate so much?
I’ve a Halloween headstone dedicated to people like yourself. It goes like this:
“Here Lies Howard, A Coward Who Died Many Times Before He Really Died.”
Since you seem to be from Rio Linda, let me explain it to you. You die a little every day with every cowardly act. Sooner or later you are dead inside because of the hate that continues to well up inside of you.
It will KILL you, literally because it eats at your health. I’d rather die a fat and happy person, than one so shallow and full of hate as your nidorous self.
Your attacks are flaccid, puerile and not even humorous. You can’t spell and you are repetitive. You NEVER substantiate your charges because the simple reason is that you could NEVER do that. There are no facts to your bull.
Grow a pair of cohones child, and either post your name so we know who the coward is, or substantiate the charges (other than personal attacks against my weight) you make. And then, I will smack each one of them down.
But again, you won’t because, like you are faceless, the charges are baseless.
In the meantime, EVERY time you post your bull, you continue to illustrate your hate and hypocrisy. Score that for me, each and every time.
TTFN bill
“Silly You.” 🙂
Facts don’t matter to liberals. It’s only the seriousness of the charge, no matter that they can’t substantiate it. It’s about what they can do to destroy the reputation of a candidate.
Most reporters rush to judgement so that they can gain attention to sell a newspaper that is rapidly failing. When there are conflicting reports, they tend to go what will make a great sound bite or headline.
GRAB ATTENTION. That’s all that matters to them because real journalism doesn’t matter any more. It’s all about sensationalism and yellow journalism as you implied before.
When most journalism students are asked why they want to become a journalist, reply; “to change the world.”
Well, that is NOT their job. NO siree.
Their job is to report the news, nothing more. Nothing less. We don’t care about their opinions. We are intelligent enough to form our own opinions based on FACTS.
Instead, they hide the facts from us, like they did with Obama, Obamacare and any other disaster from this administration.
But, the joke is on them. Most people don’t trust the newspapers or the main stream media anymore. That’s why they can’t sell their rag.
The problem is that Mr. Higgs and his ilk, can’t get that message.
Can’t wait till the APP is on the junk heap of history. Then, Mr. Higgs job will go the way of the ice man.
Signed,
Silence Dogood, Redux
Ok, now I’m mad.
@Larry
I just re-read your comments here:
Are you kidding??? Oh, for God’s sake. You can’t be serious!
Just WHERE is the responsible reporting in all of this? Clearly there is some kind of glitch in the system out there in Dallas, yet you & The Asbury Park Press continue to mess with a young man’s life and reputation. Over a traffic ticket.
And for what??
This young man is a fellow human being on this planet, looking to serve his community. I don’t care if he’s left, right, up or down. Doesn’t matter. He’s a fellow human being, in our community, who wants to serve. What right do YOU and The Asbury Park Press have, to do him such harm?
…or do reckless harm to ANYONE for that matter??
What happened to ethics? What happened to the empathy center of your brains at that newspaper? What the Hell WERE YOU THINKING???
I seem to recall that there’s a nick-name for that style of journalism, but the name escapes me at the moment… …… ……
Enough venting for now. Please excuse me, but I really must go wash my hands.
By the way, how DO you get those ugly yellow stains off of your fingertips?
Hi Art,
Thanks again for your accurate reporting (I always get my political news from More Monmouth Musings).
I can say that we (the Red Bank Republicans) have always avoided personal attacks against our opponents. Campaigns have always been quite tough but never vicious. Once you remove our political differences from the table, we all get along quite well.
Enter, Dem Chairman, Mr Gopal who
is obviously looking to change this, pitting people permanently against one another through his use of the “Politics of Personal Destruction”, from the County Freeholder level to Council races. Distorting facts and smearing people rather than dealing with issues ( they don’t have any).
If Republicans retaliate, Mr Gopal will only have himself to blame for this. Its a shame that Monmouth County Democrats
have sunk to this level and have chosen a slime ball as their leader.
We are now so comfortable with “gotcha” politics, that it is a short step to “gotcha” journalism.
The story about the unpaid ticket was adequately reported.
Allan,
I’m not sure what you are saying here, but it sounds like you might be saying, as Larry Higgs said, that I was playing “gotcha journalism” with this story.
That is not so. It is also not so that the story was adequately reported, especially on Thursday night and Friday.
Both APP and NJ.com had inflammatory headlines in their story on Thursday and Friday that made DiSomma sound like a a criminal, not like a traffic violator. That was not “adequate” reporting, it was sensational reporting. That was the “gotcha” journalism.
Out of respect for Larry, who usually does a good job covering his beat and who I have bumped into in the field on at least two occasions, including this story, I attempted to contact him late Thursday night to get clarification about his ambiguous “confirmation” of the warrant. I had confirmation that there was no warrant. I wanted to give him the opportunity to update his story, online at least, before morning when, as you and I both know, Allan, web traffic picks up.
I didn’t have a phone number for Christopher at NJ.com, and I couldn’t find his twitter account, or I would have done the same for him. Christopher’s story was less inflammatory than Larry’s, but the NJ.com headline was awful. I tweeted my story to @njdotcom as soon as I published it.
As one of the journalists that Gopal sent his release to, I wanted to make sure I got the story right.
I was at the press conference with Christopher and Larry in Red Bank. I was the first one at the conference to ask DiSomma about the allegations. I didn’t rush to publish after the press conference, rather I stayed in the field to attend a candidates forum in Red Bank. I, and John Ward of RedBankGreen were the only journalists covering the forum. I wanted to know if the Red Bank council candidates or Councilman Ed Zipprich, a candidate for Assembly in the 11th district knew about the inaccurate press release before Gopal sent it out. All said they didn’t.
I’ve been the subject of inaccurate and inflammatory reporting in the APP, and in your publication, Allan. My motivation for working on this story until 1am on Friday morning, was not “gotcha” journalism to shame APP and NJ.com, but to get the accurate story out about DiSomma. I have first hand experience about how inflammatory and inaccurate reporting, sourced by only one side without independent verification, can impact the subject of the story and that subject’s family members.
That’s why I worked to the wee hours getting the story right, and posted it in the comments of the APP and NJ.com stories. If possible, I wanted to a balanced and well sourced story out before web traffic started picking up for the day at 6am.
It is inevitable that the Democrats and some of my competitors will say that I am acting as a partisan hack with this story. Worse has been written about me. 🙂
However, the truth is I have been fair in this my coverage of this campaign.
I’ve been sitting on “dirt” about each of the Red Bank council candidates, Zipprich, and one of the Democratic freeholder candidates for a couple of months. I haven’t reported any of it because most of it is old and in my opinion, irrelevant to the issues of the Red Bank and county campaigns.
If what you are doing by coming to my place is accusing me of “gotcha” journalism, Allan, may I suggest you call me for the facts before you go public. Otherwise, stick to the stenography and publication of press releases that you are good at.
The truth is that my reporting of this story raised the bar for the other outlets covering it. They started doing what they should have done in the first place, after I criticized them.
[…] monopoly in city hall. Allegations concerning a Dallas warrant stemming from a stale traffic fine (h/t MoreMonmouthMusings) represent only the latest attempt by the incumbents’ allies to knee-cap the insurgent […]