Yesterday, I told you that Northampton County DA Steve Baratta authorized a private criminal complaint by county Republican chair Glenn Geissinger against four elected state committee members Steve Lynch, Deb Biro, Melanie Heilman and Richard Morea as a result of their unruly and disruptive behavior at a county committee meeting on June 8, 2023. At that time, two Republican County committee members who are married to each other were confronted with pictures of them engaged in intimate relations, together with accusations that they had posted several videos on an Internet porn site. Both have denied to me that they were aware that their intimate videos had been taken and posted online. But I learned yesterday afternoon that the female half of this married couple posted those videos herself. She admitted it to me.
When this first happened, I was deeply concerned about this woman's mental health. She was already suffering from depression, and abruptly left the meeting after being confronted. She had been attacked on social media by Steve Lynch's myrmidons with comments like this: "[A]re they little problems or big problems, meaning are the 5.56 problems or .308 problems or,…. Do we have .50BMG to problems, You got problems, I’ll solve it, check out the beat while my DJ revolves it." Moreover, the husband half of this married couple was suspicious that someone stole their private videos.
Although police declined to file charges, I thought approval of the private criminal complaint might provide some measure of justice. So did the female "victim" who texted me after my story published to tell me. it was a "good story."
And that's the problem. It's a good story, but it's not the truth. I finally got that yesterday afternoon.
It's no secret that I'm no fan of Steve Lynch, whose constant conspiracy theories and bullying of everyone who disagrees with him, make him a threat to democracy. He and his allies have disrupted meetings before the one that took place on June 8, 2023. He was ejected from a Nazareth eatery after disrupting a meeting there. But his bad behavior is no justification for dishonesty.
After my story initially posted, I received numerous comments, including this one:
"The "Victim" admitted (after initially lying) on the Bethlehem township police report #23-04723 that she was not hacked and that she uploaded the videos herself to her and her husband's public porn hub site. This police report is available to the public. Do your research before blindly defending these people. It's just going to make you look bad in the end when the whole naked truth comes out."
I immediately contacted both husband and wife.
Husband told me that the first time he knew these videos were posted online was at the June 8, 2023 meeting.
After nearly a year, the wife finally acknowledged to me yesterday afternoon that "I was not completely honest with you." She flat-out lied to me, and on several occasions.
Her explanation: "I never imagined anyone would see them and I don't know how they could've found them amongst the millions of photos and videos that are available online."
If she didn't think anyone would see them, then why post them in the first place?
Now look, I'm no prude. It makes no difference to me whether someone wants to post his or her private sex life online. I think it's a bit odd, but I won't judge. But when a person lies and maintains that lie for nearly a year and allows a person to defend her based on that lie, it's a pretty clear indication that person is untrustworthy.
Does this mean the private criminal complaint filed by Geissinger lacks merit? No, they are predicated on unruly behavior at a meeting, not the sex tapes themselves. I do think that the First Amendment, which guarantees core political speech, might encompass at least rowdy behavior.
It seems to me that NorCo GOP committee members have formed a circle and are just shooting each other. Glenn Geissinger should be asking himself if he really wants to ruin his own county party.