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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Panto's Weiner Defense: "I Was Hacked!"

Last week, I outed Easton Mayor Sal Panto for using two sock puppets - roverfan73 and tom18017 - to post comments online at LehighValleyLive. This is in addition to comments he was already posting under his own name. In fact, that's what caused the problem. He'd start a conversation using his own name, and then would finish using one of his alter egos, but thinking that he was still posting as the Mayor. This happened with each of the phony names he was using. He now has an explanation for what happened. He was hacked. Apparently, some evil person - possibly me - broke into both of his accounts and impersonated him. This is the same defense Anthony Weiner had when he was first caught sending pictures of his peeper to a woman. Then another woman came forward. His explanation compounds dishonest behavior with more of the same.

Before I published my story, I gave Panto a chance to tell me about it, but he never responded. Later that week, Dennis Lieb asked Mayor Panto to explain himself during a City Council meeting. Panto refused.

But on Sunday, Panto was among his frenemies at a meeting of Democrats that was strangely held at the very exclusive and very Republican Pomfret Club While there, he told his audience that he had been hacked and that it wasn't really him saying all those nasty things about his supposed friends.He advised everyone to make sure they have really good passwords or it could happen to them, too.

Of course, nobody actually believed him. Panto's explanation is actually an admission that he set up these false accounts. Essentially, he admitted to dishonest behavior.

It gets better. Someone who is more technologically savvy than he - and that would apparently include everyone in the room - eventually pointed out that Panto had just admitted to dishonest behavior.

Don't worry. He had an explanation for that, too. He claimed the accounts were only set up in anticipation of last year's election. So it's OK to be dishonest as long as you are doing it for political reasons.

But guess what? That explanation is bullshit, too. Comments under the name tom18017 extend as far back as July 2014, six months before the election year started. Also, given Panto's fascination with every comment on LehighValleyLive, he surely would have seen the comments under his two pseudonyms. If someone really had hacked two different false names that he set up, Panto had ample opportunity to notice and do something about it.

Also, if these accounts were hacked and not really him, wouldn't the comments continue? There have been no comments under either of his false names since I outed him.

Mark Twain once said, "If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Panto was caught posting under two pseudonyms.Rather than just fess up, he has compounded that simple lie with more lies.

If he wants to give advice to other Democrats, he might offer a word or two on the importance of honesty. But he seems to be inexperienced in that field, as are most politicians.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Honest Bob, It's My Panto and I'll Lie if I Want To, and Fed Ed: The Three Amigos.

Anonymous said...

This is far more interesting that the Woodman entry.

Anonymous said...

You definitely are a must read each morning. Thanks for keeping us informed. Frenemies...great.

tom18017 said...

Wow, hacked. That's some serious business. Normally these hacks come from malware that is obtained when people frequent the most devient sexual websites.

Actually the hack is the person making up these wild stories and then believing that the stories are believable. Not mayoral behavior, not even close. Good work Bernie. Shame on Sal for telling such lies.

Anonymous said...

Sal would have been better off telling the truth by just saying that he is a hack.

Anonymous said...

Too funny.....

Sadly, nothing surprises me in politics anymore.

Anonymous said...

Gary W. Gorman writes:

The older I get, the more I realize how much Middle School behavior goes on throughout society. A 'respected' mayor of a major city posting attacks under different monikers is just one more example.

I wonder how many times Kathleen Kane and/or Judge Eakin have posted on here, too.

Anonymous said...

So fix the problem. How does he get ousted with his good ole boy network reaching far throughout the city? Even if he stops running, one of his cronies is going to pick up the mantle.

Anonymous said...

What else has he lied about over the years?

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Enough to fill volumes.

Anonymous said...

He got caught doing his own wet work, they all do it, some just have better tech support and political network getting it done.

michael molovinsky said...

this blog is such bogus crap. fyi, he was telling the truth. i know, because i'm the one who hacked panto's accounts

Charlie Sc said...

In response to a comment above, actually a large number of computer hacks come from people clicking on links or attachments in emails offering them a coupon for a free gift card or similar item.

That is why some companies regularly test their employees to find the weakest link in their system. They send out emails with executable file attachments and see who clicks on them.

Anonymous said...

11:54

If companies demonstrate they have these abilities to test employees, just imagine what they do to industry rivals, the political apparatus in the country, and the general public.

Anonymous said...

LOL for those who are trying to justify the democrat mayors passwords being hacked...stop it..another lying sack of crap has been busted.

Dennis R. Lieb said...

Lets cut to the chase; Panto is a liar, pure and simple. It has become so easy for him to lie - and to get away with it - that it is no longer even thought of as lying in his worldview. I won't even address the idiocy and gullibility he must perceive in his fellow officials to even claim such nonsense as a hacked account.

He has lied to me in numerous face-to-face encounters. When unable to lie he has simply not bothered to respond, even in cases of official importance. He made a comment in a major meeting in his conference room in 2012, attended by representatives of all the city organizations (but none of his city staff) that he "lied everyday" in order to get things done...I wrote that note down in my meeting minutes: "The mayor just said he lies everyday!!!"

He lied about me to my former boss and other officials at CACLV in a secret meeting he held in city hall in November of 2012, when he accused me of misappropriating grant funds to benefit my friends in the West Ward while ignoring legitimate applications. He lied in that same meeting by stating there had been multiple complaints against me within city hall: that I was impossible to work with, antagonistic and uncooperative. Of course there were no actual people associated with these complaints nor anything in writing from anyone to substantiate his claims.

I was not supposed to know about this meeting, but my boss - out of loyalty to someone she knew as a good employee - told me immediately. I spent the next two months waiting for the other show to drop and when I gave them no legitimate reasons to substantiate their claims Panto sent his former Economic Development Director/hatchet-woman out to one of my private real estate showings to engage me in an interrogation over why I was holding up grants to a project owned by a city employee. When the answers I provided to those questions didn't comport with the Panto worldview (i.e. I get whatever I want) I mysteriously found myself unemployed 72 hours later.

I love my city. I want to try to stay here but it becomes increasing difficult with every passing day due to the knowledge that we are under the complete grip of a lying tyrant with no controls - no council oversight, no local newspaper scrutiny - nothing. I did not sue the city when I lost my job. That was partially due to conversations with others who went through the misery of Panto's verbal abuse during similar lawsuits; partially based on advice from legal council; but mostly from the sense of loyalty to my city and not wanting to have good taxpayer money thrown after bad to defend Panto's indiscretions.

In retrospect that was a mistake. Perhaps a personal legal victory for me would have ended a miserable period of autocratic governance for Easton.

DRL

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

"This comment has been removed by a blog administrator."

Bernie O'Hare said...

Yes, this forum does not exist for you to anonymously continue the attacks on third parties that Panto started. By the way, I know who you are. Take your hate somewhere else.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, can we start a petition to have this man taken out of office? This is an embarrassment to the area. A true failure and laughing stock.

Anonymous said...

Bernie,
In your closing statement that redd all poloticians are cunnilingwistZ that speakth with forketh toungueth¿ My mind is made up as to lieZ, now let us all get into the infastructure of there make up¿ Than there are those that are shoulder deep propping up these sock puppets as public figures¿
I can't put to print my theory of relitivity on this browne hole matter flush, help me I am caught in the swirlZ¿
redd

Anonymous said...

Trump !

Bernie O'Hare said...

"Bernie, can we start a petition to have this man taken out of office? This is an embarrassment to the area. A true failure and laughing stock."

An elected official may only be removed in accordance with the Pa Constitution. Recall efforts violate the Constitution.

Anonymous said...

Panto meant, "I AM a hack".

Anonymous said...

I'd like to see lehigh valley live or any local news cover this story. He is an embarrassment.

Get Energized said...

It is TIME we all STOP voting Democrat. Look at what Democrats stand for, shutting down Heritage day, closing down the economy, censorship and racism.