Let me start by saying that if I were accused of having engaged in "sexual misconduct" in the Year 2000, I would have admitted it. I'd admit to having sexual relations with every women in the Lehigh Valley, and several times. Since we live in a day and age where all sexual orientations are embraced, I'd admit to having screwed a few parakeets, too. But just what the hell is sexual misconduct, anyway? Adultery? Going to a stripbar? Harassment? The story fails to make even that clear.
The impression I have from the story is that Nothstein is being accused of fooling around with one and possibly two women in the year 2000. Its three-month long investigation and three-reporter byline lists no other incidents, and Nothstein insists that's because there are none.
Now Nothstein has denied this undefined "sexual misconduct" and so have the women who were named by an anonymous tipster, lurking in the shadows. But if this is a story, why has The Morning Call failed to write about numerous elected officials who are alleged to have had one night stands and affairs over the years? I can list quite a few.
At the Nothstein news conference, Morning Call editor Pete Leffler attempted to claim that the real issue was the cyclist's reticence in admitting that he's no longer with the Velodrome. That's bullshit. Nobody gives a shit whether Nothstein is still working at the Velodrome. But sex sells, and this story was intended to tar Nothstein.
The original story failed to even mention that the women involved had signed affidavits denying sexual misconduct and were willing to be interviewed. That's a complete abdication of its ethical responsibility to be accurate and fair. The newspaper completely failed in its moral obligation to "[b]alance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness." A newspaper should "[a]void pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do."
In fairness, I do think there was a miscommunication between the newspaper and the Nothstein campaign. That's likely because they had too many people working on this project. At the news conference, I counted five people from The Morning Call alone.
29 comments:
Come on Bernie, you've been reading the news for at least the past two years. You know that sexual misconduct doesn't refer to having an affair or going to a strip club. It's also quite clear that the article isn't out to accuse him of sexual misconduct, accusations which nobody seems to have much information about, so much as it is to assert that he was suspended from his job as a result of misconduct allegations. If a Congressional candidate in a swing district is pushed out of his job for ANY reason, it is news and warrants coverage. Quit playing dumb.
You are so right. This is a slam on Wild by O'Hare because he loves Morganelli and will do anything to help Nothstein beat her. Just fake news.
It's been fair game since Clinton.
It seems that the Morning call, most likely under pressure from one of its supporters caved to become a pawn in dirty politics. It seems much of the media now believes it must assist its favorite candidate. I assume that means they don't believe their candidate can win on the issues. I believe and hope, this kind of dirty politics has almost run its course and those who engage in it will pay a price. With the Morning Call being in the dire financial condition that it has found itself in, possibly aided by its bias, you would think that it would be careful to be an objective conveyor of real news. It seems that today political advantage even trumps survival.
It seems to me that the real "story" here is the lack of accountability for this independent wing of the US Olympic Committee called "SafeSport."
As stated in the Morning Call: ""SafeSport has “exclusive authority” to conduct internal investigations of “actual or suspected sexual misconduct” and underlying problems related to sexual misconduct at 47 Olympic-sanctioned sports programs no matter how old the claim may be. ... There is no time limit for how long SafeSport takes to investigate claims, and it can reopen closed cases. SafeSport investigations are private. The organization will not say whether the person being investigated has been cleared, even after the sporting body that referred the case to SafeSport publicly names the person, as in Nothstein’s case. SafeSport only makes a person’s name and its findings public if its investigation finds a policy has been violated."
If these investigations are going to ruin people's lives, then there needs to be some accountability with SafeSport. Why isn't LAW ENFORCEMENT called upon to do these investigations? (Although, in this case, it seems the anonymous 3rd party did also go to Upper Mac polic, and the claims were deemed "meritless" under PA law.) Why aren't people who are cleared of any wrong doing allowed to know this and publically respond as wrongly accused? So basically anyone, anywhere, can accuse any Olympian of any wrong doing, from any time period, and SafeSport gets to take on the investigation and publically name the accused, with zero accountability to anyone. And they never have to clear the names of those they find not guilty.
All anyone would have to do to ruin any Olympian's life is name them as an accuser, whether or not there are any facts to support the case. What a terrible and unfair system.
Susan Wild rides a Big Wheel.
Bernie O'Hare takes cheap shots at people all the time, or so at least the Secret Service tells me!
6:02 is Rolf Oeler, who I turned into the Secret Service after he threatened to kill President Obama in a statement submitted to this blog. I would turn him in again, too. They apparently were even talking to his neighbors before deciding not to prosecute. He is one of several very sick people haunting the Internet
"Susan Wild rides a Big Wheel."
This has nothing to do with Wild. It has everything to do with journalistic ethics.
"You know that sexual misconduct doesn't refer to having an affair or going to a strip club."
I know no such thing. It could refer to adultery or it could refer to sexual assault. This term leaves way too much room to the imagination.
"If a Congressional candidate in a swing district is pushed out of his job for ANY reason, it is news and warrants coverage."
But you don't have a reason. You just speculated so you could trash Nothstein and sell newspapers. At that point it stops being news. Report that he was removed from the Velodrome. Report you don't know why, because you don't. That would be fair. Reporting unsubstantiated and undefined sexual misconduct is completely unfair.
Monkey Momma, You must lead quite the sheltered life. This is not just SafeSport. Numerous law enforcement agencies who will let it be known they are investigating someone, but will never announce that they have cleared the subject. Consider the recent FBI investigation in Allentown, in which numerous people were identified in a search warrant and subpoena. When those people were ultimately cleared, there was nothing to let the public know. I have a friend who was accused of forging his father's will. News sources reported he was under investigation. He was exonerated by handwriting exemplars. The PSP agreed it would publicly exonerate him if he passed this test. They never did.
I'm voting WILD. With the drunk Boscola why not? A slop fest! Hogs go WILD at the trough!
You say he was accused of signing the will? Well was the will signed by someone not the owner of the will?
10:20, ID yourself and I will answer your question. My point is that people remember the accusation, but do not remember how things end.
You mention ethics, but who enforces? Other professionals who are bound by ethics have licensing boards for people to file complaints, with the ability to fine and revoke licenses. I would think we should be licensing journalists to get them to act like professionals again.
That would be contrary to the first amendment. The gov’t could refuse to issue licenses to critics.
According to Nothstein, the anonymous tip was made just 11 days after he had announced his candidacy. At that time, there was a large field of Republicans seeking the nomination, and in a district that stretched to Dauphin County. There was also a large field of Democrats.
Ok, so let's try to narrow down where the "anonymous" tip initially came from.
You believe that it's unlikely the tip came from the Wild campaign. Likely true because at the time she was busy attacking Morganelli and Nothstein wasn't even the leading Republican candidate.
Also unlikely that it would have come from Mike Pries, the Dauphin County candidate, or Scott Uelinger from Berks. There would be zero upside for either of them, nor would they have much knowledge of the Velodrome. That leaves Justin Simmons, Ryan Mackenzie, and Dean Browning. Three guys splitting the vote in Lehigh County.
At the time of the "tip" who would have benefited most by damaging Marty? Doesn't sound like something Dean would peddle. He wasn't given much chance and considered a political gadfly (although ultimately he ran a hell of a campaign). Simmons had already been running an anti-Dent Trumpian campaign. Who do you think tipped off the media about Simmons' attendance/OCD issues in Harrisburg? So process of elimination the anonymous tip came from?
Who are you kidding? Simmons is known for precisely this sort of thing. You are assuming it came from a politico I personally think it could have been a jealous person in the cycling community. It could have been someone who did not like the questions Nothstein was asking the board at the Velodrome. But this is all rank speculation. And please, no more comments about Simmons.
Where do you stand in the #metoo movement, Bernie?
Most people will forget in two weeks unless the issue can be kept in the press for whatever reason.
Emmett Till... is the #metoo movement's poster child.
Robert, I completely support #metoo. This has nothing to do with #metoo and everything to do with unfair journalism.
Redd, I have told you numerous times that I am unwilling to host your comments. I have given you ample opportunities and you just refuse to write in a way that is understandable. So now I do not read you and just delete you.
Your plan to derail Wild is not working. You guys should come up with a new strategy.
Give you all one WILD guess whose law firm represents the Morning Call.
"But you don't have a reason. You just speculated so you could trash Nothstein and sell newspapers. At that point it stops being news. Report that he was removed from the Velodrome. Report you don't know why, because you don't. That would be fair. Reporting unsubstantiated and undefined sexual misconduct is completely unfair."
The reason is that he was accused of sexual misconduct. Again, the story is that Nothstein was pushed out of his job at the velodrome because of a sexual misconduct allegation. The story is not the allegation itself. The reporters are very clear that they were unable to determine the specifics of the allegation, and that two alleged victims of the misconduct spoke to police who determined that nothing criminal took place.
This is directly from the MCall story:
"In February, then velodrome board President Ralston emailed its members, informing them he had been notified that SafeSport had an investigation of Nothstein in an alleged incident that occurred 18 years ago, around 2000. His email offered no details.
Ralston called a board meeting days after the email, at the velodrome, 1151 Mosser Road, to consider what was described in the email as a suspension, the source with direct knowledge said. All board members voted to place Nothstein on leave, the source said. At some point, the source said, the decision was made it would be unpaid."
Just replace "sexual misconduct" with any other offense, say, tax fraud, and you can see how your argument breaks down. Even if it could not be proven that a candidate for office actually committed tax fraud, it would be news that they were removed from their job for having been accused of committing tax fraud.
To be clear, I'm not particularly invested in this story one way or the other. I'm not going to vote for Nothstein, but I'm not crazy about Wild, either, and this accusation sounds fishy. Nothstein is also pretty far behind in most of the projections I've seen, so if this were a partisan attack, it seems like it would be more likely to backfire than benefit Wild.
I am not claiming that Wild or anyone is responsible for the story other than The Morning Call itself.
Yup and the woman that signed one of those affidavits is now the victim of stalking and Nothstein is now accused of a felony. Care to revisit your water carrying for Nothstein?
Told ya so...
https://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-pa-marty-nothstein-charged-stalking-20211208-j5zmnw5ovveupl2vfngo3i2dai-story.html?fbclid=IwAR2Kc-Zm7xxVRcDpZf3KMf4xxPWK_nD9XwIfy_kmTOB5LAhQ19DWjrwcaxA
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