“Never let the truth get in the way of a good cover-up.” — anonymous Nixon aide[Welcome American Thinker readers, and additional thanks to Columbuser, BizzyBlog and Nixguy for the plugs]
“I had put together, what I considered a proactive media strategy of not responding. . .” — Hanna M. Greer, Public Information Director, Franklin County Commissioners
Take a minute and re-read that statement from Hanna Greer again. With reference to the Abukar Arman kerfuffle, Greer’s statement encapsulates the Franklin County Commissioners’ handling of the issue. Earlier today I went to the Commissioners’ office and finally obtained the documents I had requested under the Open Records Act last month on the Abukar Arman matter. Greer contacted me by email at the close of business last Thursday (4:43pm to be precise) to let me know the documents were ready. As I already noted, this information had already been provided to Barbara Carmen of the Columbus Dispatch more than a week before it was made available to me.
It is going to take a couple of days to wade through the ~250 pages of information, but perhaps the most important article obtained through my Open Records Act request was a set of email exchanges between Hanna Greer and Michael Brown (reproduced below), spokesman for Mayor Michael Coleman, just days after my initial article regarding Abukar Arman’s extremists statements in support of terrorist organizations and his presence on the Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board, “Hometown Jihad: The Somali Terror Apologist Next Door”. Perhaps coincidentally, the County Commission finally responded to my request only after my FrontPage article last week noting that they continued to sit on the information they were required by law to provide “promptly”, “Terror Sympathizer Tossed from Homeland Security Oversight Panel”.
In this set of email exchanges, which were also copied to a number of Central Ohio Democratic Party operatives and political staffers, Michael Brown lays out a plan to:
- Politicize the Abukar Arman issue by stonewalling information requests from the public and non-establishment media to prevent giving the allegations any legitimacy or traction, and only responding to friendly “credible media” inquiries;
- Shut down/downplay the investigation that Commissioner Paula Brooks had demanded regarding Arman’s extremist positions; and
- Manipulate the “investigation” for a predetermined outcome to create the necessary media response long before anything had come back on the various inquiries into what Arman had said, all in order to discredit the published reports and to limit the possible political damage to Central Ohio Democrats.
We also find Hanna Greer admitting in these emails to pressuring Barbara Carmen and Doug Caruso of the Columbus Dispatch to get off the Abukar Arman story. In light of how the story ended up, and in light of how the pseudo-investigation was a set-up from the start, is it any wonder the Dispatch article came out as it did? Was Barbara Carmen duped? Carmen had already been given a copy of this Greer-Brown exchange before she wrote her article last week, but I’m willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. That said, she did not report that Greer had leaned on the Dispatch to drop the story.
Here are a couple of quick thoughts and immediate questions raised by the Greer-Brown exchange:
- How is it that Mayor Coleman’s office took it upon themselves to start dictating media strategy for a matter that only involved the County Commission? Who is running the show downtown?
- When did government-employed public information directors get in the business of choosing who they would respond to and what information they would provide?
- Michael Brown claims that this issue is driven by political and ideological considerations, and responds by encouraging further politicization of the issue. Did his strategy best serve the people of Franklin County and the City of Columbus, or his Democratic Party overlords?
- Hanna Greer admits to setting up an Orwellian “proactive media strategy of not responding” (aka “stonewalling”), which explains why none of us were able to get any response whatsoever from anyone at the County Commission. Remember, Hanna Greer is Public Information Director, not Political Director. Her job is working for the people who pay her salary, not the elected political officials who currently occupy those positions. Her behavior borders on the criminal, and certainly crosses the lines of nonfeasance and misfeasance.
- Perhaps the most galling thing about this is how Hanna Greer was upset that Paula Brooks had made public her call for an investigation. Brooks had the audacity, according to Greer, to act forthrightly and communicating directly with the unwashed masses and bloggers without consulting her first! Who exactly is running the show at the County Commission office; our elected representatives, or unelected lackeys?
- The Columbus Dispatch had this same information, and was under admitted pressure from Hanna Greer to drop their Abukar Arman story. Why did they not find that important enough to report?
- Later this week I will be posting another separate email from Michael Brown to Hanna Greer informing her that he had contacted Columbus Police and the DOJ on the Abukar Arman matter. Why did he do this, when all I had accused him of was publicly voicing support for terrorist organizations while serving on the Criminal Justice Planning Board? He initiated these law enforcement investigations so that Arman could be “cleared” of my supposed charges, when in fact they had nothing to do with my original FrontPage report. Again, this email between Brown and Greer had already been provided to the Columbus Dispatch, who was apparently not interested in the public corruption angle of this story; but instead, chose to be a part of it.
-----Original Message-----Here are some of the other Democratic Party players and political staff who were in on this spin-strategy memo:
From: Brown, Michael S.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 11:17 AM
To: Greer, Hanna M.; electpaulabrooks@aol.com; Brooks, Paula L.; Sontag, RJ; Seckler, Barb; Reese, Michael; Ivanic, John P.; Rutkus, Mark K.; Sexton, Michael E.
Subject: Right Wing Bloggers
Hanna Greer,
Sending a note on this blogger issue I read about. I’m seeing Step 2 in classic right wing “from blogs to news” strategy on this Mr. Arman issue, see message below . . . They were mildly successful in getting electeds to react to some nobody blowhard on WTVN, now they got a different blog to accuse you of not doing enough or covering up, damned if you do or don’t. This is the next to last stages of their facist-esque defamation “balloon floating” on this person . . . Either credible media will pick up or they won’t, if not it goes away.
Best strategy for responsible folks (in my opinion) is simple, factual defense from external validator. Have Don Brown or lower staff (not at request of Comm.) get short, clear statement from Sheriff, Police or Homeland Security folks on status of individual, good or bad . . . Not an investigation or hearing. You’ve already got something from DC John Rockwell of Columbus Police (one of the fairest and sharpest on Homeland Security in country). If accusations of blog don’t match reality from Safety folks, just sit tight until (if/when) credible media call. If that ever comes, then down staff folks simply hand over Safety official notes/statement . . . “oh yeah, the Sheriff looked into that accusation, it’s bs . . . “No further comment by anyone aside from that.
As long as there’s no credible threat, We respect free speech of both sides, even if we don’t agree with either . . . We certainly don’t govern based on the paranoia and fear-mongering of divisive Republican operatives or their hench-persons at select blogs or talk shows.
The reality here is that this in the end won’t be about the individual, they don’t care about him, it’ll be about they use a reaction to tear you down. They’ll hit you if you make it serious in any direction… That’s why you need credible external source to demystify accusations.
I cc’ed Paula Brooks, as I know she expressed concern, and some of our team.
Be cautious.
mb
- Michael Sexton: Community Liaison Officer, Office of the Mayor
- Mark Rutkus: Currently Legislative Aide to City Council President Michael Mentel mkrutkus@columbus.gov 614-645-8558; Former Franklin County Democratic Party Chair; Executive Director for State Convention
- John Ivanic: currently Columbus city council spokesman and former NBC 4 weekend anchor/reporter
- Barb Seckler: Deputy Director of the City of Columbus Department of Public Safety
-----Original Message-----Again, there is much to wade through, but one additional document that demonstrates the stonewall established by the County Commission and how Hanna Greer manned it, is a handwritten memo dated July 19th from Hanna Greer to one of the commissioners that is written on a copy of an email request from Dirk Thompson at 610WTVN asking for a response on the matter. Greer tells the commissioner:
From: Greer, Hanna M.
To: Brown, Michael S.
Sent: Tue Jul 17 12:38:29 2007
Subject: RE: Right Wing Bloggers
Mike,
Thanks for your counsel.. ...... I appreciate it. Unfortunately because of the call to “expeditiously investigate’’ the Dispatch is going to give additional credence to the allegations and write a piece.
We should talk .........
Hanna
-----Original Message-----
From: Brown, Michael S.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 12:50 PM
To: Greer, Hanna M.
Subject: Re: Right Wing Bloggers
Who is on it? Barb?
Who will reply?
-----Original Message-----
From: Greer, Hanna M.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 1:05 PM
To: Brown, Michael S.
Subject: RE: Right Wing Bloggers
Barb is on it. She wants Commissioner Brooks to respond about her call for an investigation. I am trying to persuade her and Doug Caruso not to do the story.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brown, Michael S.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 1: 11 PM
To: Greer, Hanna M.
Subject: RE: Right Wing Bloggers
Good luck. This is a tough one, but when electeds speak sometimes they walk into traps. I’ve got similar troubles over here with Councilmembers who are so new. Which way will Paula go ... ?
What is her message?
-----Original Message-----
From: Greer, Hanna M.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 1:15 PM
To: Brown, Michael S.
Subject: RE: Right Wing Bloggers
Honestly Mike, I have no idea what Paula’s message is. I had put together, what I considered a proactive media strategy of not responding however, her office sent out the memo requesting an investigation which the other commissioners and I heard about on 610 WTVN and from Patrick Poole.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brown, Michael S.
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 1:28 PM
To: Greer, Hanna M.
Subject: RE: Right Wing Bloggers
Alright, I feel ya.
Sorry you’re in this position.
Commissioner,Ladies and gentlemen, our Franklin County Commission Public Information Director Hanna M. Greer hard at work . . . for someone other than the taxpayers she is paid to serve:
I do not plan to respond to Mr. Thompson’s request.
Hanna
