Posted on Monday, 12th July 2010 by Patrick Dorwin
The investigation by the District Attorneys Office into the political blogging of a county employee using county resources has concluded. The D.A. has found what they call “extensive political blogging” on the computer that they seized from the blogger known as Capper, Chris Liebenthal. This stems from a complaint made by Citizens for Responsible Government. The District Attorneys Office has chosen not to press criminal charges, believing this should be handled as an internal county personnel matter.
You can see CRG’s press release, here.
Our past coverage: Liberal attack-dog blogger/ county employee Christopher “Capper” Liebenthal under DA investigation
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31 Responses to “DA investigation into blogging on taxpayer computer update”
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July 12th, 2010 at 8:08 am
He should be fired. Today.
July 12th, 2010 at 8:52 am
Every one of Jay Bullock’s posts and comments defending this fat bastard need to be thrown back in his face.
Jay, I’m calling you out for the lying, partisan hack you are.
July 12th, 2010 at 9:16 am
The only thing that I didn’t see is if the “extensive political blogging” was done while Capper was on the clock. If that was the case, then he should be fired.
As far as Jay’s posts, those can thrown back at him no matter what. What Capper used to do his “extensive political blogging” was paid for by the tax payer dollar regardless if it was on his off time or not. This includes the machine he used and the Internet connection plus who knows what else. What would have happened if some virus or spyware got onto the machine and network because of what Capper was doing? How much more tax dollar would have been wasted to correct that?
What Capper did is wrong and must be dealt with.
July 12th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Well, here’s Folkbum’s last comment on the matter:
Here’s the thing: I do not have a video camera that watches Chris 24/7/365. But what I do know is that Chris is under intense scrutiny for criticizing his employer publicly (as I have occasionally been myself.) And I know that Chris’s own comments–like explaining that he’s posting during “work” hours because he’s on vacation or a furlough–suggest awareness of and attention to that scrutiny.
Combined that with the fact that Chris is not any kind of manager likely to have override access on his computer or the alarms at the building where he works, and the fact that the vast majority of Americans run away from work on holidays and vacation days (and the whole County was shut out on furlough days) it seems improbable that Chris would be blogging from work on the dates CRG posted.
And it also seems improbable to me that any reasonable observer would believe otherwise.
http://badgerblogger.com/?p=16520#comment-228862
July 12th, 2010 at 11:42 am
I have made my concerns about the way CRG was going about this known earlier…here…and here. This press release appears to have been as hastily done as the rest of CRG’s work on this. Mainly, I would have liked to see them quote a specific person at the DA’s office. I don’t doubt they were told that “extensive political blogging” was found, it just seems like a critical element and basic fact to include really.
I hope that CRG requests records from the DA’s investigation and publishes them. Honestly? This thin press release ain’t enough.
July 12th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Roland makes a very good point.
July 12th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Thanks, Jaeson.
Assuming for the moment that LIEbenthal did do “extensive political blogging” on either county time, county computers or both…will he do as Darlene Wink did and resign?
(I can’t imagine LIEbenthal doing so.)
Doesn’t the Darlene Wink example serve as a precedent for canning LIEbenthal?
If not, how is what LIEbenthal did any different than what Wink did?
On a related, yet totally on the side, note…a question occurred to me while reading this post over at AVClub.com: has anyone asked if Dan Bice routinely traces IP address for all of the JSOnline commenters…or is it just the pro-Walker folks being scrutinized?
July 12th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Will he do as Darlene Wink did and resign?
Never, he will use his union buddies to fight to the bitter end.
July 12th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
What he said:
Glenn D. Frankovis Says:
June 16th, 2010 at 1:17 pm edit
My guess is the D.A.’s Office will NOT elect to prosecute and will refer this back to capper’s employer for the appropriate disciplinary action. He, and several others I’m sure, will be popping Tums until then – and maybe even after since the disciplinary action could be severe, and the fallout from comments made to his blog by others who were at their workplaces may lead to further disciplinary actions for them. They may even get “kicked to the curb” if they’ve been warned before.
July 12th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
“will he do as Darlene Wink did and resign?”
roland
The implicit assumption is that Wink’s resignation was solely an act of her own free will. Considering that Wink became a political liability to Walker’s campaign, it’s difficult for me to believe she wasn’t under pressure to resign. She had no choice. If Capper were one of Mayor Barrett’s staff, he’d have no choice as well.
July 12th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
I like the part of the report where the D.A. said chicken gravy and powdered sugar were also found all over Tubby’s County computer.
July 12th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
“The implicit assumption is that Wink’s resignation was solely an act of her own free will.”
You are the only one making that assumption. I have no doubt they posed a resign or be fired ultimatum to her. She got caught doing something she shouldn’t do. Doesn’t change the fact that she did resign.
LIEbenthal’s job comes with union protections, but if the misuse of county time issue is true, shouldn’t he be given the same treatment? If not, why not?
July 12th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Goes to show that Liberal Democrats do not have any admirable character.
July 12th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Also, Crapper had better stop threatening people. People like him should not be employed by government at any level, not even for dog catcher.
July 12th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
You can read a letter from the District Attorneys Office, here.
In the letter he confirms that the computer did have extensive blogging activity, but it did not find was “soliciting or receiving a political contribution or service.” So clearly the DA wasn’t interested in pursuing the use of taxpayer funded equipment for personal use, so I assume this will have to be pursued by his supervisors, as I understand that the county does have internet usage rules in place for employees.
July 13th, 2010 at 6:04 am
In other words, Patrick, this is one Corrupt Democrat protecting another Corrupt Democrat.
July 13th, 2010 at 6:42 am
I don’t see it that way PCD. John Chisholm may be a Democrat (probably a DINO like David Clarke), but I doubt seriously that he’d pass on issuing criminal charges if there was a good case to do so. Now internally is a whole other matter, and it would appear that there is sufficient information to initiate disciplinary action based upon the letter from the D.A.’s Office. Remember, John Chisholm is the guy who hired Mike Sandvick to work on fraudulent voting after Flynn and Barrett refused to do so causing Sandvick to retire in disgust.
July 13th, 2010 at 9:35 am
I don’t see the big deal in criminal charges not being pursued against Chris LIEs. That letter from the DA is enough damage – there’s clear evidence, and it’s being knocked back to the HR department for further action. No wasting the taxpayer dollars on a trial, which the Left Wing Howler Monkey Brigade would be bitching about ad nauseum. As far as I am concerned, Chris has no business mouthing off anywhere now. He is the lowest form of scum, one who steals from society, and is on the same level as the welfare cheats.
The only losers in this matter are Chris, that McGee-defending lawyer of his (no trial = fewer billable hours), and Jay Bullock, who plopped his fat ass across a number of blogs declaring Chris innocent, even throwing out the “slander” and “libel” cards to boot.
Speaking of Jay, he uses this snarky little line on this blog yesterday toward Roland:
[i] I say “poor Roland” because of who you have to hang out with over at BB. If BB were the Beatles, you’d be the Reasonable One [/i]
Great, Jay. You operated a hateblog populated by a born liar (you), a person who obtained an ethically-questionable taxpayer-subsidized loan and has yet to pay it back (Keith), and a slimebag who mocks the disabled and steals taxpayer resources to fuel his Walker Derangement Syndrome (Chris).
July 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am
Also, Crapper had better stop threatening people.
His threats have no meaning and are not worth paying head to.
Online threats of lawsuits, particularly those involving slander and/or libel, never go anywhere.
They’re meaningless.
July 13th, 2010 at 10:49 am
In the letter he confirms that the computer did have extensive blogging activity
So, will we be finding out the dates and times that the extensive blogging activity took place?
July 13th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Roland, I believe that Wink’s resignation had much less to do with her misuse of county time and far more to do with her becoming an embarrassment to Walker’s campaign.
In the spirit of fairness, I think Capper’s punishment should be proportionate to the act of wrongdoing, or, at least in accordance with workplace policy. If policy dictates that his offense is one that merits termination, than so be it. If it doesn’t, then he should take his medicine and get back to work.
Most of us are given second chances when we screw up. I can think of no good reason not to extend that courtesy to Capper.
July 13th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
19, Jaeson, in all that extensive blogging activity that Crapper participated in on a Taxpayer owned PC, and possibly on Taxpayer time, there is a physical threat Crapper posted against me at Real Debate Wisconsin. I am sure that I am not the first, nor the last person Crapper so blogged against. I’d say a criminal investigation of Crapper, Suspension Without Pay, and jail time if convicted is in order.
So to Crapper and lowlifes who issue fatwas ordering the killing of people who drew cartoons of Mohammad: http://media.photobucket.com/image/johnny%20cash/Tolchock33/Rock%20N%20Roll/cash2.jpg?o=17
July 13th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
What was the nature of the physical threat? Is there a link to it?
July 13th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Jaeson, the threat was to assault and batter me. Fred, the owner of RDW, took down the post.
Wisconsin has to clean the criminals out of public office and government bureaucracies. Crapper, Crumbum, and the other sick joke have to be removed.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Well in any case the DA letter does seem to confirm that Chris Liebenthal did indeed use public computers and resources to facilitate his extensive blogging activity.
The only thing remaining to be seen is the exact dates and times of said extensive blogging activity.
I wonder if Folkbum will be wanting to revise his above statement…
July 14th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
PCD, settle down. When FAT BOY CRAPPER said he would BATTER you, I believe he was thinking about CAKE. Or maybe a battered fish.
July 14th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Gus,
Don’t put me into Crapper’s perverted fetishes!
Besides, he tries anything, I’ll take out the trash. There are plenty of bottomless mud lakes up north.
July 15th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Don’t be so melodramatic. It wasn’t a threat. It was some nut rambling on and on, looking for “street cred.”
July 16th, 2010 at 5:57 am
all the same stalker, he tries it, he’s street dead.
July 18th, 2010 at 7:32 am
PCD, you’re brain dead.
July 18th, 2010 at 8:03 am
Tinear, No, I am not a Democrat supporter of Crapper and Obama like you are.