Was RPV Involved in Tate Charges?

Major story about to break about RPV's involvement in the charges against Mark Tate...

I want to say one thing in advance.  Under normal circumstances I always protect my sources.  However I will not sit by while someone is charged with felonies and not reveal information that is critical to their defense.  In this case that outweighs my source and their confidentiality.

UPDATE:  Story is up.  More to come soon.

UPDATE #2- Here is the timeline of what happened with Tate:

Feb. 5th-  Vogel Supporter writes letter to SBE complaining about Tate's filings

Feb. 23th-  SBE responds with a letter saying all complaints need to be sent to local prosecutor

March-  Loudoun Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Plowman subpoenas Tate's bank records.  Plowman then hands the investigation over to Matt Britton a "Independent" prosecutor.  However, Plowman and Britton were well known friends when they practiced in Fairfax County at the same time.

Early April- Jill Holtzman Vogel is heard telling people that "Tate doesn't have the money in the bank that his report says it does".  This is before anyone knows Tate is under investigation- yet his bank records had already been taken by Plowman.  Did Plowman leak one candidate's financial report that he obtained during a criminal investigation to their opponent????

Late April-  Supporters of Vogel attempt to leak to reporters that Tate is under investigation and give May 22nd as the date that Tate will be indicted.  It appears they all assumed this wasn't true because how would Vogel supporters know an indictment was coming- and no stories were written.

May 1st- Having failed to get local media interested, VCAP Posts on its blog (under the "Jill Vogel" category) that Mark Tate is under "intense criminal investigation".

May 2nd-  Shaun Kenney (RPV Communications Director) leaks to me that Ed Gillespie, Ken Cuccinelli, and Mike Farris all have asked Mark Tate to drop out if his indicted.  He also gives me the date of May 22nd when Tate will be indicted.   I put the update to this post up (no names crossed out at the time- see below for why).

May 2nd (2 hours later)-   Mark Tate calls me and confirms that Ed Gillespie (RPV Chairman) has called him and asked him to drop out if he is indicted, but he knows nothing of any potential indictment other than what he has read on the internet.  Tate also tells me that Ken Cuccinelli and Mike Farris did not call him.

May 2nd (1 hour later)-  I reach my Senator, Ken Cuccinelli, who confirms that he did not call Mark Tate.  He said he was "staying out of this primary totally".

May 2nd (Soon After)-  Update #2 goes up on this post and Cuccinelli and Farris' names are crossed out on Update #1.  I didn't know how to reach Farris, but since Tate told the truth on Gillespie and Cuccinelli, I took his word for Farris as well.

May 2nd, 7:39 p.m.- Shaun, not knowing I had already talked to the Cooch, sent me this email:  "A little birdie says that if Ken is asked point blank if he advised Tate to back out, he’ll confirm". 

May 2nd (Not Sure what time)-   Matt Wells (RPV Political Director) calls Rick Gorka (Tate Campaign Manager) and offers him a "soft landing" if he will leave the Tate campaign.

May 3rd (Office Hours)-  I call Shaun Kenney back in response to his email and tell him I already talked to the Cooch and that he made no such call.

May 3rd-  A document that RPV claims has nothing to do with Mark Tate is drafted.  It is "procedures if a candidate is indicted".  Details of that are in Leesburg Today article.

May 21st-  Mark Tate receives a call from a friend in the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office telling him to be at the courthouse the next morning.

May 22nd-  Mark Tate indicted on eleven felony counts.

Soon After-  RPV claims their new policy has nothing to do with Tate and was drafted before he became an issue.  However it is in a Microsoft Word Document which shows a "created" time-stamp of May 3rd.

Week of May 23rd-May 29th-  I confer with local reporters and tell them what I know and where I know it from in order to allow Mark Tate to defend himself from these anonymous attacks.

May 30th (Afternoon)-  Local media contacts Shaun Kenney and he denies speaking to me since the "anti-semitic flyer" and "macaca" last year.  He especially denies talking to me on May 2nd.

May 30th (Evening)-  I forward emails showing he was lying about that contact.

May 31st-  Kenney's story changed when reporter calls him back.

May 31st-  Article comes out around 5 p.m. with numerous quotes showing differences in Kenney's story between the yesterday and today. 

June 2nd-  Ed Gillespie led Kangaroo Court scheduled to meet and decide what to do about Tate indictment per the policy drafted AFTER he knew Tate was going to be indicted.

Comments

[Alex P Keaton]

Well done Mr. Ed... Well done...

No, they weren't and you're about to get slammed for peddling this unsubstantiated crap.

Assuming that you do have valuable information, you have a duty as a citizen to provide to appropriate authorities whatever information that you have which would inculpate or exculpate Mr. Tate.

[Not Larry Sabato]

I've already told Mr. Tate I would be happy to testify on what I saw happen.

[Jason]

"He was trying to communicate with me and not vice-versa," Kenney said. "Unfortunately, I'm trying to treat him like a reporter."

***

Here you go again, Ben. Trying to destroy people because you can't get your way.

The WaPo already slammed you once today on ethics, Ben.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/30/AR2007053002285.html?sub=new

Now you're just making yourself look bad.

Anon 4:15- you are dead wrong on this one. Heads are going to roll at State Central this weeekend.

Wanna bet that someone at RPV is going to be asked--- and will---resign this weekend???

Oh the web we weave. Its this person's own fault- he emailed his insider informtation to a Dem Blog- what an idiot? Not Too Conservative, Mason Conservative, VAVirt, etc. etc.- but to NLS. He should get exactly what he deserves- FIRED.

Question now- WAS HE SIMPLY FOLLOWING ORDERS-- OR WAS HE WAS ACTING ON HIS OWN. Either way- he is finished.

This is very similar to the phone-tapping incident a few years back. Matricardi went down hard- will Mr. Ed be next???

[Alex P Keaton]

A horse is a horse of course of course but nobody talks to a horse of course, unless of course that talking horse is the famous mr. ed.

Ok so i may have screwed up the lyrics, but point remains...
1) Mr. Ed turns to Hill Staffers because RPV is so disconnected from the activists they cant get them out
2) Mr. Ed is not a Virginian
3) Mr Ed was right there encouraging our seller GA to vote for the transportation package.
4) This wreaks of a deeper connection, and the BS that gave Dem's the congress last year, and stuck me with Senator Webb
5) I still personally think Mr Ed is at RPV for Tom Davis next year, which just sickens me more.

God where would my day be without RPV to provide entertainment

-APK

[NoVAConservative]

Actually, Ben was also debunked on this race in the Washington Post today. Remember all that crap about the "Jill Holtzman Potts" connection. Complete and utter lie, just as I was saying. Of course, Ben would probably have you believe that Potts is trying to "help" Jill here, but that's bs. You don't call a candidate you supposedly favor "a daddy's girl" if you are trying to help them. I'd like to see Ben go ahead and try to make that claim.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/29/AR2007052901973_pf.html

Now, Potts says he is considering endorsing a Democrat to replace him in a Republican-leaning district that includes Winchester, Clark and Frederick counties and parts of Loudoun and Fauquier counties.

In an interview, Potts said the two candidates vying for the Republican nomination, Jill Holtzman Vogel and Mark Tate, are too conservative.

"They are to the right of Attila the Hun and way out of the mainstream," said Potts, noting how the two oppose abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

Potts noted that Tate, former vice mayor of Middleburg, was indicted last week on charges of election fraud and perjury. Tate says he is not guilty and is the victim of an overly aggressive prosecutor.

Potts called Vogel a "daddy's girl," an apparent reference to how her father, William B. Holtzman, is helping to fund her campaign. He owns Holtzman Oil Corp.

By comparison, Potts called the Democratic candidate, Karen Schultz, a former member of the Winchester School Board, "very capable" and "very articulate."

Potts said he won't make his final decision on an endorsement until after the June 12 primary.

Vogel was unavailable for comment. Tate said he won't be surprised if Potts endorses Schultz. "I think it hurts her as much as it helps her," Tate said.

[Charlie's English Teacher]

Does anyone else think that the story was just terribly written?

"But a Northern Virginia blogger, said Kenney, on May 2 floated him information specifying the date the indictments would come down. Kenney denies that."

Sentence construction, anyone? And learn how to use commas, for crying out loud!

YAWN........

HA!

The only defender of Kenney is a....wait for it...Kenney!

Perhaps Shaun should have used a psuedonym.

Better to protect your identity than to be caught in a red-faced lie!

I think Kenney will be fine with the fact that he is going to be asked to step down.

Getting out of bed before noon, wearing a tie, and shaving daily, are by far the hardest things he has had to do these past six months.

He was a horrible choice to begin with- he's a bum.

[That 'Law and Order' Candidate]

Do I still have to go to that GAYla?

Gosh, how many of the anonymous commenters are Ben? You scared with the Washington Post sniffing around for an article on blogging ethics, Ben? Or are you upset because you've never been rewarded for the slop you throw around on here?

Sour grapes, man. If this is the thanks you give for people treating you like a reporter you're sunk.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Anon 532- Funny that was the same thing Shaun was claiming to the media earlier today.

I already gave one reporter the password to look on here on background and see that none of the anonymous comments on this story are me. If any other reporters would also like to see this on background, feel free to call me.

NLS - You can switch IPs but consistant tone, sentence structure, and vendettas hold throughout.

Are you that upset that you weren't given special access in the 28th?

[Mike Rothfeld]

For what is worth, the prosecutor who got the Grand Jury to indict Mark Tate on campaign violation felonies is the same guy used to charge and prosecute me (as payback for running against State Senator John Chichester a year earlier) -- Matt Britton, Commonwealth's Attorney of King George County.

Interestingly, details of my charges were also leaked to the press before I was even served.

And interestingly, my local prosecutor who "recused" himself, also had a political axe to grind. He is Danial Chichester, brother of John Chichester.

The timing, the leaks, the Prince William prosecutors pimping the story, the RNC-Gillespie-Vogel connection ... the whole thing stinks REAL BAD.

Of course, this doesn't mean there is nothing wrong with Tate's reports, or that he is innocent.

But this is a transparently political prosecution. And even if Tate is guilty at some level or other, that is a darned dangerous thing.

Again, for what it is worth.

[Mike Rothfeld]

Actually, I guess it is the Loudoun prosecutor, Jim Plowman, who is "pimping the story". My mistake. Apologies.

So according to your timeline the whole thing was getting nasty and RPV came to Tate's rescue? Seems to me the story is more about the leak and who it came from (ILLEGAL) as opposed to anything involving RPV.

Ben, are you really that hard pressed to attack the RPV? Are you willing to tell the world your involvement in illegal activity?

It's pretty obvious that the communications director of the RPV lied outright to a reporter, and now everyone knows that he's a big big liar! I wonder if the muckety-mucks at RPV condone this kind of behavior? Something tells me a lot of people will be asking them that soon!

[Shaun of the Dead]

This is a farce.

Shaun needs to go!

He was an awful candidate and he is an even worse spokeman.

He has tried to run his office like his blog, but the problem is he is speaking for more than himself now.

His unwillingness to be truthful reflects poorly on all of us.

[NoVAConservative]

This is kind of funny. Ben's in the process of out-backlashing himself. His instant analysis of the Tate indictment was that it somehow helped Tate. Then he tried to tie Potts to Vogel, knowing that conservatives in the district are done with Potts and that would hurt her. Except that it wasn't true, never has been true. He produced no actual evidence that it was true, and today's Washington Post story proves it to be false. (Oh, and no retraction of course--in fact, now he's completely ignoring it because he knows how bad it makes him look. In fact, if one read his blog, and then read what Potts actually had to say,they might come to the conclusion that Ben Tribbett has absolutely no idea what he's talking about). So now he's back to the conspiracy story.

Finally, though, people are starting to ask the question--why is Ben Tribbet so interested in getting Mark Tate elected to the State Senate?

The answer is obvious: Because he wants to take down RPV, and he wants a Democrat to win the seat. He knows that if Jill Vogel gets the nomination--which she will, by the way, regardless of whatever else is going on--the race is over. Vogel's going to destory Schultz. And there goes Ben's grand plan to take down RPV.

So this is what its come to. Only problem is that Republican primary voters don't much care what Ben Tribbett has to say about their race. And now they are figuring out why he's saying it.

Ben vs. Shaun?

Gee, guess where 99.9% of the world is going to side on THAT one (hint: not Ben).

Ben, you're outgunned and outclassed on this one, buddy.

If Kenney is so bad, then why is Raising Kaine singing his praises despite themselves?

Kenney is the best thing the GOP has going in Virginia right now... just because you got caught in a lie Ben (again) doesn't mean you're going to be able to reinvent facts.

Besides, how does Kenney rushing to Tate's defense make any sense in this story??? Shouldn't Vogel be through the roof???

The real story here is whoever leaked the indictment. Shaun, RPV and even the Vogel campaign are in the clear on this one.

Gosh, Ben accuses Shaun of lying and hopes that people will believe him over Shaun? Huh. Wonder how that will pan out.

Sounds to me like Ben got burned and wants to take it out on someone else. Jilted lover that he is...

[NotMarkRozell]

All I know is, this Kenney guy is standing up to the nutjobs running the local Loudoun Republican Party - and I appreciate it.

Also Ben - don't expect anyone to confide in you for a long time. You sure spill the beans easily.

And no - I'm not a Republican. But, I think you blew this bigtime.

One lone fact folks- ONE FACT---- SHAUN KENNEY IS EMAILING INSIDE/ OUTSIDE/ RUMOR- whatever the heck it is- who cares- INFORMATION TO A DEMOCRATIC BLOG.

IDIOT.

BIG IDIOT.

BIGGER IDIOT.

This has to, regardless of whether it is true/false, this has to piss everyone off on State Central. Shaun Kenney has ZERO defense here. ZERO DEFENSE.

Kenney must go- this saturday.

This is some damn good work, Ben.

I think Shaun's going to have to do much more than sic anonymous commenters on you to survive this thing.

I'm sorry, but the names seem to be defending Shaun and the anon's are attacking him. Who's trying to tilt this here? IP addresses can be changed, Ben's willing to pull the curtain back a wee bit and con some people who don't know better to try and make himself look good when all he's doing is trying to destroy a good man and his job. Shaun tried to treat Ben like a journalists, something bloggers have been screaming for, and Ben turns on him. Way to go, Ben. Way to destroy your credibility and the credibility of blogging in general.

Ben's a coward who has nothing better to do with his time than gamble with other people's money and other people's careers. A person does you a favor and this is how you think them.

Keep gambling, champ.

Ummmm... Does anyone know the date that the grand jury was set to expire or whether they hand down indictments on specific days? If that is the case, that could explain the whole thing without a leak even having happened.

Your personal vendetta against Shaun is blinding you.

Why any credible newspaper reporter would go to a college drop out who is a professional poker player living in his mom's basement for political information is beyond me.

"It's pretty obvious that the communications director of the RPV lied outright to a reporter"

The way that story was written, I'd say this person was a cub reporter.

Looks like Jason is going for carpel tunnel on this one.

Leesburg Today says you called Kenney... liar liar, indeed.

IS CHARLIE JACKSON LYING TO US TOO BEN???

Attacking Ben to deflect attention from the fact that you have a hipocritical liar as the mouthpiece of the RPV is just another sign that the GOP is out of control.

Shaun Kenney was proven to have lied in a majoe regional newspaper and to seek vengenance, Kenney's pie-eyed supporters are trying to discredit Ben on his own blog. Why are they doing it here?

Because their platforms, including the RPV blog have a tenth of the traffic and following.

BTW...before you tout who RK is holding in high esteem, remember, they love Jeanette Rishell, Jeff Dion, and Cindy Sheehan too!

[Rtwng Extrmst]

NovaCon, you quoted Potts as saying "he won't make his final decision on an endorsement until after the June 12 primary."

This says it all. The only, and I stress ONLY reason Potts would have for doing this is to first see who wins the GOP primary, and I have to ask you, does anyone think Potts would endorse Tate? Of course not!

I'm not saying Vogel herself is necessarily a bad candidate because of this, but it's clear what Potts is doing. He's trying to make trouble for Tate and I wouldn't be surprised he's calling in whatever chips he has left to make this whole thing happen. Somehow if on 12 June Tate is the winner, I will not at all be surprised if Potts endorses Liberal Schultz. If Vogel wins, despite anything Potts has said about her in the past, he will ask his RINO buds to support her, having made Tate pay. Otherwise he would have said something already. The man is on a vendetta against conservatives in the GOP and I for one believe he would do anything to screw this up for them.

This whole situation smells of good-ole-boy politics, which has been Potts' favorite pastime. He must be really enjoying himself right now. The man is a bitter menace.

"Kenney's pie-eyed supporters are trying to discredit Ben on his own blog. Why are they doing it here?"

Because Kenney has Ben completely outclassed and outgunned here.

Ben's account completely contradicts what Charlie Jackson wrote.

Raising Kaine is after Ben for what he did to Jeff Dion, McDonnell still remembers Regent and "Jiffy Law", Harris Miller doesn't forget that flyer Ben trumped up...

Ben just went after the wrong guy this time... and he's pissed because no one buys his crap anymore.

Ben,

I'm a fan of yours, but I don't know if the smoke from this is very thick.

Vogel is certainly unimpressive. That laughable campaign kickoff speech she gave in front of someone's fireplace said it all.

However, this entire event turns on the issue of insider gossip. If insiders saw unrealistic contributor amounts on VPAP, that's more than enough to trigger whispers at the regular committee meetings. I doubt Vogel needed to hear it from a prosecutor to know the rumors.

If they lied to you, I dunno, that bad. But, they also know you're a starting shortstop on the other team, so they might have been eager to either mislead you or give you half-information.

Also, I read the WashPost article, it wasn't too rough on Ben. Ed Schrock was outed in 2004 for the same sort of thing as Dion, and it wasn't viewed as a foul, nor did they blame it on his opponent.

[Pete in Williamsburg]

Strange, some of my posts come up as anon, such as my 10:13.

[yup, I'm anon]

Absolutely hilarious to see Kenney defenders claiming that Kenney slammers are anon.

The only people who haven't been anon on this thread are:

Ben
Jason Kenney
Mike Rothfeld

These 2 folks MAY not be anon - but they are to me - since they don't have a complete name or website:

"Pete in Williamsburg"
"NOVA Conservative"

The rest of you ... well get a grip.

[Not Larry Sabato]

Let me be blunt guys. The only reason I give up this information is because Shaun knowing the date of the indictment shows it leaked- which everyone agrees is a serious violation of the law. It's also critical to Mark Tate's defense.

[GinterParked]

Pete: Ed Schrock's situation was orders of magnitude more newsworthy than Jeff Dion's. On the base level, Schrock's "conversations" were explictly sexual. While I missed it, it's my understanding that Dion's profile on gay.com was innocuous - except, of course to those who find the venue and orientation damning regardless of content.

Next, the content of the candidate's character is key in situations like this. Dion was plainly out - his gay.com posting should have been "dog bites man" - no news at all. Schrock was a vocal - and apparently self-loathing - homophobe.

You know, I've heard that in Britain, each cabinet member gets one free sexual scandal. I've heard in Italy, each cabinet member is required to have at least one sexual scandal. In the US we believe in retromingency.

[James Connolly]

Wha?? Why didn't the Leesburg Today report on the indictment date, Ben???

That's insane.

Kenney is either being used (unlikely), or he's being honest and getting burned for it -- his treating you like a reporter quote was priceless.

Either way, you've lost this one, Ben...

how can the truth be outclassed or outgunned?

[The Apex]

What the hell are you people reading? How can anyone (especially GOP'ers), read these FACTS and not be extremely pissed?

Claims that Kenney was trying to treat NLS like a reporter- are you serious??? Why didnt he choose to treat A FRIGGIN REPUBLICAN BLOG, instead of a DEMOCRATIC ONE- to treat 'as a reporter'.

For that move ALONE- Kenney is a flippin MORON? How damn dumb must one be? What would possess him, again of all the blogs in this Commonwealth- and there are a ton- to hand that sensitive of material to the GOP's arch blog-flippin enemy in NLS?

Forget the fact its about Tate-Holtzman, it is irrelevant. EVERY SINGLE GOP ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS STATE SHOULD BE FURIOUS WITH RPV. If RPV is meddling in this backwoods, completely safe GOP seat- I ask every gop elected official; What the hell do you think they are doing in your backyard? It ain't pitching horseshoes.

I will defend someones actions if there is reasonable doubt- but I will never defend pure- complete- stupidity.

If Tim Kaine was having an affair- do any of you think the Comm Chair for the VA Dem Party would email the evidence to prove it to; Too Conservative? Mason Conservative? VAVirt? Hell no. And if they did- that would be really cool of them- but then they'd be flippin canned!

One Fact should no longer be disputed; Kenney = idiot.

[Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr.]

The stench of corruption in Loudoun just got worse:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/31/AR2007053102583.html

and people wonder why it's been voting Democratic that last few cycles.....

[novamiddleman]

Byrd,

When are they going to do one of these on Connolly.

And people wonder why nobody views the Post as non-bias anymore

The fact that this blog is run by a liberal saddens me to no end. We're supposed to be better than the assholes in the conservative party, and what Ben is doing REEKS of Rove-esque tactics.

This is the kind of crap I'd expect from Limbaugh or Coulter.

You give liberals everywhere a bad name. As if we didn't have enough problems in this overly-conservative country. Thanks jackass, you've been a real help.

[Joseph Taylor]

I have known since January that tate would be indicted... all i had to do is look at his vpap profile