Hello?
Are there any public officials in the office to take our questions?
No, they’re hiding in their beaver lodges.
Listen as we make our Monday afternoon reporting calls.
Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley has a secret car paid for by the taxpayer. His campaign aide accused of rape. His police department and the cover-up of sexual harassment.
Out to lunch.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the shakedown of a prominent businessman for the use of his jet. Her press secretary’s voicemail is booked.
Attorney General Dana Nessel and her Carribean poolside-canoodle paid for by a donor. That, and the status of her failed Flint Investigation. The receptionist refuses to provide the desk number for Nessel’s secretary.
Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee and his deceit about the MSU campus gunman. The blue cone of silence.
The New York Times and our request for retraction of their Trump/Putin story. The operator for the Gray Lady cannot connect or take a message.
As hilarious as it is infuriating.
Transcript:
Somewhere in his office, he’s in there
Called
Neely, probably scrambling somewhere in his office. He’s in there calling back and
The mayor’s in there. I see his, cause the mayor was a city councilman and he pushed for it.
He pushed to use the Flint River water. He gave tours. He was pushing in the plant to use it. And now media, nobody is saying anything about that.
Well that’s funny
You a media.
That’s right. Let’s go. Let’s go find the mayor. Let’s
Go burn
It. Let’s go find him.
Hey, bottled water. Hmm? Don’t use, don’t use
Flint 2022. Don’t drink the water. Okay?
Oh, hi.
The mayor in.
He’s not? No. Can you have him give me a call? Can I leave my number? He knows me. Yeah. Okay. Is he having lunch?
I’m not sure. I know he was in a meeting
But not here in a meeting someplace else. Yes.
Okay.
Yeah, I just pulled in. I seen that he was here. So I’m always highly suspicious of certain politicians telling the truth and having their staff tell the truth and folks lying and telling half truth. I know this one, he will trick you, lie to the community.
So the mayor’s tax funded car is here.
Look at the plate.
The mayor’s not here, but his car is
Live
Downtown Detroit. It’s
Breaking his dobo bullshit. Dobo bullshit.
So did you find him, Charlie? Who? The mayor? Yeah. No, but that was like last summer. It was like a year ago. Right. And Mayor Sheldon Neely of Flint is driving around in a taxpayer funded vehicle that he’s not entitled to. It’s not in the contract. Right. So last week they put out a special announcement. The mayor’s has to be driving up special police vehicle because there’s been unspecified security threats dating back to 2020. When I started driving this car. Has you think it’s because we were in there? Yes,
A hundred percent
You would be a
Security threat. And you know what? No public can be in the parking garage now. So you don’t see the, I mean because it’s unspecified security threats
Named Charlie LeDuff.
I going to say if they didn’t come after any of the mayors all this time, they aren’t going to start coming after him now.
Yeah, that’s true. Like everything else going on up there. Firefighters got fired because they didn’t search a house properly and two children died and he reinstated them or they got the police sex scandal, the harassment, and they secretly settled for about $200,000. Public doesn’t get to know, or his bestie is a pedophile that gave a 15 year old HIV and all of a sudden the best he’s removed from all social media. There he is. Yeah. What a figure. That pair of cuts. Look at that paisley dinner jacket. Yeah. Wow. Unbelievable. And the car. Okay, so the question about the car is this unspecified security threats now red unspecified security threats. So the police got to give ’em a vehicle, but it don’t say police on it. Not to cover. It’s just a SUV V. Okay. And no police are driving him around.
I was going to say, does he have executive protection otherwise
He’s driving himself home.
So how is that providing him any added security? It
It’s a bullet proof of car or something I guess. Well, in this spirit of transparency and completing stories that we bring to you and we figure we should do some housekeeping Monday, we should make some calls, follow up on some stories. And Bernie from XG service group was here, right? Tuning up our voiceover internet phones. Yep. Right. So we’re going to use them
Might as well.
Or here. There you go. Right. This whole day is brought to you by XG Service Group VoIP. I’m calling it a voit voice over. That’s what the cool kids call internet phones, VoIP
Pools. So I’ve heard that’s what the cool kids
Told them. They do that. See these cameras, they do that. See these monitors? They do that. They wire the whole thing. They do construction cameras, security cameras. They’re everywhere all the time and always on call. So call Bernie’s son Matt. Matt handles all the business. Matt Yaz at 7 3 4 2 4 5 4100. Why don’t we start out by calling Flint Mayor? Sheldon Neely. You best be dial son.
Son.
He’s working on it.
We got red. Hey red. Yo. What’s your eye condition? What you got astigmatism? I’m blind. Yeah, he’s blind. It’s worse than even that. And when he dials phone numbers, his lips move like when he is reading.
So that’s all what older people do. So they can 1, 2, 3, they’ll know the numbers. Red is pretty preppy today. Yeah, he’s got a Laco shirt.
Did you dial it
Three?
I doubt. I don’t know what happened. Well, don’t fuck with shit. I know what happened.
Nothing has been recorded. Yeah,
Hang it up. Hanging up and try again. Yeah. Now here’s the deal. I knew this was going to happen. Red mark, you want me to do it? They’re going to give the, yeah, I want you to do it. They’re going to give the mayor’s number and I don’t want that going on to air. All right. This says in the 800 zero area. Okay, I’m dialing now. Okay, so Mark, listen, without putting it over the air because I’ll just leave. Please
Leave your message for
Take it down. I got, got it. I don’t do
This.
Okay. Beautiful
Marks. Got it.
All right. Right. Yep. So there, Hey Mayor Neely, I haven’t heard back from you, sir. I ced you last week to a cage match. $10,000 winners a favorite charity. The loser pays and the loser must resign their job. So I would be more than happy to resign this job. So your challenge got him a whole police truck and yeah, security threat. Security threat. I’m not the security threat. I was in there last year, man, come on. I’m not the security threat. I just think you’re not being honest about pedophiles in the car and sex harassment and dead children and contracts. So you can call me back at seven thirty four and be new B News N B N E W S, sir. And we’ll see you soon up there because this can’t be,
Well, you know where he parks, so
Yeah, but we’re not allowed in there.
I’m sure you could get in Charlie,
Don’t you wonder. Well, he’s still on the phone, but like, oh, that’s okay. Don’t you wonder how he’s social with this rapist, pedophile groomer guy that gives a kid H I v and all of a sudden,
Yeah, that’s not,
The pictures aren’t on social media
Anymore. Well, and again, that’s that. That’s the awareness. And so, wow, somebody’s watching, somebody’s paying attention. Let me take it off. But it’s never truly scrubbed and once you’ve captured it, it’s there. And that still doesn’t excuse his behavior.
And you see that Mayor Neely, and you should maybe come out and stick up for the people of Flint and why this whole investigation went to hell and stop covering for the attorney general and the governor. It’s just my take on it. Okay, thanks. Have a great day. All right. We hung up there. Yeah, we’re good. We’re good. All right, well let’s just everybody, it’s lunchtime. So why don’t we try Detroit Police Chief James White. I think we owe him an apology.
Why? What do we do?
I don’t know if he’ll answer this line. I might. Well
Remember you have
Dialed in Boo boo.
I think you mis dialed.
Yeah, red.
I listen here, why didn’t you just give me a cell phone? We couldn’t hook the cell phone up to this. You didn’t put the house buttons anymore. The
Numbers are on the, but numbers are on the buttons.
That could be that. That could be nominally funny, right? Except we can’t do this for the whole fucking
Show. I know. I Well, when you’re ready, tell you got no, hold on, I’ll dial it now we ready? Yeah. Oh boy. I tell
That’s okay. It’s Monday. That’s what happens on Monday, right? So, all right,
Well I don’t get enough like Ad li in media like Red can’t see. That’s
Okay, we can talk Charlie. There you go.
Right, there you go. You got it. All right, we can do
It.
There we go. Look at that. I dunno who’s on the other end, but yeah,
Hopefully started with 313, right? Yep.
Hello?
Hi Chief, it’s Charlie Lauff and Karen Douma. Chief. Can you hear me? Chief? Hello? Chief. What happened, Martin? He’s
There. I mean it’s,
It’s Charlie LeDuff and Karen Do Chief,
I can’t, I think the call dropped. It looked like, oh guys, listen,
It’s Monday.
Unacceptable.
I didn’t drop the call. I didn’t touch it no more.
Well, the sound we go go, the sound got to be up so he can hear us.
All right. That’s up.
I think we’re fu
This
Is a prank calling it.
No. Nope, nope. See, none of this is planned
Clearly,
But it was tested.
Yeah,
Maybe. Huh?
Because I talked to him Friday here. All right. I’m going to try it this way.
The cell phone way?
Yeah.
Yeah, let’s just do that.
Be quiet please. Second. All right.
Your call has been
Forwarded to Oh, see that? See you.
There you go.
See you. Things we’re prank calling him now.
No guy’s freaking busy man. Yeah,
He is. But that was thoughtful enough for him to even offer up the time. So we’ll see what
Happens. He didn’t offer, then he just picked up the phone
And I’m saying what you told him and he said, okay.
No, I didn’t tell him.
Oh, you didn’t tell him? No, no,
No. I like none of this is planned.
You would never know it
Just Right.
Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice
Message. All right. I’m just leave my message.
3 1 3,
Take the number off take. No, no. I’ll take the number off. Charlie, I got his mic down. No, that’s you. You’re on the phone. I got his
Mic. I got his mic down. I’m not
The engineer.
Record your message when you finish
Recording, woo.
To leave a call back number, press five.
Hey Chief, it’s Charlie
And Karen
And we want to apologize. I talked to you Friday and you said you were getting some static from around town that you were resigning your job in June. And his way of clarification, correction, we like to be no bullshit news, right, Karen? That’s correct. So Chief, to be honest, we were just cavalier throwing around water cooler, heard some gossip and right there was nothing to that. And I Apolo, I apologize.
Well, and I apologize too. I mean we were sharing information because we had gotten some intel about an interest internally in replacing him and that was not a reflection on who he is or what he’s doing. It
Was that was gobbledy good. What you No Intel. We didn’t get Intel. Yeah, we did. It was idle. Like
No, it wasn’t Charlie. Well
The chief says it was
Okay for him.
This is not an apology. If this
Is an apology, but us
Duling down,
I’m going to drink my water. Wait,
Was it Intel? Because he goes, there’s nothing to
It. Well, and that’s good that it’s nothing to it, but the conversation about there, being someone internally wanting or vying for his job is legitimate. Now that doesn’t mean that there’s any action being taken or that his job is being compromised or that is jeopardized. So on that end, for us even insinuating that, yeah, okay, that’s an apology.
Yeah, we were just talking like we heard it and yeah, I mean in politics, everybody wants your job and in media everybody wants to be the anchors job. Right? That’s true.
So I don’t, and Charlie, for any chief, I always say every criticism that anybody has of their performance has to reflect on the mayor. So that was no indication of disappointment or anything with the chief in any
Regard. Yeah. So James, apologize about that. Ruth chief, really? I don’t have to. Amen. That job belongs to us, right? Chief James?
Exactly.
Yeah, chief James. King James. I went, what the fuck?
Now what? I
Don’t know. I don’t know.
It’s Monday. It’s
Monday. It’s Monday. So, alright. Anyway, chief is, I called you Friday as well. Listen, the gas station shooter, he was a felon. He went to prison for armed robbery for six years and then he got caught doing another felony and somehow he got probation and he wasn’t sent back to the can. And I asked you if you knew the circumstances of that and you said you didn’t, which is kind of crazy, right? Okay. Yeah. I mean, but I can see why, because when I went to the court to pull the court file, all that information is mysteriously missing from the file.
His previous felonies
That the felony where he got the misdemeanor,
Why? Oh well, okay.
Right. But what was in there is him violating the probation for that.
Well, so it exists. Yeah.
Actually it was a felony, but you were allowed to get probation for a felon in possession of a firearm. Really? I don’t know how that’s a really probationable offense, but it is. Really?
Huh.
Wow. So we need to know that. And we also need to know now that the clerk at the gas station has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for not opening the door in a timely fashion for this creep mode. Everybody down. Yeah. Right. $200,000. Three people
Killed one tattoo.
Well the guy ran out and jumped in the backseat of his mother’s car who drove him home and then his sister came and picked him up and hit him out at her house. Jesus. And then in between getting caught and being at his sister’s house, he went to a motel and had some sex with somebody. Yeah, little r and r, you know, tough night’s work. Hell. So I want to know if the mother and the sister are also charged. Great
Question.
That would be in cop, right? So I, I’m on deadline. This is my column for this Wednesday in the Detroit News. If you could get back and again, really from the bottom of my heart, I was just idly talking and we like to be no bullshit and we will try to remember that, right?
Yes, we will.
Yeah. All right. So alright chief, have a good one. Say hey to the mayor and if he’s driving around,
Give
Me a call, let me know where I can find him. Where he is directing the troops.
What’s the guy that always follows a mayor? I can’t remember his name now. Who did the
Oh, Bob Carmack. Bob
Carmack will know where he is. Yeah, Bob, he knows where
Mayor is always. Yeah, we got to find Bob too. That’s the issue, right? He called Bob, he
Always knows where he is.
Alright, let’s the next one we talked about, and this to me it’s a very big deal. We talked about the Durham report, which was the three and a half, four year investigation into the origins of the Trump organization in collusion with Russian intelligence and Putin that Trump was the stooge of Putin. And we come to find out the whole shit was fake. It starts out with Hillary’s fake dossier given to this intelligence community. They start investigating it. Oh, what’s that? What we got there is that, is that the mayor end?
No. Still trying to figure this thing out. Okay. Yeah, that’s cool. No, we’re good. We’re good. Call you. Lemme know when you’re ready Colin.
And everything about this was fake and it was an echo chamber really started by the Clinton campaign. Steel dossier is fake. F B I takes it up and is using it as truth, even though another part of the F FBI knows it’s probably fake and it came from Clinton and they use it to wire tap four people in the Trump organization and this thing starts to blow out. And New York Times in the Washington Post won Pulitz prize and to me and all of these reports, inspector General’s report from 2019 the Durham report testimony given by Mueller himself, f b i brass. There was a story in February of 2017 where lead writer Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times writes that phone records and intercepted calls show that members of Donald j Trump’s presidential campaign and other Trump associates had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence official in the year before the election, according to four current and former American officials.
Okay.
Completely false. It has not been fixed. It has not been retracted. It has not been changed that What’s the New York Times? The New York Times Dial it up. Wow. And I don’t understand that.
That’s kind of disappointing actually. Yeah. I expect more from the times.
Well minimum, I mean it spun the country out of control.
Yeah, that’s true. And it still has lot of control. Thank
You for calling the Washington DC Bureau of the New York Times. Our address is 1627 I street Northwest Washington DC 26. Our circulation number is one 800 NY Times. Come on one. 806 9 8 people 46. Leave it up. 37 to access our name directory. Okay. Please press one one for the news desk. [inaudible] please press two.
Good job. Red.
It’s like teaching a little kid.
Okay. Thank you for calling the New York Times. Please say the name of the department you wish to reach.
Michael Schmidt.
Sorry I didn’t get that. Please say the name of the department you wish to reach such as Print subscriptions, digital subscriptions, home delivery, obituaries, national Metro Sports Foreign or comments and corrections or for further assistance, say Operator.
Operator.
No name heard. What? Please hold.
Thank you.
Thank you for calling the New York Times. All calls are recorded for quality purposes.
This is the operator.
Hi operator. Can I get Michael Schmidt in the Washington Bureau please?
Hello, this is the operator.
Yes sir. Can I get Michael Schmidt?
Can we have Michael Schmidt and the in the Washington and the Washington Bureau please?
What the fuck?
We have to call XG service group. I know. It’s what happened there.
I don’t know. Maybe they can’t hear us. Yeah,
He sound like he was at home in the bathroom. Oh, let’s try it again. Yeah, we did. Well the first time. We can do it twice.
Well fuck this. I’m dialing with this shit. Show of us. Yeah man. Come on guys. I think
You should, I don’t want troubleshoot right now.
Your
Call cannot be complete.
Go ahead and red’s dialing the wrong ones.
What a mess. A beautiful
Mess. Okay. 2 2 8 62.
Oh, it’s a public number though,
Right? Yeah, yeah it is. That’s just safe one safe. That’s my natural,
That’s my natural reaction. You know that Washington
DC Bureau of the New York Times, we got this. Our address is 1627 I street Northwest
Operator Washington,
DC Nope.
Two
Six. Our circulation number is one 800. It’s
800. This the Washington Bureau. Why are they sending me to Metro
Zero?
To access our name directory, please press one. I
Did Thatam for
The news desk. Please press two. Thank you.
This is modern technology.
Thank you for calling the, sorry I didn’t get that one. Please say the name.
Michael Schmidt.
Please hold for further assistance
New York Times. Read someone
Else. Say cancel. Thank
You for calling the New York Times. All calls
Are recorded for quality purposes. This is the operator?
Yes sir. May I get Michael Schmidt in the Washington Bureau please?
Unfortunately sir, I’m no longer able to transfer external callers to individual employees.
So can you give me his number please?
No, I cannot.
Well, how does somebody with information or a question get ahold of a reporter?
I am not able to transfer you. If you have their direct dial, I would suggest dialing that or emailing them if you have their email address. But I am not able to transfer external people to individual employees any
Longer. Oh, oh, any longer. When did that? I used to work there. When did that start happening?
Guess about three, four years
Now. Around like 2017 ish.
I think a little bit after that, but I mean it was maybe a year before the pandemic. So what about 2019, I guess?
Oh, 2019. Oh yeah, just when all that Trump stuff was going on. Okay. Yeah, I got that. Can I leave him a message with you?
I can’t have any way of getting it to him. I’m sort of sequestered in my own little bunker pod here.
Oh, where are you at?
I, I’m at the SSC in Virginia.
What’s the ssc? The House. House. Sorry, I thought you’d be in Times Square.
No, we, everything’s lots of stuff’s remote. The switchboard came to Virginia probably about eight years ago. Yeah, no, the shared services center. We do benefits and payroll and all of that fun stuff here. Can you, I’ve been here since.
Can you check on my pension?
I can’t, but I have people here that can
Do that. Can you transfer ’em to
I’ll call you later. I’ll try to get ahold of Michael. I just want to know, you know, why they’re not retracting. The stories from 2017 about Trump campaign aids with repeated contacts with Russian intelligence. We now know that’s objectively false, so I was just trying to call Mike and find out in the spirit of the New York Times when we’re going to correct that since my name is hanging in Pulitzer Hall means a lot to me. Hey,
I can’t help you with that. I can put you through to DC if you would like. Oh
Yeah, please. That’ll be great. That’ll be, thank you so much to the desk. Yeah, I appreciate that. Yeah,
Yeah. Hang on a second for me.
Okay.
Thank you for calling. That was interesting. If you know the extension number of the person you are trying to reach, nightmare, please enter it now. Otherwise please press zero to connect to the operator.
If you,
We are sorry there is no one available to take a call. Please record your message after the tone. Press star to discard the recording or press any digit to end the recording.
Hi,
Good morning. It’s Charlie Lauff leaving a message for Michael Schmidt. Michael, you were there as a editorial assistant when I was working there, you know, kid. So listen, I’m wondering in the spirit of honesty and forthrightness that all the stuff they taught me there, when you’re going to retract your February, 2017 article about Russian intelligence agents and Trump organization members talking in intercepted communications by the FBI because it’s not true and you got to fix it. Okay,
Bye
Bye bye.
The failing New York Times.
So their phone system, oh whack is it is like Comcast. It’s not the system or at and t. I mean, I’m saying do people that have whatever you want to call it, I mean, do they listen to it? Do they understand it doesn’t work?
No, it’s not that, what
Is it?
They don’t want to deal with us.
Well that’s the point. But I’m saying it’s set up so that you can’t get
Anybody. It’s set up so you can’t get anywhere. That’s my, it’s, it’s not broken.
Well, okay,
But I’m on purposely that way. It used to be you could do that,
But that’s what happens when you call Comcast or at and t or dte. I mean, when you’re trying to get some kind of customer service. I mean,
Okay, again,
I got you
Again, this is, you don’t, I don’t, reporters have phone numbers so they get tips.
They used
To Right now you can’t. And it all started right around this Trump stuff, right? And now, hey man, I actually really have an intercepted communication. Would you want it? Well I can’t give you his email address. Get the fuck. I see what’s wrong. And when I was working on this weekend, you’ll notice how this lays out. This will be like the leaders of this bullshit. And let’s face it guys, I know what you did. You called Clinton’s people and you called a couple of people in the fbi, like wanted this shit to be true and that was it. And you dressed it up in murky sources and four American officials. It was bullshit. You got played right. Okay. Trump’s secrete fine, right? The election wasn’t stolen yet. But you, in order for me to believe you, when I’m getting rid of it, I’m actually going to get rid of the New York Times because there’s nothing to read anyway. I’m getting rid of it. I’m going to get the Wall Street Journal because at least I got good business reporting and I need you to know what’s going on with our money.
They’ve been having better political reporting too. Yeah,
They have Wall
Street Journal. Not joking. It’s my 2 cents. I don’t
Need it. I don’t have any money, so I don’t need no money reporting.
Yeah, that’s why you need money reporting.
Yeah. Alright. Right. Call my mom. I brought her a her euro from American Coney Island this weekend. I didn’t, didn’t know if she liked him.
You use the cell phone.
Oh, ugh.
I know
It ain’t my fault.
No, be kidding. I’m not. I’m not saying it is. Oh, so the whole thing’s, I’m doing this the whole time. Okay, no problem. Yeah,
It’s Monday.
No, we we trying shit man.
It’s kind of fun, right?
Yeah. We’re still getting our answers for lack of them
On a wire without a net.
It’s becoming really apparent what’s happening in this country.
Just like these phones. Nothing’s working.
Such a cool picture of your mom.
It is a great phone there.
Good looking, strong woman.
See? Didn’t want to talk to you either.
She’s probably in the garden.
Thanks for calling. Please leave a message up. I’d
Rather leave that
Up. I didn’t know if the number is mailing.
Hey mom, it’s Charlie. It’s nice to hear Jimmy’s voice once in a while. Anyway, just calling to see how you liked the Euro. You know, after all these years, I didn’t know what a fan of a euro you were. That’s kind of strange not to know about your mother, but did you notice that beautiful meat, that beef and lamb? Wasn’t that just delicious, salty but not too salty with Greek spices? Did you notice the fresh tomatoes and the tiki made fresh every morning? Did you notice all that Mom? That was from American Coney Island. So let’s make a date. Why don’t we meet up at the corner of Lafayette and Michigan Avenue and have one together. Just make the scene. I love you. And remember, if you want ’em to your door, american coney island.com or just call me. I’ll drive ’em over. So whole Coney Kitt. I love you. Bye.
Oh, that was cute. You know how to keep that as a spot. Seriously, that was nice. Well you, you need to pay her though. Talent fee. But other than that, I think that was great. Yeah,
She’s a lovely person. She was happy. And Saunder’s chocolates.
Okay, and some
Orchids.
Where’d you find Saunder’s chocolates?
Oh, in a gift bag on my table when you enter the door. And they were right there next to some orchids.
What
My wife got.
Oh, I knew exactly. I’m thinking like haven’t met a hotel. Nevermind Charlie. Nevermind. Like guy every once in a month going to, I can’t, don’t want to. Oh dare. Why you out? Would you mind
Picking up some chocolates and some working
For man? Huh?
Okay, I know. Let’s blast through this. This let’s, let’s get some answers here from our politicians who keep ducking and diving, brought to you by ADR experience overseeing more than a quarter billion dollar in construction projects since the turn of the century. Increase your bottom line, save your clients’ millions. They’re experts in procurement in the government. That’s why it’s brought to you by adr. Call Barry Allen Tucker (248) 318-9424 for a consultation, procurement, government compliance information technology, get the job done right and on time. 2 4 8 3 1 8 9 4 2 4. Do I got to dial this number? Yeah, yeah. All right.
I got to, you got to dial ’em from here on out. Okay. It’s a
Diy. Well this is the Lansing police chief told everybody after the massacre on the MSU campus, after the neighbors were saying, we told you that this violent man would oftentimes take target practice off his back porch. We called you, you never responded. And the chief sat there stone faced and told the public was misinformation. They never received a shots call. Yeah,
This is what he said.
Okay. I’d like to clear up just a few things, a few topics of misinformation that we have been asked about either the accused McRay or the address, the Lansing address on House Street in the city of Lansing. LPD has not responded to any welfare checks for Anthony McRay. There was a welfare check at the address on Hall Street on February 5th, but was not related to the accused. An L P D has not been called in any way to any shots fired at this address.
You were called the shots fired east of the dead end, where McCrae lives on October 23rd, 2022, not four months before his rampage. So
It’s still no answer.
No answer. Let me call you press secretary Jordan Gok. You’ll all remember she blew me off when I freedom of information, acted it and stuck me with the bill. I did their job.
I’m sorry. Extension number 48 5 didn’t matter. You’ve reached a voicemail of extension number 48 5 message.
Ms. Goki, this is Charlie LADA from NBN News. You have my number. You’ve yet to respond to my questions. Again, the chief, and I assume you helped write his words because he was reading them, told the public that the department did not in any way response to shot fired to the Gunman’s address. Well, there was a way, I’m sure you’ve seen it. You told me you’d help me. You stuck me with the bill, I did your job, and the public is expecting an explanation. So we’re beginning today and when we continue on until you give the explanation, thank you. Have a good day. I’m expecting your call.
You know. Good.
That was very good.
Yeah, that was very good. But what’s funny to me is you would think you’d catch somebody on the phone. It’s lunchtime,
But like Charlie said, with the New York Times, people don’t want to be caught. They don’t want to talk, they don’t want to be accountable. They don’t want to be questioned. They just don’t.
Well, and if they do too, they want to hear the message so they can formulate their bullshit response before they call you back.
If they do,
No one wants to be caught off guard anymore.
But is it off guard if you are aware and if you aren’t aware and you should answer and say, I’m not sure, let me get back with you and then keep your word and get back. Yep.
Well that’s what they teach at these lame ass communications department besides lying to the public is don’t answer the phone. See what the question is, formulate some crap. You got it. And I’ve already been through that. You never got back. I even published it in the Detroit News, Madam. This is outrageous. That’s a freedom of information Act, honor it. And I got go to this website. That’s what assaulting the Lansing Police. Think of the lawmakers and the students that populate that county and no, it’s not just going away. Right.
Good. Stay
On that one. Yeah, it shouldn’t go away. I mean, can’t just do what you want. Then if something happens behind it, then you don’t want to answer up. No, we need to
Hear an answer. And where’s the investigation on all of this? Because we also know Ingham County prosecutor concocted a fake charge to push this guy through the system. You got caught carrying a concealed weapon. That’s a felony. You didn’t have to put him in prison. You got the judge has the authority to give him zero days, but you concoct today he was transporting it in a motor vehicle, a loaded weapon, and he was on a bicycle. Yeah, we need that investigation. Where’s the attorney Grievance commission? Th This state is so fucked up. You see what I get?
Yep. Repeatedly.
And here’s what I know. I never call ’em until I know the answer to the question. Right. I don’t take empty and
They know that.
Who are you dialing
Now? I’m calling Dana Nessel, press secretary, communications director, whatever you want to call it. We got probably got both of them and we got to pay for both. And all they really do is book her for msn b c. Give her
Some CNN too. Right. All
Right, well, we want to know where the receipts for her vacation are and where the Flint file is on the racketeering. I
Like this housekeeping stuff.
Yeah, this is all day long.
Jill got there. She is at the hotel.
That is a creepy picture. Why? Because it’s just a couple pale.
Look, I didn’t know she had a spine. So it confirms that aren’t generalize. Aren’t they in
The, aren’t they in the sun?
And then here she is on the catamaran in the glasses. Hi,
You reached Kimberly Bush. Sorry I missed your call. Please leave your name, number and a brief message and I’ll get back with you shortly. Thanks and have a great day.
At the tone, please record your message. When you finished recording, you may hang up or press one for more options.
Ms. Bush, this is Charlie LeDuff from NBN News Hour. Once again, a couple of questions. The Attorney General confirmed that she was in Turks and Caco. Her friend Kelly Newman confirmed they vacation together. The Attorney General said she pays for her own vacations. She put that in the public sphere. So is she going to present the bank statements to show payment for the $8,600 a night penthouse, the sunset catamaran trip, all of it. It’s of the public interest. Number two, my colleague Jordan Sheraton from Status Quo and I put in a Freedom of Information Act request for the racketeering file on the Flint water crisis that was prepared by the former investigators before your boss fired them. It was rejected because the quote unquote investigation is still ongoing. However, the Supreme Court threw out the charges. The appellate court confirmed that, excuse me, and statute of limitations to set in almost all of it. We’d like an explanation for that before we have to go to court again. We would like your answer and we want to know, is there going to be an investigation into the public safety in Ingham County and how they handled the gunman in Lansing? So, high interest, please call me back again. You have the number. Oh, by the way, while we’re at it, how’s the investigation going into the Democratic State Party treasurer, Tracy Corak, and whether or not there was some accusations of abuse on a client in a nursing home, we’d like an update on that. Thank you. I’ll be in touch.
It just really seems like they’re just trying to run up the clock on so many
Things. But let me say this from bullshit, from a communications perspective, yes. You cannot do that job from a textbook. I mean, you cannot do it. Well, you don’t know what you’re going to get, right? Well, you don’t know what you’re going to get, but you got to be able to know how to apply what you’ve allegedly learned. You can’t just like Charlie say, they’re telling you not to answer the phone. Don’t be accessible. That’s not how you do that
Job. Let me call the general line, see if I see if can get to her desk for
Calling the Attorney General’s office. We value and appreciate your call. Oh good. However, we are currently experiencing high call volumes. Please be patient with try
Volume. Comcast
High call volumes. Well,
And then it hung up. Yep. I’m telling you that’s a good move. They didn’t even have time to, what is it? This the fucking New York Times.
I’m telling you, nobody wants to talk to anybody. Oh
My Lord. And it’s Monday.
It’s Monday.
I want to do that with my phone. Just disconnect
With me. Okay. I tell people don’t leave me a message.
Hey,
Attorney General’s office, how may I address your call?
Yes, Kim Bush, please.
She is not available. What is it regarding?
Well, I’d like to tell I’m a member of the press. I’d like to tell her specifically if you could give me her desk line, I’d appreciate that. And I’ll call back.
Well, she’s not even in the office today.
What? Can I have her desk line please?
What I can do is pass on your not name and number and
Give it to me. Well, I’ve tried that before. It is a I, I’m a taxpayer and a reporter. So I am paying for the number and that number’s designed specifically. The only way I’m going to, pardon? Of me, madam. Pardon me? Matt, your name and number
And
Pass it on. Well, I don’t understand that. That’s a public number and I’m a member of the press. So I’d like you to give me her desk line please.
I need your name and number.
We’ve already been through that. My name’s Charlie LeDuff. You have the number. I would, I would like her number.
I can’t do that, sir. Why?
Can you explain to me why please?
Because I’m telling you how this goes. Was everybody who called and they asked for her?
Well, I did that before. But see, I did that before and now I don’t have a number to call her. I’m always getting stoned walled by you. Now, you know could do. I’m the public and I pay your bill and you’re required to give me that number. Is this is this office route. I’m
Required to give you that number.
That is, everybody hear that? Everybody hears that. Okay. I appreciate that. Have a wonderful career and I will continue to work hard. So you may receive a pension because I’m like that. I do my duty. Okay, so what’s going on in the office? Anybody there? Or is everybody working remotely still?
Some people work remotely and some work in the office.
If you could tell ’em all for me, please. The president and the World Health Organization said the pandemic’s over. And so they should get into the office where they can take my call. Because Madam, we’ve got children dead in Flint. We’ve got Chi children, adults dead in Flint, Lansing. We’ve got so much work to do. Detroit. Detroit. We can’t get an answer on anything. And that’s why I’m calling. You can understand. Okay. Thank you for that. Thank you for your understanding. Good. Have a nice day.
What in the hell? They might as
Well just move on the car. You
Know what that is unacceptable. Charlie. That is unacceptable. People should be outraged at her demeanor, at her unwillingness to pass along the She’s the press secretary. You’re supposed to be accessible to the press. You’re, you’re supposed to be accessible to
The, I’m going to tell you how this works. All right. Okay. That’s okay. Okay. So everybody now knows, all right, let’s call the governor’s director of communications. And it’s
Not that receptionist’s fault. You know that order coming, this
Guy down from
Home, Bobby. But I’m saying she’s following instructions, they’re telling. That’s what I mean. Yeah. It’s not her fault to handle it fairly. But how does somebody from the public or the press call and you just stonewall them and tell them this is it. I
Telling this is how this is working.
I would never tolerate that. Ever.
Bobby Letty, there’s very few grown men that called themselves Bobby,
That sounds like a made up name. I’m trying to think of something.
Kid Rock. Bobby. Bobby Richard.
No, we call him Bob. You don’t call him Bobby. He’s too old.
Yeah, his family calls him that.
Yeah, but that’s different.
It’s Bobby do Pew. Maybe
He’s out with Mr. With Ms. Bush. Oh,
Bobby. Bobby and Bush.
Hey, you’ve reached Bobby Leddy, press secretary for Governor Whitmer and Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist. The best way to reach me is by text. If you leave a message, I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Hey, the
Mailbox is full. I cannot accept
Goodbye.
What kind of professional voicemail is that? Hey,
Bobby. Bobby, I, Bobby, I did text you. Look, I texted you. Did the billionaire businessman, who’s you shook down for that airplane. Did they ever cash the check that the Whitmer campaign wrote? As I’ve told you, the campaign never had to write a check because for some reason in this state, our elected officials can take gifts and cash and vacations like Nestle did. I mean, she took a vacation. She said she paid. I’m going to believe her. Show us the check. Bobby, show us the cashed check. See Bobby, because we know that the federal aviation commit administration does not allow private owners of jet to take cash because they’re not charter businesses. So again, did you mislead the public or did the check in cash? Now, when I wrote that in the Turks and Caicos piece, you and your people called my publisher. You called the editorial page director wanting a correction. You wanted a retraction, you didn’t get it. Answer the question. And then I’m going to ask you, is the governor being vetted for the cabinet? Because I’m noticing all the blowjob stories that you’re placing and yet you can’t get ahold of yet. Oh, and I didn’t read our magazine, but you did. Right.
Were they really afraid to risk it to put the governor in front of the
Duck? That’s what they publicly said. And this is a thing. If he wanted a retraction, if something that you wrote was incorrect, then invalidate that by showing why it was incorrect.
Well, first you call me, that’s what a press secretary does. And I go say what? Really point it out to me. Because unlike the New York Times, I’m the old New York Times and people get things wrong. That’s true. So you know, own up to it and you move on.
I just like the fact that they wanted a correction and they were able to get someone on the phone, talk to someone about it.
And how about this one? It’s trying to float. Whitmer is an actual possible candidate for president. How are you going to look Putin in the eye when you can’t look me in the eye? Yes. So think about this.
So do you want to know, I know you said some of this is gossip, and when you hear stuff, maybe remember
We’re not doing that.
That’s not gossip. Okay, go ahead. Nevermind. No. Nope. It’s gossip.
You got gossip.
No, it’s not gossip. I
Don’t want to, all right. Just whisper. Just tell me. Okay,
We’ll
Fix it and post. If it’s gossip.
No, that this is from somebody that’s in the Biden administration and that there’s concern about how to get Kamala Harris out without there having negative fallout and that Gretchen may be the person that they’re considering to put in that position. Oh,
Well fine with me. I like best person for the job. But you know what that means? It’s coming through here for sure. It’s coming through here.
Oh no, that’s not gossip. But that’s what I heard.
And now you’re going to get the national media’s a different animal. Now you’re going to get the vetting on how you actually ran the state’s where the road construction money came from. It came from Biden. What happened in these nursing homes from
People that don’t need anything from the state or from her. That’s true. Outsiders.
Right?
I do want to throw a quick one. Yo Bobby, listen to some of them damn voicemails and clear the damn answer machine out.
That’s why. That’s when you don’t have to worry
About it. That’s our high price comedian. Yes.
He might not be able to dial a phone now and then taking the covid relief dollars and funneling him towards development projects like Chinese battery plants. How about we start fixing the prosecutor’s office? The backlog into court now. All right, speaking of which development project, former speaker of the house, Republican Speaker of the House, Jason Wentworth. And it’s interesting here. Mr. Wentworth, who was then the speaker pushed for a 25 million package for a healthcare campus in his district. A no bid grant went to his former aid, right. To build that project. And they bought the land from the guy who took over for Wentworth as the rep.
Oh my God. From
That area right now, neither principal in the project had experience to build a medical complex. One. His qualifications, former funeral worker. Oh, the other was indicted for bank fraud one day before the grant was finalized.
Oh my God.
So I
Sound like government officials to me.
Oh yeah, man, this town’s a swamp.
Wow.
Let’s see here. Let me get old Jason’s cell phone here. Hey, I got everybody’s cell phone, don’t you think I don’t
Talk about the screen if you need it.
Split fun.
Do you want some dialing music?
No. It’s like hearing the music, the ringing itself.
Your name pops up when you call Charlie. That’s okay. Okay. I like it that way
Now see how it, listen to me.
Please leave your message for five.
Fix it.
Hey, Jace is lauff from N B News Collin about that no bid grant for the medical complex that you got your fingerprints all over. And I’d also like to follow up with the Whitmer appointees grant for the Global Link International. The we’re going to give one of Witmer’s PAL’S 20 million to entice foreign business into the state, except for the fact that the 20 million went to her 10 days before a company actually existed. And you’re the sponsor of that legislation. And then you said you weren’t, and somehow I think you were. So you got a lot of explaining to do. I’ll call you back and leave my number and you should call back because we got ways of finding out. Really do. All right. Have a nice one.
Hey, is this the adult and intelligent version of when you used to print call people and they were younger only you now have legitimate reasons to do so. The
People want to know. Yeah,
She’s just answer the fucking phone.
Nope.
Speaking of ridiculous development projects and driving around and giving the police intel, there’s always Mayor Mike Duggan. He never got back to me. He was reaching out to the publishers and saying, although it wa you should be careful of ’em. Although it wasn’t in the news pages. The mayor was out there directing emergency response to their shootout in the murders in Greek town. And if you know anything about the mayor, he is always out there driving. So I said, how about a drive along? That’d be a great story. The Bobsy twins, me and me and Mike, they never got back. I’m surprised. Hey John, I’m calling your boss. It’s to follow up. You never got back to me either.
Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system
3 1 2 7 9 to make up the numbers on nobody. I just want to make sure.
Of course he’s
Not available. At the tone, please record your message
Except to train. When you finish recording, you may hang up
Deal, press one for more options.
Hey Mayor, it’s Charlie. How are you sir? How’s that federal investigation going into the demolition? Anyway, listen, I asked John, how about you and I? We drive around and I watch you in action with your CB radio and you know how you’re directing police response stuff. It’d be a great story. Like a buddy picture. It’ll be great. Give me a call. You got the number. Bye-bye.
CB radio.
This is pokey in the bandit.
So
When I was flipping channels yesterday, I heard something that, I don’t want to say it was deliberate, but they were talking about the census and the numbers being down and the mayor challenging and blah blah. And everybody’s talking about the city services, blah, blah, blah. And then someone else weighed in and said, this is not just a city problem, this is a state problem. Now, to me that sounded like a segue in case as the mayor wants to run for governor. Yeah. Hey, I need a bigger platform to address the issue. Just thinking, well, was that
Michigan matters? I think you were watching. No.
Oh, okay. But it could have
Been. I saw ’em on there. Same. Pretty the
Same thing. Yeah, same stuff though. Yeah,
It’s bullshit. And I was dialing around and I’m watching a replay, an extended replay of that horseshit story about Mario Willis, the a convicted arsonist and how he should be let out of prison. And for killing firefighter Wal Harrison, Panta guy to burned down. Burned down the house. Now, one of the main things they’re saying in this, let’s look at it again and get him out of prison. Cause he’s doing 30 years, is he didn’t have insurance on the house. Now we could go into this and argue, but did you know a prosecutor doesn’t have to prove motive. So motive doesn’t matter. You got a guy that ratted, you got cell phone records that puts you at the scene of the crime. When you said you were in bed, there’s pictures of your truck, right? I mean, none of that’s mentioned. So I’m going to give this one a try.
Who are you calling out what they have now. Okay, look, the jury decided, a judge oversaw it. There were numerous IEM entitlements of the appellate court. Nobody said this guy is entitled to a new trial trial. So it’s a two woman judge and jury in the Wayne County prosecutor’s office, the Wayne Parent Co. Wayne County prosecutor, Kim Worthy and her assistant county prosecutor, Valerie Newman, who heads the Conviction Integrity Unit. So just by their judgment, they can decide to override the criminal justice system and let the guy out. So part of this is Ms. Newman would not talk to the investigating detectives or the assistant prosecutor that tried the case. So I’m going to call him and see if he answers. Bob Stevens former Wayne County assistant prosecutor, head of the homicide bureau.
Hello?
Hey Bob, it’s Charlie. How are you sir?
Good Charlie. How are you sir?
Good. Listen, sorry to spring this on you. You’re li you’re on the show, you’re live, the Mario Willis case is coming back, is getting a lot of, are you aware of it? It’s getting a lot of press.
Yeah. I’ve watched the show on with Devin Skillion. I’ve watched, I checked out your podcast on it. Someone referred me to your podcast and I’ve seen it. Yeah.
And what’s your take on this? I mean, are there grounds, I mean, you tried the case. Are you seeing any grounds, and I realize it’s the public sphere. Is there any new evidence or is this an end around the criminal justice system?
It’s an end around, you were there during the proceedings. I remember you in the courtroom during the proceedings. It’s a definite end around, it’s playing the media. Where’s the prosecution’s side of the story? Where’s the police side of the story? No one’s even contacted me. No one’s contacted the officers. How is that fair?
You mean none of the media, whether it be the television or the newspapers, have called you
Negative? Wow. I’m appalled by it. Talk about a one-sided slanted story. I understand everything about this case. I worked on this case for a long period of time and no one’s even bothered
Devil’s advocate here. Okay. It’s being alleged that the police concocted a story. Now, I want to know why police would find the guy who actually lit the fire and the guy in his recantation says, I was just trying to keep warm. I was there getting high canoeing with a woman. Why? Prosecutors or detectives would come up with a wild case of that’s not good enough. Why don’t we coach you into saying it was an arson and we’ll just pick an innocent man out of the air. The owner of this house and frame him makes no sense. Nonsense.
Nonsense. The person, the big fish in the whole case was clearly behind it. The henchman. The minion, he had nothing to do with it. He just did everything for Mr. Willis and his family. That’s all he did.
And let me do this. Two things. One, sure. Would you come on the program and have an extended interview about this? Would you consider that, sir?
I’d consider it.
I appreciate that. And
What I really want though, I would really like to see the transcript because everything in that case is in that transcript. Everything. And the Court of Appeals relied on that and it was denied. And now how do you do an end around and ignore the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court federal habeas petition relief? Nothing. As long as you keep writing the checks, people are going to file motions and hire investigators. I didn’t see Bill Proctor at that trial. I didn’t see Debbie skilling at that trial. I saw you there. And if you have theran, no one prepares you. It would with a transcript in your hands. I could point out everything on the transcript.
And sir, I don’t know your middle name, but I know the work you’ve done here. Have you seen any new evidence? I know you are the type of man, I think, and I know the investigating detectives on this, that if there was new and exculpatory evidence, if there was any chance that an innocent man was in prison for something he didn’t do, the first person that would want him out would be you.
Yes. I couldn’t sleep at night knowing I convicted an innocent person or person who was wrongfully accused. And there’s a difference between a person who’s innocent or person that we can’t prove a case against, which is what happens with a lot of in conviction integrity cases as they come back 20 years later, you can’t put the case back together again. But you had a jury of 12 people that convicted him of felony murder. Okay? Because felony murder is an arson and Aer committed during a murder, the jury had some nullification issues because somebody in the jury knew that felony murder’s mandatory life. And then we wouldn’t be talking about guidelines.
Let me ask you this. We’re we’re going to have you in a conviction integrity unit. It doesn’t sound to me like that’s even constitutionally allowable.
I wouldn’t be able to tell you if it’s constitutionally allowable. But we do have a court of appeals. We do have a supreme Court, we do have a federal court, and that’s the process that people take. You want to file your motions, you want to file new evidence, newly discovered evidence. You file it with those courts and they’ve already filed that. I don’t trust or believe anything that comes after the fact that down the road, five years after conviction, all of a sudden something surfaces, usually it’s like a polygraph exam. Usually it’s like something on that line. But there’s nothing newly discovered in this case at all. And this case was gone through with a fine tooth when we started it. There was a lot of preparation and time put in not to look for the person to wrongfully accuse somebody. This was clear cut.
This was on very firm footing with the only problem that involved the case was initially when they talked to Dove, it wasn’t a Miranda violation. What it was was he actually asked, well listen, in some respects it was, but he asked, were he tinted about maybe I should get an attorney? Well, at that point you got to take a look at that statement because that statement might get thrown out during a walker hearing. And that’s why we took the steps we did. We released him. He’s not in custody. And we went back later on with and talked to him again
With a hidden camera. So Dove is the guy that set the fire. He admitted in his first interrogation that he lit the fire and that he was paid to do it. You guys got to look at the tape and went, oh, he may have asked for a lawyer, so that’s no good. You let him go. Right? He wasn’t in custody. Right. You were a hidden camera. Went back, talked to him on the porch again. Correct. And said you remember what you told us? So he
Cemented everything that he said in the first statement. Right?
So somehow today that’s being warped as the police coached him into a statement, right?
No, it’s totally voluntary. He’s out on the street
And that’s where we are today. Let me leave it at that because I’m going to have you in here. We’re going to go through it for real as this thing gets a little bit closer. Thank you for picking up the phone, sir. I appreciate it.
My pleasure, Mr. Lada. Bye-bye. Talk to you later,
And this is the thing, Charlie, people who have nothing to hide will always answer the phone.
See you Thursday. We’ll be calling.
