Rohr reportedly went to Mrs. Stark with information about an FBI investigation into Councilman Bill Scearce involving former tenants of his who were involved in a gambling operation. Rohr's discussions with Mrs. Stark took place after a failed attempt to fire Rohr last summer.
Tabbing Scearce as the ringleader of those who wanted to get rid of him, Rohr gave Mrs. Stark the information and she dutifully had reporters write about the situation as if it were the second coming of Watergate.
Why that story was important and how she came to plaster it on the Globe's front pages for several days is not included in the report...because Mrs. Stark refused to allow Loraine to interview her.
"The editor of the Joplin Globe has refused to make a statement concerning knowledge she purportedly had about Mr. Scearce acting with any gambling activities."
She was not the only one who would not cooperate with Loraine, according to the report.
"Similarly, people that had inside information about the FBI questioning of Mr. Scearce, to wit: Police Chief Lane Roberts and former City Joplin Policeman James Altic, who is now chief of City of Seneca, have refused to give any details of an alleged FBI report that led to an indictment and conviction f Joplin "bookmaker" Lovett.
"When offered to reveal facts that would support wrongdoing by Mr. Scearce, both Lane Roberts and James Altic refused. Roberts allegedly swore secrecy required by the FBI. Any continuing investigation against Councilman Scearce was clearly disavowed by the General Counsel of FBI K. C. division.
"When I asked Mr. Scearce to request the original 302 report of his questioning about Mr. Lovett, Scearce agreed to request any record. He has done so in writing through Mr. Genisio (his lawyer) inquiring to the FBI.
"After consulting with the FBI General Counsel, I find no credibility in a theory of a continuing investigation of Mr. Scearce. If the Council of Joplin wishes to force Lane Roberts to testify or face discharge (note: this was before Roberts' recent retirement announcement), I will pursue this matter. In light of the statement of FBI General Counsel and the passage of time without indictment, I believe Bill Scearce to be innocent of participating in gambling activities with Mr. Lovett.:
At that point, Loraine took a shot at the Globe coverage:
"I also do not find any ethical violations have occurred in subsequent newspaper developments on this 'non-story.' "
Loraine said that if these kinds of accusations against Scearce continue, it could "invite a defamation lawsuit. I can find no evidence that Mr. Scearce has committed crime or an ethical violation of his official duties as a city member.
"When the 302 FBI report arrives, I believe there will be no continuing investigations of Mr. Scearce."
7 comments:
1. She allows the Speck situation at MSSU to fester uninvestigated and unreported.
2. She refuses to investigate the school district, despite the many obvious issues that are apparent within it.
3. She obviously is not acting as a neutral party and investigating the truth with the city manager and the city council.
See a pattern developing here?
Why is Stark still employed? She has failed in every duty as an editor and has let this community down multiple times. What might she, or the Globe, possibly be getting for her silence, would have to be the next question. Newspapers make money traditionally by reporting the news, not covering it up.
And the plot thickens....
Newspapers would have to make money first. News flash: they're not, they're losing it hand over fist.
That said Stark is a joke. Simpson was a backstabber with questionable ethics (i.e, affair with advertising director) so his bulldog capacity was castrated by his own infidelity.
Stark is worse, a complete sellout to the journalism business who had her own extra marital affairs buried in Carthage.
So many snacks, so little time.
I was stunned to pick up the Joplin Globe this morning (Thursday) and not see an editorial on the firing of Mark Rohr. Instead, the Globe reprinted an editorial from the Jefferson City News Tribune. I don't care which position on Rohr the Globe would have taken; not to publish any sort of comment whatsoever on his firing is a slap in the face of local journalism. Where is your editorial leadership, Joplin Globe? Tell us what you think about the situation at City Hall.
the globe had to wait to write an editorial until rohr tells them what to write
The GLOBE editor picks and chooses what stories she runs. Several doings with the city govt. in Carl Junction have also been swept under the rug, including the affair of the city manager, Steve Lawver, with the (former) CJ Bright Futures Coordinator K-3, Chevelle Kidd Gilmore (they are now living together), whose father, Darrel Kidd, was issued a "special permit" by Steve Lawver (without approval of the mayor or city council) to drive his ATV in public parks in violation of city ordinance. In addition to issuing the "special permit", he lied to the council in an e-mail denying the affair after it was disclosed on Facebook. He also used city property, a taxpayer-paid cell phone, to text Ms. Gilmore 6,000 times on the taxpayer time in just one month, putting even some teenagers to shame as well as speaking to her an average of 45 minutes a day during business hours, also on taxpayer time. All this was made a part of the public record and nothing was done, nothing was reported in any media, t.v. or print, and Mr. Lawver continues to retain his position with the city without consequence.
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