Starting on January 21st, 2009, and over the weekend, Forte provided members of Congress, including Senator Diane Feinstein head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, with documents and conversations showing Panetta participated in covering up abuse of public official power in connection with his son’s law firm, (http://www.fentonkeller.com/attorneys/panetta.htm)

Forte has requested that the documents be presented to President Barrack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

“We take great pride in knowing that our years of investigative work are being utilized by Congress to delay the confirmation hearings,” says Forte. “Now, it’s time for them to prove me crazy or prove me wrong.”

Forte, who is an investigative journalist with the Badger Flats Gazette, gained national recognition when McClatchy Newspapers credited him for breaking the story of Los Banos Mayor Tommy Jones violating California’s Fair Political Practices Commission Disclosure laws by failing to disclose loans from a local, powerful real estate developer.

Forte says the investigative work reads like “an indictment for dummies.”

“The bottom line is that Leon Panetta regretfully got caught up in covering up fixing of a real estate trial with judges on the Monterey Superior Court bench for the Fenton & Keller Law Firm that his son, Mr. Christopher Panetta, works for,” says Forte.

Forte says he personally told Leon Panetta of the incriminating evidence against his son’s law firm in a conversation on Oct. 10, 2003.

“They’re saying some papers weren’t signed and turned in.  That’s a great excuse but that’s all it is…an excuse.  The Badger Flats revealed information that won’t go away.  Now, it’s time for President Obama to contact me and get to the bottom of this,” says Forte.

Forte says Leon Panetta is merely a candidate for a job and President Obama is in charge of the hiring and firing.

“In any scenario, if what Leon Panetta has done were revealed to a boss, he would be removed from consideration in a heartbeat,” says Forte, who comes to the table with extensive experience as a highly respected executive recruiter. His head hunting skills have been revered by people like Mike Trepicchio, President of Publicis Healthcare Communications Group North America based in New York.
 
“Gene has brought me key people that have become the backbone of companies I have built and led. Every candidate was a project for Gene and his investigative work looking at Leon Panetta’s background is no different,” says Trepicchio. “President Obama owes Gene a call and meeting so that these things can be brought to light and addressed. Call it a reference check if you want, but that is what would be expected of me as a president of a company.  I would expect no less from the President of the United States.”

About The Badger Flats Gazette:  The Badger Flats Gazette, a paper dedicated to taking on public official corruption.  It always comes out when the Good ol' Boys least expect it, and discusses issues such as unethical attorneys, unscrupulous public officials and other unsavory types skimming money off the top of projects intended for the public good.

Contact:
Justin Herndon, ThePublicityAgency.com
Email:  justin@thepublicityagency.com
Cell:  (813) 528-6815
Web site: www.badgerflats.com

Glenn Selig, ThePublicityAgency.com
Email:  glenn@thepublicityagency.com
Phone:  (813) 948-7767 or cell: (813) 300-5454
Web site:  www.badgerflats.com