“He’s either hiding from me or the truth,” says intrepid reporter Gene Forte. “He’s a candidate for a high level job in our country and as a stakeholder, I want to be heard and have a voice in who gets hired.”

Forte, formerly a highly respected executive recruiter who helped major firms like New York’s Publicis Healthcare Communications Group North America, says the screening process is tainted.

“If Leon Panetta eventually gets confirmed, we have a serious and troubling precedent to deal with.  Essentially, we’ll have a president who endorses a rubber stamp approach for his choice instead of advocating a thorough evaluation of talent. It’s time President Obama calls me to discuss Leon Panetta’s past,” says Forte.

Despite the lack of response, Forte continues to challenge lawmakers and newsmakers to ‘prove him crazy or prove him wrong.’

The Badger Flats Gazette has reported that Leon Panetta, regretfully, got caught up in helping to cover up obstruction of justice in a real estate trial in the Monterey Superior Court. Forte claims attorneys from the Fenton & Keller Law Firm where Panetta’s son, Christopher Panetta works, fixed the trial with judges on the case.

Forte says he personally told Leon Panetta of the incriminating evidence against his son’s law firm in a conversation (http://www.badgerflats.com/transcripts/) on Oct. 10, 2003.

The reporter claims his investigative work “reads like an indictment for dummies.”

Leon Panetta’s latest attempt to join the federal government has stalled before a congressional committee supposedly because of some late and/or missing paperwork from Panetta’s financial records. Oddly, just before the delay was announced, members of congress received the investigative proof behind the story printed by the Badger Flats Gazette.

“There’s no doubt in my mind what’s going on. They’re ignoring the facts hoping they’ll go away,” says Forte.  “But, here’s some news for them…it’s not.”

In fact, Forte has organized a way for more than 150,000 copies of excerpts of the investigative work against Panetta to be distributed all over Monterey, California and surrounding areas.

Forte hopes his grassroots approach will help the public read all about the cover up, and/or conclude with very little doubt there was a media blackout of public official abuse of power.

“A lot of people say that the media is controlled by the government, but can’t prove it.  In this case I can and that is what has the good ol boys sweating,” says Forte.

According to Forte, the reason local media have turned a blind eye to the topic for the past two days is because of their management.  The local Monterey County Herald is run by MediaNews Group, who’s CEO is Dean Singleton, also the chairman of the Associated Press’ board (http://www.ap.org/pages/about/board.html).

“You know there’s something wrong when not only is the main issue ignored, but it’s allowed to go on without any media alerting the public about an abuse of public official power,” says Forte. “It’s time for Leon Panetta to stand up and face the facts.  Prove me crazy or prove me wrong.”

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