Dayum, you can’t trust anyone in the politics game. Mayor Of Charlotte Resigns After Public Corruption And Bribe Charges What’s up with all these politicians getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar? According to Fox News: The mayor of Charlotte, N.C. — the state’s largest city and the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention — resigned Wednesday hours after he was charged with federal public corruption and accused of taking bribes in an FBI sting. City spokesman Keith Richardson said Mayor Patrick Cannon submitted his resignation letter Wednesday to the city manager and attorney. The 47-year-old Cannon is accused of accepting more than $48,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted to do work with Charlotte. A criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney says the Democrat, who has been mayor for six months, accepted cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and the use of a luxury apartment as bribes and solicited more than $1 million more. During the last encounter, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, he accepted $20,000 in cash. Cannon says in the letter that the pending charges will create too much of a distraction for the business of the city to go forward According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the FBI first learned that he may have been involved in illegal activities years ago and started an investigation in 2010. If convicted on all the charges, he faces 20 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines. He needs to get his legal weight up… 20 years is a lot of time in the slammer.
When I learned of the news that Pope Benedict XVI was going to become the first pope in six centuries to resign from office, I immediately thought, I wonder what Alex Gibney makes of this? His documentary, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God details the integral role that Benedict, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, played in investigating the sex-abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and, given the ample space that the New York Times devoted to that subject in its report on the resignation, I was left with impression that, behind the scenes, the continuing controversy may have played a part in the Pope’s decision to step down. “I can’t help but think that the sex abuse crisis must have been on his mind,” Gibney emailed back when I asked for his take on the news. “There was no going forward on that issue while he was in office.” The filmmaker added: “I give him credit for resigning. That brought a bit of modernity to the Papacy.” In announcing that he would resign on Feb. 28, the Pope, who’s 85, indicated that “I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise” of his responsibilities as the head of the Catholic Church. Dealing — or not dealing, as Benedict’s critics have claimed — with the sex-abuse scandals must have been a taxing part of that job. And though the Times did not draw any direct correlation between the controversy and Benedict’s decision to step down, the paper of record did note that, in 2010, outraged critics of the church’s handling of these clerical abuses had called on Benedict to resign. Here’s how the Times carefully put it: In 2010, as outrage built over clerical abuses, some secular and liberal Catholic voices called for his resignation, their demands fueled by reports that laid part of the blame at his doorstep, citing his response both as a bishop long ago in Germany and as a cardinal heading the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles such cases. In one disclosure, news emerged that in 1985, when Benedict was Cardinal Ratzinger, he signed a letter putting off efforts to defrock a convicted child-molesting priest. He cited the priest’s relative youth but also the good of the church. Vatican officials and experts who follow the papacy dismissed the idea of his stepping down at the time. “There is no objective motive to think in terms of resignation, absolutely no motive,” said Father Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. “It’s a completely unfounded idea.” For his supporters, it was a painful paradox that the long-gathering abuse scandal finally hit the Vatican with a vengeance under Benedict. As the leader of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he had been ahead of many of his peers in recognizing how deeply the church had been damaged by revelations that priests around the world had sexually abused youths for decades. As early as 2005, he obliquely referred to priestly abuse as a “filth in the church.” He went on to apologize for the abuse and met with victims, a first for the papacy. But he could not escape the reality that the church had shielded priests accused of molesting, minimized behavior it would have otherwise deemed immoral and hid the misdeeds from the civil authorities, forestalling criminal prosecution. Benedict’s resignation could have some interesting ramifications when it comes to the cloud of scandal that still hangs over the church. If he’s no longer protected by the Vatican, he could find himself quite popular with lawyers who are suing the Catholic Church on behalf of alleged victims of sex abuse. On a more positive note, Benedict’s departure could pave the way for his successor to finally address and make reparations for the many sins of the Catholic Church’s clerics. To paraphrase Gibney, that would bring even more modernity to the Papacy. [ The New York Times ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
When I learned of the news that Pope Benedict XVI was going to become the first pope in six centuries to resign from office, I immediately thought, I wonder what Alex Gibney makes of this? His documentary, Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God details the integral role that Benedict, when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, played in investigating the sex-abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and, given the ample space that the New York Times devoted to that subject in its report on the resignation, I was left with impression that, behind the scenes, the continuing controversy may have played a part in the Pope’s decision to step down. “I can’t help but think that the sex abuse crisis must have been on his mind,” Gibney emailed back when I asked for his take on the news. “There was no going forward on that issue while he was in office.” The filmmaker added: “I give him credit for resigning. That brought a bit of modernity to the Papacy.” In announcing that he would resign on Feb. 28, the Pope, who’s 85, indicated that “I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise” of his responsibilities as the head of the Catholic Church. Dealing — or not dealing, as Benedict’s critics have claimed — with the sex-abuse scandals must have been a taxing part of that job. And though the Times did not draw any direct correlation between the controversy and Benedict’s decision to step down, the paper of record did note that, in 2010, outraged critics of the church’s handling of these clerical abuses had called on Benedict to resign. Here’s how the Times carefully put it: In 2010, as outrage built over clerical abuses, some secular and liberal Catholic voices called for his resignation, their demands fueled by reports that laid part of the blame at his doorstep, citing his response both as a bishop long ago in Germany and as a cardinal heading the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles such cases. In one disclosure, news emerged that in 1985, when Benedict was Cardinal Ratzinger, he signed a letter putting off efforts to defrock a convicted child-molesting priest. He cited the priest’s relative youth but also the good of the church. Vatican officials and experts who follow the papacy dismissed the idea of his stepping down at the time. “There is no objective motive to think in terms of resignation, absolutely no motive,” said Father Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman. “It’s a completely unfounded idea.” For his supporters, it was a painful paradox that the long-gathering abuse scandal finally hit the Vatican with a vengeance under Benedict. As the leader of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he had been ahead of many of his peers in recognizing how deeply the church had been damaged by revelations that priests around the world had sexually abused youths for decades. As early as 2005, he obliquely referred to priestly abuse as a “filth in the church.” He went on to apologize for the abuse and met with victims, a first for the papacy. But he could not escape the reality that the church had shielded priests accused of molesting, minimized behavior it would have otherwise deemed immoral and hid the misdeeds from the civil authorities, forestalling criminal prosecution. Benedict’s resignation could have some interesting ramifications when it comes to the cloud of scandal that still hangs over the church. If he’s no longer protected by the Vatican, he could find himself quite popular with lawyers who are suing the Catholic Church on behalf of alleged victims of sex abuse. On a more positive note, Benedict’s departure could pave the way for his successor to finally address and make reparations for the many sins of the Catholic Church’s clerics. To paraphrase Gibney, that would bring even more modernity to the Papacy. [ The New York Times ] Follow Frank DiGiacomo on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.
Jill Kelley, the now-infamous whistleblower in the David Petraeus scandal, was blackmailed by his mistress Paula Broadwell, according to a new report. Kelley says she was “terrified” late last summer when he told her about an email, later revealed to be from Broadwell, and the barrage that followed. “There was blackmail, extortion, threats,” Kelley told the Daily Beast in her first interview since the Petraeus scandal erupted three months ago. The emails, as Kelley would later learn, were from Paula Broadwell , whose affair with David Petraeus triggered his resignation as CIA director. The writer was so ambiguous, Kelley “didn’t even know it was a female.” Contradicting virtually every published account of the saga, Kelley indicates that the anonymous emails did not warn her to stay away from Petraeus. And yet the press depicted the two of them as “romantic rivals.” “Think how bizarre that is,” Kelley says. One person close to Kelley says the tone of the notes – numbering fewer than 10 – grew increasingly severe and, without being explicit, threatening. Did Kelley come to suspect that Broadwell was behind them. “I never met Paula in my life,” Jill Kelley says, noting that she didn’t even know Broadwell had just published a glowing biography of David Petraeus. It seems evident that Broadwell grew jealous about what she perceived as Kelley’s relationship with Petraeus; at an awards ceremony, he kissed her on the cheek. Kelley will not speculate about Broadwell’s motivation. Her complaint to the FBI set in motion a chain of events that culminated with Petraeus, the architect of U.S. war strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, acknowledging his affair with Broadwell. The husband of Holly Petraeus resigned from the CIA. Kelley, 37, would also find herself the subject of speculation that she was carrying on with Gen. John Allen, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, which she flatly denies. Allen also has denied wrongdoing. Kelley bristles at those eye-catching media reports that she and Allen exchanged as many as 30,000 emails, calling the figure “outrageous.” What has been lost in the lurid and sometimes mocking coverage is the toll the scandal has taken on Kelley, her husband, and their three young children. Continue reading her interview with the Daily Beast …
Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012 special aired last night, and the #1 most fascinating of the electic mix of individuals was revealed at last: David Petraeus! The special highlighted the achievements and antics of those that kept us enthralled for the past 12 months, from Ben Affleck to Gabby Douglas to Honey Boo Boo . But it was Petraeus, the decorated U.S. military hero now disgraced by an affair that forced his resignation as director of the CIA, who took the top prize. “He is, without question, one of the finest officers and minds of his generation,” said Walters. “Then shockingly, he resigned as head of the CIA because he’d had an extramarital affair with Paula Broadwell, his biographer. … The story was irresistible.” “The keeper of the nation’s secrets, unable to conceal his own.” Yes … the story of a man attracted to a younger woman who was taken with him is so unique. Paula Broadwell , of course, was revealed as Petraeus mistress after apparently emailing Jill Kelley, another woman he knew socially, and telling her to step off. Petraeus has been married to his wife, Holly, for 37 years. On the entertainment side, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane received a spot, along with British boy band One Direction and 50 Shades of Grey author E L James. Political nods went to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. What do you think of David Petraeus as the year’s most fascinating person? Yes, that story was the craziest! No, are you kidding me? View Poll »
GOP Calls For Resignation Of First-Ever Transgendered Government Official Conservative right wingers in New Hampshire have struck gold in the eyes of GOP goons everywhere as they have found a reason to kick the first-ever transgendered government official to the curb. via ABC News Republicans in New Hampshire’s state legislature have called for the first elected transgender official in the state – and the nation – to step down in light of a newspaper article that revealed her criminal past. Stacie Marie Laughton, a Democrat, made history this month when she was elected to a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough County, which includes Nashua. But a story in the Laconia Daily Sun revealed that Laughton was a convicted felon who served more than four months in jail for ”conspiracy to commit credit card fraud” in 2008. Granite State House Majority Leader Pete Silva, R-Nashua, said Laughton’s failure to inform Nashua voters about her background before the election was grounds for her resignation, according to the Nashua Patch. The GOP goons are on their job. Sounds like they’re still salty from that massive L they took during the Presidential election and are taking it out on any Democrat within reach. SMH. Image via Shutterstock
Simpson posted a series of adorable photos of little Maxwell Drew on her Twitter feed, as spotted by Us Weekly. Alongside the two pictures she shared, she wrote: “I am so grateful for my new lil family! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!” One photo shows a cap-wearing Johnson carrying Maxwell, who is looking straight ahead at the camera. She’s wearing a red hooded jacket with brown boots, and wears a bow in her hair. In the second shot, a black-and-white pic, Maxwell appears strapped to former NFL s
This one’s got folks asking if his ‘choice’ to step down is a cover-up after all the Benghazi beatings Obama’s team took during elections . According to Politico : David Petraeus resigned his post as director of the Central Intelligence Agency on Friday, citing an extramarital affair. Petraeus visited the White House on Thursday to ask President Barack Obama to accept his resignation “for personal reasons,” he said in a statement to CIA staff. “After being married for over 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair. Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours.” The FBI is investigating Paula Broadwell, author of the biography “All In: The Education of General David Petraeus,” for improperly attempting to access his email, law enforcement officials tell NBC News. An intelligence source confirms to POLITICO that the FBI had been investigating Petraeus after accidentally learning of the affair. He was pushed to exit before it all came out in detail. “Director Petraeus was encouraged to get ahead of it and take control of the situation because it would eventually come out,” the source said. A White House official told POLITICO that the White House was informed of the issue Wednesday, and Obama was told Thursday. “The president met with General Petraeus yesterday. In that meeting, Petraeus offered his resignation and explained the circumstances behind it,” the official said. “The president accepted [Petraeus’s] resignation in a phone call this afternoon.” The resignation comes as the intelligence community remains under pressure over the attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others. Petraeus was slated to testify next Thursday at a closed Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Benghazi. In a statement, Obama said he accepted Petraeus’s resignation and expressed confidence in Michael Morrell, the agency’s deputy director, to take over as acting director. Morell will testify in Petraeus’s place next week. “Going forward, my thoughts and prayers are with Dave and Holly Petraeus, who has done so much to help military families through her own work. I wish them the very best at this difficult time,” Obama said. Do you think he should’ve stepped down because he allegedly cheated on his wife?? Images via facebook
NBC has responded to Sharon Osbourne’s accusation that it discriminated against her son Jack. The America’s Got Talent judge announced her resignation from that program this week, saying she simply couldn’t work any longer for a network that fired Jack from Stars Earn Stripes because he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But NBC Chairman Bob Greenblatt fired back today, explaining the stance of his network in more detail and admitting medical concerns did play a factor is choosing NOT to have Jack compete against other celebrities in military training exercises. Said Greenblatt: “We hold medical information in strict confidence and therefore cannot comment specifically about Jack, but as a company that cares deeply about the health and safety of everyone on our shows – especially one like ‘Stars Earn Stripes’ that requires dangerous water stunts, strenuous physical activity, and uses live ammunition – we required all potential participants to undergo medical vetting to ensure that they could safely participate. “Although we did not ask Jack to participate in the competition, we were able to offer him two substantial alternative roles on the show, both of which he declined. This network does not discriminate on any basis. “Our hearts go out to her, Ozzy, Jack and his family at this time.”
