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Main Page Romney Aide's Bogus Badges:Sources Detail "Illegal" Security Tactic
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Posted by: fscpd907

Romney aide’s bogus badges: Sources detail ‘illegal’ security tactic
By Casey Ross/ Exclusive
Boston Herald Reporter
Friday, July 20, 2007

In an apparent violation of the law, a controverisal aide to ex-Gov. Mitt Romney created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls and trick security guards into giving them immediate access to campaign venues, sources told the Herald.

The bogus badges were part of the bizarre security tactics allegedly employed by Jay Garrity, the director of operations for Romney who is under investigation for impersonating a law enforcement officer in two states. Garrity is on a leave of absence from the campaign while the probe is ongoing.

A campaign source said Garrity directed underlings on Romney’s presidential staff to use the badges at events nationwide to create an image of security and to ensure that the governor’s events went smoothly.

“They (the aides) knew the badges were fake and probably illegal,” said a presidential campaign source who asked for anonymity because the story could damage the individual’s career. “But they went along with it because Jay (Garrity) pushed it on them.”

A spokesman for Romney issued an e-mailed statement. “No one on the Mitt Romney for President campaign is authorized to use a badge, nor has the campaign provided anyone with a badge,” the statement reads. “Jay Garrity is not working on the campaign because he continues to be on a leave of absence.”

Two additional sources confirmed that the badges - described as bright silver plates with a state seal attached - were first created and used by Garrity while Romney was still governor. Under state law, it is illegal to use a badge without authority, an offense that carries a fine of not more than $50.

A spokeswoman for Garrity referred all questions to the Romney campaign.
The campaign source said the badges were used extensively by Garrity and staffers on Romney’s advance team, which is responsible for coordinating events for his presidential campaign.

Sometimes, the source said, a staffer would use a badge for crowd control to restrict access to Romney. Other times, they were flashed to gain quick access to emergency exits and back hallways at campaign venues. In at least one instance, a staffer used a badge to go through a Massachusetts Turnpike toll booth without paying, the source said.

In addition to Garrity, other aides who used the badges included advance staffers Mark Glanville and William Ritter, the source said.

Garrity remains under investigation by the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer in a May 13 phone call to a Wilmington plumbing company. During the phone call, Garrity allegedly referred to himself as “Trooper Garrity” and told the plumbing company its driver was operating erratically.

A spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney
Daniel Conley said the investigation remains “open and active.” Garrity’s attorney has denied that he made the phone call.

Garrity is also under investigation in New Hampshire for a separate incident in which he allegedly told a New York Times [NYT] reporter to stop following Romney’s motorcade. He also allegedly told the reporter his license plates had been run. Garrity has denied through his lawyer that he checked the reporter’s license plates.

Posted by: Rock

Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Why are some people so fuckin' stupid?

Posted by: SinePari

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherparatrooper

Why are some people so fuckin' stupid?

Job security, my friend.

Posted by: masscopguy

There is no question that it is illegal to pose as a police officer regardless of who you work for, but I would be curious to know what the badges he had made actually said? If they said Police on them then this should not be just a problem for Mr. Garity but for Williard Romney as well.

Would it be illegal for them to have badges with the state seal on them that said something like Governor's Security Staff or something similar like that? I don't think so. Am I wrong? Security companies and the like have badges made all the time.

Posted by: Inspector

Stinkin Badge

$14.95 $12.41 On Sale!

Posted by: kwflatbed

From The Herald

An aide to Mitt Romney has created phony law enforcement badges. (Staff photo illustration)

Posted by: SOT

Well it just exposed the weakness of the Secret Service and all presidential security....just get a fake badge, wear a trench coat and you can get into "secure areas" of any presidential candidate it seems.

What a bunch of dopes.

Posted by: USMCTrooper

Quote:

Originally Posted by masscopguy

There is no question that it is illegal to pose as a police officer regardless of who you work for, but I would be curious to know what the badges he had made actually said? If they said Police on them then this should not be just a problem for Mr. Garity but for Williard Romney as well.

Would it be illegal for them to have badges with the state seal on them that said something like Governor's Security Staff or something similar like that? I don't think so. Am I wrong? Security companies and the like have badges made all the time.

Yes. It would be. They were not the "governor's security staff", they were his operations staff tasked with making sure there were enough chairs for people, the microphones worked, etc. Think "personal assistant".

Use of the state seal to imply law enforcement affiliation IS a violation of law - see CMR 950

Posted by: masscopguy

That is a good point USMC. They were advance people while the SP were reponsible for security and they were using the badges to infer they had LE powers.

I would still be interested in knowing what the badge said.

I am surprised Romney let this go on, especially after Garrity was caught with all the toys in his car shorty after Romney was elected..

I am no fan of Romney but I was at one time and co-manged his phone banks in Cambridge. He will say anything to get elected but for the most part I found him and and his inner circle to be pretty much above board, I am surprised Garrity was allowed to run wild the way he did.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Embattled aide Jay Garrity has resigned from Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. (File)

Stinking badges sink aide: Embattled Romney staffer rides off into sunset

By Casey Ross

A controversial aide has resigned from former Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign following a Herald story in which he was accused of creating phony badges allegedly used to strong-arm reporters and gain access to restricted areas.

Posted by: mpd61

Quote:

Originally Posted by USMCTrooper

Yes. It would be. They were not the "governor's security staff", Think "personal assistant".

No kiddin!
I'm sure Kevin would take exception to being replaced by this geek!

Posted by: SOT

Maybe he thought they were all part of the golden plates that that dude found in the wood.
If Romney is the best hope, we are flucked...he's turning into quite the idiot...sort of a Republican version of Dean.

Posted by: Killjoy

I don't trust that slickster Romney any farther than I can throw him...however compared to that Democrat cow Hillary or that dope Obama, he's head and shoulders above the competition. *Sigh*

Posted by: Wolfman

Fred Thompson all the way!

Posted by: TacEntry1

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Fred Thompson all the way!

Posted by: Tuna

thompson all the way. mitt's gang killed us in contract negotiations and those dems just keep the liberial policies rolling along.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuna

thompson all the way. mitt's gang killed us in contract negotiations and those dems just keep the liberial policies rolling along.

The election of 2008 will be all about selecting the lesser of the available evils.

Posted by: Rock

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

The election of 2008 will be all about selecting the lesser of the available evils.

Aren't they all?

Posted by: kwflatbed

Make-believe is reality in Mr. Romney’s Neighborhood
By Peter Gelzinis
Boston Herald Columnist
Sunday, July 22, 2007

The symmetry is just too perfect: A make-believe cop in charge of security for a make-believe presidential candidate.
Jay Garrity and Mitt Romney were made for each other.
It’s interesting how Mitt and his circle of cyborgs decided to cut Garrity loose only after the Herald’s Casey Ross broke the story about the phony badges his director of campaign operations had specially made to keep the press, and other potential germ carriers, at a safe distance.
The Romney campaign hardly blinked a month ago, when stories first surfaced about Jay Garrity playing Deputy Dawg up in New Hampshire, threatening to run the license plates of a New York Times [NYT] reporter who happened to be shadowing Mitt’s caravan.

For those of you who want to believe that this was some sort of aberration, that Mitt and his pocket-sized Karl Rove - my former Herald amigo, Eric Fehrnstrom - knew nothing about what Jay Garrity was up to . . . think again.

Mitt Romney hasn’t had a spontaneous moment in his whole life. Everything is scripted. Every move is either geared toward the bottom line, or a specific result. So if a fraud like Jay Garrity was clever enough to make the press believe he was OFFICIAL, then more power to him.

Full Story: http://news.bostonherald.com/columni...icleid=1012720

Posted by: 170hancockst

This guy Garrity had the "Do You Know Who I Am" syndrome. I dealt with him a few times, I saw the crown vic he use to have with the full light package and Connecticut plate. " What A WACKO" He would still have all the lights if not for an alert Trooper a short time ago who called him on it. I believe that also made the papers.

Posted by: Irishman1

Quote:

Originally Posted by justanotherparatrooper

Why are some people so fuckin' stupid?

Someone should have asked this idiot the same thing..))

Posted by: masscopguy

I hear that Mr. Garrity is mulling 2 job offers. He is deciding wether to join the WRKO morning show with Tom Finneran or take a shift supervisor position with the Celadon Security Corporation.

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by masscopguy

I hear that Mr. Garrity is mulling 2 job offers. He is deciding wether to join the WRKO morning show with Tom Finneran or take a shift supervisor position with the Celadon Security Corporation.

I heard the job of Director of Field Operations for CMPSA is his for the asking.

Posted by: masscopguy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delta784

I heard the job of Director of Field Operations for CMPSA is his for the asking.

You mean CMPSA has concluded their nation wide search already? And, I thought the positon was titled Chief Field Marshall not Director of Field Operations?

Posted by: Delta784

Quote:

Originally Posted by masscopguy

You mean CMPSA has concluded their nation wide search already? And, I thought the positon was titled Chief Field Marshall not Director of Field Operations?

Different positions. A Field Marshal has 5 pounds of gold on the uniform, while the Director of Field Operations has only 3.5 pounds.

Posted by: kwflatbed

Romney’s ’Special Ops’ staffer: Aide details ’very secretive’ work on MySpace page
By Casey Ross
Boston Herald Reporter
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - Updated: 04:53 AM EST

An aide to former Gov. Mitt Romney who was linked to the campaign’s alleged use of phony badges has created personal Internet pages where he boasts that he’s a top secret “special ops” employee who toils in the “underbelly of politics.”
Will Ritter, who helps plan Romney’s presidential campaign events, included the bizarre, Jason-Bournesque job description on Internet networking pages that also contain boisterous pictures of him hoisting a champagne bottle in a hot tub and other party shots.
The Romney campaign has been besieged by allegations of questionable conduct by aides on the campaign trail. Ritter’s boss, Jay Garrity, stepped down last week after the Herald reported he was accused of distributing phony badges to Ritter and another campaign staffer.

Party politics: Will Ritter, above, from an image on
his MySpace Web page. (File photo)

The silver shields were allegedly used to strong-arm reporters, gain quick access to restricted areas and, in at least one instance, blow through a Mass Pike toll without paying. The campaign has denied knowledge of staffers using the bogus badges inappropriately.
In a statement yesterday, Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Ritter and other campaign employees were warned to keep close watch over the content of their personal Internet sites. He also said Ritter’s pages did not seem to include inappropriate material.
“We tell all our employees to be careful of what they post on these networking sites because some reporter will write about it,” Fehrnstrom wrote. “But I must admit this is pretty tame stuff. It’s a poor attempt by Will to trick people into thinking he’s cool,” he joked.
The Web pages, viewed by the Herald yesterday, were created through the Internet networking services MySpace [website] and Facebook, two sites that allow users to create personal profiles, post photographs and chat with friends.
On both services, Ritter uses terms that suggest he is a security operative on the campaign. On MySpace, he describes his work as “very secretive, US special ops.”
On Facebook, he writes that his employer is the “underbelly of politics.”
Ritter’s former boss, Garrity, is under investigation by criminal authorities probing allegations that he impersonated a law enforcement officer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

http://news.bostonherald.com/politic...icleid=1013050

Posted by: KozmoKramer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock

Aren't they all?

Not in 80' and 84' Rocko.... But we'll never see a man like that again, ever.

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