Private Moments, Public Office, Government at Risk of Extortion

By VIRGINIA McCABE
Dec. 1, 2006

People have a lot of opinions on whether or not I should have done a story about a tape that was given to me by an anonymous source. The tape shows Atlantic City Councilman Eugene Robinson receiving oral sex in what officials have told me was a seedy motel in the area.

There was an exchange of money before the sex act. A note inside stating the woman was 16, that she was a prostitute. In all of my stories, I have stated I could not confirm she was 16 or that she was in fact a prostitute and that the public should take that into account.

The young white woman with long brown hair does not look 16 and experts have told me she is probably in her early 20s.

There is no doubt that this is a news story. Somebody was taping the private moments of elected officials and could use it as blackmail or for means of extortion.

And that is how the people’s government breaks down. Atlantic City government by any measure could certainly be said to have broken down.

The public has a right to know that their elected officials are engaging in behavior that puts their public office and the public trust at risk. This was evidenced by Councilman Gene Robinson himself when he told the public that somebody was trying to force him out of office by means of extortion.

Government can only be made whole again when the full weight and measure of the media, the people and law enforcement act to expose public corruption. Each one of us has a job to do.

My job is to bring matters before the public for them to evaluate, even if that information is painful and difficult to contemplate.

Law enforcement’s job is to capture criminals.

It is the people’s job to determine who they want running their government. The more information they have, the better judgments they can make.

After careful consideration about the video I received, and in consultation with other professional media people and attorneys, I decided to go forward with the story.

It was the right thing to do. The public has a right to know.

What would happen to government if those being extorted caved into the crime and started selling their votes or swaying contracts one way or the other?

I have also been criticized for offering the video to news outlets for sale. As an independent journalist, I sell my body of work. That is what independent writers, photographers, videographers do to make a living. Once the video came into my possession and I decided to report on it, it became a part of my work.

I offered the video to bona fide credentialed media outlets only for a charge of $250. This is the standard rate for video.

If I wanted to seriously profit from this, I could have posted it on my website and charged a fortune for people to view it. I know they would have paid. I chose not to do that. I was determined to keep the copy I have out of the hands of people who would post it on www.youtube.com or other websites.

I have since learned that other media people have received copies of the video. I don’t know if they received them before or after me. Nobody knows how many copies are circulating.

Let me state for the record that I do not know the source of the video. I do not know who made it. I never knew any information about this man named Tim until he called to say he had the video. I don’t even know if the man who called was the same man who gave me the video.

I was in no way involved in this crime.

To those in the media who criticize me, I bow gracefully to their opinion. To those in the media who support me and encourage me to keep doing my job, I thank them for their support.

As a result of revealing the video, multiple investigations have been launched. The people who did this will probably be caught and the people who have to elect politicians will be able to make fully informed choices.

Politicians who hold the public trust might now think twice about their behavior while serving in office.

Councilman Gene Robinson, a reverend in the church, certainly a leading light in the community, chose to step into the public arena. He has held himself up as a man of values and high moral standard. Because of that, he was chosen to hold the public trust.

Now it will be up to the people to decide if Councilman Robinson lived up to that trust.

I would also like to state that if there is a second video of a council person and if that information comes to me, I will also bring that information to the public. The threats of lawsuits, slander and libelous statements made against me will not stop me from doing my job.

The spin machine is now working overtime to deflect attention away from Councilman Gene Robinson and cast aspersions at me. What is their vested interest?

If another tape of another councilman comes to me, I will fully inform the public. The public has a right to know.