Salzman investigation forwarded on to state Office of the Attorney General
by Christine Bensen-Messinger, 11/16/2005
Trinidad Police Chief Ken Thrailkill completed his investigation into alleged criminal conduct by political figure Richard Salzman and forwarded it to the California Office of the Attorney General Tuesday.
The investigation into Salzman’s alleged use of false names in letters to the editor of local newspapers started in September when the The Eureka Reporter’s managing editor Glenn Franco Simmons contacted the police.
“Every person who signs any letter addressed to a newspaper with the name of a person other than himself and sends such letter to the newspaper, or causes it to be sent to such newspaper, with intent to lead the newspaper to believe that such letter was written by the person whose name is signed thereto, is guilty of a misdemeanor,” according to California Penal Code 538a.
As part of his investigation Thrailkill came to The Eureka Reporter and acquired some e-mails as evidence.
Franco Simmons said that he decided to contact the police because he felt that the newspaper was a victim of multiple crimes under the Penal Code.
“It is important to me that we have a letter policy that is adhered to not only by us but by our letter writers,” Franco Simmons said in a previous interview. “It hurts the credibility of our newspaper to say that we phone people to verify letters, only to find out that we were fooled. By the way, that phone number the letter writer put down on the letters for us to phone is now disconnected.”
Individuals who have used false names to write letters to local newspapers are essentially lying to the public, Franco Simmons said.
It is the decision of the Attorney General’s Office as to when or if it will file charges against Salzman.
Regardless of the outcome, Franco Simmons said he stands by his original decision to purse the issue.
“Although my decision was controversial and I have incurred the wrath of some community residents and a newspaper colleague,” Franco Simmons said. “I feel it was worthwhile to pursue this issue because it stopped someone, we hope, from writing more bogus letters that incorrectly created the impression that these ‘writers’ were part of a growing movement in Humboldt County in support of whatever Richard Salzman favored. Had I not pursued this, the unethical fake letter-writing campaign would probably have continued.”
Franco Simmons said he is also pleased with the way Thrailkill handled the investigation.
“I appreciate the professional way that Chief Thrailkill handled this controversial issue. Sadly, he has become a target for those who opposed my move to file a police report with the Trinidad Police Department over fake e-mails,” he said. “However all this ends, I want the community to understand that the chief did his job and should not be ridiculed for it.”
A call to the state Attorney General’s Office was not returned by deadline.
Copyright (C) 2005, The Eureka Reporter. All rights reserved.
Related:
the North Coast Journal - Web of Lies - Richard Salzman and other email phonies
From the Publisher: An apology
Rhonda Meehan's letter
http://www.northcoastjournal.com/090105/cover0901.html#Rhonda
Letters from "R. Trent Williams" printed by the Journal
Glossary of terms
Another Salzman alias?
Salzman exposed: Local newspapers reveal real names of letter writers
Supervisor Geist wants apology from Salzman
Police begin investigation into fake letters allegedly sent by Salzman
Editor files criminal complaint
Search warrant served in Salzman case
Salzman investigation forwarded on to state Office of the Attorney General
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