Update from Sean Wardwell:
The post in question, which featured Rob Wasinger campaign workers, including the candidate’s son, admitting on video to removing campaign signs belonging to Tracey Mann, has been temporarily removed due to the threat of litigation by the Wasinger campaign.
We have consulted with attorneys from the Kansas Press Association (of which the McPherson Sentinel is a member), who should shortly inform us of our rights and responsibilities in this matter. If the Wasinger claim is found baseless, the video will be reposted as soon as possible.
Until the matter is resolved, the Mann campaign has also requested the video be removed as well.
The video has been removed by the user on YouTube, so re-posting may not be possible.
I DESPISE the threat of lawsuits, especially to my peers in the news industry and especially from conservative Republicans who should know better. I don’t see any basis for a lawsuit and it is pure CRAP to threaten it.
I did watch it before it was removed.
Posted by backroadsnewsroom | August 2, 2010, 4:38 pmHow about that, we agree. I’m not sure what the basis of the lawsuit would be, but matters not, the event has been reported, and also Wasinger’s sleazy response and attempt to silence the press. For the record, John Toplikar got caught stealing his opponent’s signs in Johnson County and they published the photos, so there is a precedent here. In his case they also filed criminal charges, if memory serves.
Posted by altevogt | August 3, 2010, 12:03 am