Notes from the Honsberger Watch

Fred did it again.

Yesterday on his radio show, in another feeble attempt to deflect attention away from the current Republican sex scandal/coverup, Fred Honsberger again trotted out fake Barney Frank charge.

He started by saying that Frank "ran a..." but then stopped himself and said that Frank "allowed a roomate" to run a house of prostitution in his house.

Untrue.

Let's look at the facts (and we're absolutely sure this will change Fred Honsberger's mind and tactics on this. Absolutely). Mediamatters.org has debunked this false charge. Take a look.

In August 1989, Stephen Gobie reportedly told The Washington Times that he ran a prostitution ring out of Frank's Washington, D.C., apartment and that Frank was aware of his operation. While Frank admitted to paying Gobie for sex several years earlier and to later hiring Gobie as an assistant, Frank denied any knowledge that Gobie allegedly ran a prostitution ring out of Frank's apartment. Frank maintained that he fired Gobie upon being told by one of his landlords that Gobie was using his residence for his prostitution business. As The Guardian reported on August 30, 1989, Frank actually "asked the House ethics committee ... to investigate his relationship with" Gobie.

Then they quote from the Guardian article:

In his letter to the ethics committee, Mr. Frank wrote: 'Questions have been raised about my employment of a personal assistant during a period between 1985 and 1987. I have publicly responded to these questions and I have expressed regret for the mistaken judgment involved. In order to ensure that the public record is clear, I hereby request that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct [CSOC, commonly known as the ethics committee] conduct an investigation into these matters.'

And what did the committee find? MediaMatters, again:

The House ethics committee launched a 10-month investigation, ultimately finding, as The Boston Globe reported on July 27, 1990, "that Frank had violated House rules by writing a misleading memo that was used in an effort to end prostitute Stephen Gobie's probation on felony charges and by allowing his House privileges to be used to waive 33 parking tickets that Gobie might have received while driving Frank's car." The report recommended Frank be reprimanded for the infractions, and the House voted for such punishment on July 26, 1990.

Anything else? Take a look. Mediamatters quotes from the committee report:

Based upon information obtained under subpoena and sworn testimony, the Committee concludes that the weight of the evidence indicates that Representative Frank did not have either prior or concomitant knowledge of prostitution activities involving third parties alleged to have taken place in his apartment. ... Representative Frank's landlords ... submitted sworn testimony contradicting Mr. Gobie's assertion. ... The Committee, therefore, further concludes that no further action is warranted. [emphasis added]

So saying that Frank "allowed" his roomate to run a house of prostitution is A LIE.

When will Fred Honsberger correct his false record?

Maybe we should ask him.