“How do rumors get started…”

“Because you decided to misinterpret her words, she had a crazy psycho show up at her house last night and threaten she and her kids. She had to file a police report because she now fears for her children.” Mary

I awoke thinking of Rumors, the old 80s hit by Club Nouveau this morning.  Why? Because the venom directed toward Todd Shepherd, a reporter who wrote a follow up story on the potential for voter fraud, has been enormous. It seems to me the vitriol is not grounded in fact.

The accusation

I wrote on Tuesday about a Facebook post that raised my awareness about the possibility of voter fraud in mail in elections. Mary, who says she is a friend of the author, said in the comments that the author of that post had a visit from a “crazy psycho” who threatened her and her children.  Obviously, that is appalling – and criminal – if true. Allegations of intimidating behavior on his part abound on Facebook as well.

I still have not met Mr. Shepherd, but I have his email address. I asked him if he had threatened anyone. He responded by sending me a video of the encounter. He had a cameraman with him who filmed the event.

The facts

The video, which covers everything from his initial exit from his car to his return and departure, lasts one minute and fifteen seconds. He politely asks if the author is home. She comes to the door. He starts to introduce himself. She cuts him off and says she is going to get a lawyer. He leaves.

The conversation consists of three, perhaps four sentences on each side. He did not intimidate anyone. He did not threaten anyone. He definitely did nothing that should incite fear for her children, based on the video I saw.

Why not publish the video?

I cannot publish the video because it is not mine. I believe the reporter is not publishing it because he is protecting the anonymity of the individual. I find that to be a kind and principled stand on his part, and the opposite of the “got’cha” journalism of which he is accused.

What next?

I again suggest that the author contact him and ask for the video, if she feels threatened. It’s very clear she should not feel intimidated. Of the two, I’d say the reporter is the one being maligned, because to say he was thuggish in any way is incorrect.

Maybe we’re not talking about him…

So, if  Mary’s post was referring to Todd Shepherd, it is simply not true. If, on the other hand, someone else showed up at the woman’s house related to this topic, I’d like to know myself. After all, this individual remains largely anonymous, and I am definitely not. So, perhaps we are both at risk.

But if we are…

Is it scary when a reporter shows up uninvited at one’s house? Absolutely. Is it criminal? I don’t think so. Was he aggressive? Not at all. So, please don’t put that story out there any more. It is false.

As far as I am concerned, she will remain anonymous and free of complaint from me. As I’ve said throughout, all she has done is unintentionally show me how alarmingly easy it is to commit mail fraud.

“♬ ♪…Stop spreading those rumors around…stop spreading the lies…♬ ♪”   Drat. Now that song is going to be stuck in my head all day long.