Our good buddy Max Blumenthal has an update to his Washington Times story, mostly about Randall Casseday, former HR director for the WT who was arrested in a federal sting this week for attempted kiddie-fucking. The story: former Times flack Melissa Hopkins was the lucky recipient of the unwanted affections of Managing Ed Fran Coombs (male, despite name). After the ol' "come up to my hotel room for a nightcap" bit, Fran pulled the always-successful "force yourself on her in a taxi" routine.
Enter the pedophile, after the jump.
Go-to hatchet-man Casseday was assigned to call Hopkins a liar and make sure she had no case should she take it to legal. Which he did. Then a year later (statute of limitations for a criminal complaint having coincidentally expired), he fired her.
Blumenthal claims Times prez "Joo... is reportedly urging his underlings to remain loyal to his former axe man," saying his former Moonie status'll ensure he stays family -- but is even Joo is that much of an idiot? We do know Pruden's the reason for the piece that outed Casseday the day after the sting (once again -- classic OG Times behavior -- wash your hands of the creep in the pages of the paper).
Finally, here's neo-Confederate (and accused Holocaust-denier) Tom Fleming on the recent Times revelations:
In an article for the Nation I have only glanced at, Blumenthal apparently couples us with Wes Pruden and Fran Coombs of the Washington Times, both rather moderate conservatives and good Republicans. Pruden, remember, is the "ultra-right-winger" who fired Sam Francis (in fairness to Pruden, I'm not sure he had much choice), while Fran is the husband of Marian Coombs, who has, gasp, written for [Fleming's ultra-right magazine]Chronicles on a number of occasions. Pruden and Coombs, whose career prospects might be damaged if their names are associated with us, should sue the Nation for libel.
Nutcase sure, but a very reasonable one.
Oh, right, you want the weird creepy pedo details:
According to a source, Randall recently died his hair a "sort of creepy brownish/carrot orange" in order to appeal to a younger demographic.
How an Accused Child Sex Predator Covered Up Racism, Sexual Harassment at the Washington Times [HuffPo]
Brief Notes From Under the Rubble [Chronicles]
