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Originally Posted by
Ross Jones Channel 7
This story is not about sex and, believe it or not, wasn't put on Channel 7's precious airwaves to generate ratings or grab attention. Charles Pugh's behavior is significant for two reasons: it took place while he was in positions of great authority [[city council president and the mentor to young men and boys) and he vanished amidst the most chaotic time in Detroit in a generation. What's more, he never had to answer for any of it, and worked very hard to make sure he never would......
You should remember that on the night Pugh was the top vote getter in the 2009 primary election, he pledged devotion to Detroit:
Imagine if half of these efforts in tracking him down and ambushing him on the street were invested in vetting candidates for high office in Detroit in the first place?
But yea, since this was not all about salacious sexts and vids and all about the public trust being violated, I'm looking forward to Channel 7 hitting Horace Sheffield with something more than bean bags ahead of the primary or how about just getting John Conyers to comment in any meaningful way about why his "wife", former Pro-tem of CC, needed a taxpayer funded lawyer for her corruption trial? heck...where is she now by the way?
Speaking of Pro Tems of CC...George Cushingberry is actually on the council right now, and yet channel 7 thinks Pugh is the "bigger" story? It was bigger for one reason, it came with dirty text messages.
I just fail to see the endgame here. He's ruined. He's a waiter in new york. he'll never hold office again...he'll never work in TV again...and this will follow him the rest of his life. What new information are you bringing us?
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Last year, when Charles learned we had questions about his conduct with his student—prompted by the young man’s mother—his reaction was not to address them, but to vanish. Literally.
And the kid's mother's reaction to finding the texts was to call 1800-Lawyers and not the police.
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It is not up for debate that Pugh used manipulation to coerce this young man into taking sexual videos that he did not initially want to do. When he learned the young man needed money for a prom hotel room, Charles pledged to help him out...but only if he made another graphic video.
operative word there being "man". Again, please in no way take my post to be in any way supportive of Pugh or his actions... but the kid was an 18 yr old adult. I don't recall anyone in the media advocating for treating the "young men" that beat steven utash half to death as anything but adults. As was posted above... you don't get to have it both ways.
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Charles was not charged with a crime
that is usually what happens when no crime was committed.
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and we have certainly not said that one took place [but that doesn't stop us from implying it in the following parenthetical] [[though Oakland County's prosecutor labeled Pugh a predator and said she worries he is up to the same tactics in New York City).
[[fixed that for ya.)
What did she think about the mother of the victim or the story in general? did you bother to ask her? here's what she said in December of last year.
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Even Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper, in deciding not to bring any criminal charges against Pugh, questioned Gaines' rationale for coming forward.
Cooper said there are credibility issues in the case.
“When we talk about credibility, there appears to be some type of motive in the reporting of this incident,” Cooper said. “[[The family) went immediately to a civil attorney. The civil attorney went immediately to the press, and nobody went to the police until well, well after this occurred. And then when they went to the police, the young man wouldn’t come forward for another three months.”
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But regardless of where Pugh is living now or if he chose to resign, we sought him out in New York for one reason: accountability is not negotiable.
evidently only when its beyond mattering in any real sense....