Isn’t it a shame that someone like Georgia Thompson alone has to pay the price for the sins of her bosses both past and present? The real epiphany here should be that citizens are so fed up that a jury is compelled to make an example of a 56-year-old bureaucrat. This should alert politicians that a gathering tsunami is just off-shore. Given the prevailing conditions, it is nothing less than gross incompetence for Doyle to have failed to sit down with every key manager and make it clear what would and would not be tolerated. Perhaps he felt he couldn’t do it with a straight face. Regardless of why, Georgia Thompson is taking the hit. Such are the risks among the power-obsessed crowd. A further shame is the way Doyle tainted the reputation of a truly great guy named Marc Marotta. This little peccadillo will hang like an awkward cloud casting a shadow on his “squeaky-clean” reputation forever.
For the record, you did not sit on the jury. Perhaps you feel Biskupic didn’t make the case because you didn’t get it all. You did not hear all the testimony nor experience all the subtleties or nuances of the courtroom. It took 12 jurors who did hear and experience everything all of four hours to disagree with you. In the final analysis, politics has little to do with what is legal and not legal. As the CRG motto has been since day one, “It’s a matter of trust.” Trust is conferred in an extra-judicial manner and while it may take a lifetime to create, it can be destroyed in an instant. Tommy Thompson and a host of others dodged scrutiny only because there was no one with the zeal of US Attorney Biskupic at the helm during previous administrations which is another sad commentary on law enforcement. Also, public sentiment was not the same back then. The rising tide was lifting all boats. Satisfied people don’t complain or roil the waters of revolution!
Chris Kliesmet
Spokesperson
Citizens for Responsible Government
