Bernie Ward: Newspaper columnist confirms being told of book research

[Newsjock]

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_7658629

... Ward was released on his own recognizance Thursday, said Stephanie Salter, Ward's friend and a former columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Salter has collaborated with Ward on investigative stories and is godmother to one of his children.

"I know Bernie as a dad, a talk-show guy and an investigative reporter," said Salter, now a columnist for a paper in Terre Haute, Ind. "This is utterly inconsistent with those three facets of Bernie. It doesn't jibe with what I know."

... Salter said she and Ward spoke more than a year ago about his idea for a book centered on hypocrisy in America, and "people pretending to be family values people when they're not."

[KharmaTrain]

1. There Sounds Like More To This Story

It still seems murky from what I've read. The question that begs asking is why Bernie's puter was confiscated and how this came about. Did he brag about what he found? Did he forward any offensive material to another person? What were the grounds that led to this situation.

On a sidenote...several years ago, a company I worked with suspected one of their employees was downloading porn using office machines...we did a sweep of his machine and sure enough, there were images on the hard drive. This was used as grounds to fire him...until he hired a smart lawyer who then forced the company to scan other machines...and sure enough there was porn in there. The problem was the company didn't use any spyware on their machines that became infected with bugs that hijacked the browsers on all the machines that led to porn sites...the pics then were cached on the HD...so even if they weren't looking for porn, it was sure there on the puter. The company quietly settled with the former employee and all the computers were replaced.

I honestly do not know what to believe in this case. I've long enjoyed listening to Bernie and my hopes among hopes is that there's a better explanation as to what happened here than what we currently know.

[FreakinDJ]

4. They were looking to shut Bernie up

I know Bernie as a High school teach and talk show host, and as far as those allegations are concerned it is pure B.S.

FACT IS......

Bernie is an adamant, outspoken critic of the Bush Family Evil Empire and has been so for many years now. You got to remember this is No. California where Jack Webb (former Mercury News columnist who broke the CIA-Panama cocaine connection story) COMMITTED SUICIDE BY SHOOTING HIMSELF IN THE HEAD TWICE !!!!!!

I think it is pure B.S. but I'm not holding my breath for Bernie's acquittal. What ever death squad / black ops members they have tucked away here in No.Cal - they are good

[JHB]

7. You mean Gary Webb, and he didn't break the Contra/cocaine connection...

...but he did revive it.

Which treated us once again to a display of unenthusiasm among congressional Democrats for pursuing matters of Republican illegality and constitutional undermining, something that has become all too familiar these days.

[LLee]

11. witch hunt?

When you look at the facts, what Bernie did was break federal law while doing research.
I feared the MSM would turn this into a smear tactic giving Bernie the appearance he is a pervert.
They did not ... not even Faux.

But if this was Rush, O'rreally, do you think it would be an issue as it has been with Bernie?

[LLee]

9. Even Fox news has the story correct

I went to faux online, archives of Dec. 6, '07 to see how badly this was smeared and was surprised to see in print the following comments allowed:

- this was a journalistic error rather than child exploitation

- Bernie was able to put off this story until his Thanksgiving charity drive was over

I am very upset with Mike Malloy as he went into the direction: "Well Bernie was a priest..." then began anti religion stuff.

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. I haven't been following this story. What happened to Bernie Ward? n/t

[eleny]

3. Indicted for accessing child porn on the net several years ago

Ward said it was for researching his book on hypocrisy of those who live one way in public but another in private.

Technically, no one can access child porn even for research purposes.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. I see. I wonder if he'll still be writing his book. Sounds like a MUST READ.

:)

[LLee]

10. the Feds took his computer in 2005

Even faux has this story...Bernie has been under investigation for this for years... breaking federal law for researching the hypocrisy in exploiting children, therefore his home was searched and computer was taken in 2005.

[Liberals Rule]

12. Are You kidding?

You or I can be arrested if we land on a child porn site by accident! That's what's scary! I am so upset by this I can't begin to tell you. My prayers go out to Bernie and his family who must be going through a very rough time publicly right now. There is alot to this case which is very fishy. Did you know the judge won't try this case in the 9th Cuircit court? That it has been moved to Washington? That in itself is suspect to me. Also the fact that they waited 4 years?

[napi21]

16. Boy, I agree with YOU! I knew it was illegal to post child porn, or

to forward it to anyone, but I sure never knew it was illegal to view! What if you got to that site by accident? I don't ever recall any child porn, but I sure have landed on some porn sites by accident simply be entering a web address and using .com when it should have been .gov or .net or .org

The other thing is that I've read stories where grandparents have been accused of posting child porn when all they did was post a pic of their grandkid in the bathtub!

[Roxy66]

6. Oh, wow.... when did this happen?

I noticed he wasnt on the air last night.

[eleny]

8. Just this week

[Mike03]

14. Yeah, I just saw it this morning. It was like being kicked in the

stomach. It's still hard to believe.

[Mike03]

13. I hope that there's some rational explanation

I've followed Bernie's show since I was a kid living in Northern California, and I still listen to him by high powered AM radio here in AZ, and on the internet.

He's seemed depressed and confessional for years. I'm worried for him, actually, and worried that there might be something here.

He's done so many good things. I just pray this has some explanation.

[eleny]

17. He has sounded down and out for some time now

I listen to him here in Colorado via the net and have for several years. Let's hope that even moving the venue to another state won't put him in foreign territory - given that his good reputation may be known there, too. I'm not religious but I even listened to him on Sundays off and on. He's just so sharp.

I worry for him, as well.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Thanks for posting this news here so quickly. Very helpful. n/t