Josh Resnek used his position as the chief journalist of the free weekly newspaper Everett Leader Herald to make up claims about Mayor Carlo DeMaria.
The mayor of a Boston suburb claims a wealthy Massachusetts family bought a 138-year-old newspaper and used it to generate fake stories to slam him — and, according to court documents, the paper’s reporter admitted in response that his incendiary articles were “all made up.”
Andrew Philbin allegedly sought revenge against Mayor Carlo DeMaria when he and his son purchased the Everett Leader Herald.Court documents cite a December 2020 email from Resnek to Matthew Philbin which is alleged to have read: “We will crush this guy . We are crushing this guy. He’s had 12 years to build himself up. We’re into our second full year of trying to take him out.”
In a response to the claims laid out in the amended lawsuit, Resnek “denies the conclusory allegations and characterizations drawn from the testimony” and “denies the conduct purported to be drawn from same.” Resnek noted that his deposition is “not yet completed.” “Mr. DeMaria’s regulation and review of boarding houses angered the Philbins, who saw Mr. DeMaria as a threat to their financial and business interests,” according to the amended filing.
Resnek alleged that Mayor DeMaria received kickbacks after granting a gaming license to casino magnate Steve Wynn .According to court documents, Resnek allegedly concocted tales that claim DeMaria extorted a city clerk, sexually harassed and threatened several women, and received kickbacks from casino mogul Steve Wynn.
Resnek and the Everett Leader Herald allegedly “knew that their stories were ‘fiction’ and ‘fabrication,’ and they have admitted as such,” based on Resnek’s deposition tesimonty, according to the amended lawsuit filed in Middlesex Superior Court. They seek unspecified damages.After buying the paper in 2017, the Philbins sicced Resnek on the mayor they dubbed “Kickback Carlo” for “the express purpose of trying to defeat the mayor,” according to the amended filing in Middlesex Superior Court.
In August 2021, the Everett Leader Herald published a story alleging that DeMaria “has apparently paid hefty sums to several women who claimed sexual violence and abuse at his hands so that they should keep their mouths shut as reported in detail investigative reports by The Boston Globe.” In DeMaria’s lawsuit against Resnek and the Philbins, DeMaria’s attorneys allege the August 2021 story was “defamatory” and that Resnek allegedly admitted “he had never seen any purported settlements because they did not exist.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Fabricated quote about defeating Russia to 'avenge Napoleon, Hitler' attributed to EU diplomatAs Western countries pledged to step up deliveries of weapons to Ukraine, social media users in Thailand shared a fabricated quote that the European Union's most senior diplomat Josep Borrell called to 'keep using Ukrainians as our bait' in order to defeat Russia and 'avenge Napoleon and Hitler'. While Borrell mentioned Napoleon and Hitler in a speech about the war in Ukraine, he was speaking in the context of Russia's past military victories and did not say they should be 'avenged'.
Read more »
The extreme cold burst some pipes, at a Boston hospital and theaterThe historically cold weather is gone but some of its damage remains, including burst pipes in homes and businesses around the region. This led to a cancelled show and an emergency department rediverting patients.
Read more »
When Boston's new electric school buses will hit the roadBoston’s yellow buses are about to get a little more green. Mayor Michelle Wu and other local officials are getting together this morning in Hyde Park to celebrate the arrival of the city’s first electric school buses:
Read more »
Photos show car dangling over the edge of Alewife MBTA parking garage after crash near BostonPhotos have been captured showing a car dangling over the edge of a subway station parking garage in the Boston area following an accident that police say was intentional.
Read more »
Credit Suisse overcooks First Boston sales pitchThe Swiss bank wants to sell $500 mln of debt, with a twist: it will be repaid with shares in its dealmaking business when that gets spun off, Reuters reported. It’s potentially a cheap way of raising funds. But it assumes investors will want those shares when the time comes.
Read more »
WSJ News Exclusive | Apollo in Talks to Take Stake in CS First Boston SpinoffAn investment in CS First Boston would represent another level of commitment from Apollo, which had previously agreed to take over Credit Suisse’s securitized-products group.
Read more »