Brooklyn GOP Funneled Thousands More to Merlin of Malice O’Brien, Disclosures Show
The recent financial disclosures of the Brooklyn GOP are so remarkably telling, it will take a whole series of posts to fully detail just what they all mean. But I’m leaving that to my colleague Hank Rearden.
To me, one of the biggest and most egregious facts we’ve learned today is that the Brooklyn GOP has continued to give thousands to Party Warlock and Merlin of Malice Gerry O’Brien, a man who has done nothing but incite controversy in the party. This all without an investigation into Mr. O’Brien’s alleged actions last summer.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the story regarding O’Brien, you should read Francisco D’Anconia’s original piece on the incident.
On October 2, I wrote a piece in which I called the uninvestigated political consultant “a blight on the Brooklyn GOP.”
I said:
It has been said in Brooklyn politics that “Gerry O’Brien has done it all.”
Oh, that he has…
Political Consultant Gerry O’Brien has been referred to by one Republican who emailed us as “the most divisive person in the party by far, at the heart of all that’s wrong with politics.” O’Brien was involved in a terrible scandal this past summer, after which this blog called on the leadership to investigate him. So far, the party has been silent.
Atlas reiterates now, one week after last week’s Brooklyn GOP County Committee Convention, that O’Brien is too controversial to be on any political party’s payroll, and should be dismissed if no investigation is performed.
Well, that was over three months ago. All along, I had a serious suspicion that the party would not heed our blog’s advise and disassociate itself with such a controversial figure if it refused to investigate him.
Sadly, I kind of expected it.
But by giving any further money to O’Brien without investigating him (and no investigation of his actions has been performed that we are aware of–and if he has been investigated, I will personally post the results of such an investigation on behalf of the party), the party has very loudly endorsed both him and his alleged actions this past summer without even batting an eye.
So what are the numbers? Here we go:
07/27/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
09/02/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
09/30/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
10/31/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
11/29/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
12/31/09 – GERRY O’BRIEN – $1,600.00
TOTAL: $9, 600
Wow! Almost 10k to a man who did nothing but cause the party and some of its figures controversy? At least three thousand of that money could have been given to candidates of the party before the disastrous 2009 November elections. But they gave it O’Brien over their own candidates?
How unfortunate.
We wonder what this money was for? Was it, by any chance, money given to him to redesign the horrific Brooklyn GOP website, which is still in need of further revisions and aesthetic changes? If so, what a waste of money! Even if just three of those payments were for the website, that hideous monstrosity is not even worth 1/4 of that price. The party, in that case, would have literally PAID HIM to embarrass them with so deeply flawed a website, which was not even partially repaired until the end of the year, according to my recollection.
Perhaps, as we suspected, O’Brien was called out of his lair to wave his wand for the Brooklyn GOP just before Halloween? If so, making a poster costs $1000? Are you joking? Is this what they’re having him do? Is this the price he charges?
Ah, yes… I guess the pieces are all falling into place. It all makes sense now.
(We’ve even heard some other startling rumors about O’Brien that, if true, would create another bad connection for the party and O’Brien. Until these can be confirmed, I will hold off on further discussion of them…)
Moreover, what makes the most sense is that the party has wholeheartedly thrown their support toward O’Brien in light of what happened to Young Republican Jonathan Judge and Yvette Bennett, the former district leader. Bennett, who called for reform and–in my view–was forced out of the party leadership for her willingness to stand for reform over status quo, is a perfect example of the dwindling number of talented women and minorities the party has been forcing out or discouraging from participation.
Meanwhile, as they lose people like Ms. Bennett, the party continues to elevate a man who represents, in my opinion, the worst politics has to offer.
That says everything you need to know about the priorities of the Brooklyn GOP.
***
Now, there are some that have said to us that all Atlas does is go after the party and people like O’Brien. They don’t think that’s “constructive.” Well, in response, let me say that I can’t think of anything more “constructive” than transparency in politics. Too many of the criticisms made of this blog have been that we don’t march in a row with the party and that we dare to question their leadership.
Well, that’s why Atlas shrugs, my friends. We have lost faith and confidence in our party’s leadership and their ability to take this party in the right direction. There is a great deal of twisted political manuevering going on out there, and while many of the insiders don’t seem to mind it, we here at Atlas do mind.
No Republican should live in fear of their own party and the figures of disrepute they elevate.
Too many good and decent Republicans have been attacked or cut down by the leaders of this party or by those the party has allowed hold any influence. This pettiness must end.
By exposing it to the light of day, we are confident it will.
Atlas Shrugs in Brooklyn 
Gerry O’Brien is still at large!
I want to thank Jim McCall for being the subject of the latest attack from the Anti-Atlas Thug Crew! Welcome to the union of those who the party hates and will slander for any reason whatsoever!
Fear not! These thugs (which consists of a two overgrown sissy ex-Capano “consultants,” who are being led around on leashes by the balding Duke of Bay Ridge) never say anything of substance. All they do is HATE HATE HATE. It’s actually comical to think grown men do this crap. They hurl ethnic slurs, and they take silence as proof of complicity against the party leadership.
It truly is the Soviet Union of Thought down there in Bay Ridge. The Duke of Bay Ridge is Joseph Stalin without a Red Army. All he has are two hired thugs looking for a fight.
Three Cheers for Jim McCall, latest target of the Brooklyn GOP Leadership!
Russell Gallo really is a little man it the true sense of the word. Shallow Gallo is perfectly content to allow Craig to drag him around on very short choke chain and fall in lock-step like a good little soldier boy. He allows himself to be treated this way because he believes that acting like a tough guy, threatening people, and demeaning women is the only way he can gain acceptance by the “in” crowd in Bay Ridge. Stop acting like a little bitch, grow a set, and be more respectful to everyone, including yourself.
No one likes a bully, no one likes a thug and no one likes the evil men you embrace and propose to love.
To Lora,
JIM M (note style: “EATON CAPS”) says thanks for the shout out.
To Church Goer,
JIM M (note style: “EATON CAPS”) says, “Church Goer, we all see what your consultant has….he was my consultant too. ‘The question begs’—Show us what YOU’ve got? Oops, I guess that’s not a question.
To consultant,
Fr MMBW
Some of your best work in a long time. You should have called JIM M (note style: “EATON CAPS”) he’s been trying to reach you on other matters & you could have fact-checked some details. Also, you left out that in 1982 Jim ran as a conservative Democrat against the incumbent assemblyman a liberal Democrat, and that Jim announced his run at the incumbent’s liberal home club CBID, and that after that announcement Jim the conservative Democrat got 20% of the vote for the CBID endorsement, and that Jim had the Conservative Party line that year instead of the Republican, Kelley wasn’t it. You know Jim is a natural born leader, wait a minute that’s another Jim, never mind.
The attack on Jim McCall was vicious, untrue, and was clearly ordered by Craig “The Duke of Bay Ridge” Eaton. It is now beyond a shadow of a doubt that Craig Eaton is connected to the Anti-Atlas bloggers. How embarrassing that a party chairman has resorted to mucking about in the mud to attack his supposed enemies.
If I am wrong, I welcome Craig Eaton to respond. If I am right, he should apologize to Mr. McCall for his blog’s actions.
For the record, I am not Jim McCall.
O’Brien should be ashamed of himself. He should issue a public apology for his actions from last year and his continuing hate work, since we all know he’s been spreading nasty stuff on the blogs…
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.”
– Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
I must confess I don’t care for Nietzsche.
I am not sure if your comment is meant to be critical of this blog. If so, I believe Dagny’s words from her piece present an appropriate and brief response:
Now, there are some that have said to us that all Atlas does is go after the party and people like O’Brien. They don’t think that’s “constructive.” Well, in response, let me say that I can’t think of anything more “constructive” than transparency in politics. Too many of the criticisms made of this blog have been that we don’t march in a row with the party and that we dare to question their leadership.
Well, that’s why Atlas shrugs, my friends. We have lost faith and confidence in our party’s leadership and their ability to take this party in the right direction. There is a great deal of twisted political manuevering going on out there, and while many of the insiders don’t seem to mind it, we here at Atlas do mind.
No Republican should live in fear of their own party and the figures of disrepute they elevate.
Too many good and decent Republicans have been attacked or cut down by the leaders of this party or by those the party has allowed hold any influence. This pettiness must end.
By exposing it to the light of day, we are confident it will.
I for one am glad my Atlas friends are keeping tabs on the party leadership.
These recent events have been deeply disturbing, and the party has become more brazen and loud than I can ever remember them being in the past few months. I think Atlas has really caused them pain, and they haven’t learned their lessons.
I’m glad the comments on this blog have quieted down and become less hostile, with some notable exceptions. I love the posts, and I don’t mistake the writers with the commentators.
You guys have really stuck it to the leadership. Their actions prove that.
Way to go, Dagny! 😉
What they’ve done to Susan is uncalled for.
Only one person can do this – that is the bulldog, evil, Political Consultant, Gerry O’Brien. Gerry O’Brien consistently turns against his clients. Gerry O’Brien consistently uses dirt, smearing and malice to accomplish whatever evil goals he has.
Craig Eaton and Marty Golden – be afraid, be very afraid . . . not of the folks on Atlas, but of Gerry O’Brien. You, the Kings County GOP, and many others have paid Gerry O’Brien for his evil services. In the process, he has learned your Achilles heel. He will use it against you . . . or is he doing so already? Are you beholden to Gerry O’Brien because he already has you where he wants you? Are you trapped in his evil lair?
Beware! Beware! The evil one O’Brien will get you, too!