Patterico's Pontifications

6/23/2011

Tommy Christopher’s Confident Assertions Continue to Fall Apart

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 10:43 pm



That admission Gennette Cordova made this morning on my blog put another nail in the coffin of Tommy Christopher’s confident assertions about the Weiner scandal.

Did you catch that?

I’ll do the short version for those following the story closely, and then a longer version for those who are a little lost.

THE SHORT VERSION, FOR THE INITIATED: Marianela told Stack she had DMs from Weiner to Nikki, and DMs from Gennette talking about flirting with Weiner. Tommy Christopher assured us, in no uncertain terms, that Marianela was lying about this. This morning, Gennette authenticated the DMs where she was talking about flirting with Weiner. (She claims she really didn’t flirt with him, but was conducting surveillance on Nikki for Weiner.)

So Tommy told us Marianela was lying, and had nothing. Yet part of what she claimed to have, Gennette just told us exists.

The other half of what Marianela said she had was a set of DMs from Weiner to Nikki. And guess what? There’s another document dump coming tonight, and guess what’s in it?

OK then.

Now for . . . the long version.

THE LONG VERSION, FOR THE UNINITIATED: I’m not going to rewrite the timeline, but I discussed a lot of it here. In a nutshell, Marianela Alicea (“Veronica”) had told Mike Stack (“goatsred”) that she had two things: 1) DMs from Weiner to Nikki; and 2) DMs from Gennette Cordova talking about how she flirted with Weiner. Here, from my June 5 post, are the messages Mike Stack told me he got from Marianela.

she also has some rep weiner DMs she is willing to share if you can guarantee she is anonymous

she just wants to know how it will be worded? who will be named as the source?

so andrew and dana will say they themselves are the source? keep [Betty] and my names totally out of it?

you can say we are high school girls because that’s necessary for the story

Other messages include:

the DMs with that girl gennette are between gennette and nikki with gennette telling her how she & weiner flirt

how they flirt on DM

then there are only 3 DMs from Weiner to nikki – they are pretty harmless actually. it is when she asked him to prom. that’s all she had

unfortunately she had already deleted the rest when he was accusing her and had [Ethel] harassing her

those were the worst of his tweets to nikki and [Ethel]s too

let me know when you are ready for the links – and download the pics instantly. Nikki will delete within 5 minutes of saying you’re ready

u have permission to say high school girls were talking to college girl about rep weiner i can tell you how it went down as long as no names

we have the links for you mike. we ask that only you see these links not dana or andrew. just download the pics and send to them,

Tommy assured us this was not true.

A high school friend of Betty’s, whom I will call Veronica (she’s a minor), was also contacted, via Twitter, by a member of the group, Mike Stack (@goatsred). For personal reasons I won’t go into, Veronica saw a means of getting attention, and agreed to follow @Goatsred so that they could speak privately. She told him that she and Betty had incriminating Direct Messages from Rep. Weiner, a claim she now admits was false, and which she made without Betty’s knowledge.

In fact, she was simultaneously telling Betty that @Goatsred had tried to induce her to lie about Rep. Wiener, and to enlist Betty in the plot. Veronica now admits this was also false. Yes, @goatsred did contact her, and she did feed him false information about Rep. Weiner, but this was not at his urging.

So understand: we have the following:

  • Marianela (not Nikki) tells Stack she has Weiner/Nikki DMs and the Gennette DMs.
  • Tommy writes a story that asserts that Marianela’s claim was false — meaning there are no Weiner/Nikki DMs and no Gennette DMs.
  • Today, we learned that there were Gennette DMs. Gennette admitted it.

Is the other part of Marianela’s claim true? Are there Weiner/Nikki DMs?

Damn. That reminds me. I have a document dump to do, don’t I?

Coming right up.

59 Responses to “Tommy Christopher’s Confident Assertions Continue to Fall Apart”

  1. So did you guys already understand all this, or not?

    Patterico (135ea8)

  2. I understand it. Not sure Tommy does – though he’s been awfully quiet so maybe he gets it and just hasn’t finished roasting that crow he’ll be eating.

    Bret Schlyer (493d93)

  3. “Is the other part of Marianela’s claim true? Are there Weiner/Nikki DMs?”

    Absolutely yes. Because Marianela-sock did not go rogue on Nikki-sock. Marianela claimed she made it all up after dicktweet was sent.

    milowent (0f8248)

  4. Professional journalism is getting beaten like a bongo drum today at this site. 🙂

    Aaron Worthing (73a7ea)

  5. Are there Weiner/Nikki DMs?

    Hmmm. Lemme guess…

    Dustin (c16eca)

  6. Yes, I am following your drip, drip, drip of truth.

    Keep up the good work.

    Joe

    Joe Smith (54c0c1)

  7. Thank you VERY much, Patterico.

    A patriot, and a gentleman. And hopefully not made of sock.

    Miranda (4104db)

  8. I think we can all just agree that Tommy really dropped the ball. I tried to tip him off multiple times about them being fake and instead of listening to me and looking into it, he told Nikkis “mom” what I said.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  9. Miranda,
    No, not made of sock. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting our esteemed host at a meet-up in Santa Monica some time ago. And whenever he announces another, I’m there (hint hint).

    Brother Bradley J. Fikes, C.O.R. (1feba4)

  10. he told Nikkis “mom” what I said.

    He comes across as such a dope for doing that. He could have taken a step or two to scrutinize them, instead.

    Yes, I think we can all agree at least on this much.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  11. One of the most embarrassing things for Tommy, imo, is that he lectured bloggers about their amateur status over all this. You have to wonder how he feels about that now.

    designczar (382560)

  12. You have to wonder how he feels about that now.

    He doesn’t care.

    He can just do what journalists often do: claim they had the big picture right, and we’re just worried about little stupid facts. ‘Fake but accurate’. Until someone proves that Weiner was sexting kids, which frankly, I doubt anyone ever does, Tommy will just think he got the main part right. And perhaps ask questions about the right wing conspiracy to nail Weiner (instead of asking about Weiner’s actual behavior).

    Dustin (c16eca)

  13. ==he lectured bloggers about their amateur status==

    Acting like an arrogant hectoring blowhard often seems to comes back to bite people, doesn’t it. Tommy, Anthony,—

    elissa (1afff9)

  14. Has Tommy been correcting his work? A lot of these revelations have been evident to him for long enough.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  15. So Tommy told us Marianela was lying, and had nothing. Yet part of what she claimed to have, Gennette just told us exists.

    Keep in perspective that Nikki and Nikki’s mother both Lied to Tommy about there being No DM’s. Tommy confronted Nikki and Nikki’s mom after they both told Tommy there was no DM’s AND that Breitbart and Co. told Bornfree to manufacture evidence against weiner.

    Tommy saw the screen grab from Marianela to Stack then confronted Nikki/Mom at this point. This is when Nikki,Mom, Marianela told Tommy Marianela was lying and when Tommy ran the story.

    Tommy still got duped. Nikki, Mom, Marianela got him to believe them by lying

    az5thdstrct (118fcf)

  16. elissa – so true. As a professional journalist once said: “…we also don’t appreciate being lectured and hounded by reckless amateurs.”

    Wouldn’t want to be reckless. Better to swallow the first version of a story that sounds good to you whole, and then ignore it.

    designczar (382560)

  17. Does Tommy being wrong matter though? Whoever was behind Nikki was also behind Marianela so he believed one part of their story which was complete crap and not the other part which turned out to be true.
    Either way, why do the DMs that Marianela said she had matter?
    That’s a serious question. The answer may have been established already, I’m not sure.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  18. People who hurl insults like Tommy was towards Lee are desperate. On Stage Right Tommy’s assertion that even though he was wrong he was right was some illogical double speak worthy of a politician.

    Tommy got played by just about everyone he spoke to for his article. They should just start calling him Tommy “the flute” Christopher.

    Johnny 5 is alive (5ccc5e)

  19. I guess we could also throw in that John Reid lied to Tommy as well. That no DM’s, Marianela lying AND Breitbart behind getting Bornfree to get them to manufacture evidence

    az5thdstrct (118fcf)

  20. I guess we could also throw in that John Reid lied to Tommy as well.

    We could — but there are a lot of unverified assumptions built into that casual assertion.

    So I’ll pass.

    Patterico (135ea8)

  21. OK, eliminate John Reid. How about Nikki, Nikki’s mom, and Marianela?

    az5thdstrct (118fcf)

  22. People who hurl insults like Tommy was towards Lee are desperate.

    You’re talking about all this F*ckface screaming? Yeah, desperation is exactly the word for it.

    What to make of that… did Tommy know some of this stuff was wrong, but wanted the story? It’s so hard to believe he was this aloof, especially with Gennette informing him these were fakes.

    There’s got to be something else pulling him to take them seriously, and I just don’t know what it is.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  23. OK, eliminate John Reid. How about Nikki, Nikki’s mom, and Marianela?

    Nikki? Yes.

    A teenaged girl did not tell a reporter about all the DMs she got?

    Is that the big gotcha?

    Ethel admitted 2 DMs to the NY Post and 5 to the NY Times.

    Teenaged girls may not always immediately come clean with the media about overly familiar DMs from Congressman. Call me crazy, but that is my view.

    Patterico (135ea8)

  24. I’m confused. We’re not talking about Nikki and Marianela like they’re actual teenage girls right?

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  25. Patterico For you consideration regarding “I will Pass” (john reid)

    For review>

    JR tweeted this:
    The criticisms of @tommyxtopher are wrong. He put out statements in full. True statements. Defending Rep Weiner. @NYT_JenPreston is a liar about 2 hours ago via web

    Colby’s Post about fake IDs. Show that Nikki, MOm, Marianela told TC Marianela was lying. No DMs. Marianela trying to be famous using Stack:
    http://bit.ly/jScA5k

    And Tommy’s Post that publishes Nikki’s mom’s statement: With special note the statement starts with My husband and I have been made aware
    http://bit.ly/m45F5m

    az5thdstrct (118fcf)

  26. “Either way, why do the DMs that Marianela said she had matter?”

    Because in a story such as this (or any story for that matter) Truth is what matters. Getting the unvarnished truth wherever we find it. Did I really hear you want to be a journalist…?

    tier (4a939c)

  27. I’m confused. We’re not talking about Nikki and Marianela like they’re actual teenage girls right?

    Comment by Gennettec —

    All due respect, Patterico, but this confuses me too.

    I know you said you don’t want to lead us on this kind of thing, but you think they are, generally, more genuine than the crowd here does?

    Dustin (c16eca)

  28. @Tier
    My point is that these girls were fake and the people interacting with them were aware of that, so how will these reveal any truth?

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  29. Mom’s statement important. My Husband and I…

    She very adamant: From the statement:

    “My husband and I monitor every single moment of our daugther’s internet activity through both parental software and personal monitoring. We see everything – absolutely everything that she says on twitter and everything she does on the internet.”

    Submitting concerning a teenage girl would suppress overly familiar DMs

    az5thdstrct (118fcf)

  30. woke up the next morning

    Nikki wasn’t there

    I looked all over and all I found

    was a phone number on the stairs

    it said thank u 4 a funky time

    call me up whenever u want 2 grind

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  31. @ Dustin

    Yeah those comments. That level of animosity over a story seems hard to fathom. It’s pure speculation on my part but I kind of wonder if he knew at that point that his story had completley fallen apart. Or he just hates Lee for being a “turn coat” by writing for Breitbart.

    @ Gennette Why as an aspiring journalist didn’t you make a name for yourself and write this story? The journalistic opportunity of a lifetime knocked.

    @ Patterico great work! Can’t wait for the next dump.

    Johnny 5 is alive (5ccc5e)

  32. My point is that these girls were fake and the people interacting with them were aware of that, so how will these reveal any truth?

    IF YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE FAKE… why did you let their statements that they put through Tommy Christopher just sail through? You were in contact with Tommy throughout all of that. Did you tell him then? Why did the fact they were fake take 20 days to come out?

    sk (e936bf)

  33. @Patterico
    “She claims she really didn’t flirt with him, but was conducting surveillance on Nikki for Weiner”
    It wasn’t FOR Weiner, I was interested in figuring out why this person had sought me out.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  34. Gennette–

    Let’s turn this around, because maybe some of us here are missing something that you see. Why do you think Marianela’s DMs do not matter or that Tommy’s mistake about them is irrelevant? I didn’t exactly get the point you were making at 11:15. Can you try to say it in another way? Thanks.

    elissa (1afff9)

  35. Gennette- what kind of person interacts and leads suspected sock puppets for such a long period of time? What exactly would said persons extended goal be? Most people disengage if the feel a person they are interacting with is off in some way. What personal motive did you have to engage in such a lengthy venture?

    It couldn’t really be to get super-important info as leading in such a huge way as you did is a sure-fire way of tainting it.

    tier (4a939c)

  36. @sk I think you might have some facts wrong. I wasnt in consistent contact at all. And it didn’t take 20 days, I tipped him off a while ago. I didn’t tell him initially because I didn’t realize that he was taking her seriously. I still haven’t read the piece he wrote on her.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  37. turning and turning in the widening gyre the puppet cannot hear the puppeteer

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  38. ==I still haven’t read the piece he wrote on her==

    Sorry, Gennette but that statement beggars reason. Does not pass the smell test.

    elissa (1afff9)

  39. @Elissa
    Yeah, I just meant that she was fake and from what I know the DMs would between a fake person and people who knew they were fake. So I’m not sure what the DMs would reveal?
    If we had the DMs that Nikki sent, versus the ones she received, I think those would be more informative… when trying to figure out who is behind it.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  40. Today, we learned that there were Gennette DMs. Gennette admitted it.

    W

    Why I have never trusted her – Nick Jacob @nicktjacob asked her point blank and many times early on and the JOURNALIST student, JPresten stand in, just decided evasive liberal speaking in tongues was the way to play this.

    You go NYT’s Jen! Send it to the jury, girlfriend!!!

    Topsecretk9 (3ef846)

  41. @Elissa
    I’m sorry, I really haven’t. I don’t read mediaite.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  42. Gennette:

    You were engaging Nikki this whole time, and you’re still involved now because you’re trying to figure out who Nikki is. I understand that.

    But just curious… why wouldn’t you read the article Tommy wrote on Nikki? Wouldn’t there possibly be clues in there?

    scoovy (c1f735)

  43. “I was interested in figuring out why this person had sought me out.”

    Why didn’t you just think it was a teen who was acting out like a teen crushing on a celeb. By hanging out on the sidelines and see how to approach him. Obviously something more than her following other Weiner fans and asking fannish questions had to have set you off.

    tier (4a939c)

  44. Patterico, has your contact with JR9 been limited to email and tweets?

    Dustin (c16eca)

  45. many miles away

    Alicia’s shadow’s on the door

    of a house of a prosecutor

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  46. Darling Nikki ….

    Gennette, you didn’t even read Tommy’s article? Hmm … have you thought about … cosmetology school? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

    Miranda (4104db)

  47. @scoovy
    He told me the info that he had when I tried to explain that they were fake. I didn’t really see the point in reading the whole article.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  48. Here’s the Tommny link with updates that we’ve all been discussing for two weeks. Hows about you take a few minutes to go read it and then report back what you think, Gennette.

    http://www.mediaite.com/online/andrew-breitbart-did-not-run-weinergate-evidence-which-turned-out-to-be-fabricated/

    elissa (1afff9)

  49. “I’m sorry, I really haven’t. I don’t read mediaite.”

    You’ve said the only reason you are here is to find out who Nikki is. But you didn’t read the first story on her looking for clues in her statements? Not even out of curiosity after spending so much time engaging her on Twitter because you just had to know what she was up to? Not buying it for a second.

    tier (4a939c)

  50. Gennette claims she’s so disassociated from the emails go to the junk accounts even though she is obsessing over Patterico postings–posting in lightening speed to explain things, yet she shuts down twitter accounts like they’re tic tacs.

    NYT’s? PRESTON? Very credible. You Go Jen, YOU ROCK! Keep Rockin!!!!!

    Topsecretk9 (3ef846)

  51. @Tier #43
    Its called common sense.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  52. Sorry scoovy. You asked what took me too long to word.

    tier (4a939c)

  53. Document dump Part #2 in on the front page…

    Joe

    Joe Smith (54c0c1)

  54. #38 @ elissa

    I’d second that.

    I’m not trying to be rude but so far everyone involved in this story real, sock puppet or otherwise seems to do things that defy logic, reason and human nature.

    The only thing for me that is a given is that everyone involved in this story is being or has been duplicitous.

    Johnny 5 is alive (5ccc5e)

  55. Alright people. I never read the damn Mediaite piece on Nikki, I’m sorry, Im begging for your forgiveness.
    I don’t think I’m any less in the know, so it shouldn’t matter.
    Can we move on? It’s counter productive.

    Gennettec (28d98c)

  56. Sorry Gennette common sense is not looking for zebras when you hear hoofbeets like you did but to see it as shy-fannish like I stated.

    tier (4a939c)

  57. GennetteC:

    There is a more interesting thread up now.

    Patterico (135ea8)

  58. so nikki-sock was anti-weiner. i’ve thought this for awhile, of course. and AW knew she was a sock.

    milowent (0f8248)

  59. I turned off all sounds in the room, and read. I still don’t fully understand (even the long version) but am I to gather that it now the consensus that none of these people are who they claimed to be?
    An aside, At least Tommy didn’t accuse us all of being racists. (At least, not yet)

    StillConfused (786412)


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