No More Mister Nice Guy

There is a right way and a wrong way to resign from public office.

Over just the past few days, folks in Biddeford and surrounding communities got to see examples of how to; and how not to act when you get caught with your fingers in the pudding.

In many ways, being a reporter in a relatively small community is a lot tougher than reporting on issues at the state house or the White House.

Why?

Because in a small town you often know the people you are writing about. They are sometimes your friends and neighbors. Furthermore, if you’re a reporter in a small town, many people also know you.

They know where you live; what kind of truck you drive. They know your wife, your parents and your kids.

Sure, you can tell yourself that none of it is personal, it’s just business, but that’s just not always true. And sometimes, it’s difficult for a reporter, editor or publisher to know exactly where to draw the line.

Journalists are expected to follow a strict set of self-imposed ethical guidelines. Sometimes, we make mistakes. More often, however, we find ourselves struggling to decide what is news and what is not news.

It’s not as easy as it may look, folks.

Yesterday (April 18) I got called onto the carpet by many people for what appeared to be some bias in my reporting regarding the separate resignations of former Biddeford City Councilors Bobby Mills and Julian Schlaver.

In some ways, my critics were right. But there are some circumstances you should know before claiming that I was nicer to Schlaver than I was to Mills.

So, let’s back up a bit and consider the bigger picture.

Mystery Achievement

In the interest of clarity, let’s follow a chronological order of the events that detail the reasons behind the resignations of both Bobby Mills and Julian Schlaver and why those resignations may look the same, but are so much different.

Although it’s hard to believe, it’s important to remember that these are two completely separate matters.

Despite astronomical odds, these two middle-aged, white guys; who live within three miles of each other; and who were both elected in November; both resigned their seats on the Biddeford city council after receiving criminal summonses from the Biddeford Police Department within a period of nine days.

You can’t make this shit up.

So, let’s start at the beginning. On the evening of April 7, when then City Councilor Bobby Mills was involved in a non-reportable motor vehicle accident downtown. Mills was given a criminal summons for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Roughly two days later, Mills decided to resign his position on the city council and his position as the York County treasurer.

So far, so good right? I mean we all make mistakes.

I begin receiving text messages from a slew of people who apparently closely follow every incident listed in the public police log.

I called Bobby Mills to ask for his side of the story and his explanation about why he resigned. Mills never called me. He did however, begin sending me several text messages, a virtual paper trail.

Mills knows me. He knows I am a reporter. We are not friends. We never communicate about anything other than city business. His first text to me outlines some very personal, family issues. There is no need for me to publish anything about Mills’ family or friends.

I then called my publisher Liz Gotthelf at Saco Bay News. I explain the story, and told her that I don’t think there’s any need to include mention of the summons that Mills was given by police.

Why?

I’ve known Bobby Mills for nearly 20 years. I have often roundly criticized his performance as an elected official. But I feel bad for the guy. Based on his first few text messages, I determine he already has enough on his plate. He doesn’t need more public shaming.

Saco Bay News does not regularly publish a police blotter or other OUI charges. 

But my biggest reason for not including Mills’ OUI charge in my first story is the fact that Bobby has resigned. He no longer has any influence or potential influence in public matters. Also, he has been charged, not convicted.

Within an hour of filing my first news story (click here), I wrote a complimentary blog post about Mr. Mills, his public service and my sometimes-harsh criticisms of his political antics. (Click here to read that blog post).

Mills then sends me a text message, thanking me for what I wrote. He tells me he thought “it was nice.”

So, that’s where the story ends, right? Mills resigned for personal reasons. The city will need to hold a special election to fill his seat. Time to go to bed, relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Not so fast. We’re just getting started.

The Tragically Hip

It’s Wednesday, April 17. Eight days after Bobby Mills announced his resignation. It is about 2:30 p.m. I am with Laura, enjoying a late lunch at Mulligan’s.

My phone begins to vibrate on the bar. It is an incoming text message from one of my confidential sources. The message has only two words: “Schlaver resigned.”

I was stunned. I trust this source. How could this be true? A late April Fools joke because I included Schlaver’s wife on my list of the 20 most influential political figures in Biddeford-Saco?

What the hell?

I immediately call Schlaver. Laura picks up her phone and logs onto the Biddeford Police Department’s dispatch log.

Julian Schlaver does not answer immediately. I look at Laura. She is shaking her head. “Look at this,” she says, pointing to her phone.

According to police records, Councilor Julian Schlaver was given a summons by the Biddeford Police Department on a charge of an alleged assault at approximately 11 p.m. on Saturday, April 13.

Julian returns my call moments later. He explains his side of the story. He says he thought resigning his position on the council was the right decision. He expresses “sincere regret.”

Laura and I return home. I go into my office and lock the door. I begin making telephone calls; first to my publisher, and then Mayor Marty Grohman. My original plans for that afternoon were shot.

I begin working on the next story. As I did the previous week with Mills, I once again decided not to include the criminal charge because Julian resigned and no longer had power or influence over the citizens of Biddeford.

That may have been a bad call, but I was shooting for fairness and consistency. Was I wrong? Maybe.

But, wait. It gets weirder. Much weirder.

Cold Wind Blowing Over Your Private Parts

Just before filing my news story about Schlaver’s resignation, my phone chirps again.

Another confidential informant tells me that Bobby Mills, the man who resigned his seat on the Biddeford City Council eight days ago, is now planning to be a candidate for that seat in a special election scheduled in June.

What? Are you kidding me?

Now the kid gloves come off. The voters need to know what is happening. All of it. Bobby Mills could likely be back on the city council in June.

It is now almost 4 p.m. on Wednesday (still April 17).

I call Mills to confirm the news that he is planning to run in the special election. He sends me a text message in reply.

This is what he wrote: “Sorry I missed your call (sic) bud. I’m swamped at work. In case you were wondering, I am running, eager to head back to the council.”

I reply with my own text message: “We need to talk!”

A few minutes later, Mills sent me yet another text message: “I decided last night (April 16) that I would run in the special election and seek to return. I believe in our community and want to be there to continue the fight for the people that don’t speak out. I’ve been that way for a very long time.”

I have my story. It is unbelievable, but it is documented. I quickly back up my phone’s data and copy the files to two external drives. Why? Because I know Bobby Mills.

I call Liz Gotthelf, the publisher of Saco Bay News. I explain the latest developments. She is flabbergasted. We agree that we have no choice now but to include the police report regarding Bobby Mills and a criminal OUI charge.

Why now and not before? Because Bobby Mills has announced his candidacy and his intention to run. It’s a new ball game.

But what about Julian? Should we go ahead and include reference to his entanglement with police? Liz and I talk about it. I make the case that Julian is not seeking a return to public life. Liz agrees.

We file the story online. Almost immediately, I began to receive a slew of angry text messages from Mills. Not a peep from Schlaver, however.

I also start to get some angry messages from a few people who don’t exactly like Julian Schalver. They say, I am being biased by printing the police info about Mills, but not Schlaver.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, they argued.

In retrospect, I think I made a mistake, a judgment error, in both cases. I should have included the police records in the first story about Mills’ resignation, and I should have included the police records in the story about Schlaver’s resignation.

I own those errors.

But wait. There’s more:

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

Beginning early Thursday morning (April 18) Mills continues to send me text messages. He talks about contacting his lawyer. He lashes out at me. He says he is tired of being “attacked” by me.

He thinks it is outrageous that I finally included information about his April 7 police incident.

His words: ““I have a job, career and family. I don’t need your consistent (sic) badgering. Just like you were before. I thought you changed. But your complete goal is to (sic) obviously to harass and ruin people’s lives.”

I send a reply text to explain that I changed gears simply because he is once again seeking the public spotlight. My exact words to Mills:

“You are now a candidate for public office,” I wrote. “People in the community have a right to know about elected officials. I am bending over backward to give you an opportunity to publicly present your side of the story.”

Mills responds: “I am not a candidate! Nothing has been filed! So (sic) your attacking me is unwarranted. You need to get your information correct!!!!!! No one is a candidate unless something is filed. Apparently, you don’t know that I am a private citizen and you keep attacking me.”

Huh? What?

Mills apparently forgot that 18 hours prior, he wrote to me (a well-known reporter in Biddeford), saying, “I decided last night (April 16) that I would run in the special election and seek to return.

Now he’s not a candidate?

For more than 15 years, Bobby Mills has been injecting himself into the public spotlight. He rarely misses an opportunity to run for office. (Check this prior blog post). He ran for the Legislature, switched parties, switched back and still lost. He has been on the city council for the better part of the last decade.

Up until 10 days ago, he was the county treasurer.

And now, he wants the luxury of being a “private citizen?” He is now outraged that the media is actually paying attention to him?

The media is ruining his life? Really? Maybe it had something to do with his poor decisions? Maybe?

Here is the ultimate irony.

Beginning yesterday, more than two weeks after Mills was arrested and given his OUI summons, the story about the resignations of Mills and Schlaver have now appeared in most every major media outlet in southern Maine.

I was the only reporter who tried to give Mills a break.

Like I said. I made a mistake.