3BP Exclusive: Connie Schultz apologizes in print after we expose her shenanigans

Yesterday, we posted exclusive photographs and a video of Connie Schultz, wife of US Senator Sherrod Brown, doing opposition research video of Josh Mandel. Mandel will almost definitely be the Republican challenger to Brown in next year's election.

In her column today, she talks about her experience at a Tea Party event in Avon, here in Lorain County. Reports are that she spent most of her time interviewing attendees for her column. That's what they pay her to do, right? In her column, she pays a lot of attention to who didn't show up. However, she fails to mention one of the speakers who WAS there. That speaker would be Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.

I wonder why she didn't mention this. Why didn't she mention that when Josh's name was announced, that she rushed to the seats to sit in a row up front, and pulled out her video camera? Well, maybe SHE didn't mention it, but SOMEBODY noticed it. See the photo and video.

We raised some serious questions for the Plain Dealer, as this appeared to be a major conflict of interest. To be honest, I expected them to ignore this and sweep it under the rug.

I was wrong. Today, Schultz wrote a new column and apologized for betraying her journalistic ethics.

I didn't mention all the speakers in my column, but there was one who showed up at the end of the event whom I should have named: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel.

For months, The Plain Dealer has identified Mandel as the likely 2012 Republican opponent of my husband, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. Mandel is raising money for a Senate race, but has not declared his candidacy. He frequently attacks my husband in public interviews and speeches, and the Tea Party event was no exception.

I did not mention him because I wanted to avoid the appearance of singling him out for criticism, or promoting my husband. In retrospect, that was a mistake.

Then she goes on to explain what she was doing with her video camera.

I made a second mistake. A few minutes before Mandel walked onto the field to speak, police officers ejected a videographer for the Democratic Party, at organizers' request. When I found out about this, and noticed that two other men with video cameras were allowed to stay, I pulled out my Canon PowerShot camera, set it to video and held it in plain sight as Mandel spoke.

She goes on to say that she held the camera out to "make a statement" about the man she says was ejected. Sorry, but I'm not buying that at all. She was filming the speech in place of the Democrat videographer, (if there truly was one.)

But let's not beat up on Connie too badly. We all know she is a liberal columnist. We all know that most of the mainstream media, like Connie, are also liberals, and they cannot help themselves from letting their bias come through in their work. It is what it is. At least Connie has come forward and admitted her mistakes, even though it's probably only because she got caught.

This had to be a major embarrassment for the Plain Dealer (not shedding any tears here), and this had to be a very difficult column for her to write. She goes on:

This is my debut column for the Plain Dealer's Metro section. Not what I had planned. But it's the only way to proceed if I am to ask for your trust.

My error in judgment also caused unnecessary anguish for editors who trust me, and champion my work. I feel just sick about that.

I was very excited to move to Metro. I still am. I will continue to have strong opinions, and express them in these pages, and on cleveland.com. My supporters should not worry that I am intimidated, and my critics can rest assured I'll still be doing my best to set their hair on fire.

Good for you, Connie. And we'll keep doing our best to expose media bias such as yours.

Update: Our beloved Sherrod Brown responds to WKYC's Tom Beres.

Her husband told Tom Beres his wife has great integrity.

"She was not doing campaign work. Somebody that wanted to tape the speech was thrown out, probably illegally, because it's a public-funded venue. And she taped it. She didn't give it to the campaign. She's a citizen. She was there," he said.

Uh-huh.

Update: several news outlets have picked up the story. Connie doesn't mention that 3BP is who exposed her. Maybe these other outlets would like to know?

PD's Connie Schultz in campaign video controversy
BLOG: Let Connie be Connie!

UPDATE 9/19: Schultz resigns


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