Assumes Worst, Jumps To Intimidation On August 6, 2008 a post was being written which included how Lee County government after having been unable to get a successful website turned to Kelly-MarCom which had done a good job. Being thorough, it seemed only natural to see what this had cost. A routine request for public information was sent to a county employee, who answered the request. Since it involved a commissioner, somehow the answer made it into the hands of commissioner Jamie Kelly, one of the owners of Kelly-MarCom. The results of the day were rather humorous at first. Apparently this caused Commissioner Kelly, who now wants to be Chairman Kelly, go into a panic. It must be genetics because his first thought was to attempt to intimidate the owner of the e-Lee Dispatch with an email to his lawyer, copied not only to the e-Lee Dispatch but copied to key department heads in government and prominent local figures. The message was, in effect, mess with me and you will be sued for defamation of character with the implied message "I can afford a long messy trial that will impune your reputation." The reply he got he can publish if he wants, but it explained how such tactics did not work no matter who he was. Oddly, a look at the link to the post were the information was used (
click here) reads like a commercial for Mar-Com. Here is what it said, which was what it was going to say before the threatening letter:
"It was a brilliant strategy change. He engaged Kelly Marcom to assist in deploying what is called a content management platform--a more innovative approach than the traditional web site -- for $15,440. No information technology deployment is without challenges but the speed and ease quickly made the new site available. (Jamie Kelly was not a commissioner at the time, and when he was elected the contract with his firm was phased out to avoid any appearance of impropriety." To some extent, it was very funny. Basically giving Kelly's firm a free commercial, but getting threatened with a suit for doing so. I never found copying email to the county employees, however, the least bit funny. The message of intimidation here was to be careful in what public information you give the e-Lee Dispatch or it could get you fired or sued. (See the request for information, reply, and "warning" from Commissioner Kelly -(
Click here to see the emails.) Since there is a related column from the author of the e-Lee Dispatch, copying Bill Horner and Billy Liggett was intended to let them know their paper might be at risk so they had better be careful what they let be printed in that column. This was not Kelly's first effort at intimidation. The editor of the e-Lee Dispatch was warned to "be careful because Tracy (Sheriff Carter) had to get his money from the commissioners and it might be best to lay off a while" There were other efforts we cannot be disclosed without violating confidences. Perhaps he should have saved his email for the next go around.
Assumes Worst, Jumps To Intimidation On August 6, 2008 a post was being written which included how Lee County government after having been unable to get a successful website turned to Kelly-MarCom which had done a good job. Being thorough, it seemed only natural to see what this had cost. A routine request for public information was sent to a county employee, who answered the request. Since it involved a commissioner, somehow the answer made it into the hands of commissioner Jamie Kelly, one of the owners of Kelly-MarCom. The results of the day were rather humorous at first. Apparently this caused Commissioner Kelly, who now wants to be Chairman Kelly, go into a panic. It must be genetics because his first thought was to attempt to intimidate the owner of the e-Lee Dispatch with an email to his lawyer, copied not only to the e-Lee Dispatch but copied to key department heads in government and prominent local figures. The message was, in effect, mess with me and you will be sued for defamation of character with the implied message "I can afford a long messy trial that will impune your reputation." The reply he got he can publish if he wants, but it explained how such tactics did not work no matter who he was. Oddly, a look at the link to the post were the information was used (click here) reads like a commercial for Mar-Com. Here is what it said, which was what it was going to say before the threatening letter: "It was a brilliant strategy change. He engaged Kelly Marcom to assist in deploying what is called a content management platform--a more innovative approach than the traditional web site -- for $15,440. No information technology deployment is without challenges but the speed and ease quickly made the new site available. (Jamie Kelly was not a commissioner at the time, and when he was elected the contract with his firm was phased out to avoid any appearance of impropriety." To some extent, it was very funny. Basically giving Kelly's firm a free commercial, but getting threatened with a suit for doing so. I never found copying email to the county employees, however, the least bit funny. The message of intimidation here was to be careful in what public information you give the e-Lee Dispatch or it could get you fired or sued. (See the request for information, reply, and "warning" from Commissioner Kelly -(Click here to see the emails.) Since there is a related column from the author of the e-Lee Dispatch, copying Bill Horner and Billy Liggett was intended to let them know their paper might be at risk so they had better be careful what they let be printed in that column. This was not Kelly's first effort at intimidation. The editor of the e-Lee Dispatch was warned to "be careful because Tracy (Sheriff Carter) had to get his money from the commissioners and it might be best to lay off a while" There were other efforts we cannot be disclosed without violating confidences. Perhaps he should have saved his email for the next go around.
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