Diaper-Wearing Republican Senator's Aide's Repeated Brushes With The Law
Harry Hope
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=10913025
June 23, 2010
EXCLUSIVE: Meet Senator Vitter's Trusted Aide Drove Drunk, Attacked
Girlfriend, Still On the Job
Senator Of DC Madam Fame Has Had Aide Working On Women's Issues; Brent
Furer's Brushes With Law Go Back to 1990s
By MATTHEW MOSK and BRIAN ROSS
A longtime aide to Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, who has been assigned
by the senator to oversee women's issues, pleaded guilty in 2008 to
charges stemming from a knife-wielding altercation with an
ex-girlfriend.
The aide, Brent Furer, has had repeated brushes with the law dating
back to the 1990s, an ABC News investigation has found.
Yet Furer has continued to receive his taxpayer-financed senate staff
salary in Washington, even as court records show he remains wanted on
an open warrant in Baton Rouge stemming from an unresolved misdemeanor
DWI charge.
Those who have had encounters with Furer say his presence on Vitter's
payroll raises serious questions about the senator's judgment.
Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington, said it concerns her that the senator has talked
so forcefully as an advocate for women and an opponent of drunk
driving, and yet would keep someone with Furer's background on his
staff.
"It says something terrible about Senator Vitter's judgment that this
is the kind of guy he wants to keep in his office," said Sloan, who
first alerted ABC News to the assault case.
"The people of Louisiana should be asking, 'What does this guy do for
Senator Vitter to keep him around?'"
Reached at Vitter's senate office, Furer declined to comment, saying
he was "too swamped" with the office's response to the Gulf of Mexico
oil spill.
He did not respond to questions emailed by ABC News.
Vitter, a 49-year-old first-term Republican who is up for reelection
in November, also declined to comment when approached in front of his
senate office building Tuesday.
A Vitter spokesman acknowledged the senator had concerns about the
2008 arrest, in which Furer was accused of holding his ex-girlfriend
against her will for 90 minutes, threatening to kill her, placing his
hand over her mouth, and cutting her in the hand and neck.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARREST WARRANT AFFIDAVIT
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/page?id=10928769
"After the January 2008 incident, he was told to leave the office
pending the court's determination of what happened," spokesman Joel
DiGrado said in an emailed response to questions from ABC News.
DiGrado said that after Furer was sentenced, Vitter imposed "further
significant disciplinary action" in consultation with the
congressional employment legal office, though he would not elaborate
on what that entailed.
He said the senator hired Furer because of the aide's military service
during the first Gulf War.
Furer's presence on Vitter's staff is just the latest instance in
which the senator's publicly stated views on women's issues appear to
clash with his actions.
In 2007, Vitter issued a public apology after acknowledging being a
client of the so-called D.C. Madam.
The 2008 allegations against Vitter's longtime aide are described in
chilling detail in court papers.
The victim, Nicolia Demopoulos, 27, declined to be interviewed.
But a police report, photos submitted to the court, and charging
documents all shed light on the alleged attack.
After drinking at a restaurant, the two returned to Furer's Capitol
Hill apartment, the report says.
Furer "would not let her leave."
He "pulled on her coat, which caused it to rip," then "pulled out a
knife and stabbed [her] in the hand," the police report says.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE INCIDENT REPORT
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/page?id=10925332
Charging documents allege that Furer became angry when he found phone
numbers for other men in her blackberry.
He smashed her phone when she tried to call 911, the records say, and
he shoved her to the floor when she tried to leave, then held his hand
over her mouth and threw her on a bed.
Demopoulos told police Furer "uttered the words to her, 'Do you want
to get serious.'"
Then, the arrest warrant states, Furer "grabbed an unknown object and
held it under her neck.
The suspect asked the complainant, 'Do you want to die?'
The complainant replies and she stated, 'No, I don't want to die.'"
After a 90 minute standoff, Furer made her promise not to call police,
and then allowed her to leave.
She fled to a friend's house, and was taken by ambulance to the
hospital.
A slash on her chin took eight stitches to close, the police report
says.
INJURY TO NICOLIA DEMOPOULOS
http://abcnews.go.com/images/Blotter/abc_stitched_cut_100622_main.jpg
Furer eventually pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges,
including threatening harm and destruction of property.
The assault and weapons charges were dismissed.
He was sentenced to 180 days confinement, two years of supervised
probation, 40 hours of community service, and treatment for drug and
alcohol dependency.
After getting a harsh warning from Superior Court Judge Lee
Satterfield, his jail term was suspended.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE CHARGES AGAINST FURER
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/page?id=10925346
CLICK HERE TO READ THE JUDGMENT AGAINST FURER
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/page?id=10925058
Thomas J. Kelly, Jr., of the white shoe D.C. law firm Venable LLP
represented Furer.
In an interview with ABC News Wednesday, Kelly said he could not
recall whether Sen. Vitter was involved in connecting Furer with
representation from Venable for the case.
Kelly, who is described on the firm web site as "a seasoned white
collar criminal defense and trial lawyer," said Furer paid for his
representation.
"I can't talk about how I got hired," Kelly said.
"I usually keep that confidential."
In a response to emailed questions, Vitter's office said the senator
did not help Furer select or pay for a lawyer.
As a legislative aide, Furer was paid about $54,000 last year.
That was his highest salary in the five years he has been on the
payroll, the records show.
Senate payroll records indicate the 2008 altercation between Furer and
his girlfriend registered within the senate office -- Vitter's office
suspended Furer's pay on Jan. 17, five days after the incident. But
his payments resumed on Jan. 22.
The 2008 case was not the first brush with the law for Furer.
Court records and published reports show he has been arrested for
driving under the influence at least three times, and once for cocaine
possession.
In one instance, in May 2003, police chased Furer's swerving vehicle,
and saw what they believed to be Furer and a female passenger fighting
as the car crossed back and forth over the center lane divider,
according to the arrest report.
Furer kept driving after the woman exited the vehicle and was
eventually pulled over.
The arrest report says his blood alcohol measured .132, and noted that
Furer was "very verbally abusive towards the police."
He pleaded guilty to DWI, was placed on probation for one year, and
was ordered to serve 32 hours of community service.
Papers Furer filed with the court show his service involved painting a
New Orleans church, as overseen by the pastor, Rev. Malcolm Richard.
Richard also works as one of Sen. Vitter's regional directors.
BRENT FURER'S MUG SHOT
http://abcnews.go.com/images/Blotter/ht_furer_mug_100616_main.jpg
The dates of Furer's community service also coincide with the dates he
was on the payroll of Vitter's senate campaign.
On Aug. 2, 2004, for instance, Furer reported doing eight hours of
community service at a Salem United Church of Christ camp in New
Orleans, under the stewardship of Rev. Richard. Campaign finance
records show that on the same date, Furer received $1,500 in payments
for "campaign management."
Rev. Richard, reached by cell phone in his Louisiana parish, said Sen.
Vitter did not appeal to him to help Furer with his community service.
But he did not want to discuss the matter.
"I'm really not supposed to talk," he said.
"Everybody makes mistakes in life. We all do. But that's all I'll
say."
In addition, Furer was ordered to attend a "victim impact panel" run
by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which he attended in 2005, in Howard
County, Maryland, while serving on the senator's staff.
Vitter has made outreach to MADD part of his agenda in Washington,
posing for a photo with Laura Dean-Mooney, the national president of
the organization.
On his Facebook page, Sen. Vitter declared, "I met with MADD's
National President this morning to discuss additional efforts that can
help reduce drunk driving. I look forward to continuing to work with
them on ways we can save some of the 12,000 lives every year that are
lost in drunk driving incidents."
Another ugly incident occurred in late 2008 when Furer was driving to
pick up medication from a Washington area pharmacy.
Furer, a former Marine and veteran of the first Gulf War, has told
lawyers he takes medication for treatment of post traumatic stress
disorder.
The ride turned ugly when Furer and another former Marine, Gregory
Blake became caught up in a violent road rage incident in late 2008.
As Furer allegedly chased Blake through the streets of Washington in
their SUVS, Furer struck a motorcyclist, throwing the cyclist to the
pavement and breaking his femur, according to a lawsuit that followed.
When police arrived, Furer flashed his senate ID and told them he
worked for Sen. Vitter, according to court records.
Furer's insurance company settled the civil case.
Blake said he was outraged to learn where Furer worked.
"That guy should not be working for the U.S. government," he said.
__________________________________________________
When Republican Senator David Vitter rented prostitutes back home in
New Orleans, there was “more than sex” — he liked the hookers to make
him wear diapers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Vitter#Prostitution_scandal
How 'bout THAT for right wing family values, eh?
Harry
Buster Norris
wrote:
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