If not a FOIA, how DID Politico get those sexual assault and service records on Jennifer-Ruth Green?

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Oh, holy schamoly. There’s been some really interesting and potentially illegal developments in the case of the “released” Air Force service records of LtCol and congressional candidate Jennifer-Ruth Green. When last we heard, she was blasting her Democratic opponent and Politico for invading her privacy and using her “unauthorized, unlawfully released” – as she alleged – military personnel records for what was basically a political hit job. One in which she begged them not to run with the details of her personal trauma.

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In the best spirit of the liberal #MeToo tradition – believing all women and respecting their right to privacy – they wrung them out, and published every last tidbit in them anyway.

Jennifer-Ruth Green, the Republican candidate in the race to represent Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, is livid after Politico published details about her sexual assault while in the military, without her permission, and blames her opponent for “illegally” obtaining the information. But now she’s ready to speak out.

In a profile of Green’s career and candidacy in the Indiana congressional race, Politico reporter Adam Wren used the documents, which the outlet claimed “were obtained by a public records request and provided to Politico by a person outside the Mrvan campaign” to report last week that “an Iraqi serviceman sexually assaulted her by grabbing her breast and exposing himself” when “she and a small group of officers visited the national training center.”

My friend Karen wrote about the controversy as it erupted on the Indiana political landscape a week ago.

The intervening week has seen the liberal Indiana/Chicago press not supporting her or asking questions how this egregious assault on a woman’s privacy/re-airing of a sexual trauma could have happened. Oh, no, no, no. The press is mad that Green is kicking up a fuss. They’re circling the wagons around the Rep. Frank Mrvan campaign (she’s accusing him “seemingly without any evidence“) and making sure everyone knows they’re mighty pissed off that the Black Republican woman’s running her mouth nationally/taking it to FoxNews.

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I’m sure glad she is. Senator Tom Cotton wants an answer, knowing a thing or two about military records and privacy himself.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is raising questions about whether the Air Force broke the law by releasing personnel records for a GOP congressional candidate, which outed her as a survivor of sexual assault.

…According to Politico, a person outside the campaign of Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Ind., who obtained them via public records request, gave the documents to the outlet. But Cotton says it is illegal for the Air Force to release private personnel records like the ones cited by the Politico story, and he is demanding the Air Force explain how the documents became public.

And then there was this truly intriguing wrinkle that should be sending icy shivers up author Wren’s and every editor at Politico’s legs.

Oh, HELLO! IF the Air Force has no record of a FOIA for these very records, and without question would NOT and COULD NOT release the records containing the details of Green’s sexual assault without her knowledge and consent

…”[Officer Performance Reports] could only be released if that member agreed, in writing, to release his or her documents,” Cotton’s letter said, quoting an Air Force response to a congressional inquiry from his office.

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…how did Politico get them? Who is the person who gave them to Politico, and why did Politico not vet the FOIA aspect of the material? Are they so cavalier…okay, never mind. Answers itself (They’re also spoiled dealing with anything Trump related which, no matter how appalling or illegal the breach of ethics or statute, means no penalty box time incurred.).

The folks at Politico should be very worried. I hope they are. A hardcore Democratic stronghold race, which should have been a cakewalk for the incumbent, was changed to a toss-up back in July. Yeah, Democrats are very worried about Jennifer-Ruth Green

History could be made in Northwest Indiana next month.

The congressional district that includes Gary has elected a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly a century.

But CBS 2 political investigator Dana Kozlov reported, some are saying it could go to the GOP for the first time since Herbert Hoover was president.

Several national election watchdog organizations consider the 1st Congressional District race in Northwest Indiana a toss-up. That’s changed over the past several weeks and months.

It would be significant if a Republican wins the seat because it would be the first time it’s happened in 94 years.

“I’m concerned, just not worried,” said James Wieser, the chairman of the Lake County, Indiana Democratic Party.

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– worried enough to try to pull the filthiest of October surprises. But then, bombshells don’t always blow up where you want them to, and, God willing, this will blow up all over them.

And THAT would be the bomb.

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