Posts Tagged ‘Sexual Harassment’

Mo’Kelly Told…You…So…

John Hunter

First African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of the oldest black congregations in Los Angeles, faces a financial crisis, owing roughly $300,000 to a long list of creditors, church officials said.

Revelations of the money problems come amid declining membership and tithing under the leadership of a controversial former pastor, the Rev. John J. Hunter, who was reassigned following a tax investigation, a sexual harassment lawsuit and questionable use of church credit cards.

The new pastor, the Rev. J. Edgar Boyd, spoke to reporters Wednesday morning outside the storied church that became the pulse of the black community after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He vowed to restore the image and glory of the church and investigate financial mismanagement that may have occurred under Hunter.

Full story HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Tune into The Mo’Kelly Show Saturdays from 6-8pm PDT on KFI AM640 and XM 166 Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm-9pm PDT. Contact Mo’Kelly at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Tony Wafford

In an exclusive heard here in The Mo’Kelly Report, former plaintiff Sharon Song Byrd detailed her allegations of sexual harassment and battery against former employer and Al Sharpton confidante, Tony Wafford.

Originally Song Byrd was awarded $60,000 in compensatory damages for her troubles, but recently the court handed down a second judgment against Wafford in the amount of $235,972 in court and legal fees.

Oh my damn!

And you know how we do it here…only the facts and documentation.

Click HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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John Hunter

From the Los Angeles Wave…

LORDY, LORDY — Remember how, in November 2009, the Rev. John J. Hunter, pastor of the powerful First AME Church, was sued by the Rev.Brenda Lamothe, one of the church’s associate ministers, who charged that Hunter coerced her into a four-year, cross-country sexual relationship?

In a highly publicized series of events, Lamothe sued Hunter, First AME Church, the 5th Episcopal AME District and the national AME body — just about everybody. Remember how at the time of the lawsuit, and in an equally public forum, the church’s officials vehemently denied Lamothe’s claim and even cross-sued her for telling such “lies” about Hunter? Remember how last year rumors began circulating that a hefty settlement had been reached between Lamothe and the parties she sued and the church leadership rose up again and vehemently denied that any accord that been reached with Lamothe?

Well. Rumors began circulating anew last week. The new rumor has it that a multimillion dollar settlement was reached last month between Lamothe, Hunter, the church et al. I was told that this settlement is in the millions of dollars — “and not for one million and not for two million.” I went to one of FAME’s leaders who knows everything about the place, but he knew nothing about this latest rumor. My contact said he would ask Hunter about it and get back to me. Shortly thereafter, I received the following email from him: “Hey Betty, I talked to Pastor Hunter about the question you asked.

Pastor Hunter tells me all he can say is the matter has been resolved and he can’t comment further on advice from his attorney. He couldn’t even elaborate with me because of the agreement restrictions.” Uh huh. So we can deduce that the settlement is for at least $3 million.

Story HERE.

Lawsuit Docs HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal. Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly. Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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(This was written by CNN/Fox commentator Lenny McAllister, friend,

Lenny McAllister

former guest and present supporter of The Mo’Kelly Report)

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A cautionary tale for Black conservatives: even if the allegations are not true (a big “if” to some at this point), Herman Cain’s responses to them are not winning over many Americans to his views or his leadership.

No, it’s not just in regards to the sexual allegations that Mr. Cain adamantly denied  by way of a press conference in Arizona.  Yes, that is plenty enough ‘splaining he will need to do, covering not just allegations that stretch from Chicago to Washington, DC, but as well for the hopes of supporters rooting for his candidacy.

There’s some “splainin’” that must come forth regarding other Cain issues yielding a not-too-complimentary image of the Cain Train, even if his momentum of support has maintained in many ways thus far.

For example, explain this: for a man who often notes he is the only non-politician running for the presidency on the Republican ticket, the amount of political hubris that Mr. Cain has shown over the course of two weeks reflects less of the grassroots affability (and perhaps even some sense of humility) that propelled him to straw poll wins starting in Florida two months ago.

Instead, it comes off with the same image of the proud, us-versus-them mentality that creates more enemies than friends – and apathy towards American politics. The stonewalling efforts fending off allegations of harassment have been criticized as damaging double-talk from Cain while the story grew, from differing stories on settlements to recollections about the details surrounding these allegations.

However, more damaging (and often less discussed) to Cain’s image is the arrogant manner in which he has denied the claims. During the infamous November 8th press conference from Arizona, Cain denied ever meeting one of the accusers just weeks after seeing the woman in a back-stage encounter in Chicago, then turned around and called the woman “troubled” and sent by Democrats to destroy his campaign.  Doesn’t that plea, made by a master politician a decade ago, sound familiar?

Explanations fending off a firestorm have never been spoken more accusatorily by a career politician.

Yet, more damage to the folksy feel-good nature of the Cain Train was caused later in the week with his unnecessary ribbing of former Speaker of the House “Princess” Nancy Pelosi during the GOP debate in Michigan. He should have been more mindful of his slip in the polls (particularly with women) dropping him into a virtual tie with GOP presidential competitors Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. At the very least, he should be wary of condescendingly sexist, arrogant, or un-presidential comments.

This is not only threatening to his campaign, but risks squandering another opportunity for Black conservatives in American politics.

Instead of attacking the left consistently with facts and figures – as he so eloquently did when addressing President Clinton and the universal health care movement in the 1990s – Cain resorts to name-calling and insults.  That may get applause from conservatives, but there are diminishing returns from the American electorate.

Full Story HERE.

The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal.  Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly.  Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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The Mo’Kelly Report is a syndicated politics and entertainment journal.  Visit http://mrmokelly.com for the latest from Mr. Mo’Kelly.  Contact him at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

Follow The Mo’Kelly Report

Listen HERE!

Here in part two of my two-part conversation with Sharon Song Byrd, we go in-

Sharon Song Byrd

depth as to the professional relationship between Tony Wafford and Rev. Al Sharpton and his recent public response penned by Sharpton in response to Song Byrd.

Publicly, Rev. Sharpton has alleged and intimated that Song Byrd’s motivations are connected to money in the form of a threat of a future lawsuit of the National Action Network. Song Byrd responds clearly and resoundingly in this part of our conversation and also gives further insight to back-channel communications between her, the National Action Network and community activist Najee Ali.

There are a number of oddities and irregularities in the public responses from the National Action Network. In emails sent by Rachel Noerdlinger of NAN and published here in The Mo’Kelly Report , Noerdlinger offered privileged information from the case and argumentation verbatim presented by Tony Wafford’s attorney during the proceedings. Seemingly this was done in an attempt to discredit Song Byrd.

It struck Mo’Kelly as highly odd how the National Action Network could on one hand claim ignorance of the proceedings, yet take an active stance in siding with Wafford by using information provided to them via his lawyer. It’s a one-foot-in, one-foot-out approach. If NAN was truly unaware of the case, and the affairs of Wayford relative to the case are completely unrelated to NAN, then the emails and posturing are contradictory at best, sinister at worst.

Today in  The Mo’Kelly Report we present Part Two of Sharon Song Byrd…in Her Own Words. Listen and decide for yourself.

Listen HERE!

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

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Sharon Song Byrd

Sharon Song Byrd is still very much uncomfortable discussing the details behind what led up to her successful lawsuit against Tony Wafford of the National Action Network. In close to three hours of conversation, Song Byrd recounted at length and great detail her fear of Wafford showing up at her house at all hours of the night, throwing rocks at her window and an overall inability to accept the fact that his advances were unwanted.

In fact, Song Byrd is still skittish about letting any man know where she lives and requested our conversation be on neutral ground.

I obliged.

So please excuse the sounds of the passing traffic and cooling fans. This was not a typical studio conversation and Song Byrd’s story is anything but typical. Although a similar request was made to Tony Wafford to hear his side on these issues, the request went unanswered.

From evidence concerning questionable accounting and employment practices designed to avoid paying payroll taxes, to extensive police reports and a book’s worth of instant messages printed as proof of a rapport…Song Byrd’s record keeping is exceptional. It would take the average person weeks to effectively comb through and digest all of her material, despite its neat and orderly presentation.

It is voluminous, precise and formidable.

Today in The Mo’Kelly Report, I am pleased to present Part One of a two-part conversation with Song Byrd. In Part One, Song Byrd details the nature of her employment relationship with Tony Wafford, the abuse she endured and the .357 magnum that Wafford illegally carried with him daily as an unstated reminder.

Friday in Part Two, Song Byrd in her own words responds to Reverend Al Sharpton’s recent open letter, offering behind the scenes information which may shed a different light on these issues; whether she ever intended to sue the National Action Network, and in closing offer advice to other women who may find themselves in similar straits.

The story thus far has centered around Song Byrd, Wafford and Sharpton, but it is also worthy of mention that it should also include Wafford friend and confidante Democratic California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who went so far as taking then Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to Wafford’s home, even though Wafford was in the midst of a sexual harassment and battery lawsuit.

Let’s not be naïve, Waters would likely claim ignorance (as does Sharpton) concerning these issues as they were transpiring, but unlike Sharpton she has had offered nothing publicly on these issues since the story broke.

Let’s not be naïve but let’s also be clear.

Congresswoman Waters having nothing to say in the wake of the mistreatment and abuse of an African-American woman in her own backyard says volumes. For all the talk of Sharpton, there should be some concerning Waters too.  Mo’Kelly will hit more on that in the coming days.

But I digress…

With no further ado…Sharon Song Byrd, in her own words Part One…another exclusive from The Mo’Kelly Report.

Listen HERE!

WARNING: This conversation contains objectionable language and imagery; wholly unsuitable for children. Please use discretion when listening in the presence of young people.

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

Free Subscription to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

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Mo’Kelly sits for more than 3 hours with Sharon Song Byrd who has been in an open letter battle of late with Rev. Al Sharpton over Tony Wafford.  In an exclusive for The Mo’Kelly Report, Sharon details her side of the issues leading up to her successful lawsuit against Wafford, her intentions relative to Sharpton in the wake of the verdict and her advice for women who may find themselves in similar situations.

Sharon Song Byrd…in her own words…

The Mo’Kelly Report is an entertainment journal with a political slant; published at The Huffington Post and EURWEB.com. For the most recent posts of Mr. Mo’Kelly, visit http://mrmokelly.com.  Mr. Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com.

Free Subscription to The Mo’Kelly Report HERE

Follow The Mo’Kelly Report on Facebook  HERE

Twitter – @mrmokelly