Be careful walking into the Morton Government Center with a computer bag. Connecticut Post reporter Dan Tepfer might accuse you of a sweaty visit to the gym in the building.
On Monday I was walking out of the Morton Government Center that houses a variety of city departments Downtown, harassing a few public servants, when Tepfer was entering. The veteran Post reporter whom I’ve known for decades stopped me to say hello. We made a quick hello and I moved on.
Next thing I hear about Tepfer comes from city officials. Tepfer, according to them, asked if I had just used the government building’s gym. I looked sweaty and was toting a gym bag, he fictionalized. Tepfer never mentioned a word of this to me. I wasn’t sweaty. And secondly the bag he presumed a gym bag was a computer bag with my laptop inside for the moments I post stories from satellite locations. Perhaps that makes me sweaty. And, mea culpa, did not know the building had a gym. Furthermore, never even been invited to the mayor’s office inner sanctum such is my popularity with the last three chief executives, let alone be invited to use the gym.
The Post has since issued an FOI request to the city seeking info about protocol for gym use.
Now Tepfer certainly has a snarky disposition but it would not surprise if Tepfer’s feeling sweaty lately for the heat he’s been receiving in some parts for the seasoned court reporter’s love letter to Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis whose courtroom access is so important to his work. He would not want to stale the Bellis state-of-bliss cookie jar, would he?
Tepfer has not returned two emails for comment to explain his conspiracy theory, or why he did not direct his questions to me. He is free to inspect the contents of my computer bag at any time. No Old Spice required.
Love letter? Really? Wow! That tells me all I need to know about this post and your stance on the entire situation. All set.
Yes jakedog, a love letter. Tepfer needs court access.
You’re not questioning the accuracy of her life’s events: college, law school, family, accomplishments, etc..
I suppose the same could be said for every fawning “love letter” about the traveling “reformers.”
Interesting to pick and choose which reporters to ridicule.
All the Vallas haters would be ripping Bellis to pieces had she ruled in his favor. There was not one mention in Tepfer’s piece about the city alleging a Bellis conflict of interest for hearing a case brought by the spouse of a judicial underling. Bellis assigns cases to Carmen Lopez’ spouse Dale Radcliffe. The city has made it an issue. It’s worth a line in a story. A lot of politics goes on inside courthouses. Many of the judges got there because of politics. Tepfer does good work, but he doesn’t get it right all the time. Me, too.
So you must be very concerned with McDonald on the Supreme Court ruling on this issue given his background in the state takeover and his close ties to Malloy.
And you don’t think Bellis would rule on law alone, she would be thinking of her underling instead of doing her job?
Well I suppose that line of thinking could apply to many familial relationships throughout the city and state.
Why is a reporter obligated to report on what the city is alleging? What if there was no beef there?
There is difference between reporting on a story and creating one to suit the city.
By the way, how do you know what the city was alleging?
Because what the city alleges could impact the decision on appeal. The city alleged this in open court.
You didn’t know City hall had a gym? Really?
Steve, have you used it?
No, sir. I go to Planet Fitness.
No, really, does the Margaret Morton Center have a Gym? GOOD selling point when the Mayor’s office moves back to city hall.
Lennie,
Please explain to me the conflict.
Bellis assigns cases to Judge Radcliffe. Bellis can assign the challenging cases or the boring ones. So if Bellis rules against Radcliffe’s wife, Radcliffe is not going to take any cases? If Bellis rules in favor of Radcliffe’s wife, Radcliffe is going to volunteer to mop the floors? Not the Dale Radcliffe I know.
So where is the conflict? How is it supposed to work?
If the opposite were true and it was Judge Radcliffe who assigned cases to Judge Bellis and therefore Judge Bellis could try to curry favors from her boss by ruling in favor of his wife, but that ain’t the case.
Dan Tepfer didn’t write about it because it is a non-story.
You sound like Mark Anastasi’s water boy and that is something no one should aspire to. Or in your case perspire to.
What, are you dinner guests of Dale and Carmen you know so much? Troll, you love conflicts when they’re convenient for your arguments against the long list of people you dislike. The city has made it an issue on the court record. It will likely come up on appeal. That’s why it’s news. That’s why it’s worth a line or two in a profile of a judge who ruled on the case. You would be ripping Bellis to pieces had she ruled the other way.
So Lennie. You buy the city’s line Bellis has a conflict with Carmen because they served on the bench together???
That is another line Laske threw out.
So any recently retired judge CANNOT bring a civil matter in Connecticut because there would be a conflict with the judge hearing the case. You honestly believe that, Lennie?
Or no judge can go back into courtroom practice because there would be a conflict sine they would know the judge. Tepfer REALLY got under your skin, I guess.
The conflict must have something to it if the supremes are hearing the case instead of dismissing it. Unless they just really need something to do so they don’t get laid off.
Maybe. Just maybe what Dan Tepfer wanted to say to Lennie was: Go home and break a “sweat” stripping, sealing, and waxing your wooden floors.
What is this about “Radcliffe is going to volunteer to mop the floors,” Troll?
What’s wrong with mopping a floor or is there something you really wanna say to Lennie?
Lennie,
You didn’t know your former boss Joe Ganim had a gym installed in the Annex???
I know, honestly, Lennie.
You might recall, Troll, we had a falling-out in 1999. Wasn’t allowed in the building. Did you use the gym? Have you seen the gym?
Who is Troll?
The legendary Bob “Troll” Walsh.
I think the gym is from the police academy that was (or still is) in the building.
My falling out precedes your …
Didn’t Bellis also rule against Ganim and his law license?
The conflict allegation was nonsense.
Thank you, Phil.
Hmmm. Did any OIB reader believe this exchange between Lennie and Bob is serious?
It’s a plot between them both in order to distract OIB readers from asking the real question in their mind.
What OIB readers are wondering is if ‘the wooden floor’ where the picture of the computer bag was taken, is from Lennie’s home or his treehouse.
Thank you Lennie, for exposing the way Tepfer does business. He’s gotten away with his perverse ways for too long over there.
Does Tepfer use the courthouse gym? Blech!
Lennie G and Kenny Moales ganging up on Dan Tepfer. If that is the case I have no choice but to back Tepfer in that fight.
jonathanpelto.com/2013/07/24/bridgeports-kenneth-moales-jr-goes-off-the-deep-end-passes-out-flyer-attacking-ct-post-and-their-lead-reporter/
Gee Troll, nice to see your forgiving new-found love for the Connecticut Post after they called for your resignation following your racially charged rant against Evette Brantley. Maybe they’ll give you a blog post over there! Feel free.
It’s just electronic graffiti, Lennie. No one reads it anyway.
Calm down.
Boys, boys, boys; in the words of that great Bridgeport humanitarian, philosopher and short-order cook Puppinuzzo O’Shaughnessy: Heya! Why can’t we all just get along, you know? We got boiled potatoes with raw sardines today, whaddaya say?
Besides, with that Weiner guy running for mayor of New York, maybe somebody at the Post got the idea of trying to find Twitter pictures of the mayor in the gym. Maybe they need some new art to decorate the walls after the renovation project.