The scorned former police captain who recorded Armando Perez’s plea for assistance to rig the chief exam after he was placed on leave in 2018 following racist electronic comments has himself filed a court complaint against Perez and the city accusing the former top cop of racial slurs.
Not content that Perez is serving federal time for the police exam connivance that he claims he was “coerced” into, former Captain Mark Straubel seeks a financial pound of flesh trying to turn the tables on Perez.
Straubel’s salaciously detailed court complaint is loaded with a messy mix of graphic racial comments, sexual affairs and subterfuge. See full complaint here.
From the lawsuit:
Just days after Straubel was placed on administrative leave in the summer of 2018 for racist electronic comments against the department’s highest-ranking African American officer Captain Roderick Porter, Perez visited him at his house to seek additional assistance with the exam to select a permanent chief, an appeal recorded by Straubel who clearly seemed to be of the mind, if I’m going down for this, you’re going down for that.
Straubel had something planned the chief wasn’t expecting, compiling evidence and recordings to be used against his boss. He become a key witness in the federal government’s exam-rigging case against Perez who would eventually plead guilty.
On July 26, Perez was notified by Internal Affairs that a citizen’s complaint had been filed by a retired police officer against Straubel.
In the text thread Straubel writes in an exchange with a friend:
“I asked porter if he had seen planet of the apes
He said … yes
I asked him if it made him homesick.”
The remarks were about Porter, the highest ranking African American in the department.
In the exchange attributed to Straubel he adds “He’s not even marching in the nigger parade but I have to,” a reference to Bridgeport’s Juneteenth Parade, a date that symbolizes the end of slavery for African Americans.
The government’s complaint includes this footnote:
Government footnote: Officer-1 is a former BPD officer who has been interviewed by the FBI multiple times and provided information to the FBI with no promise of any benefit. Officer-1’s information has been corroborated by other witnesses, emails, photographs, and recordings. Officer-1 was put on administrative leave by ARMANDO J. PEREZ, the defendant, in July 2018, and eventually retired from the BPD, following a report to BPD Internal Affairs that Officer-1 had used racist language in certain electronic messages to another BPD employee.
On July 30, 2018, after directing Straubel, his chief aide, not to return to police headquarters following the public blowup over the racist messages, Perez went to Straubel’s home. Straubel recorded the conversation on his cellphone.
“Where did you leave the stuff you were working on for me?”
Straubel responded that it was in a file stored on his police department computer. He offered to sneak into headquarters in order to pick up the materials.
Perez: “sneak in there for me please.”
JML is this the salacious court documents/story of the public city employee you referred to in your post you make?
John Marshall Lee says:
August 15, 2021, at 4:47 pm
“What else of interest to OIB readers and reporters has been posted in the court system during these hot days of summer…”
If so, let break it down, being brown, part of the minority community, and with regards to the racism that was charged against Perez by fellow officer Mark Straubel, who was forced to resign in disgrace after it was revealed of his own racism against blacks, that you comment plenty of times using the epithet of ‘white supremacy” as a description on OIB. There was much salacious racism in this personal story against the black city police employees and blacks in general. Is Prize part of that ‘white supremacy,” you are always referring to?
However, I don’t think your comment that peaked the interest of this IOB reader on this hot someday was referring to the AJ Perez scandal?
“Allegations and factual presentations by a former city employee, whose personal story we never did get to hear or see before he left the scene of one or more crimes heading north? What salacious details are left out of the court papers that likely will shock many and set out once and for the challenging environment in certain public offices facing employees daily that require scrub brushes, steamy hot water under pressure, and plenty of strong detergents to cleanse the minds and senses of all City employees and taxpayers reminding them that employment is a right, a responsibility, and the public is due the best that can be shown by folks when putting in their hours with full respect and honest effort. Time will tell.”
Not once did you mentioned “white supremacy” in your description in your comment of the story that would shock many? So much racism against blacks in Mark and AJ’s story/scandal. How can’t “white supremacy”d not be a referenced?
So please tell me who you are referring to. Was I right? Is it Cuomo? 🙂
In case I am wrong and your comment was about AJ’s personal story. What type of racism/supremacy is this story/court docmucments?
However, I got a feeling Time will not tell, and that’s all I’ve been really saying. JS
P.S BBBBBAAAAAMMMM! 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOT6VXDJ6Pg
Dear BAM,
Not Cuomo. Yes, City of Bridgeport, et al. You see I answered this question. Not that I need to but this was easy. By the way I wrote an article on the subject when I first viewed the Superior Court suit announcement and the ‘teaser’ I sent to OIB was accurate and a SUMMARY not merely an opportunity to show how “continuation of white supremacy” runs through our governance systems.
There is no OIB reader who instructs me on my written efforts, not on subject matter, not on sources, not on style, though occasionally on spelling or length of a story. (Fair enough. Did my writing raise your curiosity? If so then you likely meant to use ‘piquing’ rather than ‘peaking’ unless you were reading OIB in the mountains somewhere. And use of ‘peeking’ does not work with your bravado and confrontational approach.
And while you seem to disparage my closer by-line, TIME WILL TELL, isn’t is accurate so often? 100% is not required, Just truthfulness, connecting the facts, some humility to apologize when wrong and caring about others than your own self. Where is the evidence that most of these well paid Bridgeport employees were dedicated to serving the public regularly? So here you are, not trusting me and all you are doing is “Just saying” and various iterations of BAM? Time will tell.
And OIB reported that Internal Affairs knew about this suit within a couple days of it being filed but no word. And with the number of litigators in the City Attorney office, it is likely they knew as well. Why media presumably did not know or chose to wait, I can only guess.
But it does disturb me as a resident, taxpaying, believer in oversight that Mayor Joe could not have cared enough to attempt a story to cover the suit by former Police Captain Straubel for roughly three weeks and this was kept quiet, it seems, an unusual situation in our unique community. If we look for answers this story thread reminds us that ultimately Time Will Tell.
The earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday morning occurred on the same system of faults as the one that devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince, in January 2010. And the previous quake almost certainly made this one more likely to occur.
JML, I bring up this tragedy because I remember the earthquake in 2010 and you volunteering go to help with the Haiti relief effort and John I thank you for your service. No coffee and chat but that’s ok.
Ron, I first went to Jeremie in 2002 as a paying guest of the founder of Haitian Health Foundation, Jeremiah Lowney, DMD of Norwich CT, who was also a member of Rotary International. His dedication to this community ministry in Jeremie, twelve hours road travel before earthquakes, but in the past week even impossible for an experienced trail bike with the hurricaine winds and rains.
But Jeremie is where World Central Kitchen chose to set up shop in this emergency, and all but a few of the Health Foundations 300 employees showed up to serve the human health needs, especially of women and children in the surrounding territory of 250,000 people.
Fortunately in May 2021 HHF put a digital exray machine in operation or they would have been out of film for the old machine to attend to multiple injuries. Three weeks ago, HHF became the recognized vaccination site for Covid 19. Folks who care about Haitians know about the professional care provided there. MSNBC interviewed and televised Betty Gebrian who is at least an MSW and was trained at UConn, but lives with her family in Jeremie. Look up Haitian Health Foundation in Norwich CT for more info if you are looking for a trusted recipient for your donations.
Finally, as Ron points out I have also been a visitor for hurricaine relief and building two playgrounds in Port au Prince and Marchand Dessalines in the past 10 years.
I pray that you will find a way to assist the people of Haiti to survive the major challenges they face. Time will tell.
The teaser you sent to OIB piqued this reader’s interest and may have been accurate, but isn’t it also accurate to say you didn’t depict the racist charges against AJ as “white supremacy” even though the opportunity was at hand?
Yes, my curiosity was raised, not to an elevation to the peak of a mountain top. Thanks for the correction. Ironically my Grammarly kept wanting to correct me on the very use of that word, but I wasn’t having it. 🙂 I am sure there are other grammatical mistakes in my writing, please feel free to point them out.
Although, back to the topic at hand. I am somewhat confused. You took every opportunity to raise the issue of white supremacy when the racist charges were levied against Mark Straubel.
Are you saying the continuation of white supremacy (Mark) is making false allegations of racism against a brown person, or a brown person is part of that white supremacy?
Either way, I guess my question is, what do you make of the racist claims and disparaging remarks made against black people by a brown person, AJ?
JML being associated with the NAACP, have they released a statement regarding these racist charges levied against blacks from a brown person?
BTY, I believe you are wrong in my sentiment to your closer though, I was not disparaging it. I just made an observation. I see you answered a question but not a question of relevance, the one you said I disparaged you closer, Time will tell.
So let me ask it again. In case I am wrong and your comment was not about AJ’s personal story. What type of racism/supremacy is this story/court documents?
P.S to be fair this suit is old news and of monetary gains, in reality. AJ is in jail, Marks has been off the force for 3 years. Why not dig deeper into that disturbance and ask why Mark and his lawyers waited 3 years to file the suit? I am sure the news of his filing 3 weeks ago made its rounds until it hit plebs. 🙂
Besides, you should be honored it adhered to you closer, time will tell. Time told and it took three weeks, BAM 🙂
I hope my grammar is to your liking. I took an extra proofread. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_Jeyif7bB4
What a disgrace.
BTY with regard to the full stock bar, while alcohol is essential I think the lawyers were trying to increase the word count on the complaint/lawsuit. 🙂
At far as the charges of AJ order/encouraged him to engage in an affair with another officer’s wife to gain information on potential candidates, who you worked with most of their career is laughable. If anything it was the other way around. A, men are cheap, B, the test was rigged on AJ behave, who Mark benefited. C, the only information attend that was useful was information that brought down Mark, AJ, and so to be Briana’s, well as others. That might be part of the untold story you referred to. 🙂
Not to mention affairs swings both ways, and you can’t just order a guy in a clandestine mission to seduce a woman to gain information. It takes skills, gravitas, and suaveness, you have to have a planned strategy. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CemLiSI5ox8
What say you Joe? Take any responsibility for ANY of this Joe?
No. Joe will defer to his unblemished new spokesperson Mike Defilippo who can set up appointments for interviews in between brisk sales of beverages at his liquor store. If you can’t find him there he might be across the street begging Mario to fix this whole mess. Oh wait, Mario is in Italy. Danny P placed the suitcases in the car himself! Driving miss (dazed) and confused maybe. Some day it’ll make a good miniseries………Lenny?!!!!!!
Cheers!!!
Another fat paycheck at the taxpayers expense.
Dysfunction, subterfuge, intrigue, and racism in the BPD?! This is almost as shocking as the collapse of the Afghan Army and government and the chaotic scramble of the remaining Americans and pro-American Afghans to get out of Kabul. Nothing funny here… But it isn’t as if we didn’t have plenty of information, available, even in the civilian media, to realize there was never a real, mass buy-in to the American presence and all it implied in Afghanistan… Similarly, based on the open drug dealing and gang operations in much of the city that has been extant for decades, it was never hard to realize that there has been increasing dysfunction (with only short-term reversals/interruptions) in the BPD — top to bottom — for the past 60 years… Ditto for City Hall, the CC, and the GA delegation…
Happy Bicentennial, Bridgeport!
Cheers, Rich!
Jeff, let’s not broad-brush paint all of the BPD into the same bag, there are real good officers doing their job every day but they are NOT being provided the leadership, training and the pay. Terrible leadership from Mayor Ganim, the civil service commission, the police commission, the city council and the union.
Jeff
You had better watch it. Coach T will order you to do 20 push up and run a lap if you go to negative on Bport.
How dare you say there is racism on the BPD!
It’s just good old white humor.
OK City Council. Let the investigation begin.
Form a special committee with subpoena power to look into these very serious allegations.
Also look into why the Police Commission didn’t do anything.
Come on Aidee. Why don’t you show some of that make believe leadership you seem to like.
Bob,I think Aidee is still “mulling” over the Arena deal..
Ron: I certainly didn’t intend my comment to be an indictment of all of the police officers of the BPD. I know quite a few fine officers (including supervisory/command level officers) that are carrying several times the weight of the job that they should be — given the size of the force. (If we didn’t have a core of good officers, this poor city would be totally unlivable…) But, as anyone familiar with the modern history of Bridgeport knows, the BPD is, and has been systemically ill for decades, dragged down by the effects of burn-out and the presence of more that its share of rotten apples…
The important takeaway of this situation — and existential threat to our city — is that it does not exist in a vacuum and would not be as it is if our municipal government were healthy and competent — or if we had the proper attention from state and federal government…
It will be interesting to see what form — if any — attention from the state and federal governments evolves into during the next 12 months, or so… Will everything just go back to “normal” — once there have been a few prosecutions and light sentences meted out to a couple of “example” miscreants in a couple of departments?…
Nothing will change in this city till the machine breaks apart,either through indicments or death..There are just too many bottom feeders who support it in order to “get theirs” at this point.
Mario just got a new lease on life with his Trible bypass, about 74% survive 10 years.
So this Flucking Prick is Bridgeport’s covid 19 ?!
This story is growing bigger, here’s another part.
“Former Bridgeport police captain’s suit prompts calls for investigation”
Daniel Tepfer
Aug. 16, 2021
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Former-Bridgeport-police-captain-s-suit-prompts-16390723.php
“There must be a call for an outside investigation of the entire situation dealing with Straubel and the actions of the Police Department,” said the Rev. Stanley Lord, head of the local NAACP.“Several of the former chief’s staff that may be complicit with his harmful actions are currently working and possibly intercepting evidence to correct the pervasive culture Perez cultivated. We look forward to seeing this travesty of justice corrected by seeking an expanding the federal and local investigation address actions made by city and police employees who have damaged the quality of life and livelihood of Black people and other minorities in our community.”
Former Bridgeport mayor Thomas Bucci represents police captains Roderick Porter and Lonnie Blackwell in federal discrimination lawsuits against the Police Department. Porter contends in his lawsuit that he was the victim of racist comments by Straubel.
“There are serious allegations in this lawsuit that should result in a thorough, unbiased investigation,” Bucci said.
“The allegations are so serious and this misbehavior all emanates back to the corrupt appointment of AJ Perez as chief of police. And those responsible for that appointment are still in office,” Bucci said. “It has to be investigated and not just through the civil proceedings. I’m calling on a referral by city police authorities to recognize they are not independent and that this should be referred to an independent law enforcement agency for investigation.”
Straubel’s lawyer, Eric Brown, said he would not oppose an independent investigation of his client’s allegations but at this point he is relying on the lawsuit and the civil discovery process to provide them with the information they need for their case.“But if the city believes in order to get rid of the stink of the Perez administration it may need to do this (an independent investigation) it could be a good thing,” he said.
Brown added that his client has taken “great courage to come forward and expose what has happened behind closed doors but I believe that wherever this lawsuit leads it will be good for the community.”
Brown also represents former Assistant Police Chief James Nardozzi who claims in a lawsuit that he was deprived of the chief’s job by the illegal actions of Perez and Dunn.
Straubel is seeking unspecified damages in his suit against the city, Perez, Paris, and the Police Department’s union. City officials, Paris, and the union did not return calls and emails for comment on Monday.
Last thoughts on the matter.
JML while my posts/replies are confrontational isn’t all posts confrontational in reality? Well except for Steve’s but there was a TIME when they were and some OIB posters Tell us of his confrontational posts with flashback reposts 🙂
Mine are just more direct and honest, I guess. The thing is, most people just want a like or a conformation to validate their position, more than a real honest discussion. Even though it’s always said we have to have a conversation about this or that. You constantly hear people talk about the need for an honest discussion, yet no one is really interested in that, just the validation. reinforcement.
Most posts are one-sided in their views and always overlook the wrong within. I’m just pointing out the obvious at times or better yet, not validation their position. Not that they are wrong per se 100% of the time. However, they’re always another side/opinion on things.
Take your post/teaser on this current racist subject matter. I understand your white supremacy view/angle and so do you, I believe. That’s why I think you didn’t use it as a description in your teaser of AJ’s current situation/lawsuit. Even though you used it many times regarding Mark’s racist charges that are a continuance of the same events.
I would bet the farm and all the COWs on it, if AJ was white it would have been in that teaser of yours. Since it wasn’t, it seems White Supermacy takes on a different meaning at times and can have different effects on minds, especially impressionable ones. Doesn’t it?
Do you know how many times I have been called a clown by non-whites? Which I can only presume to be a “bais” description because of my so-called “confrontational style in the Trump era that prompted many discussions? I like to be humorous at times but not Ronald McDonald humorous. 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/547793661991739/photos/a.547795778658194/555491854555253/?type=3&is_lookaside=1
In part, I believe, because how the White Supremacy or White Privilege, is used (at times) to perpetual racism/resentment to alter behavior/mindset, and not always for the betterment or possible outcome, but for one particular stance/agenda/motive.
.
As I say at times, half my family is racist, well let’s say bias. Everyone is biased in some form or another, for one reason or another. Even you, JML, It was your bias to not brand AJ’s racist charges as “white supremacy yet Mark’s was, I have my reason to why and they vary.
Our system is practically based on division/bias-ism, Rs vs Ds, Liberals vs Conservative, Burger King vs McDonald’s. Pick a sports team analogy? Boston and the Yankees, and so forth and so on.
Take CRT do I have my worries about it, many, who/how it will be used and the consequents intended and unintended, positive and negative effects on this country, America, and its people. Am I bias toward it, in some ways, I am, not that there isn’t some validity to racism in America. However, I have been in my ESL and regular classes and packet classes/teachers where teaching/learning is a snail pace. I listened to them teach ESL students how “bias” and “corrupted America is, students who are coming here from their country of origin for a better life for themselves and their families. I was literally shut down, kicked out of class, and escorted off campus for doing a presentation on the existence of God and why burning the American flag was wrong. So maybe it might be a bit more than CRT race/history teaching.
Please tell me where in your White Supremacy spectrum does that fall on? Or where in the spectrum of white supremacy falls when the so-called white supremacy/conservatives have a prayer group in the park and are attached by white/Antifa yelling at them where is your God now as they destroy their equipment in the land where rights to assemble and freedom of religion rings?
This may sound confrontational in this discussion about race relations in AMERICA. I might even be considered a clown by some black people. However, you can’t have an honest discussion without honesty. You keep bring up black ancestors who were brought to the New World as slaves. Yet not much about the White Irish slaves whose land was invaded, their people genocide, forced on the boats from their homeland to became “indentured servant” in the New World, and that American history is about as whitewashed as the Roman history of the Etruscans.
Slavery/Conquering has been part of human history since the existence of civilizations itself. It’s in the Bible, Old Testament, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, It’s sanctioned in the Quran, and much more. Still, many people go to Synagogues and Mosques to pray. JS
P.S To be fair-ish 🙂 I don’t know what Jesus said about slavery but if it’s anything like what he said about the gays, probably nothing, evolution, Blasphemy. 🙂
https://www.cc.com/video/n27g4x/the-colbert-report-barack-obama-s-gay-blasphemy
JML, I am posting this here to your response on the August 15’s tread of the Alliance opening. I don’t want it to get lost in the clutter, considering I just received/seen it. 🙂
Do not underestimate the protein in laughter. While quantum theory says it is possible to occupy two places at once. It’s very hard to focus on depression, anger, or something upsetting that brings you down in an unhealthy mental state, when you are laughing. I guess that too depends on one’s sense of humor though and their wokeness. 🙂
What’s not to imagine, such events occur and continue to accrue here in and abroad. I am somewhat confused. What does laughter have to do with tragedies? You don’t need to have a family member serving in the army forces to imagine the risks of death or loss.
The East End is holding a basketball tournament in honor of the who have fallen in tragedies. Are you saying those who are attending or playing should not enjoy themselves or laugh because of such tragic events? I am sure it will be harder on some more than others, who don’t have to imagine but are living it. However, I stand by my sentiment of laughers, for both, the imaged and those who don’t.
As for setting up shop in a coffee house, I don’t drink coffee or tea. 🙂 I don’t know what you have been told by other OIB posters, however, what does having to meet in person have to do with a serious, honest, and genuine communication discussion. It may not be in person but we meet (on IOB) we take (comment) listen (read comments) and take some more (Reply). Most of the time the seriousness of the topic falls on Lennie. 🙂 However, maybe it’s not the seriousness of the subject though that’s the problem.
PS Perseverance has value, so does humor. I will persevere. I guess we are both well. I am a fair-minded, maybe glass of wine at the Stressfactory. 🙂
Apparently, according to Vinnie, there’s a white woman who is looking to ruin the East End, and to your credit,(being an accountant) you are more fun to be with than a room full of white girls. Who knew? If I knew that I would have taken you up on that offer for that latte a long time ago. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOa2gpVdTLY