Journal "ombudsman" Thom Cole - not so much

Journal investigative reporter Thom Cole claimed, via an ad in the online Journal, that he was our "ombudsman"; that he would pry loose public records for us.

Admittedly just for drill, I emailed him and offered an opportunity for him to make good on his boast by prying loose any, even one, of the public records of a number of investigations into public corruption, incompetence, and felony criminal misconduct in the leadership of the APS (police force).  So far, no response.

Cole is not the first investigative reporter asked to dig for the truth about the coverup of of criminal misconduct in the APS police force.  Reporter Colleen Heild was the first.  It was her investigation in February 2007, link, that exposed the scandal in the first place.  She has ignored my followup appeals.  I say "ignored"; I can't prove it.  All I know is that she never responded.

When I wrote to Cole, I wasn't really expecting him to follow up; the Journal's participation in the cover up of the cover up comes from higher up than Heild, Cole, or education reporter Hailey Heinz.  It is my belief, it comes from senior management; specifically Journal Managing Editor Kent Walz.

I sweetened the offer when I wrote to Cole, offering to meet with him, all his editors, anyone APS would send, and as many of their lawyers as they can fit it the room.  I offered to meet any time, any place, with anybody.  And, I've heard nothing.

Cole never responded to my emails; not even the one where I asked him to simply admit that he received them.  Perhaps it isn't Cole; perhaps the emails are still in limbo, floating around in the internet ether for some unknown and unexplained reason.  Maybe he's home sick and hasn't been to work.  Maybe he's on vacation.  From my perspective, being stonewalled or ignored, is indistinguishable from any number of legitimate reasons for a failure to respond.

Maybe he has no intention of exposing the corruption and incompetence at the highest levels of the "leadership" of the APS, either because he is complicit (willingly or otherwise), complacent, or maybe it's Journal payback for my relentless pressure on them over their failure to do journalistic due diligence on their cronies at 6400 Uptown Blvd.

The investigative findings that APS Supt Winston Brooks is hiding are all public records; the kind Cole promised to ferret out as our ombudsman;

someone who receives and investigates complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials; one that investigates, reports on, and helps settle complaints.

Whatever the excuse for Cole's failure or refusal to honor his commitment, the bottom line is; he has not honored it and offers no inclination that he ever will.

I will forward a link to this post to Cole along with an opportunity for him to respond to, refute or rebut my allegations.  I won't hold my breath waiting for his response.

Cole, Heild, Heinz, and Walz are caught in the proverbial bind between a rock and a hard place; they cannot report credibly on the ethics and accountability scandal in the leadership of the APS without first reporting credibly on their failure to investigate and report on it heretofore.

Too bad, they made their bed, and now they must lie in it.

cc Cole and Heild upon posting

Update, 10:13 am; Thom Cole responds;

Thanks for the email. I don't routinely write about APS but will forward your information to those who do. Rgds, Thom

The ball, as they say, is still in the Journal's court.