November 8, 2005
War of Words in Ward 3
Politics can be dirty. And with the advent of the internet and its power to spread messages far and wide at almost no cost and at surprising speed, politics in these times can be anonymously dirty. While in decades past candidates and political activists had to act under cover of darkness and under threat of being caught red-handed, today they benefit from the ability to post and publicize information, rumors, and accusations with no indication of who they are or why they might be doing so. In most political races, such online smear tactics wouldn't distract from the substance of the campaigns. But in one District race, those tactics have become the campaign.
When Ward 3 Council-member Kathy Patterson announced she was setting her sights on the council chair, the race to replace her suddenly opened up. So far, only two candidates have announced their interest in the seat -- Sam Brooks and Jonathan Rees. Brooks came to prominence in 2004, when as a 24-year-old he ran for an at-large seat on the council. While receiving only 13 percent of the citywide vote, he carried Ward 2 and came in a close second to eventual victor Kwame Brown in Ward 3. Rees, a dental-company manager, has become something of a legend in District political circles, with his homemade flyers and interestingly-fashioned website moving Washington Times columnist Tom Knott to call him "unfiltered, unguarded, uncensored." Brooks has focused on improving the city's schools and promoting more responsive government, while Rees has backed tax cuts and slimming of the city's bureaucracy.
Though the candidates have never met, a particularly vicious online smear campaign highlighted by anonymous postings and un-supported allegations has flared up between the two, with both accusing the other of orchestrating the attacks for political gain. Brooks has been victim of the majority of the attacks, though Rees claims he has suffered his fair share. In most any political race such cyber-attacks would be quickly dismissed and the political process would proceed forward, with the candidates engaging each other on issues of importance to potential voters. In this race, though, the attacks keep piling on, and the mutual recriminations portend a painful year to come in bucolic and affluent Ward 3.
While this war of words can be traced back to mid-summer, it kicked off in earnest in late October. Then, someone created a Yahoo! profile under Brooks' name, a profile which had Brooks, at right, describing himself as "proud white supremist Democrat" and advocating policies to take power away from African-American residents, expel Hispanics, and discriminate against homosexuals. The profile was linked to in an angry Craigslist posting titled "SAM BROOKS (BIGOT) FOR OUR CITY COUNCIL? NO WAY!" Brooks, recognizing the profile was not his own, reacted, and it was eventually deleted by Yahoo!
Hoping to correct the record, Brooks posted a clarification on Craigslist, writing:
In the last several days, it has come to my attention that some nasty, cruel, and offensive posts have been made by someone impersonating me -- and my campaign for DC Council. These posts are very, very disturbing. They represent views that are absolutely abhorrent to me, and they could not be further from the truth.But the battle had only begun.
Since that initial volley, some 75 posts, the majority attacking Brooks, have appeared on Craigslist (not to mention those that have appeared on forums sponsored by DCpages.com). Brooks has been accused of campaign fraud, been called an anti-gay opportunist, and identified as being mentally ill, among other claims. The majority of the posts have been written anonymously -- spare one written by Gloria Gutierrez of the "Ward 3 Housewives & Mothers Group" -- and few of them contain verifiable claims.
Short of Craigslist revealing the email and IP addresses of those posting anonymously, the best we have work with in this instance is coincidence. But in this case, the coincidences seem to be piling up on Rees.
First off, Rees, at right, seems to have taken to using Craigslist and other online forums to promote himself and his candidacy. Earlier this summer the City Paper reported that as far back as April 9 Rees posted ads to the personals sections of Craigslist, though they did not overtly mention his campaign for Patterson's seat until June 12. Knott similarly mentioned Rees' use of Craigslist personals to spread his message, to which Rees proclaimed, "I think I may have started a trend by going to the personals section to get the word out." And for now, only Rees seems to be using Craigslist for campaigning purposes -- a word-search of the site's ads found little, if anything, promoting or opposing other candidates for the council or the mayor's seat.
Secondly, many of the messages posted to online forums anonymously sound and read like messages Rees himself has attached his name to. In reading through Rees' emails and perusing his campaign website, one cannot help but notice recurring spelling and grammatical mistakes, odd sentence constructions, and a pervasive use capital letters -- many of which similarly appear in the Craigslist posts.
Thirdly, and likely most damning to Rees, a URL listed in one anonymous post led to a website (no longer online, but pictured at right) that not only shared design characteristics with Rees' official site, but was hosted by a business Rees currently works for.
And finally, although Brooks and Rees have never met, Rees just plain doesn't like Brooks. In an open email to the local media, including DCist, Rees promoted his candidacy by angrily tearing into Brooks:
While I humbly do my thing not taking anything for granted, Sam Brooks treks around DC with an aurora of arrogance, abrasive treatment of people, intimidating tactics and advocates a socio-political agenda liking to the era of Marion Barry and his economic policies which caused our economic calamity and the seizing of our government by a federal control board.If in an open email Rees did not bother to promote himself more than attack his opponent, it may not be a stretch to see him doing the same under the cover of anonymity.
In his defense, Rees claimed in an email to DCist that the online attacks against Brooks have been going on since 2003 -- prior to Rees' entry into politics -- and serve as a means for Brooks to gain sympathy from voters and coverage from the press. Brooks has denied both allegations. Wrote Rees:
Some people into this political world more than I am say that Brooks is self-inflicting these insult to gain press coverage. I believe that Brooks has enemies and maybe a good number of them who will follow him now and into the future. This is a mystery. I had no roll in any of it. All of this is side tracking us and maybe this is the intent behind it all.In fact, one post, again written anonymously and without a listed email, claims that the author was able to verify that Brooks and two other individuals were responsible for the attacks based on their IP address. This may well be true. If so, it would be rather Machiavellian of Brooks -- orchestrate hateful attacks on his own character and qualification to reap the benefits of public sympathy and media coverage. Of course, the question remains -- is Brooks desperate enough for attention to justify engaging in such petty activities this far from the elections? He says not, in an email to DCist: "The politics of slander and distortion are not my politics."
Regardless of who is finally responsible for orchestrating or participating in this online campaign -- something we will probably never definitively establish -- what is clear is that the ultimate victim will be any hopes for civilized debate between Brooks and Rees in the race to take Patterson's seat. While other candidates have attacked each on policy points -- notably mayoral candidates Vincent Orange and Linda Cropp -- those attacks have not risen to the level of vindictiveness taking place in Ward 3.
The ultimate irony may fall on Ward 3 residents, though -- the most educated and affluent of the city's eight wards was the first to descend into the politics of personal, and now, anonymous destruction.
>> Website for Sam Brooks
>> Website for Jonathan Rees
>> Craigslist posts regarding Brooks
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this was a well written and researched article. nice work. pretty amazing story too.
Rees is clearly a whackjob. I don't understand why you guys are even giving him any press. It just encourages him. This is too lame for words.
Rees's people also hijacked the Glover Park Yahoo list a couple months ago with multiple postings (sparking an argument that spiraled into accusations of Glover Parkers being nothing but white trash), poisoning the water such that the list's activity has decreased substantially.
I agree with both of the sentiments above. This is a great piece, but everything printed from Rees makes it clear that he is not actually a credible candidate for the Council. It's far too early to call Sam Brooks a shoo-in, there could well be a number of other entrants into the race in the next year, but this guy Rees is definitely not going to beat him. I just can't imagine "the most educated and affluent of the city's eight wards" electing someone who can't speak or write in coherent, grammatical English.
Good report, but your "This may well be true" seems to be taking an anonymous Craigslist posting that provides no actual details a bit too seriously. If DC Pages has really investigated, why didn't they post the report on DC Pages and explain the situation? Have you talked to the DC Pages administrator to verify the claim?
Thanks for the link to DCDL, though I'm beginning to regret giving Rees more exposure. He definitely believes that there's no such thing as bad publicity.
"Gloria" and company will be commenting here soon, I'm sure.
Good piece. How about a Ward 6 assesment?
I moderate the Cleveland Park Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com, the city's largest neighborhood email list. We have had to ban Jonathan Rees and his many aliases from our list -- he keeps trying to spam our list and, fortunately, we keep thwarting him. I've counted at least six identities fabricated by Rees, which he's used to promote his so-called campaign.
This is really good analysis. Interesting, this slinky undertow of useless anon postings on craig's and dcpages. I also looked at the websites that Brooks and Rees put together (thanks to the links from your post). Really awful looking websites. The kind of eye-hurting stuff people were doing in '95 but sadly not retro. Why are most local politicians so lame about the Web? Ward 3 may be doomed.
KOB, I agree that both sites are bad, but only Rees's looks like 1995. Brooks's attempted splash page comes from a later era, perhaps 1999, and the main content (the letter) is clearly using blog format (even generated with Blogger), so the style is pretty up-to-date (though maybe not appropriate for the purpose). The content is seriously lacking on both. I still think it's insanely early for any of this campaigning anyway -- it's a city council race, not the presidency!
As it concerns the allegations of an internet slur campaign between Ward 3 candidates, Candidate Sam Brooks admitted to two reporter that the attacks on his person of recent were exactly the same kind of attacks that were inflicted upon him in his last campaign bid 2003-2004 via the internet; That he is not sure if his attackers are those from the past or his opponent in his current bid for public office.
Mr. Brooks did not deny that his opponent Jonathan Rees was the first to be attacked in this campaign three months ago and running and the attacks took place on the internet and in those locations where Rees was posting his campaign message as a means to disrupt and discredit Rees.
Rees contends that Brooks was 100% behind these attacks as Brooks could not stand the thought that Rees had at that point already blanketed all of Ward 3 with his campaign literature, had gotten over 8,000 people to look at his internet website and Brooks decided the best place to attack Rees was in Rees’ own backyard, namely, in those internet locations where Rees was getting attention.
Rees believes that Sam Brooks is behind the attacks on himself and involved in the attacks on himself; That Sam Brooks has some serious mental health issues and that his belief is manifested in the fact that no sooner than attacks appear against Brooks, Brooks goes running to all the newspapers begging for a story, lies to them by withholding information, only points out what he wants them to look at and that Rees now agrees with others than Brooks created this event as a means of getting free media coverage because his campaign this time round has little or no funding, staffing and that last time round, the votes for him were not really votes for him but protest votes against Harold Brazil.
THE PEOPLE OF WARD 3 CAN ATTEST THAT THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE ON THE STREETS THAT BROOKS HAS DISTRIBUTED TO LET ANYONE KNOW OF HIS CAMPAIGN AND THAT IS BECAUSE HE IS STILL TRYING TO GET UP MONEY AND PEOPLE TO GET HIS CAMPAIGN ROLLING.
Brooks forgot to tell reporters that he was seen by DC Police Officers taking down Rees' campaign posters on the corner of Connecticut Ave & Tilden Street, his arrest was requested, the police did not know that was a crime and later on Rees was informed by the DC Board of Elections that it was, and that they would inform 2D of that fact in case another situation like these arises. Oh no, Brooks forgets to tell reporters about his taking down Rees' campaign posters.
Brooks in order to place blame except on himself, who is the one really attacking himself fails to tell the press that he got Eric Marshall of the SMOKE FREE DC campaign at the American Cancer Society to attack Rees on the internet and Marshall did not stop these attacks until Rees' campaign got his boss at the ACS to intervene where Rees was informed that Marshall had supported Brooks before and they think Marshall's actions were motivated possibly as a favor to a friend, Brooks. Oh no, Brooks doesn't tell reporters about this either.
SAM BROOKS IS UNEMPLOYED, SITS HOME MOST OF THE DAY IN FRONT OF HIS COMPUTER AND THIS EXPLAINS WHY THE ATTACKS ON REES APPEARED MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT.
Rees on the other hand is on the streets 7 hours a day traveling between nursing homes as he heads up a company that provides dental care to the elderly at these facilities and does not have all that free time on his hands to play around on the internet as Brooks does.
Jonathan Rees believes that Sam Brooks is a young man with deep seeded mental health problems, immature, jealous and not educated in the right area to hold public office and has little or no work history and a very unstable one at best where he cannot hold onto a job for very long.
Any intelligent person who has been following this event can easily attest to the fact that the first wave of attacks were against Rees where Rees was merely announcing his campaign and that is where the exchange of slurs stayed for three months before any attacks took place against Brooks.
Who had a reason to attack Rees?
Right, nobody but Brooks had a reason to do it to discredit an opponent.
Who had a reason to attack Brooks after the attacks on Rees?
Brooks did as it was a part of his plan so that he could compensate for not having the means to jump start his campaign and what better way to get attention than to run to the press with such a story.
If Rees for city council has anything to say about Brooks, it will say it openly.
Posted by:
Rees for City Council
Two reporters who we will not identify at this time said that they do believe that Sam Brooks did master-mind the attacks on Rees and possibly on himself but right now, they are investigating Brooks’ claims on many issues in preparation for a story which they feel will bare out Brooks nefarious demeanor but they would not elaborate on what subject matter they are specifically investigating Brooks on.
Both these reporters said they had read this article because it was forwarded to them by an anonymous person and they found it to be a weak story and one sided. Also they know the author and he has in the past tooted the horn for Sam Brooks as if he was God so the story cannot be taken as a serious article by an unbiased writer.
http://mishpat.net/cyberlaw/archive/update15.shtml
Contempt for sending an Email?
On Feb. 10, the entire US D.C. judiciary received an e-mail filled with vulgarities and aimed at Superior Court Judge John Bayly Jr. The message revealed that the author was Jonathan Rees. At the time, Judge Bayly was presiding over Rees' divorce case, which had been going on for eight years. Bayly ordered that Rees show cause why he should not be held in contempt for violating a previous judge's 1992 order prohibiting him additional filings in the divorce matter without judicial approval.
But in a hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Rankin, Rankin decided against prosecuting Rees for the contempt charge because Rees did not receive sufficient warning that his actions violated the 1992 order. At the hearing, Rankin said any order will put Rees on notice that any further e-mails to D.C. judges would be grounds for contempt. But Rees' attorney says that prohibiting his client from communicating with the judiciary would infringe on Rees' right to free speech.
I am amused at B. Frank!
Last week, he was R. Frank.
Before he was JT Frank!
Then he became District Information
and now B. Frank.
These were the screen names given in attacking me and if people especially Martin would go to the Tenleytown List Server he would see this. These are all the different names Sam Brooks uses and the newspapers have them after printing them out.
Wow Sam just can't quit!
What will he be next week?
Thank Martin for your article today as my website went up 489 hits since 5 PM today or was that the positive press I got in a local medical newsletter stating they will endorse me over Sam Brook! They will also endorse Linda Cropp, Phil Mendelson but this is an organization that has 2,800 members in Ward 3.
Their report card will be released to the Wash Post on November 17.
After that, Sam you and Martin can go have one of your famous beers together.
Thank Martin for your article today as my website went up 489 hits since 5 PM today or was that the positive press I got in a local medical newsletter stating they will endorse me over Sam Brook! They will also endorse Linda Cropp, Phil Mendelson but this is an organization that has 2,800 members in Ward 3.
Their report card will be released to the Wash Post on November 17.
After that, Sam you and Martin can go have one of your famous beers together at the Hawk & Dove where I heard you two have had drinks before together.
Thank Martin for your article today as my website went up 489 hits since 5 PM today or was that the positive press I got in a local medical newsletter stating they will endorse me over Sam Brook! They will also endorse Linda Cropp, Phil Mendelson but this is an organization that has 2,800 members in Ward 3.
Their report card will be released to the Wash Post on November 17.
After that, Sam you and Martin can go have one of your famous beers together at the Hawk & Dove where I heard you two have had drinks before together.
yo man this guy is nuts
sincerely SAM BROOKS! sike naw
Rees=psychopath!
Dude, seriously, do you realize how much of a lunatic you look like here? Between the numerous grammatical and spelling errors and the gratuitous personal attacks, your posts look like the IM rantings of a 15 year old who just had an argument in a chat room.
Mr. Rees,
I can assure you I am neither Sam Brooks or any of the usernames you suggest. Further, my posts are not personal attacks but rather articles about you, or your posts under different names, but which are obviously the same person.
I can only encourage you to continue to post attacks and information about yourself, as your story continues to change.
By the way, you previously claimed to have three children, and later recanted to two. I now see that you are claiming to be childless. Which is it?
B.
I don't want to reprint copyrighted material here, so let me summarize an article published in the American Lawyer on June 10, 1999. (The full text of this article is available on Nexis.)
During Jonathan Rees' divorce trial Rees, a "43-year-old D.C. resident with a long history of litigation in the city's courts" sent every judge in DC Superior Court an email filled with "vulgarities and aimed at Superior Court Judge John Bayly Jr." Superior Court Judge Michael Rankin, who held a hearing about Rees' emails said, "This is revolting stuff here...This is pretty revolting, and I don't want anything more of it." Judge Bayly was the judge in Rees' divorce trial.
The more you look --thanks to Google and Nexis-- the more strange things surface about Jonathan Rees.
Congratulations, Martin, on being inducted into the Sam Brooks conspiracy -- actually, congratulations to all of DCist, since no doubt you're all working together. I trust you've all been taught the secret handshake.
We're a large and growing group -- at least in Jonathan Rees's mind. It's an unfortunate flaw that some of us have never met Sam Brooks and aren't supporting anyone in the Ward 3 race yet because it's still 10 long months until the primary, but don't let that bother you.
"Gloria Gutierrez" and a couple of her pals also posted various nonsense on the Logan Circle list serve about Sam Brooks. Unfortunately for them, Logan Circle isn't in Ward 3.
Mr. Rees, if you have a point to make, feel free to make it here. That being said, please do not post the same comment multiple times.
Also, I await the article being written by the two reporters you mentioned above. I am especially curious because you note that the reporters putting together this article know me, a surprising feat given that I have yet to meet any of the Metro correspondents for the city's main papers.
Finally, I am curious what "source" of yours informed you that Mr. Brooks and I had ever had beers together at Hawk & Dove. I can safely say, and would happily testify before a court, that I have never met Mr. Brooks, much less drank beers with him.
You know, this is a perfect example of the value of free speech. Rees' posts here have made it absolutely crystal clear what sort of leader he would be. Thank you, DCist, for providing Rees (and the rest of us) with this forum.
This has already gotten way more attention than it deserves.
We're talking about Craig's List postings IP addresses, and Yahoo Groups when as a Ward 3 resident (and voter) I'm paying a shitload in property and "state" income taxes and not seeing the corresponding value in the city's schools or services. On top of this we get the shaft from Congress (e.g. the commuter tax) all the time because we are not a state.
Seriously, there are real issues to talk about.
Hell, I couldn't agree more. I would love to see these two debate each other on some issues of substance. That being said, few candidates for any office have really outlined solid platforms, so we may have to wait a few months before we can start discussing the issues.
Mike Penetta,
As a fellow Italian American, my platform addresses the issue you speak of.
Sam Brooks' public agenda is way far to the left and his proposals would result in your taxes going up and not down.
Mr. Brooks is currently unemployed has a reported work history after college of less than 13 months all total and he has never come out and answered people on their questions concerning issues like the one you speak of.
Sam Brooks is angry young man who is motivated by two things, and they are:
1. My team has already blanketed every possible home in Ward 3 with my campiagn literature; and
2. Sam Brooks is being ignored by the most prominient organozations in DC that could offer an endorsement or support.
E.G.
One thing you might want to look into is the fact that many powerful organizations in DC will be holding their annual meetings this month and next and that while I have been invited to their parties and the releasing of their report cards on the candidates with possible endorsements, Sam Brooks has not gotten any invites and he is deeply upset over the fact that organizations he wants their endorsement from are ignoring him and inviting me.
Brooks never told any of you how upset he is that he has been stepped over to these events.
Please use correct grammar and punctuation, Jonathan!
"Sam Brooks is angry young man"
In Soviet Russia, angry young man is YOU!!!
As a Ward 3 resident, if there's anything I expect from my councilmember, it's the ability to blanket my neighborhood with signs. Too many candidates lack the strength of purpose to work those photocopiers overtime and post 10 or 20 times the legal number of signs per block, a year before the election.
The distribution of my campaign literature was one to every car that has a DC 3 tag on it and there is no limitation as to how mny are placed on poles that belong to PEPCO.
My staff did their job well and that is why I have been invited to meet with very influential people and Brooks has not, that is why I have been invited to advents and Brooks has not and my people are not sitting home all day long with one hang on their mouse and the other hand on their XYZXYZ cranking out crap.
The distribution of my campaign literature was one to every car that has a DC 3 tag on it and there is no limitation as to how many can be placed on poles that belong to PEPCO.
My staff did their job well and that is why I have been invited to meet with very influential people and Brooks has not, that is why I have been invited to advents and Brooks has not and my people are not sitting home all day long with one hang on their mouse and the other hand on their XYZXYZ cranking out crap.
My guess is that Rees' amazing "staff" traverses DC by clown car.
Though in fairness, I'd like to get invited to some "advents", too.
Mr. Rees:
A second warning: please do not post your comments multiple times. If you continue to do so, we'll be forced to moderate the discussion, which is hardly fun.
Second, is there any part of your campaign that doesn't involve insulting your opponent?
Martin
Mr. Rees, with all due resepect, what the F are you talking about? What exactly is "one hang on the mouse," or "the other hand on the xyzxyx?" You are completely insane.
Also, please list these powerful organizations who have invited you to events and plan on endorsing you. I, like most people who have read your 4th grade level rants, highly doubt that there is a single "real" group that wants to have anything to do with your joke of a "campaign."
This guy can't be for real. Jonathan Rees is a 'bot' created by the Bush Administration to distract otherwise aware people from the real issues at hand. I've got an idea, DCist, rather than letting this seriously obnoxious banter go on, why don't you sit down with Jonathan and Sam Brooks for an interview or a debate. That way we can hear the ACTUAL stances on issues, rather than internet he said/he said. If you want any real credibility, Mr. Rees, stop posting this spam that makes you look like you're two clicks from mental retardation and sit down with Rob Goodspeed or somebody and tell it like it is. And for god's sake, pull some of your staffers off of 'flyering ward 3 duty' and into the copy edit room. Your spelling, grammar and basic command of the English language are really offending some of your would-be constituents. Ward 3 has a long history of grammar policing that harkens back to the late 1700's...
Finally! ...
... someone to make Borf look erudite.
Seriously though, while this started off as being just damn funny, is there anyone else who has jumped over to just wanting to get some kind of help for Rees? Politicla incompetence and stupidity has its funny side, but this really seems like something else.
good call Jeff, maybe Jonathan Rees is like that Cleveland Park bot thing DCist reported on awhile ago. Except this robot is evil.
Meet Cleveland Park's newest resident
If Martin's piece wasn't already excellent enough -- it was -- Master Rees provided all the evidence needed to prove Martin's blog post as credible by all the vitriol Rees wrote above against Brooks.
I do believe that it's Jonathan Rees who is signing comments in his name -- and that it's not someone else doing it.
But, I have to wonder.
It would be brilliant -- for a day or so, not to mention sleazy -- if it turned out to be Brooks' campaign that was signing these comments in Rees' name! I mean, they're so sublimely ridiculous, how could any candidate sign his own name to them.
To be clear, I don't believe Brooks is doing that.
Now, Jonathan, all those hits to your web site today .... don't count simply because you visited the site yourself.
Finally, I will do something here I haven't ever once done on DCist -- sign anonymously. My guess is that Rees is behind a lot against Brooks, and that Rees is vindictive. Word to the wise ...
Mr. Rees -- if that really is you, 'cause we can't tell -- the proof of your credibility will be seen when the primary results come in. Unfortunately for you.
I always sign anything that I post on the web.
I learned today that there was two articles done about me in the Examiner and a major trade publication which accounts for the jump in my website visits.
I am never so arrogant to believe that anything is for sure and none of us can write here that we know how the voters will vote.
While some might think that I am enemies, I know that Brooks has just as many in Ward 3 because there is a PAC forming to attack him for jumping the fence and it is being headed up by to ANC commissioners but I will see if it happens and what they come with. So I never so arrogant to assume I will win or lose.
I got free tickets to the mayoral debate tonight but Sam Brooks did not according to their guest list. Why? He is not seen as a real candidate.
Sam will have to watch it on TV.
Martin can answer this question.
Today I was told that placing any ad on a blog or list server was a waste of time because only 1 out of ever 500 registered voters actually will see what is posted.
Thus I was called stupid for wasting my time and energy announcing my candidacy in such places.
Martin care to comment about the so called low viewership of blogs and list servers here in DC?
Why go to the mayoral debate when you can kick your feet up right here and watch the lunatic parade? By the way, Jonathan, as stated previously in the DCist, the mayoral debate begins at 6:30 pm. Yet your post was at 6:58 pm. That would make you half an hour late. Punctuality is a necessary attribute in a politician. Get a watch.
Rees, I'm awfully sorry that it's come to this.
That said, I'm so not sorry.
This is the same Jonathan Rees who sent a vulgar email to every judge on the DC Superior Court during his divorce trial.
This is the same Jonathan Rees who said on his website that he has two children, said on DC Pages that he has three children, and reported on a singles website that he has no children: http://tinyurl.com/9sb5k
(Take a look at this profile -- it's very odd indeed.)
This is the same Jonathan Rees who's fabricated a half dozen or more "supporters" who've spammed listservs on his behalf.
Nothing he says can be believed.
This is not that Jonathan Rees. That Jonathan Rees today would be 49 years old. I am 51. I became a widower in 1998 and remarried in 2004.
I am taking over this fun stuff for my father who had to leave for the mayoral debate which Brooks was not given a ticket to.
Any of you lefties have anything intelligent to say?
"Anita" -- are you related to "Gabriella Rees," who posted on DC Pages?
Gabriella is my sister. My brother is Jason. I am the oldest at 30.
Are you guys going to appear on Family Feud anytime soon?
That is a good question as our ages are 30, 25 and 16. I win.
Funny, I thought Mr. Rees was childless. I feel bad that Mr. Rees is so neglectful to his children, Anita, Gabriella and Jason. Wait, I thought there were two children. Or was it none?
http://www.thousanddates.com/adt_membersprofile_home.asp?UserId=1127390&UserName=jrrees
DCist Jason, I enjoyed reading your commentary about my father. It was funny and I know he would love it as he has a sick sense of humor as you do but not as sick as you.
DCist Jason. As I think again about your great writing skills, I need to ask a question. How many hits of crack did you do before attacking your keyboard?
Are you also that guy the ladies refer to as "Pencil Dick"?
The one thing(s) that was missing from Martin's article was, he failed to link all of the postings from July 20-October 20, 2005, that attacked my father. If he had done that, then it could be said it was a fair and balanced story. Unfortunately, the story was incomplete but other reporters did report all and some linked.
The average age of a voter in ward three is 48 years old, most in ward three have computers but they do not surf the net like all of us do and most never heard of DCist.
While everybody is pitching major fits here on the web, most of the voters are not aware of it.
The real battle for any these combatants is on the streets and at the front door of the homes of voters.
For four long months, my father with the help of members of the Latino community have hit the streets of ward three, dropped his political campaign literature and spoke with hundreds of people.
To date, Mr. Brooks has not even stepped outside of his own home to reach out to voters.
Tonight when my father left for the mayoral debates, he took 2,000 of his flyer cards with him to be given out at the UDC debate center but I do not think Mr. Brooks has anything to provide to ward 3 voters attending.
After the New Years, my father will come with a much more massive advertising program that will dwarf what everyone has seen and the streets will be busy with people handing out his new postcard flyer that will encourage voters to go to his website where they will be able to download a free copy of a popular softwared program.
If anybody wants to see this new card just email me and I'll let you see the front side.
Hey boys. My background is marketing for American Express.
You've got to be kidding, "Anita." In truth, you don't exist. Care to offer any proof that you do, or shall we all conclude, finally, that everything that Jonathan Rees writes is a fabrication?
And here's another Jonathan Rees gem I found on the Internet: http://www.angelfire.com/dc2/jrrees1955/
Something tells me that the full DC Superior Court record will be even more revealing. I can't wait for that to become public.
Wow. An impressive exchange, and I've only been gone for a few hours!
Well, I was at the mayoral debate, though saw no evidence of Mr. Rees. If you were there, Mr. Rees, could you tell us what question Adrian Fenty flubbed on?
BTW, Sam Brooks was there. I briefly met him for the first time.
Joe, an interesting find. I note that the address on Mr. Rees's resume is identical to that on his campaign materials:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/pol/110059554.html
Hey "B" Frank
Let me enlighten you.
My father had my brother and I with my mother who was Maria A. Cisneros the niece of former U.S. Secretary of HUD Henry Cisneros and my younger sister per se is the daughter of my step mother. My mother died in 1998.
I guess this blows the sail out of all your allegations against my father including your bullshit claim that my father was involved in some court case you cite under different screen names but your arguments are weak, unsupported and a result of you amature research skills. You should ask before you accuse people of misrepresenting facts but you are such a dumb ass that you are setting yourself up for embarassment because people who know us know these facts and you tip your hat Sam what you will come with and my father has all the documentation he needs to make you look stupid.
We all know B. Frank you are Sam.
Joe why are you referring people to a dead link of www.angelfire.com/dc2/jrrees1955?
Goodnight ladies!
Hey Anita,
I didn't make any allegations towards your "father", but rather posted links to articles and citations which include his name. Are you suggesting that the facts in the DC Superior court case is untrue. I guess that makes the virtues of Jon Rees greater than the aggregate of all of the DC Superior Court Judges.
Also to the concept that I am Sam Brooks...that is an interesting allegation given that I have been posting here this evening while others have already acknowledged Mr. brooks presence at the Mayor's forum this evening,
Finally, the link to the Angelfire personal profile that "Joe" posted worked for me. You might be saddened to know that your dad claims to be a widower and has no children. Where does that leave you?
B. Frank.
If my father ever said he was childless was probably a typo.
As for this DC Superior Court thing, I would love to see concrete evidence of that because my father was not in the midst of any divorce and my mother's death certificate will dispel this phony claim you make in any open forum. Show me any verification from the judges of the court that the Jonathan Rees you speak of is my father and not someone else of the same name as I belive there are a few in DC.
The facts you present don't jive with other public records like a death certificate and others.
You stirred my father's curiosity about this case when you first brought it up that he went to the court and spoke with the people in the family divison and they said that the file in question was archived and it had to do with a man who now sits in federal prison and lived in Alexndria, Virginia.
Ronald Regan had a very bloody divorce with Jane Wyman and so has millions of Americans so I am curious why anybody's divorce is of importance as people today don't care about another's divorce. Now if you had a claim of an ongoing affair then you would have a juicy story people would want to hear about.
I believe that website you quoted was one that hosted by father's Resume at one time a year ago or more but it is clearly a dead link.
Did you see those blogs back in 2004 that were suggesting that you B. Frank A/k/a Sam Brooks was a closet case gay, that you were afraid to come out and do you think that it was fair for others to post?
Do you think your sexual orientation is anybody's business or should be an issue? Oh those who want to force gays out are gay people not heterosexuals but is that fair game to use in a political campaign? They think so arguing that if you can't be honest about your sexual orientation then how can anyone believe you will be honest with them about yourself on any other issue.
I printed out those blogs in case my father has to use them in his campiagn to make that same argument if you go too far and those blogs have your picture on them and these blogs pre-exist my father running for office or even knowing you.
According to his "thousanddates" profile, Rees "wants a husband and won't play games to get it." Says he's 50, unmarried, no children, seeking marriage. Unless he overstated his age, it would appear that this is a very recent profile.
Sad, really.
If you say such a profile exits then you should know as you probably created it.
no, you poor sad darling, I didn't. You're having a hard time keeping all the lies straight, aren't you?
I can't look. And yet I can't look away.
this is so awesome! Best DCist comment thread ever!
In the interest of accuracy - something Mr. and "Ms." Rees might do well to emulate - I should like to point out that I erred in my quotation about Rees. The phrase "wants a husband and will not play games to achieve it" does not in fact refer to him, but to his ideal mate. The rest of the quote - about claiming to be divorced, childless, etc - stands.
I'm not saying he's not a complete nutcase, just that he's not looking for a husband, according to his profile. I might feel more favorably inclined toward him if he were though.
You claim is as phony as you are. My father is not gay. So I doubt he is looking for a husband.
read the above, "Anita". Jeesh.
Geez, wow now I am going to have a mother and two fathers. Damn, I can't wait to cash in.
Speaking of consistent stories, did Rees leave Alba Foods in 1999 (as in this resume) or 2005 (as in this resume)? And does he now work for Institutional Dental Care or for the Government of Puerto Rico?
Sam,
Is your birthdate 12/12/1979?
Is your voter Reg # 000031918?
I think this race between my father and Sam will get interesting because he told us today that he had spoken with Eric Gaull who is the man who ran last time and Gaull is planning to announce he is running also for the ward three seat and will make his announcement after Thanksgiving.
My father said Eric asked him to keep him posted as to what is happening s he was going out of town for three weeks.
Also one of the female ANC commissioners told my father that she may jump in too.
So, are you confirming at this time that your "dad" does, in fact, drive his staff around in a clown car and will be appearing on Family Feud? What's the number one answer, Anita?
KCinDC not sure when he left Royal Ahold/Alba.
DCistJason, my father rides one of those battery operated scooters so he won't hurt himself.
Now you guy have me confused. Maybe I am some kidnap child being passed off as someone's real child.
So, if there are other candidates, will your father create more alters to slam them, too? And will he accuse all of them of secretly being Sam Brooks?
Can't wait for the next installment of the hit comedy show "Who's The Rees?"
Right now it is 5:21 A.M. Where am I guys?
In frickin' la-la land. Obvs.
If voters paid attention to issues then Sam Brooks would have probably beaten Brazil and Brown back in 2004.
Unfortunately, most political experts say that less than 3% of all voters pay attention to issues or care about them because voters have tunes out as they are tired of hearing the same old better schools, better accountability, etc.
Voters when chosing to vote look at three things in deciding and the issues is not one of them.
Sam Brooks lost out for those three reasons political scientists cite as the major cause why good candidates lose.
What are they? Can anybody answer this question since we have so many brainiacs online?
go to sleep jonathan. no one in DC needs a lesson in politics from a crazy-person pretending to be his own daughter. I'm sure you'll answer your own questions anyway.
Anita, if you really think Brainiac is loose and online, the important political question is: Can your "father" promise to alert Superman to come save us?
Good norning ladies. DCist Jason Superman couldn't help us. My father told me the mayoral debate was boring as shit and it was just a chance for most to introduce themselves. Nobody really stood out. I am going to vote for Linda Cropp as I sure in the Hell won't vote for Vin Diesel Fenty who has become a snobby know it all as he needs to stop ripping off old ladiess.
LOL Anita, is that the typo that said Jon Rees had three children, two children on no children?
Maybe you are an "unperson"?
And to reiterate, I am not Sam Brooks as further evidenced by the fact that I was posting here during the Mayoral forum and others have said that they met Mr. Brooks at the event (or is that advent?).
Can't let facts get in the way of the Rees family world view!
B. Frank
I often read stuff by The DCeiver and he sounds like a very frustrated man who can't get laid so he takes it out on readers.
I would be happy to buy The DCeiver a blow up love doll so he would find better things to do with his time than talking utter nonsense.
Don't know who was at that mayoral debate as my father said, unless someone got in your face you did not know who was who. He said it sucked and full of people who were into themselves and showing off.
He said it was a useless event that would not make anyone vote for any of them but become all the more disgusted with politics.
Adrian Fenty will not do too well in ward three and we will go with Linda Cropp as many here think he is too young to be mayor, he is thief and he has a reputation of having a hot temper and almost getting into fist fights with others on the council.
Ward 3 normnallly goes with older and more experienced candidates as it is really more conseravtive than the other wards on many issues despite the fact it is progressive only on social matters.
Rees is now impersonating "Alex Evans" from Adrian Fenty's staff:
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/com/109630316.html
Isn't it a crime to impersonate somebody?
Here's the post from Craig's List:
TEAM FENTY FIRED SAM BROOKS
Reply to: district_lnfo@boardermail.com
Date: 2005-11-07, 10:26PM EST
TEAM FENTY FIRED SAM BROOKS
Hello, my name is Alex Evans and I m the campaign manager for Fenty for Mayor and we fired Sam Brooks for reasons I am not allowed to disclose.
Sam knows this to be true.
So that Sam knows this is me, he knows last Friday he and I went to the Office of Campaign Finance. Only Sam would know that.
Nope, it is not a crime to inpersonate another.
Hey Rees, it's Alec Evans, not Alex Evans. I know you're too crazy to keep names and children straight, but I highly doubt ALEC would screw his own name up in a posting on Craigs List. While we're on the subject, if you had any clue about politics you'd know that a campaign would never air it's dirty laundry on freakin Craigs List. I'm not sure if you're more crazy than you are stupid or vice versa.
All,
Being that I think everyone has had their say and the comments last night quickly degenerated into name-calling, I'm going to close comments on this post.
We welcome opinions and arguments on these posts, but we prefer if comments stay within the bounds of propriety and stick to the argument at hand. Also, we discourage anonymous posting.
Thanks,
Martin
DCist.com