LNB Unmasked

(Due to readability issues, I’m excerpting the article in its entirety.)

From Frank Taylor at the LTN:

In March, a new local Web site began causing a stir by focusing on criticism of Lincoln County Sheriff Tim Daugherty.

Since then, the issues raised on The Lake Norman Bath site have resulted in newspaper and television reports, and a multi-pronged State Bureau of Investigation probe of allegations made against Daugherty and his administration, even as the owner of the site has remained anonymous, like most visitors who post comments to his blog.

Today, Greg Gabbard of Pumpkin Center reveals that he is the person behind the Web site and talks with the Lincoln Times-News about who he is and why he started the controversial blog.

Gabbard is the father of former deputy Jennifer Gabbard, who resigned in early March just before she was charged with taking a camera from a crime scene, a crime of which she has proclaimed her innocence.

Even so, the site has generally not focused on Jennifer Gabbard’s case and has instead examined other allegations that were raised, not by Greg Gabbard, but by visitors to the site.

In at least one case, claims that property seized in a theft case was mishandled contrary to a judicial order, the allegations have been admitted by public officials. However, the legal implications of this and other issues remain unclear as the SBI’s own inquiry continues.

Following is an interview by managing editor Frank Taylor with Greg Gabbard, which took place over the weekend:

Frank: The big question is why. You’ve gone on the record with us that your daughter’s arrest was the final straw, and you had been thinking about a blog for some time. Even then, why? Not every critic of the sheriff’s office would think of doing this?

Greg: This whole thing started on the commentary section of the Gaston Gazette — it is like a blog, but requires registration. It was obvious that there was something right below the surface trying to come out. All I did was give all those posters an outlet and put out the LNB e-mail address. I was shocked at the responses and the blog was born.

Blogging has actually been very instrumental in other situations similar to this one in other parts of the country. I believe it is a very effective way for the public to make their concerns, opinions and ideas regarding their government and the job their elected officials are doing known without censorship. As far as why I did it, I would think that is very self-evident.

One thing I need to address is the technical side of things. Starting a blog using blogspot is as easy as falling out of bed. It takes no real IT talent, skill or ability to do it. There are a blue million canned trackers that you can download from Google, or even use Google Analytics, to watch traffic. Nothing was technically hard.

Frank: You’ve remained hidden all this time. So why say who you are now?

Greg: I have two reasons to end the secrecy at this time: 1. It was going to come out anyway. 2. I don’t want anyone else to take heat as a result of my actions.

Frank: Why the secrecy originally?

Greg: It had to be secret initially so I could collect information. A very upset father of the accused is not going to get any answers, pictures and documents, and would not have been listened to.

Frank: Are you planning to seek elected or appointed office, or are you helping someone else who is?

Greg: Absolutely not. And, clearly, my interests are varied. I am a registered Republican and I am extremely conservative. However, I very much believe in voting for a person, not a party. I have no interest in helping anyone seek office. End of story.

Frank: But you admit that you have had contact with a number of political figures from both parties, more than one of whom has expressed an interest in running for sheriff in 2010?

Greg: Yes, I have. And, in fact, I have been accused of helping some of them seek office. Which, let me assure you, is absolutely not the case. I am in no way politicking, nor do I wish to involve myself in Lincoln County politics from that angle. Or even delude myself into thinking that I have any political power in that area. I am just a regular, voting citizen.

Frank: You’ve advised us that you are under an attorney’s orders not to discuss Jennifer’s case directly. For that reason, my questions won’t focus on her case, which is still pending, but what can you say about that, especially in relation to your motives?

Greg: I can say that I love my daughter with all my heart and I’ll fight for her until I draw my last breath.

Frank: What do you say to someone who asks whether you did all of this to get revenge?

Greg: Revenge? No. To be completely honest, my wish is just that all voting citizens in Lincoln County be aware of what is occurring at their Sheriff’s Office, or any government office for that matter. It is every voter’s responsibility to stay informed and aware, and to make the right decisions. Revenge is not my game, anyone who knows me can attest to that. I am a respectful, law-abiding citizen.

Frank: There will be some who say, now that we know who the blog owner is and that he had a personal beef with the Sheriff’s Office, the SBI should leave town and let things get back to normal. What do you say to those people?

Greg: They would be partially right in the fact that I do have a personal beef with the sheriff, but that has no bearing on the allegations that have surfaced as a result of the blog.

Frank: Those allegations that have brought in the SBI appeared on your blog. But did you originate them?

Greg: I have not originated anything. I created the platform and then was reliant upon others to send me information.

Frank: You have shown a lot of proficiency with computers and knowledge of law enforcement. Where did that come from?

Greg: My computer “proficiency” is in some very specific sectors of the industry and this situation did not require that I use any of them. Anything I know about law enforcement is based on searching, reading and talking to people.

Frank: I’ve heard a rumor that you were let go from some work you did for the Sheriff’s Office under Barbara Pickens because you became publicly intoxicated. Is that true? Were you fired? Do you have a drinking problem?

Greg: I’ve heard that same thing twice this week and I still have absolutely no clue where it comes from. It is false. I’ve never been fired from any job and I do not consume alcohol.

Frank: But you did once do some computer work for former Sheriff Barbara Pickens, who lost her office to Sheriff Tim Daugherty?

Greg: I did.

Frank: Was she in any way behind your launch of this Web site?

Greg: Absolutely not. In fact, she will learn who I am like everyone else reading this. This blog was launched independently, free from any political influence.

Frank: During one portion of the discussions about the sheriff’s activities, the issue of the search warrant to identify the blog owner, you became the center of attention. You were not the only person who told us that the Sheriff’s Office should have been able to tell that the questionable posts did not come from their office computers, but you were one of them. Since you worked on that system before, this was more than just a guess?

Greg: I believe that it has been 4 plus years since I’ve worked on the LCSO environment, and that is probably two generations removed in IT terms. Anything that I did know in 2005 is now worthless in regards to their setup and operations.

My statement about it being an internal issue applies to everyone who has traffic originating on a private LAN. The internal address has to be translated at the egress point so you can actually navigate the Internet. The information they desired was on their network. The Sheriff’s Office had the information that they desired resident on their own network. In this case, it would’ve been more along the lines of the information that would have existed if someone had actually committed a crime by making unauthorized posts from their computers did not exist on their network, as no one posted from their IP space. I do not believe, not for one second, that someone didn’t know that.

Frank: Google never responded to their search warrant seeking your identity. Supposedly that was so you could tell them the identity of those posters who claimed they were on duty at the Sheriff’s Office, using the sheriff’s computers. Do you expect them to contact you about that now that they will know exactly who you are?

Greg: I am not sure. But, that information expired long ago and I have no records of it. If I am remembering it correctly the post that got them all upset was from the western part of the county and there was another one from the Denver area.

Frank: Did you contact the SBI and the District Attorney’s office under your real name?

Greg: Yes, of course. I also contacted the U.S. Attorney and the N.C. Attorney General’s Office — all of which was done in my real name. I firmly believe that the government should work for us not against us and I have faith that they will in this case. This all happened well before I was under imminent pressure of being exposed, which was inevitable, and I knew that going in.

Frank: Have you personally received any type of contact from law enforcement about the Web site or the allegations posted there?

Greg: I have not been contacted about the Web site. I have, however, been contacted in regards to my personal correspondence.

Frank: Have you done or said anything improper or that would fall into legal gray areas in all of this?

Greg: No, I have not. The amazing thing — at least to my way of thinking — is that so many powerful people feel that they can simply make innuendoes or vague threats and the people will be silent. How scary is it that you cannot speak your mind without having a criminal warrant come barreling down at you? In this case, I wasn’t even speaking my mind, but giving others a platform to speak their minds, and somehow the Sheriff’s Office was able to get a search warrant. That should give everyone a reason to pause and ask themselves, “Who is next?”

I’ve spent the vast majority of my adult life defending our rights as they were set down by our forefathers, and I’ll be hanged before I just roll over and give up the generations of sacrifice that my predecessors gave this great country. Like many of the folks reading this, I answered the call to serve. I liked it, and I stayed around for many years. I missed the funerals, the weddings and one birth of a child. I moved my family all over the globe, all in the name of freedom. Now I just want to see my kids succeed in life. I want to grow old with my lovely wife, and I’d love to do it in Pumpkin Center. We moved around so much when the kids were little that we are a very tight and insular group as we’ve always had each other regardless of where we ended up.

Frank: It has been stated by many commentators that the issuing of the warrant raised First Amendment issues. Have you done anything about that concern?

Greg: I have been in touch with two different organizations. If I am forced to pursue the violation of my First Amendment rights, then I will do so vigorously.

Frank: Going back to the political question, once on the blog you posted that you were a Southern Democrat with libertarian leanings. But you’ve said you are a registered Republican. Would you like to clarify that?

Greg: Sure. I am a registered Republican, not necessarily because I buy into Republican politics, but because they are the party that most closely upholds my own personal ideals and values. Well, at least the only party that actually has a chance of winning in an election and I have no desire to waste my votes. So, that is primarily so my voice can be heard in the primaries. However, I never vote “for” a party – I always vote for the candidate who I feel will do the best job in the designated office, regardless of party.

Frank: Did the Lincoln Times-News have any involvement in the start up of your Web site and were you a fan of the newspaper or its first story about Jennifer’s arrest?

Greg: The Lincoln Times-News had absolutely no involvement whatsoever in the start up of my site. And, no, I have certainly been no fan of the Times-News and was less than happy with the first story. One of the first blogs on the site was actually to criticize the Times-News’ reporting on Jennifer’s case.

Frank: I first contacted you, knowing you only as the owner of the site, a few days before you and I first met secretly at a Huntersville restaurant. You and I had never met prior to this?

Greg: No, we had not.

Frank: At that time, you told me a lot of things about yourself, much of which I’ve since checked out and have found to be accurate. You did not, however, tell me your name. Is that correct?

Greg: That is correct.

Frank: At some point, I learned that Jennifer’s father was a computer expert and I e-mailed her asking whether her dad was the owner of the Lake Norman Bath. She wrote back that she did not know who owned the site. I falsely assumed this meant that you were not you, and during a brief time period, I probably told quite a few people that her father was not behind the site, based on my false assumption. But it turns out that Jennifer was telling the truth, because you didn’t tell her what you were up to. Can you expand on that?

Greg: I can. I correctly guessed that she would be against my creating the blog. Not long after the blog site was running, she had someone e-mail the Lake Norman Bath to inform them that she in no way wanted her name associated with what was being posted by either the Lake Norman Bath or its anonymous posters. I actually posted her response as a blog, which explained her feelings on the matter very well. Jennifer has not lived at the family home for four or five years.

Frank: Eventually you told me your actual identity. Why?

Greg: It was the right thing to do and I honestly try to be 100 percent truthful every time I open my mouth.

Frank: Some of the comments that have been made about the sheriff and his administrators have been so outrageous that they were obviously false. How do you feel about this type of material on your site?

Greg: I do not police the anonymous posters unless they use profanity. I have not viewed every post on the site, as there are far too many for me to keep up with. Most of the comments that have been deleted have been from people supporting the thoughts on the site, but a single vulgarity will send their comments to the trash. There have been some crazy comments that no one could possibly take seriously, but if they don’t have curse words in them I leave them alone. I cannot recall cutting any comments posted in support of the sheriff. Most often, I am deleting posts for foul language or removing personal attacks against deputies. I have been very clear that I do not want personal attacks against deputies posted on my site. However, I am not going to sit glued to the commentators 24/7 just so I can filter anonymous comments. And that goes both ways because there are plenty of comments posted that I strongly disagree with. I’m also on record as saying that I honestly believed the Sheriff was a good guy in a bad spot, due to bad decision-making by people around him.

Frank: Given everything that has happened, do you still believe that?

Greg: I still believe that.

Frank: At one point, the sheriff gave an interview to The Carolina Scoop in which he discussed your daughter’s case at length. Again, without getting into the specifics of her case, can you tell us your reaction to that interview?

Greg: Incredulous and upset.

Frank: One of the things you have not allowed on the site is personal attacks on low-level sheriff’s officers. Can you talk about why?

Greg: They have no control over any of this and anyone willing to put their lives on the line for others deserves everything that society can give them.

Frank: As you’ve said, you have been quite a hawk against vulgarity and profanity on your site. Why?

Greg: It is how I strive to lead my life.

Frank: You’ve indicated to me before that you operate, both with what you’ve been doing here and in past service to your country, under a strict personal code of honor and morality. What’s the most important thing that you believe in?

Greg: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15.

Frank: You have hinted previously that you tell a lot about who has posted to the site from Internet Protocol addresses. Can you explain how this works for many readers who are not familiar with this concept?

Greg: Just like the U.S. Mail – you must have a sender and a receiver or your packages/letters are going nowhere. Using your assigned IP address anyone, not just me, can get a really good idea of a poster’s location. Some service providers are much tougher to identify than others. I did not use any tracking software or specially crafted code to track anyone.

Frank: Without identifying anyone specifically, can you talk about the type of attention your site has gotten from members of this community, law enforcement here and elsewhere, the news media and other public officials?

Greg: It’s been very popular amongst all the above. My metrics software is a freebie, available to anyone, so it’s not the most robust analysis engine going. That said, it does give me sufficient insight to see when someone is copying the entire site, downloading documents, etc. The site has been copied, at least twice, and I lost track of downloads due to volume.

Frank: What would you like to see as the result of what you’ve done?

Greg: I would like to see that the Sheriff’s Office is held to a higher level of accountability. I would like to see that the taxpayers are getting the services they are paying for and that their community investments are not being squandered. But, most of all, I would like to know with 100 percent certainty that we live in a county where we are served and protected by a Sheriff’s Office that is doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason.

Frank: What do you say to Sheriff Daugherty’s claim that your blog has driven down morale and could be a distraction that gets someone killed?

Greg: That is hyperbole.

Frank: What do you say to the sheriff’s statement that even if the allegations about his department are all true, it’s still just politics, implying that the allegations aren’t really important and are being spun for political purposes?

Greg: I have no political motivation, direction or handlers.

Frank: Now that your mask is off, what do you expect to happen to your site?

Greg: The blog has already served its purpose. It got the right people talking about what is allegedly happening at the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office. So I wouldn’t expect to see the blog around for very much longer anyway, even had I remained anonymous. When we have a resurgent and strong Fourth Estate, blogs lose their power.

Frank: Several specific allegations that appeared on the blog are apparently under direct SBI scrutiny. We’ve specifically heard that the issues of mishandling seized stolen property, taking a county-owned and county-fueled vehicle for an out-of-county personal excursion and interfering in the arrest of an officer’s friend on DWI charges, are all subjects of the SBI probe. What do you think the result of that probe will be and do you think some of the other more serious allegations on the site are true?

Greg: I have no personal knowledge on anything but the date time stamps on the pictures. Every other allegation has been made by those who are commenting.

Frank: If the SBI finds that the allegations against the Sheriff’s Office are true, do you want those involved made to answer?

Greg: If the SBI finds that these allegations are true then the responsible parties should be held accountable for their actions or inactions as the case may be. I would like to think that everyone in this county is held to the exact same standard in the eyes of the law — nothing more and nothing less.

Frank: What do you say to people who say that we’ve always been comfortable in Lincoln County living with a certain amount of corruption going on under our noses and we don’t need to be making such a big deal about it now?

Greg: I strongly disagree with that, as I know of no one who is willing to accept any corruption. We should, collectively, strive to have zero corruption.

Early on, I feared political motivation. However, LNB sought me out and persuaded me such was not the case. In our conversations he exhibited the virtues seen here. A father’s love is among the highest motivations.

My lime green Team LNB t-shirt should be here soon. For some reason, the Lincoln Looter has shut down the Cafe Press and Zazzle accounts. I wanted an orange one.

20:00: The LTN has moved the story and applied word wrap, but it still kinda sucks, so I’m leaving the whole text up.