An attorney representing Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage recently spoke to the media.
Well, he spoke to one media outlet – the (Lehighton) Times-News – about other media outlets spreading what he calls, in a sense, a lot of Fake News.
Times-News reported yesterday that Gerard Geiger is representing Halcovage in his fight against allegations he violated 3 workplace policies at Schuylkill County Courthouse.
But Geiger says you can’t convict his client in the court of public opinion. And, he called out the constant battering Halcovage is taking during Public Comment portions of weekly County Commissioners meetings.
That’s where we’ve all heard the proverbial drip-drip-drip of allegations against Halcovage.
To the Times-News, Geiger said, “The exaggerated stories published in local blogs and the press are unfair. While he may disagree with the claims made against him, he cannot fully respond. His hands are tied.”
We’re assuming here that we’re one of the “local blogs” he’s referencing.
Certainly, the Canary has had a hand in perpetuating these stories.
And there have been A LOT of stories put out there since the County released its findings:
- Halcovage on Rock Climbing Adventures?
- Maria Casey Tells Taxpayers Halcovage Saga Could Cost Us Millions
- Casey Accuses Boots of Running Cover for Embattled Halcovage
- Crickets on the Halcovage Saga During Recent Schuylkill Commissioners Meeting
- Women Claiming to be Courthouse Employees Say They Don’t Feel Safe at Work
- “Maria, would you please sit down?” – Drama Over Agenda Order at Schuylkill Commissioners Meeting
- Halcovage Confined to Office, Bathroom Breaks at Schuylkill County Courthouse
- Halcovage Accusers Talk to TV Media Before Wednesday’s Commissioners Meeting
- Former County Detective: “King George” Halcovage “Will Make Your Life a Living Hell”
- Schuylkill Clerk of Courts Calls Halcovage a “Serial Perpetrator” Who “Prowls the Hallways”
However, we’re only reporting what we hear during public meetings. If every Schuylkill County resident wanted to call in to these meetings – typically held every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. – they could easily hear these stories, too.
And reporting on them is hardly yellow journalism. Sensationalism? Nah.
It’s up to the public and you, the reader, to decide if they’re to be believed or not. It seems people have already made up their mind on this issue, one way or the other. And surely some people are on the fence about it.
We report on these stories because they’re in the public forum.
The Canary has reached out to Halcovage to get his responses to the accusations against him. And that’s an open invitation. We also responded to Geiger’s slight implication that we’re spreading Fake News by reporting on the accusations.
Geiger told the Times-News yesterday, “Commissioner Halcovage looks forward to responding to these claims. We ask only for your patience in giving him that chance, and, in the proper forum.”
He did respond to our email sent Tuesday after we were notified of his statement. He declined to add anything more to what he told Times-News.
You can read his full statement by clicking or tapping over to the Times-News report: Halcovage’s attorney speaks out
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Rob
August 26, 2020 at 2:11 pm
It doesn’t matter what the ignorant (by definition think: NOBODY knows the full details of the accusations and those details cannot legally be made public during due process (court hearing pending)). Jumping to conclusions isn’t wise. Especially with no proof or facts.
A person can claim a simple, genuine (non-sexual), greeting “Hello. Good to see you! You look good.” as sexual harassment. Since there are no proven factual details of what brought on the accusations for all anyone knows the alligations are that ridiculous – some drama queen causing any trouble they can over anything they can use against anyone.
Really. What does it do for anyone?
It’s disgusting how too many people are more focussed on destroying someone any way they can whether it has to do with them or not than contribiting to their family, community, or even their own quality if life.
People don’t get convicted on thought. They get convicted because of evidence.
Facts needed that we don’t have. All of this could be over some d-bag taking George’s common, joyful, greeting the wrong way. Which they could also be taking the wrong way on purpose making the accusations against him in childish retaliation or power tripping because they’re upset they didn’t get what they selfishly wanted. That could really be all ot is. After all the Clerk of Courts attempted to throw authority they do not have around treating our (adult) elected officials like 3 year olds instructing them to ‘stay in your room!’.
Which, by the way, Halcovage did even though he really didn’t have to. The clerk is not anyone’s boss in a courthouse. They’re a secretary.