UPDATE: Trooper Garrity has left Team Romney…
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On June 22, we first brought you the story of presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Director of Operations/wannabe “Supercop” Jay Garrity. In case you missed it, Garrity was forced to take a leave of absence from Romney’s campaign after he was accused of impersonating a police officer (the audio from is nothing short of HILARIOUS) on two separate occasions. The Romney aide had been previously cited by the real police for having flashing lights and other police equipment in his car.

A few days after that story broke, it was discovered that “Trooper Garrity” had made other traffic stops. Marcia Vickers, a senior writer with Fortune magazine, said that “while trailing Romney in New Hampshire on Memorial Day for a forthcoming magazine piece, Garrity instructed her at one point to stop tailing Romney’s car.”

And now, the Boston Herald reports that Garrity “created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls and trick security guards into giving them immediate access to campaign venues.”

A campaign source said Garrity directed underlings on Romney’s presidential staff to use the badges at events nationwide to create an image of security and to ensure that the governor’s events went smoothly.

“They (the aides) knew the badges were fake and probably illegal,” said a presidential campaign source who asked for anonymity because the story could damage the individual’s career. “But they went along with it because Jay (Garrity) pushed it on them.”

A spokesman for Romney issued an e-mailed statement. “No one on the Mitt Romney for President campaign is authorized to use a badge, nor has the campaign provided anyone with a badge,” the statement reads. “Jay Garrity is not working on the campaign because he continues to be on a leave of absence.”

Two additional sources confirmed that the badges - described as bright silver plates with a state seal attached - were first created and used by Garrity while Romney was still governor. Under state law, it is illegal to use a badge without authority, an offense that carries a fine of not more than $50.

A spokeswoman for Garrity referred all questions to the Romney campaign.

In addition to Garrity, other aides who used the badges included advance staffers Mark Glanville and William Ritter, the source said.

Garrity remains under investigation by the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer in a May 13 phone call to a Wilmington plumbing company. During the phone call, Garrity allegedly referred to himself as “Trooper Garrity” and told the plumbing company its driver was operating erratically. A spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said the investigation remains “open and active.” Garrity’s attorney has denied that he made the phone call.

Garrity is also under investigation in New Hampshire for a separate incident in which he allegedly told a New York Times [NYT] reporter to stop following Romney’s motorcade. He also allegedly told the reporter his license plates had been run. Garrity has denied through his lawyer that he checked the reporter’s license plates. [CASEY ROSS - Boston Herald]

While the story is pretty funny, it carries with it some serious charges. Impersonating a law enforcement official, and doing so multiple times, could mean jail time and a very large fine.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 20th, 2007 at 11:01 am and is filed under Primary Season, Republicans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.