"Quartzite Woman Accuses Town Attorney of Slander and Threats"

http://www.kswt.com/story/16382664/quartzite-woman-accuses-town-attroney-of-slander-and-threats

Story by Marie Hamill, Reporter - email

 

Jennifer "Jade " Jones, a candidate for Quartzsite Town Council and publisher of the Desert Freedom Press says a local group who investigates council members and staff found inappropriate content online, which they believe was produced by Martin Brannan, the Quartzite Town Attorney and Prosecutor.

 

"There's such extreme hateful and non- facts, I thought to myself this appears to be the signs of someone who is very disturbed and that's why I contacted the FBI," says Jones.

 

Jones says Brannan committed cyber bullying aimed at her and other entities using facebook, twitter, thinkatheist.com, and other sites.

 

She even believes he designed slanderous and threatening T-shirts using the site Cafepress.com.

"One T-shirt or design said QPOQ meaning Quartzite Police Officers Association and stamped over the top was the letters DOA (dead on arrival), and that appears to be a death threat," says Jones.

 

News 13 spoke with Martin Brannan and he says he did follow some blogs online and says he may have been the root of some ideas and things said by other people but feels he did not violate the law and says he did not design the T-shirts.

 

"The web site is called Quartzite Baggers, it's a wordpress thing I used to follow. I think there's nothing threatening, although it  may be a little mean spirited," says Brannan.

Brannan says he has not been contacted by the FBI, but would not oppose an investigation because he says he is innocent. 

After the interview with KSWT, Brannan wrote in a press release that he's a veteran of the first Gulf War and suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome, but says he is not a threat to himself or anyone else.

 

"I ask that people look objectively at what's being alleged and actually decide for themselves if there is anything on the websites she should complain about that actually constitutes a threat. I'm sure everyone will see it's just silliness," says Brannan.

 

 

(Disclaimer- some highlighted links in the press release below may contain strong language and offensive material.)

 

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Press release from Jennifer "Jade" Jones:  

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

When you go to current Quartzsite Town Attorney/Former La Paz and Apache County Attorney Martin Brannan's personal Internet page at thinkathiest.com, the link directing you to what he listed as his Twitter site "Idi Amin" - http://twitter.com/qsitebagger has recently been taken down.

 

The screen shot was saved at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=150039585100557&set=o.150884578335803&type=3

Think Athiest reciprocally follows qsitebagger on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/qsitebagger/#/followers

 

Up until last week, http://twitter.com/qsitebagger would have led you to a very disturbing hate website: http://quartzsitebagger.wordpress.com where anti Quartzsite Police Officers Association "QPOA" T shirts were being promoted, These shirts are for sale on:

http://www.cafepress.com/iwishyouwerentaliar

 

The "bagger" website proclaims "Quartzsite Em Effin You Ess Ay Just your typical Jenny Jones lovin', holocaust denyin', moon landing hoax and 9/11 was a gov'ment conspiracy believin' birther."

 

It appears that Marty the "bagger" has a second Twitter account as
https://twitter.com/mayoredfoster with it's own website dedicated to denigrating former Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster at:
http://nedfraudster.info/wp/?cat=3

with a parody of Ed Foster's real website:
www.quartzsitemineshaft.com/

 

The anti "QPOA" T shirts, and one featuring The Desert Freedom Press Publisher Jennifer Jones with a cartoon mad cow are available on an internet store called Cafe Press, where you can also buy merchandise with the La Paz County logo and another potential trademark infringement of the STP logo from "Quartzsite Town Attorney's Store" at: www.cafepress.ca/sk/qsitetownatty/100001

 

Evidence of Martin Brannan's connection to these websites was turned over to the FBI in Phoenix, the Major Crimes Division of DPS, and La Paz County Prosecutor Sam Vederman.
   

Brannan was hired by the Quartzsite Town Council last spring to replace Town Prosecutor Matt Newman. Newman was fired for refusing to pursue false charges against political targets and their known associates.

 

Jennifer "Jade" Jones
Publisher, The DESERT FREEDOM PRESS

News you can use for Quartzsite and La Paz County, AZ!
http://thedesertfreedompress.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Press release from Martin Brannan: 

 

Martin Brannan
Quartzsite Town Attorney
PO Box 2812
Quartzsite, AZ 85346-2812

 

I was just notified by a reporter from KSWT television in Yuma that Jennifer Jones has issued a "press"release making generally silly accusations about her request that I be investigated by the FBI and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) for threatening her and others. Assuming that the FBI andDPS even find grounds to believe that there is criminal conduct requiring and investigation, which I highly doubt, I know that I have engaged in no illegal conduct. There is one accusation that Ms. Jones made which I do want to address, however, because I believe it is of great importance.

 

Ms. Jones alleged to the KSWT reporter that I am mentally unbalanced. I want to address this accusation in the hopes that it will help others who are stigmatized by such outrageous allegations.

 

I am a veteran of the first gulf war (1990-1991). I received an Air Medal for my role in piloting medium lift helicopters during combat operations in support of the 18th Airborne Corps. Shortly after returning from the conflict, I began having migraine headaches and experiencing difficulties which fall under the diagnostic heading of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I receive services from the Veteran's administration and have a service-connected disability for, along with several physical ailments, PTSD. I continue to suffer from occasional depression, anxiety and troubled sleep. I take medication for my condition which makes dealing with this disorder easier, but I do have symptoms and suffer from a condition designated by mental health professionals as a mental illness.

 

I admit this freely and without reservation because, like thousands of other Americans who have served this country against an armed enemy, I am not ashamed of the scars I earned ensuring that people like Jennifer Jones have the freedoms that Americans enjoy. While Ms. Jones uses her freedom of speech to ridicule people who bear the mental scars of combat like myself and Council Member Joe Winslow, she rails against anyone who dares to exercise their free-speech rights to ridicule her and her "service" to her fellow human beings.

 

The last US Combat troops have finally left Iraq and many more are still serving in Afghanistan. Some of them will soon be returning to the United States and to civilian life. Some of them may return to this community. All of them will have been impacted by their combat service. Some of them, like me, will have a service-connected disability as a result of their service. All of them, like me, will nevertheless be capable of really serving their communities both in spite of and, more importantly, because of the personal price they paid to secure your freedoms.

 

How you treat these brave men and women who suffer scars that you cannot see will be up to you. You can honor their service and their sacrifice and help them to adjust to civilian life.

You can also ridicule them and make scurrilous claims that they are mentally unstable like Ms.Jones does. Like Ms. Jones you can even claim that you are a "patriot" in doing so. That, too is your right; a right that these brave men and women and Joe Winslow and I all sacrificed a part of their own well-being to ensure.