It's Just A Question

We had an interesting conversation with Mayor Gavin Newsom this evening about the Baker’s Dozen controversy, and we thought it was important to stream the entire interview for a number of reasons. Primarily, it was the first time that he addressed the controversy in detail. We also took the opportunity to ask Newsom about a published report in the Chronicle Monday that claimed he was under the influence of alcohol and acted inappropriately when he visited the hospital the night SFPD Officer Bryan Tuvera was shot to death. No reporter’s been able to get a response to the report from Newsom, so I asked the question. I’m providing a transcript of the entire interview. Again, you’ll see two questions about the Baker’s Dozen, and then – about 3:45 into the exchange – the drinking question.

Dan: I’m asking about the attack on the Yale students over New Year’s and, you know, it’s kind of spreading across the country; a couple other, some news outlets in other countries are picking it up. I wonder, are you concerned at all about the image of the city?

Mayor Newsom: I think there’s, I think before everyone overreacts and I think a lot of misinformation’s been out there. Uh, and uh, a lot suggestions that I don’t think are necessarily founded are being put into play. People are hiring attorneys everywhere and there’s a lot of p.r. and spin that’s been provided. So, I’m hoping everyone tempers things, we have a professional investigation, investigations don’t happen overnight and they certainly don’t happen in the media. And, I think people need to be cautious before photographs are put on the air, before investigative reports are leaked, people need to consider does that help the investigation or does it hurt it. And I think it hurts it and I think we all should just temper and move forward. This stuff just flames the fire and then creates this media attention which some people like. I don’t think it’s good for the city, to answer your question, obviously it’s not, but you know, there’s still a lot of questions I have. Why were these kids, they’re all underage, why were they in a home with a lot of liquor, how’d they get the liquor, what the heck were they doing down there, why is everyone hiring an attorney, who’s culpable, who’s not? You know, I have confidence, I have spent the last two days with the investigators, spent an hour with them today, literally an hour, going again through every detail and all these assertions in the press, and I have confidence we’re marching down the right path. They’re going to be meeting with the uh, the uh Yale kids tomorrow down in Southern California where they’re already going to be and hopefully we’ll get closer to having someone identify a witness, not just someone who’s wearing a hat that they think necessarily was uh, or identify a culprit, not just someone they think was a culprit.

Dan: Okay, I appreciate that, I’m almost finished. I wonder if you have concerns at all about the police handling of this. There’s been criticism that they should have made an arrest early on, and they haven’t talked to the guys for ten days.

Mayor Newsom: Well, they uh, they’ve been trying. We were supposed to interview them today at three o’clock, but they decided they have a new attorney, Jim Hammer, of all people, it’s interesting, a friend of mine. Used to work with my wife—ex-wife, and uh they’re going to be doing it in L.A., so they’ve been trying to arrange that for some time. That being said, uh, you got to arrest people because people have identified people and have signed affidavits saying that person did it. You’re going to find there’s a lot of information, I’m not going to talk about it in the press, too much has been talked about, but based on what I know, I think people need to just take a deep breath, let the facts take shape, uh, challenge now is you got a lot of interesting nuanced folks, this attorney, that attorney, a new attor-, I think there’s three attorneys now.

Dan: Right.

Mayor Newsom: One’s a potential mayoral candidate who’s involved, I mean, this thing’s getting a little crazy, so just everyone temper. The sad thing is this poor family had your young kid beaten up badly, and we’re gonna have to find out who did that and we’re gonna do it in a professional and respectful manner. Someone will be held account, and if it’s more than one person, more than one person. Epithets that were apparently thrown out, if those are determined to be accurate, that’s disgraceful and outrageous, there’s no place in San Francisco and so I’m very disappointed in the behavior of all of these kids that were involved in this incident. Apparently, a lot of people were fighting on all sides and it’s a good reminder how important it is to remind our parents to be good stewards of underage drinking.

Dan: I appreciate that, the only other question I have is, it hasn’t been a very easy week for you, and I wonder whether you have any comment on the Matier and Ross story about the drinking.

Mayor Newsom: I thank you very much. That was a great cheap shot. (walks away) You can’t help yourself. (claps hands together) You cannot. Just know for the record, it’s increasingly impossible to have a conversation with you because I don’t trust you.

Dan: Mayor, it was out there. Mayor, it was out there.

Mayor Newsom: Nah, you know, you just, so just know it’s not personal when I walk by you. You just send some other reporters; it’s going to be a lot easier now.

Dan: Mayor, it’s not personal here either.

Mayor Newsom: I don’t have any animus towards Channel 7.

Dan: I’m sorry?

Mayor Newsom: You, you keep missing consistently a lot of facts because your opinion is so enthusiastic to get in the way all the time. And Dan, let me tell you, the investigation was not helped by a lot of things that are in your report. Just stating that factually, as well.

Dan: It’s just a story, Mayor.

A few more notes on the Baker’s Dozen controversy…

The couple whose daughter hosted the party, Reno Rapagnani and Leanna Dawydiak, tell me no alcohol was served at the party; they had lots of food and soft drinks. But, some of the young men who were involved in the attack on the Baker’s Dozen apparently brought alcohol to the party, and weren’t sharing with other guests – some of whom reportedly asked for a beer. Rapagnani and Dawydiak were not there the night of the incident; they were celebrating New Year’s Eve at a hotel in the city. But, their home is connected to the townhouse next door, where adult family members were checking in on the Baker’s Dozen celebration.

By the way, we mentioned on the air the couple’s connection to the SFPD – they both worked in the legal division, and got swept up in the Fajitagate scandal. Today, the Bay Area Reporter had a good description of what happened:

“In 2002, Dawydiak and Rapagnani discovered their SFPD colleagues were mishandling evidence of police misconduct in the infamous Fajitagate case. Public Defender Jeff Adachi called for a Police Commission investigation into the matter after Rapagnani and Dawydiak told the San Francisco Daily Journal that they quit working in the SFPD legal office after discovering that such key information was being withheld, which did not endear the couple to their co-workers. Dawydiak and Rapagnani sued the city in federal court, claiming that after they publicly criticized the department, they were unjustly blamed for leaking an officer's disciplinary reports to the media. They were later cleared. Dawydiak resigned from the legal division, fearing she'd put her license to practice law at risk by providing incomplete officer personnel information to the courts. The department abandoned the misconduct charges and gave the couple $25,000 to settle a lawsuit claiming their colleagues had sought to punish them. Rapagnani, who worked for the department for 30 years, claims he was forced to retire in January 2005 after the department transferred him out of the legal unit and brought formal disciplinary charges against him.”

Comments

[billy]

Newsom isn't sensitive about his drinking...Newsom agreed to talk about the Yale thing and then Noyes throws out the drinking thing...How many people have had a drink or 2 at a holiday party..Newsom is human and the fact that he went to the hospital at all, drunk or not, was a sign of respect and support for the cops.

[Brett]

As a San Francisco native that has recently returned to the city after four years I am deeply saddened by the state of local news outlets. I understand that at times getting the story requires hard questions but to question the mayor's actions when he showed up to show support for a slain officer? thats ridiculous. Seriously, what did he do? Hug some officers? Cry?

I served in Iraq from OCT2005 to OCT2006 and everyone cried when a soldier or Marine was killed and it didnt matter what unit it was we were all one family. Get off your high horses and write the news. If you have policy issues then speak intelligently on that subject otherwise save it for the elections.

[Dommonie Autry]

Dan stop hating on Gavin Newsom. You all to be a shame of yourself. Everyone knows you dislike Gavin and any little thing you can get on him you jupp right on it. You are suppose to be respectable newsman but you're not I can't stand you.

[Mike]

Mr Noise is an annoying, bias reporter that like to use half-truths and "national inquirer" style of journalism. I don't know why anyone would talk to him. Fairness apparently is not in his vocabulary. Shallowness is.
Mr Rapagnani and Ms Dawydiack are of questionalble character, to say the least.
Regardidng this story, one has to realize, that these assaults are confusing at first. I'm sure the pieces will fall into place. Justice delayed is not justice denied. Hiring the lawyers by the victim's families seems like a good waste of money to me....

[SF Resident]

That was a total cheap shot. How many other mayors would leave whatever activity they were engaged in on a weeknight - much less a weekend night - to go to the hospital and comfort a grieving family?

None. Most would either be too busy or consider it something they could deal with later when they could stage a photo op.

I find it interesting that M&R go out of their way to slam the mayor and yet won't name the "prominent nob hill family" involved in the Yale choir thing.

Smacks of favoritism to me. Both Noyes and M&R give SF journalism a bad name. Bunch of shoddy, yellow gossip hounds. Shameful.

[Victoria]

Someone has to hold the politicians and police chief accountable. Why were the victims not interviewed? Forget Gavin's whining (boy is he unprofessional) where is the outrage over a kid getting beat to the point of having his jaw wired shut and the cops don't even talk to him??? I'll bet these people chastising Dan would not be doing so if they were the ones that were brutalized. Gavin is a public servant and the public has not been served here!

[Gary]

Keep on it! Newsome's questioning what the kids were doing there and were they drinking... he is clearly choosing sides while giving lip service to the kid with the broken jaw's plight. This stinks of a cover up. Stinks.

Don't give in Dan! You can't be friends with a politican and expect to cover stories accurately. You are the man!

[Gary]

“Newsom: People are hiring attorneys everywhere and there’s a lot of p.r.”

Well no shit Gavin. Look at the way this has been handled. It looks like a small town cover-up. What do you expect? Some well-off kid gets his jaw broken visiting a City and nothing was done by the cops. What would you do if you were the father? The same thing the kids dad did: hire a lawyer. People always say that there is only justice if one can afford it. This is a perfect example of where justice will be done because this cannot be covered up (or ignored… take your pick).

[Concerned Native SF]

And on top of this could you believe Sean Hannity. He kept harping the kids were beat us because they sang the national anthem. Even when the victim's lawyer said that wasnt the case, Hannity still made the reference over the flag.

Hannity is creepy. This is the same tactic he is using successfully to get people to suport Bush. I give him credit; he has a way to convince stupid people.

To these people who say they wont come to San Francisco with unbelieveable reasoning. I would like you to say that to my face that my parents:God fearing, war veterans and humble people who have lived here all there lives that this is a God forsaken place. It is a tolerate place not welcoming to ignorance.

[peef]

can i just tell you how much i am loving newsom right now. FINALLY someone is starting to tell the real story of what happened. I hope the the Aicardis sue Dan Noyes after all this settles down because he has tainted their name and put a cloud over poor Dr. Aicardis practice. I am still pissed off that some idiot put all of their information on these blogs expecially her office address. But I am happy with the Newsom interview and how he told off Dan Noyes because that guy is an idiot. So all you people who said it was an assault and a hate crime can start to shut up because the truth is slowly going to come out. Dan Noyes....next time wait until the facts come out before you make a report and make a family look bad and the city look bad .

[eric]

I'm beginning to understand a little better how we lost the 49ers....

[Ex-officer]

The whole key to the discussion is the revelation that the ex-SFPD couple refused to participate in the fajitagate fiasco. SF has a history of corruption as bad as the Daly machine. Again the closed minds of the left display their hypocrisy asking if alcohol was involved. Can you imagine them asking the same questions if a young girl was drinking before she was raped? I don't care if the Yale kids were unconscious from drinking, they didn't deserve to be beaten and the handling of the incident stinks. Any decent officer still on the job in this sick city should be looking for a decent department in a city where their service will be appreciated.

[unconcerned native sf]

"can i just tell you how much i am loving newsom right now."

Is that you Gavin?????

[Jim]

Something Mayor Newsom said is really bothering me. He began with what I thought was a reasonable position...

"... a lot suggestions that I don’t think are necessarily founded are being put into play ... investigations don’t happen overnight and they certainly don’t happen in the media. And, I think people need to be cautious before photographs are put on the air, before investigative reports are leaked, people need to consider does that help the investigation or does it hurt it."

And instead of leaving it there or reviewing the facts that are not in dispute, the mayor starts throwing out more for the media to feed on.

"Why were these kids, they’re all underage, why were they in a home with a lot of liquor, how’d they get the liquor, what the heck were they doing down there, why is everyone hiring an attorney, who’s culpable, who’s not?"

How does asking about the drinking help the investigation or help quiet the media?

The alcohol is a distraction and what worries me more is what the Mayor is implying. If he is suggesting the yale kids were drunk, there is an implication they got what they deserved (not unlike justifying a rape by saying the victim was wearing something provocative) and on the other hand if the mayor was talking about the local kids, the implication is this is being overblown because the attackers were just drunk (two words: twinkie defense) Either is out of line, will distract from the investigation and is provocative.

Likewise it is not an admission of guilt to hire an attorney and the mayor is casting suspicion on anyone in the case who has done so unfairly. I can only imagine this is making the SFPD investigators jobs more difficult and I want to think that whatever happened that night, the investigators really are San Francisco's finest and are allowed to do there job without the interference of the media or the mayor.

[Gary]

Newsom: “And, I think people need to be cautious before photographs are put on the air, before investigative reports are leaked, people need to consider does that help the investigation or does it hurt it.”

Investigative report weren’t leaked Gavin, sorry. Information from the side of the victims was volunteered and aired. What photographs will the police have in their final report? Sounds like NONE because they didn’t bother to investigate. Chances are that there was no investigation until they found out that the kids that got beat up had money and would pursue justice.

[liberalwimp]

The investigation will certainly discover that, unlike the wimpy liberal San Francisco economic elite, the macho tough guy cheerleaders from Yale cannot conduct a proper street fight, as our situation in Iraq so vividly illustrates....

[Eve]

Adam,

If poor spelling, faulty punctuation, and emotionally-based argument are, as they appear to be, hallmarks of the Mayor's supporters on this issue, it's no wonder the city is in this appalling situation.

Clearly, we're not in Paradise anymore.

-Eve

[Cosmo]

It figures, San Fransicko, home for perverts, street bums and cowardly thugs. A DA who will not impose the death penalty on cop killers. Come to SF and get a slap on the wrist for crime. A drunk for a mayor. Shame on you who freak here. Go back to your bath house's and suck. You morons!!
Peace, bro

[stephenM]

Funny you should say that because
some people from Yale were over here last week saying exactly the same thing....

[Rose]

Another vote for the Mayor!

[Carlos]

Newsome let this dude get to him. Maybe it's his age. He hates this Noyes guy and probably wants to pop him, but dammit Gavin, when the f'ing camera is rolling you have to act like a mayor and not a high school kid.

[Cosmo]

That's a lie, Steven, and you know it. It's a fact that SF is a haven for thugs. Maybe you fit right in. Peace, bro

[stephenM]

>

Don't you dare forget that for even one minute.

To coin a phrase, 'Don't mess with San Francisco'.

[stephenM]

Yeah so 'peace bro' and remember what happened to the last person who said 'Go back to your bath house's and suck. You morons!!'

[TheMayorHasNoClothes]

Our mayor is a dumb guy, that's all. He's always been a dim bulb and his handlers work so hard to protect Poor Dumb Pretty Gavin.

He loves his 20 year old wine drinking girls, he couldn't stick with his wife who's an adult, and he thinks he is going to be President or something. Not likely, Dumbo.

He's not qualified to be the mayor. He should go back to being a wealthy socialite , and leave the hard work to people who don't move their lips when they read.