Ashley Todd, McCain Attack Scammer, Reaches Deal With Police

PITTSBURGH — A volunteer for John McCain's presidential campaign agreed Thursday to enter a probation program for first-time offenders for falsely reporting that a Barack Obama supporter robbed and assaulted her and scratched a "B" on her cheek.

Ashley Todd, 20, of College Station, Texas, claimed the attack happened when a robber saw her McCain bumper sticker. Todd appeared before a city judge and waived her right to a hearing and was to be released from jail later Thursday.

Under the agreement, her criminal record will be expunged after if she stays out of trouble and gets mental treatment on probation. Most people spend a year on probation in the program, which is for first-time, nonviolent offenders.

"Our focus was really, 'This is somebody who appeared to have some mental issues,'" said prosecutor Chris Avetta. "And we wanted to make sure she doesn't hurt herself or anybody else."

Todd's public defender, Emily McNally, declined to comment.

Todd initially told investigators she was attempting to use a bank ATM on Oct. 22 when a 6-foot-4 black man approached her from behind, put a knife to her throat and demanded money. She told police she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.

Todd, who is white, told investigators she suspected the man then noticed a McCain sticker on her car. She said the man punched her in the back of the head, knocked her to the ground and scratched a backward letter "B" into her face with a dull knife.

After admitting she made up the story, the woman told investigators she believed she cut the "B" onto her own cheek but didn't remember doing so, police said last week.

She was charged with a misdemeanor count of making a false police report and had been jailed since Oct. 24. She underwent a court-ordered psychiatric examination and was deemed to be competent to stand trial but in need of further counseling.

The charge Todd faced carries a maximum two-year jail sentence. Assistant Police Chief Maurita Bryant said Todd must abide by the conditions of her release or risk being prosecuted on the charge.

"I think what she needed mostly was counseling," Bryant said. "The only one she actually hurt was herself, although there could have been so many other ramifications based on her actions."

The case generated national media attention when a picture showing Todd with a black eye and the red "B" on her cheek was posted online.

Initial reports of the mugging prompted calls of support from McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, and his running mate, Sarah Palin. The College Republican National Committee at first criticized the attack, then fired and disowned Todd once the hoax was exposed.

Comments

[musicisourhigh]

What this lady did was not only reckless but dangerous. She knew what she was doing and she knew the implications.

In my eyes - she got off too easy.

[JBS]

She got off easy, but I'm not convinced she understood, or yet understands, the implications and possible consequences of her act.

[Rapid Ray]

She's clearly not firing on all thrusters.

Let's hope they straighten the wings and she flies right when this passes.

Yes, she did play with fire, but, thankfully, no one else got burned.

[tjwdraws]

'This is somebody who appeared to have some mental issues,'

To be fair, that could be any repub.

[faithfully]

In my practice, the more ill people seem to be going for McCain.

[13lotus]

i get that what she did was a "misdemeanor". but, the gravity of her message goes far beyond that...the thought process and pre-planning of this concocted travesty is the scariest part of the story. i bet, at moments, this girl actually believed her lie. and i guarantee that there are still people that believe that it is true...and it is some kind of liberal cover-up.

[Bongborg]

Boy, McCain really draws the cream of the volunteer crop. Except she was a paid campaign worker, not a volunteer. Can't they find anyone who wants to support them who doesn't have "some mental issues"?

[payos]

Well, it's a good thing she owned up to the flasehood right away, before further damaged could have been done.

[FellowMan]

one of the 23%

[abbeyroad]

i wonder who put her up to this.

she didn't hatch this plan on her own.

[PaceSetter]

Not the first time:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/10/27/ashley-todd-pulled-h.html

In March, Ms. Todd was asked to leave a grass-roots group of Ron Paul supporters in Brazos County, Texas, group leader Dustan Costine said. He said Ms. Todd posed as a supporter of former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and called the local Republican committee seeking information about its campaign strategies.

"She would call the opposing campaign and pretend she was on their campaign to get information," Mr. Costine said last night. "We had to remove her because of the tactics she displayed. After that we had nothing to do with her."

About a month earlier, he said, Ms. Todd sent an e-mail to the Ron Paul group saying her tires were slashed and that campaign paraphernalia had been stolen from her car because she supported Mr. Paul. "She's the type of person who wants to be recognized," Mr. Costine said.

[bushgirlsgone]

.

What a shame. Due to her experience with ATM's she was on the McCain fast track to being his Secretary of the Treasury.

[Damaven]

She's sick, just look at her.

[Dave61430]

One of the reasons (certainly not the main one) that I'm supporting Obama is to get past this racial nonsense.
She's a disturbed youngster, needs some counseling and race is irrelevant. The sentence was fair.

[xxmaryxx]

Now if that was a black woman who said a white man robbed her and scared up her face, that black woman would be facing hate charges as well as false report and probably would be in jail with no help

[Damaven]

Truly

[sdskelton03]

I disagree. I think the same thing would have happened.

Did Tawana Brawley go to jail?

But it is unfortunate either way.. I don't care if this gal is mentally ill, I say throw her in the slammer for a month or two.

[shaaronie]

Great point! A lot of sick kids get slaps on the wrist. Apparently skin color doesn't matter as much as the "baby faced look".

[HST]

I say put her in a cell with Ted Stevens.

[jnratliff]

Does anyone deserve that much torture?

[JBS]

Hey! Stevens knew better than to take the bribes.

[bolingo]

lmao!!!

[kurtm]

we don't need to take the chance of procreation

[cheeriogirl]

Assistant Police Chief Maurita Bryant said. "The only one she actually hurt was herself, although there could have been so many other ramifications based on her actions."

And this woman is a assistant chief? I cannot believe that she does not understand the ramifications that this young womans actions had on Obamas campaign, and the potential ramifications it could have on him in the ballot box.

I would love to see the results of the psychiatric eval done on Ashley, and would love to have Ms. Bryant explain her rationale. I would also love to know if this was investigated thoroughly to see if there were others involved.

Count me skeptical!

[JBS]

Assistant Chief Bryant is herself black. I think she understands the potential ramifications.

[PTaylor]

Pitiful. A slap on the hand for the poor widdle mentally disturbed hatemonger.

People with drug-related convictions should get off so easy. I mean, "they're only hurting themselves..."

[Carolab]

I guess Republicans are "soft on crime", then, huh?