GARZA 10-25

  In breaking his story about Republican Cameron County Sheriff "Chubby" John Chambers stalking a 16-year-old girl earlier in his law enforcement career, The Brownsville Republic's Publisher /DP-M based the allegation on an official police report. 

He spoke about a number of documents that he suspected had come from the Eric Garza camp impugning Chambers' character. Garza, the former Cameron County District Clerk, is the Democratic nominee.

With our longtime friend and ally claiming that he had the physical evidence to substantiate the salacious charge, we contacted The Baker Boys, the famed investigative duo, and requested they contact all their sources and find the documents that the usually truthful /DP-M insisted he possessed. 

Within an hour, the pair had returned with 20 documents, many with two and more pages. They are an extremely negative perspective on Chambers' performance as a policeman in Early, Texas at the turn of the century. As the following letter indicates, Chambers' time in the redneck town did not end well.

With Police Chief A. J. Pinson's name insribed across the letterhead, it reads, "After reviewing documents from Assistant Chief Butch Lawson's investigation and evaluations, and from contacts and consultations I have had, I have determined that it is in the best interest of the Early Police Department and the City of Early not to retain John Chambers for employment with the Early Police Department.

"Numerous issues continue to be brought to my and Assistant Chief Lawson's attention to be investigated. Due to the continuing violations of department policy and inability to conform to our standards John Chambers is not compatible with our department."

/DP-M had broken the story about Chambers stalking a 16-year-old three weeks ago, but The McHale Report missed the disturbing information. Once again this weekend he wrote that Chambers was "stalking a 16-year-old girl" in his characterization of the reactionary Republican but without attribution, which is not the kind of mistake a veteran journalist who has written for some of the country's biggest newspapers would normally commit. In order to walk back his error, he printed the report filed against Chambers regarding the stalking controversy that we now possess. We reprint the document unedited:

EARLY POLICE DEPARTMENT 

P.O. Box 3100 Early, Tx. 76803 

915–646–5322 A.L. Pinson, Jr. Chief of Police 

OFFICER COMPLAINT/SUPERVISOR COUNCIL 

COMPLAINING PARTY: AMG 

NATURE OF COMPLAINT: Harassment 

INVESTIGATING OFFICER : B. Lawson 

DATE: 08/30/02

DETAILS OF INVESTIGATION : On Friday August 30 2002 Chief Pinson advised me that he had received a phone call from Shavonda Christmas regarding her 16 year old daughter. Mrs. Christmas told Chief Pinson that her daughter confided in her that an Early Police Officer has been following her. The Officer has followed her to work and then sat in the drive thru wanting to talk to her thru the drive thru window. The Officer has followed her to a friends house on Garmon dr on two occations. the complainant is concerned and fears oppression and or retaliation if she told anyone. 

INVESTIGATION FOUNDED 

YES 

NO 

IF FOUNDED, OFFICER’S RESPONSE: Under Investigation. 

INVESTIGATOR‘SREMARKS : 1 drove to the Early high school and spoke with 18. she told me that Officer Chambers had investigated an accident that she was involved in and that ever since that day he has followed her from school to work and then follows her when she leaves for the night. she stated that he had recently followed her to a friends house after she had gotten off work. she said that when she saw him drive up behind her she exited her car and ran into her friends house, he then spoke with an occupunt of the house and wanted to know where “the girl” was. stated that she does‘nt know why he keeps following her but she is frightened and fears some type of retaliation from the officer should she confide in anyone. she stated that on Monday August 26 2002, she was not scheduled to work and was told by her supervisor that the officer circled the restuarant several times as well as sat in the parking lot for a time. she also stated that Officer Chambers has been parked at the Early High School at dismissal time and has followed her from there as well, it has been brought to my attention that Chambers had reportedly made advances toward another local female who’s husband has not yet decided how to handle the situation because of fear of retaliation, as well as a female dispatcher at the Law Enforcement Center in Brownwood. 

For the staff at The McHale Report the documents that /DP-M reported existed are being scrutinized with a magnifying glass. Thus far the revelations are a ringing indictment of Chambers in both his professional and personal conduct. The fact that /DP-M revealed that Chambers was "stalking a 16-year-old girl" has Chambers and his Republican renegades frantically looking for an explanation to counter /DP-M's outstanding investigative reporting. The South Texas Independent Journalists Association (STIJA) has ranked him as the favorite to receive its coveted Journalist of the Year award.

"/DP-M has stated unequivocally and categorically that Chambers isn't fit to be sheriff," said Scott Steinbeck, The McHale Report's managing editor. "Though we often differ in our opinions with /DP-M, we agree that Chambers is unfit for the position. From the details that we are collecting from the same documents /DP-M is utilizing for his own reporting on Chambers' excesses and outrages, we can affirm that the stalking of a 16-year-old girl is only the tip of the iceberg."