So we’ve done a fair bit of reporting about the Arizona Daily Herald and its connections to Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller and her now-former aide, Timothy DesJarlais.
This story is so crazy that we don’t know where to start recapping it (read about it here, here, here and here), but the bottom line is this: It appeared as if DesJarlais, in addition to being Miller’s communication aide, was also masquerading as Jim Falken, the editor of a new online news site, the Arizona Daily Herald, that planned to cover Miller’s reelection campaign.
Despite the multiple links between DesJarlais and “Jim Falken,” DesJarlais denied having anything to do with the Herald and Miller stood behind him, saying the media was besmirching the reputation of her young aide and her office. Both Miller and DesJarlais filed reports with the FBI, saying whoever was running the Herald was trying to steal DesJarlais’ (fake) identity and interfere with Miller’s reelection campaign. Then DesJarlais quit Miller’s office, saying he wanted to concentrate on his college studies.
Well, as of today, the Arizona Daily Herald is back in business! And guess what? The site appears to be run by Timothy DesJarlais.
A call to DesJarlais to learn how he became editor of a publication that he was not associated with previously has not been returned. But the first story on the site carries his byline—unless this is yet another attempt to steal DesJarlais’ identity?
This article appears in Jun 9-15, 2016.
Jim, you seem to be overwhelmed by this 16 year old. He looks like the boy that delivered our newspaper, back when they were worth reading. Why has this kid got you tied in knots?
Obama and Clinton lie to the media nearly every day, and you chase the paperboy, much like a chihuahua we used to have.
Come on Jim, up your game. Up yours. Please.
Yes, Jim, get right on that Killary/Nobama daily lie flurry as part of your job as Senior Writer for the TUCSON Weekly to appease this anonymous dipshit. Your country depends on you! BENGHAZIE NEVAR FORGETTTTT!!!!!!!1111
Is he still king of the castle, or whatever the hell it was at his parents house?
Out of Towners, Timothy finished high school and started college in 2012, so I suspect he is a bit older than 16.
But, then, you knew that, didn’t you?
From https://azdailyherald.com/about/
MEET THE EDITOR
Timothy DesJarlais is the current managing editor of The Arizona Daily Herald.
This whole saga about who is faking identities of “Jim Falken” really made my head hurt. Understanding Ally Miller’s behavior also makes my head hurt. Being a press aide for a politician and operating an “online new site” crossed the boundary of journalism ethics. Truthfulness, accuracy and objectivity make up necessary elements of the journalism ethics standard. It’s kind of hard to be impartial and objective when you are issuing press releases from the “other side of the fence” while at the same time “reporting the news”.
This whole multi-part saga regarding impersonation of a ficticious “Jim Falken” really made my head hurt.
If DesJarlais is truly the “editor” of the AZ Daily Herald, he should take the time to prepare an article regarding AZ Daily Herald’s journalistic ethics standards.
The Millenial Falken?
Who. Falken. Cares???
Jim, you, Dylan Smith and Tim Steller are likely the lone trio of political reporters remaining in this increasingly news-free town. Why waste your time on these trivialities? Stick with reporting on how Ally’s policies and priorities would lay waste to county government if she somehow got two more votes on her side…which she is trying to garner.
“Truthfulness, accuracy and objectivity make up necessary elements of the journalism ethics standard.”
Not for the last 20-30 years and even before that journalism ethics were guidelines that were blurred depending on who was doing the reporting and what was the topic.
“Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.” Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965)
Shame on you Jim for getting in the gutter. It should be clear to most of us now that Mr. Desjarlais is not the brightest bulb in the socket.
The real problem here is Aly Miller. As a supposedly mature adult, she failed to provide leadership and supervisory skills in her office. She could have snuffed out the whole affair in minutes by simply stating that some errors had been made; instead she fabricated a story making things worse, and then she bailed on the boy, starting a smear campaign against him in the Arizona Daily independent, showing her to be incompetent and a coward as well.
If I was the parent of Mr. Deslarlais, I would be seeing Aly Miller in court and Lorretta H and her fake newspaper as well. The real solution to this tiny town mess would be for Aly to simply step up to the plate, say “I’m sorry for the mess I have created,” and for Lorretta H. to cease publishing her fake newspaper.
When did it become unimportant for a (real) reporter to ferret out the truth about this sleazy little affair? Thanks, Jim. Keep writing, we’ll keep reading.
Thanks, Jim, for exposing just how amazingly abusive a politician can be regarding the rights of a free press. Lying in the press, covering for lying in the press, and possibly paying for lying in the press can all be criminal, depending on what’s published and the consequences.
The character of any business operation, public or private, is determined by the person at the top — in the pending case, that would be Supervisor Miller, whose veracity has been challenged (successfully) in the past.
It’s important to stay with this story. Just because DesJarlais is no longer on the Supervisor’s payroll (so far as we know, pending completion of the County’s ongoing investigation) — i.e., the public’s payroll — there may be a continuing connection between Miller and the Arizona Daily Herald.
If the resurrected Arizona Daily Herald endorses Miller or her policies, and there is a connection, this relationship may be fraudulent, politically if not legally so. I wonder what the District Attorney, advised by the FBI, would have to say about this. At the least, her character would be called into question — and which supervisor, currently or in the future, would want to be part of her majority?
PS Are the reports filed with the FBI by Desjarlais and Miller prosecutable, perjurious or both?
From the FBI Retired website, https://fbiretired.com/skillset/fbi-false-…
“Under Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 1001, federal authorities can prosecute individuals who knowingly and willfully falsify, conceal and/or make a false statement to a federal agent, or knowingly makes or uses a document that contains a material false statement. The federal law does not require that the false statement be related to the matter being investigated, as long as it was made knowingly and willfully. And there is no legal requirement that the statement be made under oath.”
If a legal case ensued, and the statements were read into the record as given under oath, the answer almost certainly would be: yes. Were they given under oath?
Penalties vary by state.
Quit, you personally are going to be responsible for the young fellow’s election to the Marana School Governing Board. Without Jim Nintzel, Timothy and Ally Miller
were in a pit and world of their own. Now half of the town, at least those who read the Range have a blown up image of him. The original three peas in a pod, McSally, Miller and DesJarlais. They have one thing in common, well at least one thing without throwing “NINTZEL’S” at them, sending the FBI on wild goose chases. They can all three get on a street corner flashing their signs and watching for the Martians flying their spy planes overhead looking for a place to land. It should be an easy task for the Martians just following the bright light reflecting off your shining balding head. Time to stop your one man crusade against the intellectually and ethically challenged trio. No, on second thought, this has been fun putting you on the same level as the three Pima musketeers and you cast as d’Artagnan.