THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 8, 2022 Page 11 LAWSUIT | FROM PAGE 10 well as urge others to make statements to him. Resnek replied that he did. The attorney delved further into the emails with Estes, asking Resnek about the email where Resnek describes the scenario where Estes should call DeMaria, Cornelio and the O’Neil brothers, and said that she should not expect them to reveal their pocket LLC to protect the mayor’s $96,000 “unless you provoke them that they met privately” – “at least three times before Cornelio gave up and signed over the $96,000 to the mayor.” Resnek claimed that evidence came from Cornelio’s statements; that it’s only what he told him and that he didn’t have any notes to back it up. “And in fact – Mr. Cornelio never told you, Joshua Resnek, that the mayor ever pressured him into giving money to him, correct?” asked Atty. Jeff rey Robbins. “Correct,” replied Resnek. Estes, in the same email, tells Resnek that Cornelio was expected to call her later, but her editors wanted her to get the story published before the primary, asking Resnek, “Do you think Carlo will win?” Robbins asked him if his plan was to have The Globe reporter write a story about the mayor before the primary in which DeMaria was seeking reelection; Resnek stated that it would have been an “optimum situation,” adding, “Yes.” When asked if he had any formal training in journalism or was familiar with any guidelines for ethical journalism, Resnek replied he wasn’t and had not received any formal training but was mentored by Andrew Quigley, Sr., father of his former partner, Steven Quigley of the Everett Independent. Robbins asked Resnek if he agreed that it was dishonest to fabricate quotes or to publish as fact something which is actually speculation. Resnek agreed despite admitting to having no evidence, proof or notes to justify his articles from Sept. 8 and 15, 2021. When questioning focused on a story Resnek wrote in March 2022 titled “Irish Humiliated in Racist E-mail and Text Threads Shared by Mayor, Others,” Resnek’s Attorney, Bernie Guekguezian, instructed Resnek not to answer any questions related to anything after Sept. 2021, until it was decided by the judge. Robbins continued to ask Resnek about the story, quoting passages with derogatory statements, and then asking Resnek if he fabricated any parts of the story. Resnek refused to answer on the advice of counsel. When the questions moved to Philbin’s financials and real estate holdings in Everett, particularly the rooming houses and multifamily units, Resnek was asked if the Philbins had sought favorable treatment from the City of Everett on various occasions in the past; Resnek replied in the affi rmative. Resnek also agreed that the Philbins stopped receiving favorable treatment once DeMaria was elected mayor and the Philbins weren’t very happy about it. Robbins then asked if it was wrong to ascribe statements to the wrong person and to knowingly tell readers that person X has said something when person X had not said that, and that it would be false; Resnek agreed. “That would be reckless journalism, correct?” asked Robbins. “Not necessarily,” replied Resnek. “If you knew the mayor hasn’t said something and you tell readers that it’s the mayor that said something, that would be reckless, right?” asked Robbins. “Yes,” replied Resnek. Resuming after lunch, Robbins asked Resnek if owner Matthew Philbin was a journalist or had any background in journalism. Resnek stated that other than owning the newspaper, Philbin did not. Resnek admitted that he had never seen any notes by Philbin of any conversations that Philbin claims he had with Cornelio for Resnek stories. When asked if the newspaper had any policies in place with respect to reporting, Resnek stated he did, and that was to “always tell the truth or as close to the truth as we feel it can be.” In a paltry attempt to justify his articles, Resnek was questioned on his journalistic ethics. When asked if he believed it was wrong to mislead readers, misquote or present as fact information which is speculation, Resnek replied that it was. “You will admit that it would be reckless to disregard those fundamental journalistic principals, correct?” asked Robbins. “Without meaning any disrespect, it depends on who you’re writing about,” stated Resnek. When asked by Robbins if he thought it was okay to falsify information about certain people, Resnek, despite objection from counsel, stated that if the person was heinous and his actions are detrimental to our freedom and free speech and a wide variety of things…someone needs to stand up. But when asked if it was okay to falsify information about certain people, Resnek replied that it was not. “And would it be dishonest of your newspaper to falsify information about Mr. DeMaria, correct?” Resnek replied, “Yes.” Robbins questioned Resnek on Matthew Philbin’s dislike for the mayor, asking him if he believed Philbin felt that the mayor was unfavorable to his business interests. Resnek agreed. “And you understood that when you were publishing these articles about the mayor, correct?” asked Robbins. “I understood that long before,” he replied, including admitting to Philbin’s personal animosity towards the mayor. The focus then centered on Resnek’s Sept. 11, 2019, arLAWSUIT | SEE PAGE 12 2.55 CD The k se you like to see. Open a 3- egions highest rates. se you li Stop into one o anches to open an account. en a 3egion into one o Member FDIC | Member DIF *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is subject to change without notice. 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