Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 29, 2023 RESNEK | FROM PAGE 5 “Yes,” he replied. Philbin continues his instructions to his corrupt reporter, stating,” Gotta do a couple rewrites, and go over a few things. But Fred is out. In print or online.” Resnek then replies to Philbin, ““Got it. No Fred online or in print my man. Just let me know what you want edited and we will be set. F**k Carlo. F**k him good. That front page is killer.” “That’s what you wrote?” asked the attorney. “Yes,” replied Resnek. In another glaring example of Philbin’s control over the editing and content, Resnek is shown a Feb. 17, 2020, email exchange where he writes to Philbin – in all capital letters – “MATT, THIS HAS BEEN REDONE AS YOU REQUESTED.” Resnek would also receive instructions from Philbin’s former vice president of operations, Elena Vega; in a June 23, 2020, email exchange, Philbin states, “Lose the piece about the city clerk - I don’t want that in.” “Ms. Vega sends it to you, and she says to you, Josh, Matt said lose the piece about the city clerk, right?” “Yes,” Resnek answered. In another example of Philbin and Resnek’s ongoing narrative of attacking the mayor, Philbin instructed Resnek not to publish anything that places the mayor in a good light. In an Aug. 17, 2020, email, Philbin emails Resnek, “I wouldn’t run this. Makes Carlo look good. He’s trying to save the City money.” Resnek replies, “Try this on for size. Why didn’t I think of this earlier? The mayor will go wild.” “That’s what you write back to Mr. Philbin on Aug. 17, 2020, am I right?” asked the attorney. “It appears that way, yes,” said Resnek. Philbin now offers what is termed “Red Line Revisions” to Resnek, which appear to be unconditional instructions by Philbin to his reporter. In a Sept. 22, 2020, email exchange, with the subject “Re: Red Line Revisions,” Philbin writes, “In looking at the budget, take out the last 3 lines. Also, take out the speculation line about Capone being a possible candidate for mayor.” “And then he suggests what should be in the article, correct?” inquired Robbins. “Sure,” Resnek replied. Resnek wrote back to Philbin, “Good points. Will make those changes, additions and subtractions as suggested to highlight Capone’s competence, et cetera.” “Do you see that?” the attorney asked Resnek. “Yes, I do,” he said. In an Oct. 13, 2020, email exchange, Resnek writes to Philbin, “Subject: Forward: Proof - all the pages, “This is what it looks like. We are now checking for grammar and spelling mistakes, like the first line of The EYE, et cetera. Sergio’s name has been removed. Systemic has been removed. The editorial has been replaced and whatever else you wanted has been done.” “That’s what you write to Mr. Philbin, correct?” asked the attorney. “Yes, sir,” replied Resnek. It’s clear that Resnek’s and Philbin’s own words indicate that the articles – admittedly filled with lies and fabrications – were co-edited between the two. Leading up to the 2021 election, Philbin would turn up the heat with the Corey Street land deal where Resnek claims the mayor extorted City Clerk Sergio Cornelio, a defendant in the lawsuit, the mayor’s legal partner in the land deal, in order to hurt the mayor’s chances for reelection – at any cost. Resnek, when asked if he had any remorse or thoughts about the effect his articles published over a period of four years would have on the mayor’s wife and family. “Do you apologize to his family?” asked Atty. Robbins. “Yes,” replied Resnek. “For the hurt that you caused them?” asked Robbins. “I don’t know what hurt – what hurt I caused his family,” he replied. “You know you did hurt them, don’t you?” “I don’t know that,” replied Resnek. Since the lawsuit was filed against Resnek and the Philbins in 2021, the two have been crushed in depositions by their own emails and texts which underscored their actions through their printed lies – without one iota of remorse. When the recent judgment by the court was issued to attach their property, including Resnek’s Lynn home, only then has the corrupt reporter offered any apology to the mayor and his family. And in spite of that, Resnek still pretends that his motif operandi was all hyperbole and “hubris.” That is hardly the truth. Only when faced with the reality of losing his home did he make his empty apology. Resnek would never know what it’s like to be a target as a politician in a small community – with a target on his back. He only knows that if the money’s good he’ll write whatever he’s told – no matter how dishonest or unethical – it’s Resnek’s history. As he stated a second time in this latest deposition, Resnek whimpered an apology and an excuse, as if he’s talking to his “Blue Suit” character: “This has gone on for two years. Like I said, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I’ve published the paper for two years since this, and it’s like a different world for me. I’m not losing my head. I haven’t gone overboard. I didn’t lose my moral compass in the last two years. I got too personal. I apologize for it. I regret it. I apologize to the mayor for it.” He’s right; he never lost his moral compass – because he never had one.
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