Page 6 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 “For printing or making statements about the Mayor, I regret …I apologize to the mayor for it” Corrupt reporter Resnek begs mayor’s forgiveness for writing, publishing lies and fabrications By James Mitchell I n the ongoing defamation lawsuit fi led by Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, Jr. against Sergio Cornelio, the Everett Leader Herald newspaper, and its owners Matthew Philbin and Andrew Philbin, Sr., it was their co-defendant, corrupt reporter, Joshua Resnek, who, during his fi fth deposition by the mayor’s attorneys on Sept. 21, would apologize for his years of writing lies and fabrications in order to hurt and embarrass the mayor. Resnek was asked about a Jan. 27, 2019, email to his boss, Matthew Philbin, where he boasts that his scandalous writing was the “honest voice” in the city, living to see the day where the mayor is “arrested, indicted and convicted.” Resnek was provided exhibits of emails between himself, Philbin and David O’Connor, the Everett Public Schools Communications Coordinator and former Leader Herald employee, showing he enjoyed being cruel to the mayor with his stories and editorials. When asked if he wrote articles calling for the mayor’s indictment and arrest, Resnek replied he did, but asked to fi nish on his answer. “The factual allegations you’ve just leveled at me, okay, for printing or making statements about the Mayor, I regret. I regret. I’m embarrassed by some of it, and I apologize to the mayor for it,” stated Resnek. “You apologized now after you’ve been sued for defamation; correct?” asked Atty. Jeffrey Robbins. “I had two years to think about it,” Resnek replied. “You apologized to us now after there’s been an attachment issued on your house by a judge; correct?” Resnek attempted to dismiss his years of vitriolic stories and editorials towards the mayor by claiming that all his email banter to Philbin and his friends was all just hubris. Calling his relationship with the double-dipping O’Connor as “intimate,” Resnek was shown a Feb. 2019 email where O’Connor, who was working for the newspaper at the time he was employed by the City of Everett, off ers up a cartoon idea that would depict a “super enlarged mayor” as a bloated and sickly caricature. Resnek replied to O’Connor, “The cartoon would be gorgeous but too cruel or maybe not cruel enough!” “Yes, sir,” replied Resnek, confi rming his own words in the email thread. Atty. Robbins off ered the defendant countless examples of his braggadocio repartee with many of his friends, including Russel Pergament, the failed Boston Metro newspaper publisher. Resnek was concerned with the fact that the newspaper’s liability and slander insurance policy might not cover the ongoing defamation lawsuit. The attorney also asked him why he represented himself in the emails as owner of the newspaper. In a Jan. 15, 2023, email, Resnek asks, “Russel, do you have any advice? Because of the lawsuit that is open against my partner and I, our fi rst ever and the only one in 7 years of ownership of the Everett Leader Herald, and for me during 40 years of doing this shit, Utica Insurance refused to renew our policy.” Resnek stated that his “partner” didn’t want to go without insurance as the policy holder, Utica Insurance Company, had fi led with the court to have their responsibility for coverage removed due to Resnek’s testimony in the lawsuit. Resnek admitted that he and Philbin were discussing the issue in 2022. Atty. Robbins presented Resnek with a copy of his Answer to the Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint and Jury Demand, which stated that he was the sole author and editor of all the content that appears in the Leader Herald specifi cally involving Mayor DeMaria. When asked if it was the case that he submitted all articles prepublication to Philbin for review, Resnek stated, “nearly all of them” and if Philbin frequently provided comments to him for approval; Resnek responded, “Yes, sir.” When he was asked if Philbin often gave him instructions on what to publish, Resnek replied “very rarely” but admitted that his boss provided diAPOLOGIZE | SEE Page 7
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