A second troubling police report involving Karen Diebel has emerged, one suggesting she may have been subjected to a short-term involuntary commitment for mental health issues by police as recently as September of 2008.
I've done two previous posts on Huck PAC endorsed Republican primary candidate for Congress, Karen Diebel. They detailed a troubling history of approximately 100 9-1-1 calls over many years and a subsequent insufficient response to the controversy from the Diebel campaign. Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) and former Rep. Tom Tancredo have also endorsed Diebel. (link)
With no intention of backing any candidate in the primary, but wanting the best nominee, I continued researching and found several troubling unconfirmed references to Karen Diebel and Florida's Baker Act on the Internet. They span almost two years. Florida's Baker Act allows for the involuntary examination of an individual under certain pre-defined conditions.
The Baker Act allows for involuntary examination (what some call emergency or involuntary commitment). It can be initiated by judges, law enforcement officials, physicians or mental health professionals. There must be evidence that the person has a mental illness (as defined in the Baker Act) and is a harm to self, harm to others, or self neglectful (as defined in the Baker Act).
My soul reason for wanting to get to the bottom of the matter is to prevent a potential GOP nominee in FL - 24 from being easily defeated by a formidable, well-funded Democrat opponent, Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, in the fall. I've no desire to recklessly damage Karen Diebel's reputation, or tout another candidate. But public service is just that and constituents have a right to know facts and information about public servants they don't necessarily need to know about private individuals.
A blog-related resource in Florida volunteered to go to the local PD to obtain any pertinent police reports but was told they were confidential and could not be released. As that's false, after subsequent discussion, they returned and more firmly requested a police report from September of 2008, which had been withheld. While the PD did eventually release a manually redacted report, even that is enough for serious concern as regards Karen Diebel and the Baker Act. The remaining two un-redacted lines read:
On 09/24/08 at 0141 hours, officers were dispatched to 941 Georgia Ave, in reference to several 9-1-1 calls. Contact was made with xxxxxxxxx. I met with xxxxxxxx. Based upon my experience and training as a xxxxxxxx officer, xxxxxxxxxx met the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Comparing this new 92408-Police Report with a previous police report and documentation contained in this post indicates it's Karen Diebel's address, she seems to have been the only adult in residence, and also that 9-1-1 calls did come from her home on the night in question. That last bit of information is confirmed by the independent list of years of 9-1-1 calls from two different addresses contained in the pdf with the previous police report linked directly above.
Given all this and that there is no way Karen Diebel makes it through a very competitive general election without being confronted on this issue, I urge her and those endorsing her to demand the issue either be fully and adequately addressed, or that she consider withdrawing.
It's my belief that any individual with a long history of troubling 9-1-1 calls and also potentially having been removed from their home by police as recently as September 2008 for, potentially, mental health reasons, is not a good candidate to serve in the US Congress without a much fuller explanation of any relevant details.
You are right - that report is certainly concerning... If you fill in the right names and words. You can play Mad Libs with the report all you want, but you are calling for Diebel to leave the race because her campaign did not give you the answer you were looking for based on "troubling unconfirmed references" on the Internet, then you should also be proclaiming that Elvis isn't really dead and the NBA draft is fixed, among other things. You state that you are only after the truth - but the only truth you are seeking in one that will take out Karen Diebel. You pretend to be an investigative journalist of sorts - if you are truly unbiased, then you would also be reporting on unconfirmed reports that Craig Miller's failure as a CEO is representative of what he would do in DC, and unconfirmed reports that Sandy Adams has called numerous donors across the district, threatening them that if they donate to her opponents there will be consequences. Both unsubstantiated, but both out there "in the wind", if you will.
Something to consider - if we cleared every elected official out of Tallahassee and DC that had aberrant behavior at some point, who would be left? Let's return to a debate on the issues, and stop gossiping like schoolchildren about things that even you admit may have no basis.
Posted by: Sick of Tomfoolery | Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 01:13 PM
I have to ask if you are saying that Karen is mentally ill? please describe what you are calling mentally ill.
I would think the she faced things that we can not even imagine after seeing her soul mate killed right in front of her eyes don't you?If I had seen that I would be a basket case for a long time I am sure, but mentally ill I doubt it..Depressed and stressed would be a good description I would imagine and I have had personal experience with Depression and let me tell you it is hard to over it when it gets a grip on you..
I am not saying that Karen handled this like I would have because I don't know but I do know that you are making statements about her with out even walking a mile in her shoes or living even a day in her life and I am tired of ugly politics and personal attacks so how about getting to the issues and attack her on them that is what this election is all about.
Posted by: Dennis Wallace | Friday, June 18, 2010 at 06:14 AM
Pathetic, Riehl, just pathetic.
You found stuff on the internet that was derogatory about a female politician? Yeah, that's totally trustworthy. Tell me, did any of these anonymous internet authorities call her a b-i-t-c-h? If so, does that mean that Karen Diebel is actually a female dog? Doug Guetzloe's minions call me a w-h-o-r-e on the Sentinel blogs at least once a year, is that proof I have sex for money?
If you're going to claim that you only have altruistic purposes in mind and you just want to get to the truth, then you're going to have to stop reporting hateful internet gossip as news. Stop letting yourself be used by the Miller and Adams campaigns.
The REAL TRUTH is very easily seen by anyone who has actually had the privilege to get to know Karen Diebel. She's a smart, genuine, serious, hard working classy lady, with a great track record as a fiscal conservative. She's also a big threat to Sandy Adams and Craig Miller's personal political ambitions. Hmmmmmm...
Posted by: SunshineStateSarah | Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 02:03 PM
The above poster, Sarah Rumpf, was actually hired by the NRCC to work the Pink Slip Party in Orlando. This is despite actually being loyal to Diebel. Guess it helps to get the right people in place when the NRCC director's wife is doing your fundraising out of DC. This same person routinely makes up lies about County Commissioner Mike McLean when not attacking Adams or Miller. Could it be that her boyfriends Dad is actually running against him? Hmmmmmmmmmmm???
Posted by: Trevor | Monday, June 21, 2010 at 05:42 PM
Hi "Trevor"
I post under my real name and don't hide my identity. Too bad you're too chicken to do the same.
Get your facts straight. Yes, I endorsed Diebel months ago. Yes, the NRCC hired me for the Pink Slip Party event. HOWEVER, anyone who attended the event knows that we were very even handed in how we treated the candidates.
All Republican candidates in Districts 8 and 24 were invited to participate, and they all attended, except Webster whose daughter was getting married and Kelly who was very sick with bronchitis (but they did have campaign representatives there). We had all the candidates or their representatives up on stage with us, read their names alphabetically, and encouraged the voters to investigate the candidates on their own, pick their favorite, and volunteer, donate, support, and vote for their candidate in August, and then unite behind whoever the nominees were in November.
I insisted from my first conversations with the NRCC that the event had to be fair to all of the District 8 and 24 candidates, because I did not think it would be successful otherwise. We also listed them alphabetically on the website we created for the event and provided links to all twitter accounts I could find.
Do you have any proof that we ran that event in a way that was not fair to any of the Republican congressional candidates? Seriously, if there is any, I'd love to see it, because we really did take extraordinary efforts to avoid even the appearance of favoritism. The candidates themselves told me personally that they appreciated the way we ran the event. Ask Patricia Sullivan if we were fair...she's not an "establishment" candidate.
Regarding Mike McLean, holy cow. Yes, I'm dating John Horan's son, and I don't know how many times I am going to have to say this, but I AM NOT WORKING FOR THE CAMPGAIGN, I'm not that involved as a volunteer, and I'm just not paying attention to the minutiae of Seminole County Commission politics.
You need to check your facts if you're going to accuse me of "routinely making up lies" about McLean. I've written a grand total of *ONE* blog post about McLean. One. That's it. Read it here: http://www.sunshinestatesarah.com/2010/06/sounds-like-waste-of-money-to-me.html
I wrote the post after I heard someone (someone *not* named Horan, by the way) mention something about McLean "buying fancy furniture." I googled "Mike McLean" and "Seminole County" and "Furniture" and found the Orlando Sentinel article I linked in my blog post. It honestly didn't seem to be *that* big of a deal to me, just sort of funny...why spend several grand on furniture when you can spend $8 on markers, etc.
My one little blog post apparently created quite a kerfuffle. McLean's campaign manager called me trying to make sure I wasn't going to be running a whole series of hit pieces on his candidate. I told him I wasn't planning any other attacks on McLean, I'm not working for the campaign, I've never met the guy, I don't live in Seminole County, and I'm just not that interested in the race.
Then again today, I am contacted because the campaign wants to make sure that I know that "jetta point has been shelved until after the election." I had no earthly idea what Jetta Point was and had to ask. Apparently it has something to do with some controversial park project that McLean backed in Winter Springs? Maybe McLean should stop worrying what I might write about hypothetical projects in Seminole County and instead pay attention to how he's voting? Hmmm?
OK, so let's review...I wrote ONE blog post, based on a published news article. Go back and read it. Did I get any facts wrong? Tell me and I'll make a correction, but I doubt I was wrong since I already had a 30 min. conversation about the darn thing with McLean's campaign manager. Tell me what else you think I've been doing with the campaign, I'm very curious to see what you are imagining.
Seriously, don't start a fight with me. I'm not actively engaged in the Seminole County Commission race and I'm not planning on changing that right now. However, if McLean's people are going to run around calling me a liar and attacking me for stuff I'm not even doing, then that might just inspire me to get involved. The fact that the campaign has contacted me directly twice in the last week means *they* think I've got some sort of power and influence locally, or at least enough to make them worry. Mr. Anonymous "Trevor," call Mike McLean or Mike Hart and ask them if they really want to take me on.
Posted by: SunshineStateSarah | Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at 11:56 PM
Trevor....you are a very observant person...you should be commended for your saviness. However, regardless of who Sarah is dating, Mike McLean is name that strikes a nerve with me and a lot of other people here in Seminole County. We are no longer so easily fooled....I find it hard to even look at Mike McLean...and I voted for him in 2006 against Michael Blake!
I will keep it clean and decent. Mike McLean is a fun-loving guy as a person...but he can't run from his record as a County Commissioner. He has spent thousands of tax payer dollars simply to remodel his office and then he told the press that the "taxpayers needed his office makeover". He's also championed several tax increases, although he did in fact lower the mileage rate...but so what....in the end it was a wash. After all was said and done he did no one a real service.
He also has several ethical issues...as a County Commissioner he should not be using his office to solicit people for his private business...nor should he be using his aide for things that are not related to the business of the county government. All of these things have been documented in the press. Perhaps you are not aware, I will be glad to forward you these things if you wish.
Seriously....I think Mike McLean had his chance and he blew it....I've seen enough...I say vote someone else in. He's a personable guy, but I don't want him in public office...at least not representing me.
Posted by: Chewy | Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 01:08 AM
Sarah,
If nothing happened on Sept 23, 2008 - Why won't Karen Diebel release the unredaccted version of the above police report? Stop being such a Diebel brown-noser. We all need a job, but you're working for a woman who may be crazy. This is NOT helping your career. In fact, it's hurting it.
Posted by: TruthHurts | Wednesday, June 23, 2010 at 04:53 PM