Speck in his own eye: Buffalo's sleazy TV reporter Charlie Specht
In January of this year, Buffalo TV reporter Charlie Specht – who has waged a misinformation campaign against the Diocese of Buffalo for the last two years – reported on two accused Buffalo priests who had been exonerated and returned to ministry (Fr. Roy Herberger and Msgr. Fred Leising). Despite some cheap shots by Specht, it was a generally sympathetic piece of two priests who went through the agonizing ordeal of being falsely accused. Fair enough.
But after watching the segment, we noticed that in 2018 when a different accused priest – the late Fr. Dennis Riter – was similarly found to be innocent and returned to his parish, Specht took an entirely different tone in his report. Rather than portraying the case as the clear bogus accusation that it was, Specht reported that the diocese was recklessly returning a priest to active ministry "despite abuse claims." For good measure, Specht also quoted some random alleged Catholic as saying, "I think it's absolutely disgusting," that the exonerated priest was returned to ministry.
Why the dramatic difference in tone between the two cases? Could it be that Fr. Riter's central accuser was represented by lawyer Steve Boyd?
Who Is Steve Boyd?
Former WKBW reporter
and current benefactor:
Contingency lawyer Steve Boyd
Well, in addition to being one of the leading Church-suing contingency lawyers in Buffalo, Boyd himself was a TV investigative reporter back in the 1990s at WKBW, the very same station that now employs Charlie Specht.
Like Specht does now, Boyd was on the Church sex abuse beat. Yet decades later, it seems Boyd has not strayed far from his ex-employer.
In August of 2019, Boyd appeared on WKBW's mid-morning AM Buffalo program to drum up more clients to sue the Catholic Church and line his pockets. His name, office, and phone number appeared prominently on the screen during his 6 minute and 40 second interview.
AM Buffalo is categorized in WKBW's listings as a "News" program. But undoubtedly unbeknownst to many viewers, Steve Boyd paid WKBW for his appearance on the program. It was not until the last 27 seconds of the interview that a screen with Boyd's picture and phone number suddenly informed the audience that Boyd's appearance was indeed a "Sponsored segment."
How much did Boyd dole out for his appearance on AM Buffalo? WKBW won't tell us. But the appearance of Boyd funneling cash to WBKW while Charlie Specht gives his client a kid-glove treatment after making false accusations against an exonerated priest is troubling to say the least.
Specht's double talk
We sent an email to Charlie Specht seeking a response to this disturbing situation, but Specht falsely claimed to us that Fr. Riter's accuser Matthew Golden was not in fact represented by Steve Boyd. But we pointed out to Specht that Boyd's name, office, and signature appear on Golden's lawsuit against the Diocese of Buffalo.
Did Specht lie to us? We hope not. But he wouldn't explain his claim that Boyd did not represent Golden when Boyd signed Golden's lawsuit.
Steve Boyd's name, address, and signature on Matthew Golden's lawsuit.
Specht also replied to us that he has "never received any benefits from Steve Boyd or any lawyer or source." We sure hope that is true. But Specht gets paid from WKBW, which in turn gets money from Boyd. Specht may want to tell the station's viewers that some day.
Quite simply, the whole situation stinks. Stay tuned.
These TV stations lie all of the time and no one really cares because we assume that they are lying anyway. So if someone got greased to do a phony interview that is not really a shock.
Frank,
While I agree with your overall analysis, unfortunately too many people still look at these news pieces as if they were the (pun intended) Gospel truth, as proven by the few of them who post regularly (and confusedly) on this blog. Blinded by inflexible biased opinions, they turn to these articles for the validation they so ardently need to perpetuate their opinions. Heaven forbid these pundits are confronted with proofs that the Media actually has an agenda! Nothing under the sun will instill the doubt that they may be, in fact, absolutely wrong…
I think many journalists nowadays take the easy road and follow what few mainstream Media channels put out as “news”; this explains how the cyclical so-called exposes about old and already reported abuses inside the Catholic Church seem to be followed by other similar stories, all claiming exclusivity and new revelations, with bombastic titles, while the opposite is true.
It is sad, because unbiased, straight reporting would actually benefit the cause of the proven victims, while discouraging ambulance-chasers and criminals who only look for a big payout.
Have a blessed week, brother, and be safe.
Why is it that catholics believe everyone is a liar? All the media and even catholic reporters are liars. Church Militant, a catholic org., are all liars. You wish to claim all your church's victims are liars. Anyone exposing the sin of the church is a liar. Is it possible that you think everyone's a liar, because you catholics are so good at lying and have perfected the art over centuries? Obviously!
This is total BS, LLC. Don't you ever tire of deceiving with deflection, manipulation of facts and twisting Bible Truth in order to perpetuate your absolute lies? Why do you find it so hard to place blame on your obviously guilty church while attempting to accuse everyone else for your own malfeasances?
You could wrongly convince me that over half of your hierarchy's crimes against innocence were false or falsely reported by the Media and it would still account for far too many horrific crimes for a church professing to be holy, true, God's or Christ's church. It's utter stupidity to claim that those exposing the sins of your hierarchy are "Blinded by inflexible biased opinions", and you should stop deceiving and attempting to brainwash your dumb sheep.
I've read far too many bishop letters to admittedly guilty priests. Everytime a bishop or priest is exonerated for one crime, they have a lurid history of other crimes against innocence in which they were never prosecuted or were able to deny and lie their way out of. Everytime I research a guilty priest, it brings forth other names of child molesting perverted clergy members connected to that criminal. I don't base any of my conclusions solely on the Media, but on all the material I have gleaned from your own popes, bishops and priests admitting to the guilt of your church. To claim otherwise is plain ignorance and a total denial of the truth and facts. Stop your deflection and manipulation and place blame where it belongs. God, His Son and His Word condemn without question your false heretical church of hypocrisy and deceiving liars. That's period!
Dan,
“I've read far too many…truth and facts = and yet, despite numerous requests from several posters, you have failed and are still failing to produce any decent proof of your absolute allegations.
Have a blessed week, non-Christian brother, and be safe.
LLC,
As stated, "To claim otherwise is plain ignorance" and stop being so lazy or playing dumb and look up all the garbage your hierarchy and cult has admitted to yourself. Proof is everywhere unless you insist on burying your ostrich head in the sand. servant
Dan,
"Proof is everywhere" = therefore, it shouldn't be difficult for you to provide it.
Have a blessed week, fact-allergic non-Christian brother, and be safe.
It must be nice to be a brainwashed catholic, living in denial, unable to believe in anything of the truth. Taught by terribly fallible men, adorned in their elaborate silk gowns and fancy white lace undergarments. And then you wonder how these feminine men, not allowed marriage, turned to abhorrent sexual tendencies and desire for sex with male children.
So let's attack anyone who tells the truth, calling then names like anti-catholic, biased bigots or non-Christians, as if that somehow changes the truth of what has transpired in your church. We'll accentuate the small amount of fraud and try to ignore the enormous number of detestable crimes committed by our clergy, "straining out the gnat and swallowing the camel".
If this makes all you catholics feel better, well then have at it. All of your excuses and denials do absolutely nothing to change the direction in which you and your church are headed, down. God has shut down your pompous ceremonies and your eucharistic sacrifices. Time you figured it out and took your head out of the sand. servant
Dan,
as many times before, you have failed to produce a iota of proof for your absolute claims. No surprise here. Therefore, I bid you farewell, biased non-Christian brother. Please be safe.
PS: Churches are still open, and holy Masses are celebrated everywhere around the world, and the Church Jesus has established is doing marvelous acts of charity everywhere. In spite of your vitriolic illusions, His Church will prevail.
And you and your church are still boasting of all the good you do.
Many will say, Lord Lord, did we not do all these wonderful things, "marvelous acts of charity", become demons in your name and didn't Mary perform great miracles? And He will answer, "I never knew you, depart from Me, you workers of iniquity." Paraphrase of Matthew 7:22-23
"For many will come in my name, claiming, "I am the Christ, and will deceive many." Matthew 24:5 Vicarius Filii Dei The pope claims to represent or substitute for Christ and priests are little Christs.
Good riddance, you biased bragging catholic hypocrite. Servant of the One True God and Christ
And as I already presented as proof is all your incomplete lists of homosexual pedophile and pederast clergy throughout most of the dioceses in the U.S. and around the world. Where is your proof that I'm wrong?
"Depart from me, you evildoers, for I intend to keep the commandments of my God!
Psalm 119:115
After the disgusting crimes, rapes and molestation of innocent little boys, teens and adults, I don't believe any catholic has the right to call anyone "sleazy". When it comes to your church, "Quite simply, the whole situation stinks" to high heaven. If it wasn't such a disaster plagued with pedophiles and pederasts and pervs, then Charlie, the Media and no one else would have anything to say against it. Your church has made its bed, excuse the pun, but it shall sleep in it. It receives everything it deserves and then some. It is such a divided church, and the only thing those divisions seem to have in common is filthy disgusting morals. Wake up catholics and steer clear of your false church.
Regarding Dan's latest summation of the supposed wrongs of the Catholic Church. Well honestly all this is not rocket science, it can be best looked at in terms of giving individuals and institutions a fair go. We all consider ourselves to be fair-minded, but that fairness has to be based upon something. Such as a fundamental belief in some moral princiiples, whether they are religious or secular. Personally I keep coming back to the reality that our western civilization has given us what is generaly called western justice.. A bedrock tenet of western justice says this…. "there is no crime unless there is compelling evidence of a crime". In other words a person should not be charged (or accused) simply on the basis of an accusation. There has to be compelling evidence that a crime was actually committed. An excellent example of this was in the trial of Cardinal Pell. The prosecution case was based only on an accusation, which was totally unsupported by compelling evidence. The jury convicted because a hostile media had smeared his reputation…. to the extent that the presumption of innocence was impossible. This is why the High Court overturned his wrongful conviction.because by any standards, religious or secular, it was unfair. But our friend Dan would not understand that…. would he?
Oh yeah, Malcolm, I have no understanding of how justice works. I also know that there can be much injustice in our system, dealing with corrupt churches and judges, deceiving, lying and freeing the guilty while blaming the innocent. In Pell's case, along with many of the other cases of your so-called innocent clergy members, there is also a sordid history of other sexual "indiscretions" against children in their past.
In my own experience, fighting against the corrupt lying deceiving catholic clergy, cops and thugs of your church, judges never listened to the truth of what transpired, but instead sided with priests and nuns dressed in their catholic sheep garb. Disgusting liars and wolves willing to slander anyone in order push their evil agenda. I was forced to plea bargain, spent unjust time in jail and mental hospitals and paid hefty fines, all based on the lies of hypocrites from your religion and judges wrongly siding in their favor. Don't lecture me on what I don't know about "western justice".
The second to last case against me, an honest judge saw right through the lies of one of your priests and his corrupt catholic cop sidekick and sided in my favor. Three days later the same cop falsely accused me of trying to climb the fence to get at school children, and yet the gate to the children was wide open. The cop added to the report that I was stalking his wife and child. Sentenced by a nasty woman judge that sided with all their lies and gave me ten days in jail and a hefty fine, which I paid and worked community service. Don't even tell me what I don't understand about western justice, especially when it comes to your wicked deceiving church.
If your hierarchy of excusers, liars and deniers receive any so-called injustice when it comes to cases against them, well I must say the church is only "REAPING WHAT IT SOWS". servant of the Truth
P.S. Please refrain from considering me your "friend" or granting me your sarcastic blessings, when it only adds to your hypocrisy. Yes, that includes the phony, LLC.
Maybe Jeff Anderson, Steve Boyd, and all the steeplchasers, will get corona! Who knows!