Hilly Boy's Deception (as in the Lovely Tennessee Rep. Matthew Hill)

Here are a couple of bloggers who are not too impressed with Matthew Hill’s brother, Timmy. One is from a Tri-Cities voter. The comments on that one are pretty rough on Hill too.

-A Slap on The Wrist (TriCitiesblogs.com).

.. is pretty much what David Davis’ aide, Timothy Hill, is getting for his escapades on Wikipedia.

…Show of hands. Who believes the lesson that Hill has learned from all this is to cover his tracks better next time?

-House Ethics Group Not Done With Davis Aide.

"It turns out that despite efforts from the 1st District Congressman David Davis, the House Ethics Committee is still reviewing what actions might be taken for Davis' PR Chief Timothy Hill who was caught removing factual details about contributors to Davis from the WikiPedia website.

...But the committee itself hasn't ruled on the case yet and likely won't until Congress re-convenes next month.

...The facts remain that Hill's work is likely a violation of ethics rules, despite protests to the contrary."

Labels: david davis, house ethics committee, matthew hill, timothy hill, wikipedia

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Below is a scathing letter sent in to the Bristol Herald Courier by a Tri-Cities voter. Unfortunately, the Hills are not interested in living by true conservative Christian values.

-Davis should admit his gaffe. (8.26.07)
It was very discouraging to learn that U.S. Rep. David Davis does not like our dogs. However, it may have been even more disturbing that he would stoop to another new low by having his press aide attempt to alter or remove biographical information from the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

The material – which Rep. Matthew Hill’s brother and Kenneth Hill’s son, Timothy – attempted to remove involved Davis’ connection to the Gregory family/King Pharmaceutical cabal.

Davis was complicit in the infamous incident in which Sen. Ron Ramsey, Rep. Jason Mumpower, then-Rep. Steve Godsey [now Sullivan County mayor] and he flew to Nashville as guests aboard the King Pharmaceuticals corporate plane with the ambition of selling King’s antihypertensive drug, Altace, to the TennCare administrator. They were successful.

It was added to TennCare’s "preferred" drug list within weeks, just before that specific administrator of TennCare unexpectedly resigned. Soon thereafter, the price of Altace virtually doubled – enabling King Pharmaceuticals to fleece Tennessee taxpayers of millions of dollars.

If Mr. Davis is ashamed of his collusion in this ethical debacle, then why doesn’t he do the morally decent, Judeo-Christian thing and admit his gaffe?

Moreover, he could further redeem himself by returning the tens of thousands of dollars he has accepted in the form of personal campaign contributions from Gregory family members, King Pharmaceutical executives and the numerous reactionary, arch-conservative political action committees, which they both fund and control. As a result, he would clearly demonstrate the behavior of a true Christian conservative and would show everyone in Washington, D.C., some real East Tennessee values.

Greg W.
Kingsport, Tenn.

Labels: david davis, house ethics committiee, matthew hill, timothy hill, wikipedia

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It looks like David Davis' office misspoke in regard to little Timmy's punishment. He was asked to "clarify" after his office made an announcement on Thursday.

-House conduct committee hasn't taken position on David Davis' aide's Wikipedia flap. (KTN on 8.25.07)

The U.S. House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct hasn’t yet taken an official position concerning Timothy Hill, who used a government computer to delete information in the online Wikipedia biographies of U.S. Rep. David Davis and Tennessee state Rep. Matthew Hill, Davis’ Chief of Staff Brenda Otterson said Friday.

...Otterson said the committee asked her to clarify her Thursday announcement noting that Davis decided Timothy Hill should be required to take ethics training classes in September for editing Davis’ and Matthew Hill’s Wikipedia entries by using a congressional office computer.

"...The committee has not taken any formal, official position on this matter,” Otterson said in an e-mail. “I just want to make it clear that this was an informal inquiry by phone with staff on the committee to see how we should handle this matter, and I sought advice and counsel from them — no formal investigation by them — just our seriously looking into what the precedents were, and to see how we should or could address the issue.”

Here are some gems from Davis:

"...Timothy probably used poor judgment in altering Wikipedia. ... I think he will benefit from the classes he will continue to take.”

"...I’m sorry Timothy actually took the word edit literally,” Davis said.

Labels: david davis, gregory, matthew hill, timothy hill, wikipedia

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Well, it appears that Timmy Hill's fate for taxpayer-funded vandalism is having to learn how a press secretary is supposed to be behave.

UPDATE on 8.24.07: Matthew Hill Noticed by the AP & the Tennessean
-Press aide who altered Wikipedia bios to attend classes.

-Davis aide to attend conduct classes (Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8.23.07).

U.S. Rep. David Davis will require his press secretary, Timothy Hill, to attend classes on appropriate conduct for congressional staff members because of Hill’s attempted alterations of Wikipedia entries using an office computer.

-Staffer who altered Wikipedia entry to attend conduct class. (KTN on 8.23.07)

-Staffer who altered Wikipedia entry to attend conduct class. (Oak Ridger on 8.23.07)

-Davis' Press Secretary Going to Class. (TNPoliticsBlog.com)

-Rep. Davis’ press secretary to take classes after Wikipedia problem .(Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8.22.07)

Brenda Otterson, chief of staff for Davis, said Hill will attend the classes each Friday in September. She said the requirement is considered discipline...

-Congressman Davis' press secretary will attend "appropriate conduct" classes. (BHC 8.23.07)

-Congressional press aide disciplined for 'net alterations.' (KNS Blog, 8.22.07)

Labels: david davis, johnson city, matthew hill, timothy hill, washington county, wikipedia

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Though I doubt little Timmy Hill will lose his job, stories about his taxpayer-funded vandalism continue to pop up, including allegations that he made edits to more strange Wikipedia entries. And don't forget, he was erasing info on his big brother too.

-U.S. House Ethics Committee to examine congressional press secretary vandalizing Wikipedia articles with government computer. (from MensNewsDaily.com on Aug. 20)

This article has quite a bit more information on Timmy's actions:

"...Other interesting Wikipedia articles edited with the history detail revealing Rep. Davis Davis congressional office IP number (although not attributed to Hill) includes John Leslie (porn star) and sports professional Ray Jackson. The vandalism at the Jackson article was not directed toward the sports pro, but rather at a congressional staffer of the same name who is employed at the House Rules Committee.

...There is also an IP number indication that U.S. Rep. David Davis' congressional office has also been anonymously "shadowing" online blogs with at least one blog (The Tennessee Waltz) originating in East Tennessee with content that was critical toward Rep. Davis for his voting against the federal 2007 Animal Fighting Prohibition Act."

-David Davis' Press Secretary receives criticism over Wikipedia actions.(from News Channel 11 on Aug. 13)

Here's a gem from genius Matthew Hill: "I just have to admit that I was kind of like, 'what's the big deal,'" Matthew Hill said.

-Speaking of Matty Hill, the Aug. 19 Johnson City Press had an editorial about this whole mess with Timmy, David and Matthew. According to the paper, officials in the 7th District prefer rookie Rep. Dale Ford as their go-to guy when they need help. Not a surprise really. Hill better hope Dale doesn't buy a house in the 7th District anytime soon.
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So, here are a few more new stories about Timmy Hill's tax funded vandalism. Looks like his job might be in jeopardy too. Public servants are supposed to be ethical.

-Hill gets caught in web of scandal. (from the Bristol Herald-Courier on Aug. 15)

...At a minimum, Hill is guilty of a serious lapse in judgment. He has embroiled his boss in a needless controversy and made himself the target of an internal U.S. House investigation.

...Yet, Hill was willing to risk his career and reputation to "clean up" the entry about Davis. Did he do so on his own initiative or was he encouraged by his boss to police the entries? Neither Hill nor Davis has answered that question.

...If Hill violated the rules for congressional staffers, he should be reprimanded. If no rules were broken, he still must live with the fact that he created a controversy where none existed. That’s not a particularly useful skill for a press secretary.

-Lawmaker's office awaits panel's verdict on aide's act. (from the Knoxville News-Sentinel on Aug. 15)

"Timothy Hill declined comment Tuesday."
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So, check out all these additional blog posts about Timmy Hill's time spent looking at literally 1,000s of blogs and Web sites.

-Congressional aide playing Internet games? (Knoxville News-Sentinel blog on Aug. 13)
-Sanatizing Wikipedia. (WKRN blog in Nashville on Aug. 13)
-Entries on Wikipedia edited by Davis aide.
-Blogs get the attention of a TN congressman.
-Rep. David Davis Dogged Again.

And, check out these two stories about Timmy Hill stalking a blogger:
[Update on 8-15-07: According to the blogger, "Hill probably did look in on my blog since the House IP address is the same as one given in an article about Hill. But I never claimed that Hill was looking."]
-Watching you watching me.
-Talk to me: Watching you watching me Part 2.

Perhaps it's time for David Davis to fire his very professional "press secretary."

And here's another good story about David Davis being a fan of Michael Vick.
-Rep. Davis Takes Heat for Dogfighting Vote.



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Timothy Hill got busted for trying to delete unfavorable, but true, information on David Davis and Matthew Hill from Wikipedia, from a congressional computer. What a great use of our tax-funded assets. Good job bringing negative attention to your boss and your brother.

Kingsport Times News: Davis aide under fire for trying change information in his boss' and brother's online biographies. (Aug. 11)

Knoxville News Sentinel: Entries on Wikipedia edited by Davis aide: Press secretary also admits deleting info on brother via federal computer. (Aug. 11)

Knoxville News Sentinel Blog Post: Congressional wiki-shenanigans. (Aug. 13)

The story was first reported by a local blogger: U.S. Rep. David Davis' Playhouse: His House office using federal tax dollars to vandalize Wikipedia political bios.

Here's yet another blogger who wrote about Hill's "mistake": Aide to Rep. Davis Caught Altering Online Bio.

Here are some of my favorite quotes from little Timmy:

-When initially contacted about the attempts to revise the Davis and Rep. Hill biographies, Hill told the News Sentinel he was not personally responsible. But he called a reporter back later to say he had spoken off the cuff on his cell phone in the midst of a hectic event involving the congressman and “miscommunicated.”
-Hill said in an interview that he made a mistake that would not be repeated.
-Timothy Hill described himself as "kind of a hard charger."
-"I have searched hundreds if not thousands of sites and stories weekly."(Does he have anything better to do?)
-"I had never really been to the site before, and I didn't understand how to use it."
-"I don't anticipate attempting to edit any Wikipedia again."
-“It wasn’t anything that was intended to be destructive or disruptive,” Hill said.

This is nice too: Wade Munday, spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party, said the situation “calls the judgment of Congressman Davis and his staff into question about what is the appropriate and inappropriate use of their time as public servants.”

Munday said it would be appropriate for a political campaign, following Wikipedia procedures, to challenge information deemed incorrect on a Web site entry. Many campaigns do so, he said.

But he said it was inappropriate for “a staffer on a federal payroll” and using the U.S. House computer system to do so.
---
The commenters on both newspaper stories don't seem to be buying Hill's claims of "misunderstanding": "Mr. Timothy Hill tries to portray himself as unintelligent within the internet atmosphere. Thats pure and simple baloney, and for him to alter parts of an entry because he thought they were "inacurrate" shows how much he knows about his boss. Those Hill brothers are surely creating a name for themselves in this region. And by "name" I mean "bad image."

Here is the article for Search Engine Land that discussed the repeated, unethical attempts at vandalism from a congressional computer: SEO Tips & Tactics From A Wikipedia Insider.


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Here’s a report of the almost nothing that Matthew Hill accomplished since January.

-He opposed funding for local public schools (KTN 3.10.07), but curiously has an interest in student permission forms (KTN 4.10.07) at those very same schools. He went on record as supporting smoking in restaurants (JCP 2.11.07).

-He complained about bringing money back from Nashville (JCP 5.25.07) to the 7th District. Rusty Crowe, on the other hand, thought the people elected to him to help: "I’ve always thought that anything I can bring home to my district to support organizations, law enforcement, etc., is good,” said Crowe, noting that before the (Gov. Don) Sundquist administration, many local departments didn’t have to worry about money they now depend on their local legislators for."

-Hill opposed funding for trauma centers in Tennessee. Once again, Rusty Crowe felt differently (JCP 6.15.07).

-Hill was quoted in the March 20 Tennessean talking about how much time he spends on the pressing issue of renaming roads. What a great use of his time on behalf of the 7th District.

-He continued to be inaccessible (JCP 6.15.07): "Attempts to reach Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, were unsuccessful."

-Hill also tried to get the sales tax on food eliminated. Those efforts resulted in a measly ½ cent reduction on the tax. Here’s the 6.14.07 Kingsport Times News’ account of Hill’s “accomplishments.”

While tax relief on food did happen, a number of Hill's other causes hit a legislative wall.

One bill to make ignition interlock devices mandatory for all first-time DUI offenders was deferred to a summer study committee. Another bill to re-establish elected school superintendents was referred for further review. Hill withdrew a bill to reduce handgun carry permit application fees from $115 to $100. His bill to require the state budget to be prepared and adopted on a two-year, rather than annual, basis, was assigned to the so-called "Black Hole" House Budget Subcommittee.

Hill's bill to make the punishment for child rape the same as the punishment for first-degree murder failed for lack of a seconding motion in a Judiciary subcommittee.

That cigarette tax increase [that Hill did not support] is expected to support Gov. Phil Bredesen's education funding reform initiative. Washington County and Johnson City are projected to receive more than $6.8 million combined under Bredesen's plan passed by lawmakers.

-And lastly, it was learned that Matthew Hill paid $11,000 for direct mail services to a company in Georgia. Too bad he can’t support the district, or even the state, he represents.
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