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New York State Police are investigating a series of harassing and threatening email messages to June Maxam, publisher of The North Country Gazette.
At least one of the messages received late Friday night and considered threatening by Maxam and the police, was traced to Ginger Berlin, Maxam's co-publisher at The Empire Journal.
Although Berlin sent the message anonymously through the contact form at the NCG website, Maxam was able to definitively trace it back to her. The investigating trooper said that when Berlin was contacted, she admitted sending the message but said that it was meant in a legal way and was not meant to be ominous.
The investigating trooper said that it could be considered attempted blackmail.
Maxam has declined to press charges.
Berlin was apparently responding to an attempt made late last week by Maxam to settle the business relationship involving The Empire Journal. Maxam was making a final attempt to resolve the business matter amicably without having to proceed in a legal manner. Berlin has refused to communicate since September. Berlin has arbitrarily ceased the publication of The Empire Journal.
While Berlin has falsely stated at the TEJ website that Maxam has no interest in TEJ, according to the trooper, she admitted that Maxam has a legal interest in the business as a shareholder in American Free Media LLC. However, the trooper said that Berlin refuses to acknowledge the partnership which exists under New York State Law.
Berlin wrongfully excluded Maxam from TEJ in September, refusing to post her work although Maxam is the editor and co-publisher of TEJ, a partnership legally established in 2004. Although Berlin claims that an LLC was filed in Nevada in May, 2005 and that she has controlling interest, to date Berlin has refused to produce documents relating to the business and has refused to provide a formal accounting. Maxam did not sign or consent to the purported operating agreement that is said to exist. Berlin has refused to discuss the matter and has to date refused all attempts for settlement and/or dissolution of the partnership.
Police are also investigating messages threatening physical harm received by Maxam Saturday noon. The author of one of those messages has also been traced. Maxam has been receiving a series of threatening and harassing emails relating to the Schiavo case for the last six months, the frequency of which has escalated in the last month.
The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information relating to this is asked to contact the Chestertown station of the New York State Police or The North Country Gazette.
No messages will be accepted and delivered from the NCG contact form on site unless a valid, verifiable email address is given by the sender.
Police are also investigating postal communications received by the publisher in November threatening to desecrate her father's gravesite.
1-8-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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