You Decide - IS THIS BOTH A COVERUP AND A BACONHEAD????

Websters Dictionary defines "Cover Up" as "a usually concerted effort to keep an illegal or unethical act or situation from being made public."

DaTruthSquad uncovered something extremely disturbing well over a month ago, but since we asked around and couldn't get 100% confirmation we decided to wait until we got that confirmation. That time is now.

It appears back in early January someone was pulled over in Freehold and gave da appearance to da police officer who pulled him over that he could possibly be impaired. Upon further review, this person allegedly did not pass a field sobriety test and was placed in da back of a police car. When he was taken to da Freehold police station, he allegedly refused a breathilyzer test. According to what daTruthSquad was able to find out, da person in question was charged with refusing da breath test, allegedly driving while intoxicated, and at least one other driving offense.

Getting da details was not easy to say da least. Now, if this person was Joe Schmo it would be one thing. When it was da late Joltin Joe, there were some who were demanding jail time. If he was allegedly driving a vehicle that he didn't own, that would be another.

Now, this is where things get interesting.

As more people began to pry into this, it was discovered and verified by da prized Asbury Park Press - and not da Snoozepaper - that da individual in question is not just a Manalapan volunteer firefighter, but da president of a Manalapan Fire Company who allegedly was not supposed to even be using da Fire Department vehicle he was using - and obviously should not have been impaired while driving it as police in Freehold allege.

Da Asbury Park Press wrote a news story that says da person in question is a guy named Sean Sullivan. Now, to be fair, he is innocent until proven guilty and any good and qualified lawyer will tell you just that. However, this isn't just about what could potentially be a bad apple in da bunch. This one goes much deeper than that - and actually has nothing at all to do with da fine men and women who fight fires in Manalapan. It's about oversight at da taxpayer level - or a serious lack thereof - or something even worse than that - a potential Coverup.

ISSUE 1: THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN LAST WEEK - OR LAST MONTH!

According to both da newspaper and also what daTruthSquad had learned, this incident happened on or about January 9 - over 2 1/2 months ago!!! Since this involves da Manalapan Fire Department, this means someone somewhere in Manalapan Town Hall MUST HAVE KNOWN SOMETHING. Who knew - or even worse - who didn't know - or even worse - who wasn't told? These questions deserve answers.

ISSUE 2: OK - SO WHO KNEW?

Here's where da picture not only gets muddy, but even worse, there can be a concern of a possible coverup. For da sake of argument, let's assume this incident indeed happened on January 9 as da newspaper says. It has been alleged that this fire guy was driving a vehicle he should not have been driving at da time. It has been alleged he was caught driving under da influence of something that more than likely should not have been in his system. It was alleged he refused a breath test. It was also alleged da Freehold Police had to impound and tow away a Manalapan Township Fire vehicle. Again, this allegedly happened January 9 - so for da last 75 days - WHO KNEW?

ISSUE 3: WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN?

If indeed da events happened as da Asbury Park Press alleges, then there's a number of people who either should have known, or were kept out of da loop. Let's examine who these players are.

If indeed this happened as da Asbury Park Press alleges, and lets use their timeline of events as a baseline, then based solely upon simple courtesy da Manalapan Police Department should have been made aware by their brothers in blue in Freehold of at da very least da vehicle involved. If for argument da Manalapan Police were made aware, did they tell anyone in town government, or at da very least da liason between da police and town government, or at da very least da person who is da go-between between da town and da fire department?

If indeed this happened as da Asbury Park Press alleges, and lets use their timeline of events as a baseline, then why was da mayor of Manalapan not notified since it involves da town's fire department? Was Mayor Andy Boy notified? Did he know about this? Was he too busy campaigning for yet another political office to be located? If he didn't know, who covered up da arrest and kept it from him? If he did know, when did he find out and why was it concealed from da public? Is he too concerned about another campaign for Monmouth County Freeloader?

When did Manalapan District Fire Commissioner Rickie Hogan know? Who did Hoagie tell - or who did he not tell? Did he inform Manalapan Township Committee members and not da mayor? Did he tell Mayor Andy Boy and not other members of da Township Committee? Are DWI arrests not important to da Manalapan Township government officials? Is da impounding of a Manalapan Fire Department vehicle by police in another town unimportant to da Manalapan Township Committee? Who was responsible for getting da Fire Department vehicle released from impound? Who signed for it? How much money if any was paid? Who paid it? Did taxpayers pay for it from Manalapan budgets? Why did we find out over two months later? Where was da Manalapan attorneys on this one? Was Tara Tiara, da town administrator in da loop? If she was not informed, who kept it secret from her? If she did know, did she inform da Township Committee? If she did, then who did she tell and why did they not reveal to taxpayers what had happened?

ISSUE 4: WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?

Imagine if this impaired driver using a Fire Department vehicle with Manalapan's name on it heaven forbid hit a car full of kids, or worse, caused a fatal accident. Who would be responsible? Could da town and da taxpayers potentially faced a new and quite possibly devastating lawsuit?

ISSUE 5: OVERSIGHT??????

Did anyone in da Manalapan Police Department know? Did Town Administrator Tara Tiara know? Did Mayor Andy Boy know? Did anyone in Andy Boy's political campaign entourage know? Who did Little Ricki Hogan tell, and when did he know? Who got da car out of impound? Did Chief Ryan Perrone know? If da Chief knew, then why did he not tell town officials? If he did tell township officials, who would he have reported to and told? Did any members of da township committee know? Did da new police chief know? Was da new police chief told? Was da police chief kept out of da loop? Was Mayor Andy Boy and/or members of da Manalapan Township Committee kept out of da loop? Did anyone tell anyone of these people to hide or keep secret these events? Was taxpayer money in any way used in this situation? Is anyone in Town Hall capable of answering these questions? Is there a gag order on this topic in Manalapan government? Can we expect an answer or will we be given yet again da party line of "We'll get back to you?"

DaTruth is, if it walks like a coverup, smells like a coverup, acts like a coverup, gives da appearance of a coverup, and tastes like a coverup, it's highly likely it's not veal piccata. Like Grandma Truth says, "Even if da pig is wearing lipstick, it's still a BaconHead." In this case, you had a person driving a Manalapan Fire Department vehicle when they were not supposed to be, according to da new acting president of da Fire Boys & Girls. You have this person arrested for allegedly driving that vehicle he was not supposed to be driving by police in Freehold, according to da newspaper. You have him refusing to give a sample of his breath which is a violation of da law, according to Freehold Police. And, are we led to believe that ABSOLUTELY NOBODY IN MANALAPAN GOVERNMENT even knew what was happening for da last 2 months? Are we also led to believe that ABSOLUTELY NOBODY IN MANALAPAN TOWN HALL even knew what was happening for da last 2 months?

Again, Websters Dictionary defines "Cover Up" as "a usually concerted effort to keep an illegal or unethical act or situation from being made public."

Now, this of course leads us to da coveted BaconHead Award for da month of March, and so you know da word "BaconHead" is not in Websters, meaning that one is all ours, thanks to a certain former newspaper editor who was kind enough to help us create this prized award.

We must admit da editorial staff of daTruthSquad had a tough time with this. Do we give this month's BaconHead to da town for becoming one of da pot distributing capitals of New Jersey, or does da Fire-breathing Fire guy get it?

Well, we can't keep you in suspense much longer.

DaTruth is, da BaconHead has nothing to do with this "hallucenigenic drug," although it easily could have. It does, however, have something to do with another "hallucenigenic drug," something you'll read about in da very next tangeled web we weave in da next daTruthSquad - and you won't believe who's against it - and who's involved - and who da next BaconHead will be because of it!

And that's daTruth.