Dear Peter
Ashli Ford's attorney sends emails expressing frustration; cuts communication with newspaper
SANDUSKY — In the world of investigative journalism, the “gatekeeper”—usually an attorney or a public information officer—is a person whose job is to ensure the record remains accurate. They are the channel through which a subject is given their right to respond to serious allegations.
For months, I have treated Peter Pattakos as that professional gatekeeper for his client, Ashli Ford. I have honored her request for “no direct contact” by sending every inquiry, every concern about defamation, and every request for comment on new felony indictments directly to his office.
On Thursday, Jan. 29, that system was working. Mr. Pattakos provided a lengthy, substantive email explaining his legal defense of his client, who was indicted that day on new charges.
By Friday morning, however, the gate was slammed shut. Following an inquiry into a potentially false police report filed by his client, Pattakos abandoned the law for personal vitriol, calling a reporter a “moron” and demanding an end to all professional outreach.
To understand how we got to his “Stop emailing me” ultimatum from Pattakos, it’s helpful to look at the timeline. What follows is a documented history of a lawyer who once called his own client’s conduct “unlawful and extremely harmful,” only to later characterize a reporter’s standard inquiries as “malicious harassment.”
