Something Rotten in Manassas Park

And where oh where is the media coverage?! On the surface the story of business owner Dave Ruttenberg's treatment by the City of Manassas Park appears to be a tale of an astounding degree of corruption in the government of a small town just waiting to be uncovered. I thought investigative reporters loved this kind of stuff, the prospect of a Pulitzer literally dangling before their eyes?

You can find some background on this baffling story here and here.

To get the full picture, click on this link and read from the bottom up.

As BVBL now reports, the city's latest move is to offer a settlement that seems to have the basic components of blackmail.

One might surmise the city or certain parties within it are attempting to make this story go away real quick like, before any major news outlets start sniffing around and get the Virginia Attorney General's office or the even the feds involved.

Someone familiar with the story passed along this bit of information:

Police co-opted David Ruttenberg's head of security Tom Kifer and instructed him to allow known drug dealers to enter the business despite his job to keep them out. Later on at the ABC hearing, the police blamed Dave Ruttenberg for drug activity in the business that the police themsemselves were responsible for instigating. Police told drug dealers from Woodbridge and Dale City to Manassas Park to come to Rack & Roll Billiards and deal who otherwise would have never known the place existed.

It has gotten some limited local coverage but that's about it. Why it's not on the front page of the Times or Post I have no idea. They are missing a huge opportunity.