Socialist Action /August 1999
Vanity Fair and ABC-TV Stories
of Mumia's 'Confession' Collapse
By JEFF MACKLER
Last month, the nation's corporate media blared forth with "new
evidence" demonstrating the guilt of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Former Pennsylvania Prison Society member Phillip Bloch was quoted in
a lengthy article published in the July issue of Vanity Fair and repeated
in an updated rebroadcast on ABC's 20/20 to the effect that Jamal in late
1992 had "confessed" to the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner.
Bloch claimed that Mumia had answered "yes," to his question
as to whether he regretted his murder of Daniel Faulkner.
Jamal immediately responded to Bloch's accusation. "A lie is a lie,
whether made today or 10 years later." He continued, "I find it
remarkable that this rumor turned lie was never brought to my attention
by the author, by Mr. Bloch himself, or by Vanity Fair magazine, which never
contacted me. Welcome to snuff journalism."
Jamal concluded. "If ever one needed proof of the state's desperation,
here it is. I thank Vanity Fair, not for their work but for stoking this
controversy, because controversy leads to questioning, and one can only
question this belated confession." The corporate media ignored Jamal's
denials.
The outraged executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society told
Amy Goodman, on Pacifica's "Democracy Now!" that Bloch, who had
been fired some nine years ago by this religious-based human rights group,
was the first volunteer in the organization's 200-year history to make such
a statement, breaking the organization's code of conduct requiring confidentiality
in regard to conversations with prisoners.
Bloch, who was paraded before the media by Jamal's prosecutors and Philadelphia
Mayor Edward Rendell, was questioned on "Democracy Now!" by Jamal's
chief legal counsel, Leonard Weinglass. After a few haphazard and confused
answers to Weinglass' pointed inquiries, Bloch became increasingly frustrated
and threatened to end the interview.
Bloch's letter to Mumia
Now, just a few weeks later, Bloch's much touted fabrication of Mumia's
"confession" stands repudiated.
Bloch told ABC's Sam Donaldson, host of "20/20," and Vanity
Fair editor Buss Bissigner that Mumia had confessed to the murder of police
officer Faulkner during a prison conversation with him in late 1992. Bloch
claimed that at that time he was serving as a volunteer for the Pennsylvania
Prison Society.
However, on July 17, 1993, Block wrote Abu-Jamal a handwritten letter
stating that he was confident that Abu-Jamal would receive a new trial where
his innocence would be proven.
Abu-Jamal found in his records Bloch's dated letter to him, including
the postmarked envelope. (See Abu-Jamal's statement to Socialist Action,
"Anatomy of a Lie" below.)
Bloch, who was slated for a press conference with Mumia's former prosecutor
(now Philadelphia Mayor) Ed Rendell, has stated publicly that he became
disillusioned with Mumia's cause when he heard the "confession."
After this "confession" says Bloch, his relations with Mumia ended,
but he remained silent until recently.
Bloch has said that he became outraged at the mass demonstrations in
support of Mumia and decided to contact the slain police officer's wife,
Maureen Faulkner, who put him in touch with police officials and major media
outlets.
But Bloch's relations with Mumia apparently continued for at least six
months after the alleged confession, during which time, as Bloch's letter
demonstrates, he continued to insist on Jamal's innocence!
More evidence refuting Bloch
Vanity Fair and "20/20" ignored two additional pieces of evidence
undermining Bloch's contention that Mumia had confessed.
First, the record shows that Bloch had been fired by the Pennsylvania
Prison Society a year earlier for repeated violations of its procedures.
Contrary to his claims, he did not work for the Prison Society at the time
of the alleged confession. Therefore, Bloch could not have visited Abu-Jamal
at the time he claims the so-called confession was made.
Second, the "confession" took place in a secured visiting cubicle
that Mumia and other prisoners knew contained hidden microphones placed
there by prison officials for illegal eavesdropping purposes.
Neither Vanity Fair nor "20/20 bother to explain to their audience
that the magazine's hit piece on Mumia was authored by Philadelphia Mayor
Rendell's long-time publicist, Buzz Bissigner.
Bissigner's piece repeated the numerous lies, distortions, and half-truths
that have long been refuted by either the trial transcripts or the new evidence
found in the case. The sensational new "confession" by Bloch,
however, was the "new" evidence the media used to press forward
with their execution campaign.
Sam Donaldson of "20/20" was "unavailable for comment"
when called to respond to his broadcast of Bloch's falsified confession.
Socialist Action /August 1999 |