Matt Shirk... Public Defender or Playboy?

[BridgeTroll]

Is it usual for a building constructed to house the offices of public defenders to have "showers" along with "sinks and potties"?  How does one plan for this type of need?  lol

Looks like you plan for a shower when you intend to hire hotties.  He had the shower installed in his office last year.  Presumably at taxpayer expense...

Seriously?  Why am I not surprised.

View the video here... http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/New-Details-in-Action-News-Investigation-of/WA27h8BF7Emb5UDdK7fLfQ.cspx   at the 2:20 mark they talk about the installation of the "hottie shower".  The video also contains the voice of Mr Mallett asking for a type written resignation rather than an email.  The video also mentions that Mallet is "chief of staff yet most public defender offices do not have such a position... and if they do... it is someone with a law degree.  Mr Mallet does not possess one...

[Cheshire Cat]

Is it usual for a building constructed to house the offices of public defenders to have "showers" along with "sinks and potties"?  How does one plan for this type of need?  lol

Looks like you plan for a shower when you intend to hire hotties.  He had the shower installed in his office last year.  Presumably at taxpayer expense...

Seriously?  Why am I not surprised.

View the video here... http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/New-Details-in-Action-News-Investigation-of/WA27h8BF7Emb5UDdK7fLfQ.cspx   at the 2:20 mark they talk about the installation of the "hottie shower".  The video also contains the voice of Mr Mallett asking for a type written resignation rather than an email.  The video also mentions that Mallet is "chief of staff yet most public defender offices do not have such a position... and if they do... it is someone with a law degree.  Mr Mallet does not possess one...

Wow, that report is something else.  First photo's of two of the hires as well.  Gotta love that they could not supply a copy of Mallot's job description and that he has no law background, along with the already mentioned fact that Shirk's wife had all access to a State office without a background check or proper approval.  What a mess.  At this point, after an investigation I can't see how Shirk will not be removed from office.  Looks like he didn't get much use out of the shower he had installed, he would have actually had to show up to his job in order to do that.   

[BridgeTroll]

We here at Metrojax complain about the GOB network all the time.  here is a prime example... and most of us believe this sort of thing is going on all through the political offices of Jacksonville... and we would have never caught shirk had he not wanted to shower with whiskey river babes... (so do I but I'm not a public defender  )

[JayBird]

The more I read about this the more I wonder how can he possibly still be in office?

[Cheshire Cat]

BT,I kinda wonder if the salacious nature of this situation is what actually led to the revelation of the other actions which as you stated are just so "GOB".  It is a funny thing, this business of fighting the actions of the GOB mentality in Jacksonville.  Sometime folks get it and other times if you try and point out the illegal nonsense that goes on it's the messenger that gets killed as supposed to folks reacting to the garbage that goes in back room.  Believe me I know that to be true first hand.  lmao

[Cheshire Cat]

The more I read about this the more I wonder how can he possibly still be in office?

He is there because he needs the paycheck to keep his wife and family with him I would imagine.  I would agree that there is no way he should remain in office and a person of character would have stepped down by now.  I guess his actions have already led many to question his judgement and moral character by now but he will likely hang in drawing a check until the pressure is too great.

[JayBird]

True. And Jax isn't alone. Weiner in NY got busted for sexting, didn't admit until be was forced to, and is now running for city Mayor and LEADING in some polls. I wonder if Bill & Monica made us look at sexual acts in public office as blasé ...

[Cheshire Cat]

This power and sex thing has been going on since the beginning of time.  Back in the 50's and 60's folks in politics got away with it cause the press would not touch their sexual follies.  In retrospect we can talk about the fact that Lincoln slept apart from his wife and with another man. (A matter of historic record)  Roosevelt's wife carried on an affair with his knowledge for years,  We like Ike and Ike liked his secretary, the Kennedy boys, well let's not even go there.  lol  The reality is that today's attitudes have changed toward exposing and discussing this sort of thing.  In Shirk's case he went beyond being a "player" well into some serious violations of ethics and the law.  That to me is the real issue here but as in all else, "sex sells". 

[jaxjags]

This is a very serious matter, so I don't mean to make light of it, BUT when you sit back and think about "installing a shower at your office" you really just have to LOL.

[Cheshire Cat]

This is a very serious matter, so I don't mean to make light of it, BUT when you sit back and think about "installing a shower at your office" you really just have to LOL.

Shirk isn't the first to do so.  John Peyton had a $10K upgrade to his potty room which included a shower and connecting doors to both his and Scott Tegal's offices.  Tegal you may remember left after a scandal and Grand Jury questions. 

[JayBird]

We like Ike and Ike liked his secretary, the Kennedy boys, well let's not even go there.

Best line this week!!!

But seriously, that's true and makes sense. During the Clinton admin my opinion was "who cares what he does on his time, as long he's running the country right" but things like this case show me that can get out of hand.

As for the shower in the office, before this I would've looked at it (naively) as someone who has such a demanding workload that they don't even have time to stop home and grab a shower before going to the next event. Heck, there are many workdays where in my 14th, 16th, 18th hour I'd love a shower!

[Cheshire Cat]

Recently we learned that the neat new shower Matt Shirk had installed in his bathroom at the Public Defenders office was done without proper permits.  Ah, so much for following legal permitting requirements.  lol  But this last little bit of info that was shared today about how Shirk fired the nice and very attractive young woman named Chester is....well....to put it bluntly, really creepy.  So not only does his wife have an all access pass to his office, she also needs to know about his hiring and firing practices.  Apparently his penchant for chasing panties had quite a price attached to it. 

Ms. Chester shows up at work to find her things all packed and there was no goodbye letter. 

The Times-Union is reviewing the documents. The paper's early review shows an email from Chester to Shirk on the day she was terminated asking about her employment.

"So I get to work and all of my stuff is in boxes. Am I fired?" Chester wrote.

Shirk forwarded the email without comment to his wife.

The Times-Union has called the Public Defender's Office to learn why Shirk would need to inform his wife about possible personnel moves

Read more at Jacksonville.com: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-09-11/story/matt-shirks-office-releases-thousands-documents#ixzz2ec1w6EK5

[BridgeTroll]

Thanks CC... that tat on her arm looks a bit creepy too...

[Gators312]

Shirk's wife is as crazy as a bedbug in my opinion. 

I'm not surprised he put himself in this position, being the kind of guy he is, but what surprises me is that he knew what kind of sh*t storm she would rain down upon him and he wasn't more careful about his indiscretions.

[Cheshire Cat]

Shirk's wife is as crazy as a bedbug in my opinion. 

I'm not surprised he put himself in this position, being the kind of guy he is, but what surprises me is that he knew what kind of sh*t storm she would rain down upon him and he wasn't more careful about his indiscretions.

That's the thing about the mindset of those in elected office who think they are above reproach and smart enough to talk their way out of any situation they get into.  You know, the power corrupts thing.  Stupid is as stupid does.