Blogger feud continues with Fredericton City Hall
Charles Leblanc's blog shut down for racist comments against police officer
The City of Fredericton has revealed it was behind a complaint that resulted this week in the shut down of a well-known blog written by Charles LeBlanc.
Chris MacPherson, the city's chief administrative officer, said he asked Google to shut down "charlesotherpersonality.blogspot.ca" because it contained inaccurate and hurtful content about Fredericton police.
"Our employees in the last couple of years, have been referred to as pedophiles. There's been comments about their race," said MacPherson, who distributed printouts of the site to the media and LeBlanc.
MacPherson said LeBlanc was asked to take down the posts, but refused.
LeBlanc denied saying anything libelous.
"I asked a question. I never accused - said somebody is," he said.
LeBlanc was less adamant in denying he has posted a specific racist description of an individual officer.
"Could be. I don't know," he said.
LeBlanc said he would have taken down the posts had police apologized to him.
"I'm just shooting back what they did to me. They're the one that started this. Not me," said LeBlanc.
LeBlanc's history with the police includes an investigation in 2012 that saw officers seize computer equipment from his home.
An independent review later found police misused a request form for the raid, one reserved for child exploitation offences. No charges were laid against LeBlanc.
Fredericton Police Chief Leanne Fitch said an apology was already made.
"There has been an apology. There was an official apology through the media if you go back and look. We accept full responsibility and we accepted all the recommendations from the report and I am very sorry that you feel still very wronged by this. I feel bad that you feel that way, but you continue to slander our officers on your blog and that is not lawful," she said in a video LeBlanc posted on You Tube July 30.
LeBlanc said an anonymous donor has sponsored a new blog, which has only a minor spelling change in its name, "charlesotherpersonalitie.blogspot.ca."