Pocomoke Mayor Caught on Tape
<<<<< LOSER ALERT
“Did you ever know that you’re my hero” ought to be playing in your head right now, thanks to a local blogger in Pocomoke City, Md. He, along with others are tired of the same old cronyism that is plaguing cities and towns all across America. The laws in Md. are tough on wiretapping, but the fact that he was in a public area may just help Burke in this particular case. That, coupled with the fact that he is a journalists covering the news for his website, should give him the right to record a public official in public.
Local blogger William Burke has been charged with a wiretapping offense after he recorded a conversation between himself, his wife, District 4 city council candidate Stephanie Burke, and Pocomoke City Mayor Michael McDermott, and posted it on his web site, the PocomokeTattler.
Burke used a digital recorder to tape about 37 minutes of a conversation with McDermott on the steps of Pocomoke City Hall. The mayor told police he did not know that the recording was being made and didn’t give Burke permission to tape the talk.
The fact that he was recorded should be secondary to the fact that he was outed in the recording as having puportedly incriminating himself. If this is the case, then the evidence against him would be thrown out, but an investigation would be likely.
To Mr. Burke, keep up the good fight, and thank you for a victory for all of us who despise crooked government. We hope that the justice system that we all count on to protect us, will protect you. And most of all, we hope that your Sucky Mayor goes down in flames.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
MyMayorSucks.com:
You and your website rock.
We are just a few miles south of Salisbury MD where another local blogger Joe Albero just won or was found not guilty in a lawsuit brought on by the former Mayor who said blogs have ruined our city.
Mike McDermott on the illicit recording also stated that my wife & I had ruined Pocomoke City because anyone who was thinking of moving here or locating a business here had googled the city and our website came up in just about every search.
http://www.google.com/search?q=pocomoke&hl=en&ned=us&tab=nw
We posted a link to your website in our blogroll the day we found it recently, not so much to get our story up (thank you very much) but to let the local people know they are not alone.
Of course I had to make a post that our small town of 5,000 people has been featured on your website today. http://www.pocomoketattler.com/?p=1282
Standing together as freeborn Americans we can make a difference.
Sincerely,
Billy Burke, Publisher
http://www.pocomoketattler.com
April 30th, 2009 at 1:06 am
I think should also be noted the fact that the mayor of this town is also a Detective on the police force. The same police force that is investigating the alleged “wire tapping’. Also this town is being investigated for voter fraud in a system that had already been recognized by the ACLU as not adhering to the “one voter one vote rule”. And my personal favorite moment for the illustrious Mayor was while conversing with the mother of missing person Christine Sheddy refered to the missing mother of three as a “sponge on society’. Ah a classier guy I doubt you’ll find.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Mayor Mikey (my way or the highway) McDermott is a disgrace not only to the to the folks of the city of Pocomoke who voted for him but to the Republican Party as well.
Unfortunately, it seems the Republican Party in that area wants to support him which, in my estimation, does not say much for those folks . To make matters worse, I have let my personal knowledge of how self serving and egotictical McDermott is and what a poor choice he would be for any office and have been branded a Democrat. For those who thought that I have been a registered Republican for 51 yrs.
McDermott apparently cannot be just a cop who wants to be a politican. He has no business background and has always lived in small towns. He is just another person trying to get on the political bandwagon.
I am relying on the people of Pocomoke and Worcester County Maryland to see that McDermott does not hold another political office again.
June 21st, 2009 at 7:33 am
Mr. Burke is portraying himself as some kind of hero, when the fact is he illegally recorded not one individual but several that day. He did not disclose he was taping and in fact, hid the tape, and was only trying to ‘egg’ on our Mayor. He and his wife have ’sensationalized’ this throughout several forums and in fact, they have committed several acts that are on the fringe of illegal. They just finally got caught.
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Nope! Tireofsonganddance, you are incorrect. Mr. Burke did record the mayor, I guess, but out in the open. As far as them “sensationalizing”, you are incorrect there also. You are like alot of other Pocomoke citizens and don’t care to find the truth that lies behind all the “secrets” at Pocomoke”s city hall.
You are either a “come here” or young. I suggest you read a little deeper and try to realize what has been happening in Pocomoke for the past few years.
August 17th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
first of all i didnt think a person could hold city employment of two city poistion major and lead detective . if not i sure would NOT want to live where the didnt have a lead detective and i wonder what training he has second i though it was legal to tape as long as one person knew it was been taped and i’m sure mr burke knew it was being tape, if not doing wrong why would they care if it was taped
August 17th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
I do not live in your community and would never come to your community. You are right Mayor McDermott your community has been put in a bad light. But that is because of your behavior. I do not understand how a leader of a community and a detective no less would not be held accountable for their actions. I am sure after all this exposure there will be some explaining to do on your part. If I did live in your corrupt area of Maryland I certainly would be contacting all agencies I could find to make your department accountable for your horrible actions. A murder is a murder and I don’t care who the person is. Maybe it’s time you stepped down from your job and your position. I would be embarressed to say you represented my town.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Republicans vote for a republican. As to take a quote from obama. One of the only good quotes he’s ever made. Judge a person by the content of their character. Start looking at the individual and not just the party they are in. Vote him out. Probably won’t happen though. Unfortunate. To call someone who has goine missing a sponge on society? So these children have had no mother since 2 years ago, and have to listen to these verbal attacks on somone they loved and miss dearly. Another desnesitized governing official in the record books.
How does one stay mayor and police detective at the same time? one of those jobs isn’t getting the full effort and attention obviously.
January 19th, 2010 at 1:26 am
I live in this town: I plan on moving away very soon. I have driven these streets for many years. Mayor Mikey is just the end result of poor management. Those who do get away with things as those few in Pocomoke’s town hall, have always thought they were ‘above the law’. What else do you expect? The streets are in horrible shape, and have been like that for years. The water system is not very good. Ride around the town and there is no enforcement to simply clean up the town. People park their vehicles in the front yards. I complained once about neighbors sewer system going right into their back yard, their system had failed. I was told that they were poor, and could not afford to fix it….by a city councilman!!! Yet I have tried to keep my yard clean, and my system up to specs. Why should I be penalized because I work hard every day. So when I hear of Mayor Mikey doing his thing, who do you really blame? Everything starts at the top and the smell filters down. A friend once said to me..’Hey Pocomoke ain’t nothing but a crack haven trailer court without the trailers!” And the beat goes on…..
January 20th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I have watched the goings on in Pocomoke for some time and the bottom line is always the bottom line: The Burkes supported McDermott when he ran for Mayor. After he was elected they expected him to endorse Mrs Burke for a seat on the council. When the sitting mayor, who has to work with ALL of the duly elected council, chose not to endorse her as a candidate because of the possible problems it could cause, they (The Burkes) attacked. We are a nation of laws and the ends do NOT justify the means. Billy Burke BROKE the law recording his former friend without his knowledge. In Maryland both parties must be aware the recording is taking place. Also, the minute you think a “blogger” with and agenda is a “real” newsman, you have thrown out your credibility. IF you want to be treated as a news agency or news website then you MUST seperate personal attacks from NEWS. The Tattler is nothing more than a personal attack on the elected officials of the city. If you don’t like the elected people then work hard to get new people elected. If you want to be treated as a “newsman” than stop the personal attacks and start “reporting”. I wish the Burkes the best in their efforts to clean up a very dirty town, but you NEVER win an argument with name calling, you WIN by being BETTER THAN YOUR OPPONENT. From what I have read on the tattler website I would absolutely NOT vote for the Burkes for any office. Back a new horse for office. McDermott is NOT the problem, it is people like the Burkes who do nothing but complain and break the law. Learn the Laws of the land, do a good job reporting, and find someone honest to run your town. If you believe your former friend is truly some kind of criminal than do your research and get him charged. From what I have seen you are nothing but a bunch name calling losers who live in a corrupt town that will never change until NEW good people are elected and corrupt politicians go to jail. However, just because you lost an election is no justification for what you are doing to the town of Pocomoke.
January 22nd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Dave, your thoughts on the Burkes are accurate. In fact, the only true corruption that appears to come out of the city is what comes out of Burke’s mouth. The city prospers while many other local cities are in financial distress (I know as I live in one nearby that is not doing as well). The mayor and council have cut taxes as well as those on industry and business. Somebody show me where else that is occuring in Maryland. Name calling and smears are just that. I liked what the judge said after Burke pleaded guilty to the charge. He was quoted in the paper as complimenting mayor McDermott for keeping his cool and having character and integrity in the face of a biligerent Mr. Burke. Only a weasel does what Burke did and the mayor called him on it.
May 12th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
The split between McDermott and the Burkes happened long before she ran for office. McDermott did not like it when they questioned him or reminded him of the promises he had made. McDermott also did not like it when he told him to stop writing about Christine Sheddy. He called Sheddy a “sponge on society.” He went on to say she had left her children on a drug binge and the case was not worth pursuing. She was dead - murdered. McDermott had her charged with abandoning her children and did not even withdraw the charge after her remains had been found in Snow Hill.