DOUBTS CAST ON SAN DIEGO TEA PARTY SPOKESMAN FACING RAPE CHARGE

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By Miriam Raftery

Update:  All charges against Kobulnicky have been dropped.  For full story, see

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/9176

Update March 27, 2012 (San Diego)--At a bail review yesterday, the victim told the judge that she is certain Kobulnicky was not the person who reportedly raped her.  "This man is not the man at all, and I'll stick with that for as long as I live," she stated, 10 News reports. http://www.10news.com/news/30763732/detail.html.  The San Diego Tea Party has posted an interview with the woman on their website at http://www.sandiegopatriots.com . Kobulnicky remains in jail, however.

March 17, 2012 (Lemon Grove)—Lemon Grove resident Michael John Kobulnicky, 50, a leader in the San Diego Tea Party and former regional director of the Southern California Conservative Party, is under arrest for allegedly kidnapping and raping a local woman on Fiesta Island.

“He dragged her out of the car and sexually assaulted her pretty brutally,” San Diego Police Lt. Andra Brown told ECM news partner 10 News in late February, shortly after the February 25 assault occurred.

On his website, http://www.michaelkobulnickyusa.com, Kobulnicky lists his leadership roles as “currently the co-organizer and public relations representative for the San Diego Tea Party.”

After Kobulnicky’s arrest, the San Diego Tea Party issued a statement indicating that Kobulnicky took leave the group in January for personal reasons and had not been in touch since then, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.  He has been removed from his position while the legal process runs its course, the statement said, adding that “"Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the victim.”

The suspect previously identified himself with the Conservative Party USA. In 2009, he was listed as regional director of the Southern California Conservative Party, according to http://conservativepartyusa.org/bios/kobulnicky.html

According to his website, Kobulnicky  supports Christian values, is a father of five sons, and is co-founder and president of the National Council of Americans, Inc, a nonprofit that helps youths. 

He also lists prior employment as faculty at California Miramar University, teacher and coach at Val Verde Unified School District, manager of a landscape design company, and more.

His Facebook page indicates he became engaged in early March and planned to be married in April. Kobulnicky, who is divorced, was accused of domestic violence in 2008, San Diego Superior Court records indicate.

According to police, Kobulnicky offered a ride to a woman walking on Linda Vista Road around 7 p.m. on February 25. But instead of taking her home, he drove to Fiesta Island. There, the 205-pound, 6 ft. 3-inch tall suspect is accused of pulling the victim out of the vehicle and sexually assaulted the 56-year-old woman, then leaving her on the island. 

He is charged with rape, kidnapping, and forcible sex with a foreign object.  Evidence includes surveillance video shot at a local convenience store shortly before the kidnapping occurred.  Kobulnicky is being held without bail pending arraignment on Monday. 

 


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Comments

Charges Dropped Does Not Mean Innocence

The media hype and the Tea Party involvment may have greatly interferred with the public and lawful due deligence. Kobulnicky first claimed NOT GUILTY to kidnapping and rape. Then a week later he admitted to CONSENSUAL sexual encounter. The police had forensic evidence that they stand by. The victim 3 days later states she never saw the man in her life, even after describing him and pointing him out in video! Manipulation to the fullest degree, intimidation and cooercement!

THIS IS A TRUE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: It has been discovered that Kobulnicky has a Public record in Riverside County Superior Court of a Misdemeanor that was filed against him being with a Prostitute years earlier. It was dropped because he had an excuse. He got out of that one too! This is true public record.

Women be aware. Thank goodness that this has been so publicized that this man better not make another mistake nor another crime!

Who wrote the headline?

That's a very misleading headline, obviously written by somebody with an agenda. The man hasn't had anything to do with the Tea Party since January - the alleged crime was committed February 25. So what does this have to do with the Tea Party?

Even the man himself merely claims to be "co-organizer and public relations representative for the San Diego Tea Party." Whatever that means. "Public relations representative" is pure fluff. Means nothing. If they hadn't heard from the guy since January, clearly he's not much of a representative.

I know it's mighty tempting, with the various Occupy thugs committing crimes daily, to pin something nasty on the Tea Party, but news organizations should refrain from injecting their partisan agendas into their reporting.

Update posted 3-27-12

The original headline was accurate and chosen merely so the public would know his affiliation and whether they may have crossed passed with this prominent individual.

 

We have updated the headline today with new information casting serious doubt on the DA's case (victim now says the accused is not the rapist) and reposted the story on our homepage with this update, while waiting to see whether the DA will drop charges or present evidence that contradicts the witness' statement. 

Wrong. Fox News' headline was the same!

The suspect's website didn't say he was a former tea party leader, it implied he was the current PR rep.  Other news sites also identified him as a Tea Party "leader" before our story was published. Do you think they are all biased too?  Even Fox News headline was "Tea Party Leader Accused of Sexual Assault:  http://www.fox5sandiego.com/news/kswb-tea-party-leader-accused-of-sexual-assault,0,5956236.story

PR representative is an important position for any organization and a google search indicated he appeared to have organized various events, confirming the association. Whether he really has been out of touch for a couple of months or not may be true, or could be an attempt after his arrest for the group to distance itself--a fairly common practice.

The fact that a man is arrested for rape who represents or recently represented the San Diego Tea Party as a spokesperson is relevant in any journalist's book. And for the record if he'd been a leader in the Democratic Party or the Occupy movement we would have reported this in exactly the same way. It would be wrong to sweep that tie under the rug, regardless of which party he's a leader in.

Another republican "family values" type

He needs LOTS of jail time.
And what is he saying now?
He should have killed her, then no witness.
Despicable, and this is the guy
leading?

Par for the course.

Family values

Another sick human being. It doesnt matter what political view he has, he's sick and should be dealt with accordingly.