Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – Former Harrisburg City Councilwoman Gloria Martin-Roberts responded to defamatory statements made in a recent interview by incumbent Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse.
Mayor Papenfuse was interviewed on a fringe podcast called ‘Shoobin It Real’ that was publicly broadcast in the city on Sunday afternoon. In the process of attempting to attack his critics during the interview, Papenfuse repeatedly slandered private citizens.
The entire interview was filled with falsified information and stories that were fabricated with no evidence, citing anonymous sources, and attaching “many people are saying,” and “everybody knows,” as qualifiers to various outrageous claims.
On Thursday, in response to the claims made during the interview, Gloria Martin-Roberts used strong words to excoriate incumbant Mayor Eric Papenfuse, accusing him of defamation of character, and she highlighted a pattern of his dirty political tactics.
She said Papenfuse recently called her begging for an endorsement, and tried to guilt-trip her for supporting former Republican Dave Schankweiler.
Martin-Roberts sternly criticized Papenfuse for slandering and smearing the reputations of Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick, Harrisburg Attorney James Ellison, and former Harrisburg Mayor Linda Thompson.
She also said Papenfuse recruited a Megan’s List felon for his street campaign.
Allegedly Papenfuse offered child abuse felon Shymar McBridge an opportunity to run his street campaign in the current mayoral election.
Martin-Roberts ended the response by informing Papenfuse that he deserved to be spanked like a child who was throwing a tantrum.
It is sad when a person running for office can’t stand on his own merits and must defame others because they won’t support him. Yes, I am talking about Eric Papenfuse. Just last month he called me and ask that I consider supporting him for Mayor. He said, “I can’t believe that you are supporting Dave, a Republican.” My response, “The DCDC party had to revise its by-laws two years about to sensor you because you openly endorsed a Republican candidate over a Democratic candidate.” So what, you are challenging me? Eric lost my support years ago when he ran for county commissioner and tried to drag George Hartwick through the mud using false personal issues to spoil his reputation. I don’t play this kind of ugly politics, unless you send me there. When I ran for mayor, Eric defamed my friends The Honorable Linda Thompson and James Ellison, Esquire by telling the public that if I won, they would be running city government. This, of course, was a lie from the bit of hell. However; a few uninformed, racist, bias and misguided people believed him. But only those that are padding his pockets with PAC dollars because that have gotten what they desire from this city. I have no idea whether Shymar McBride is guilty or innocent. Has he been tried? I also don’t do personal background checks of people that volunteer for any office that I ran for or any other initiatives in which I am involved. If an initiatives involves children, yes, background checks are required, but Shymar McBride has not participated with me in any such events or initiatives. Yes, the day before Mr. McBride was arrested, it is my understanding that Eric Papenfuse met with him and ask that he run his street campaign. So Eric, who is the hypocrite? You behave like a spoiled adolescent. If you can’t have your way, you have a tantrum and attempt to slander those that will not join you. If you weren’t such a big person, I would do to you that my parents and grand parents would do to us when we were children and thought a tantrum would work, “spank you behind.”
Gloria Martin-Roberts
Harrisburg100 