Mailman’s friend warned Secret Service about plan to land gyrocopter on U.S. Capitol lawn
Doug Hughes’ close friend and co-worker, Mike Shanahan, said today that the Ruskin mailman is not a terrorist and
did not mean any harm with his protest.
And just hours before Hughes landed in Washington, Hughes’ friend said he called a Secret Service agent to notify him of the possibility of the gyrocopter flight.
“He’s not a suicide bomber, he’s a patriot,” said Shanahan, 65, of Apollo Beach. The whole stunt centers around Hughes’ effort to change campaign finance laws, “or the lack thereof,” according to Shanahan.
About a year ago, Shanahan said, Hughes told him of the idea to deliver letters to legislators by gyrocopter. Not long after, they were both questioned by a Secret Service official in Florida, he said. Wednesday morning, Shanahan said, Hughes called his friend and said he was in Washington, ready to take off.
He passed along the website on which he would livestream his flight, but Shanahan, not adept with computers, could not find it.
So, he said, he pulled out the phone number he had saved from the Secret Service agent he spoke to months ago. He dialed. No answer, but he said he left a message. No call back. He still was not certain if the protest was actually going to happen.
“I didn’t want to get all of D.C. in an uproar and it turn out he was just practicing or something or he was just pulling my leg,” Shanahan said.
Though Hughes was arrested, Shanahan said he was relieved his friend was alive. more
Let’s compare — Ex CIA Director General Petraeus’s Legal Defense to Mailman Doug Hughes Legal Defense !!!
Ex CIA Director General David Petraeus has disgraced our Country–
whereas Mailman Doug Hughes is a
Patriot and Hero for our Country.
Mr Petraeus received 2 yr probation for giving his mistress military classified information– WHAT ??
His brilliant Attorney Jake Sussman convinced lenient Judge David Keesler to give Mr Petraeus only a slap on the wrist— WHAT ??
Doug Hughes a devoted husband and Mailman for 11 yrs should only be charged for ” attempting to deliver mail outside his assigned mail route ”
I have requested that Atty Jake Sussman represent Mr Hughes ” Pro
Bono ” and attempt to have Mr Hughes case heard by Judge Keesler– thereby resulting in probation only for Doug Hughes.
Ken Levey
Palm Harbor Florida
2727 Sherbrooke Lane
Palm Harbor Fl 34684
Im a retired postal worker…does this huy really believe what he did and how he did it was really necessary. He could have been shot down and then what.
Let’s see what happens to him legally because if he’s still employed with the USPS I’d like to know how
and why because he could’ve lost hos job for not delivering his msil timely.
Well Pres. Obama looked for change and this gentleman changed his route to accommodate him ! No is that neat , or what ? Of course he forgot to get permission. As an old friend always telling me , Easier to get forgiveness than to get permission.
From a 30 year retired Postal Worker, does anybody really believe this guy should be referred to as a USPS Letter Carrier?? Does anybody believe he is not (SO FIRED) by the USPS?? Does anyone believe this Letter Carrier will ever see the inside of a Postal Facility or Deliver Mail again?? (Other than his failed Union Arbitration).
I generally hate protesters, especially those who block streets when I am trying to get to work (I wonder how they get off work to protest, but that is another story), and those that invade restaurants to chant slogans while I am trying to eat. I especially hate those.
But I can tolerate a guy like this who knows he will face serious jail time for his protest. It is kind of like the old anti-war Monk protesters who set themselves afire, or the IRA guys who starved themselves to death. I might disagree with the substance of their protest, but given that they didn’t hurt anybody else, I have to respect their sincerity. This guy traded years of his life to make a political statement, so he bought a ticket to do so, in my opinion.
mad that the crummy nalc union has no dental plan…..45 years after the 1970 strike……..his teeth all fell out.
Name HUGHES, DOUGLAS M
Title RURAL CARRIER
Grade 00
Salary/Wage* $0 yr. / or $31.39 hour
Rate Type
(Annual or Hourly) P
Duty Date 08/23/2003
Facility Name RIVERVIEW
City RIVERVIEW
State FL
Work Zip 33569-9998