The Terre Haute Tribune-Star reported as the Christmas holiday weekend began that Indiana State University officials had accepted the resignation of former State Rep. Brian Hasler last Monday from his position as the university's lobbyist to Congress and the state legislature. According to the Trib-Star, Hasler's duties will be absorbed by another ISU official, Diana McKee, as the university evaluates his former position going forward. Hasler was paid an annual salary of $116,159.
Hasler is scheduled to appear in court in Marion County on January 13 to face a Class A misdemeanor charge of patronizing a prostitute. Hasler was arrested by an undercover IMPD cop on December 7 at the Omni-Severin hotel in downtown Indianapolis after he allegedly offered to pay the undercover cop $160 to have sex with him.
Showing posts with label Brian Hasler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brian Hasler. Show all posts
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Friday, December 09, 2011
Undercover IMPD Cop Knew Hasler Was Prominent ISU Official Before The Sting Arrest
The Statesman, Indiana State University's student-run newspaper, has posted the entire probable cause affidavit an undercover IMPD police officer prepared and that was signed off on by a Marion County deputy prosecutor, which sheds considerable light on Wednesday afternoon's arrest of an ISU official who previously served in the Indiana House of Representatives for eight years. Undercover agent Jon Daggy (sounds like an alias) says he initially corresponded with Brian Hasler by e-mail after Hasler responded to an ad he placed on Backpage.com offering massages for payment of money. The undercover officer knew before he later met up with Hasler at the Omni Severin hotel for a sex for money encounter that Hasler was an ISU official because he used his ISU e-mail account and Daggy says he googled his name prior to the encounter. If Daggy googled Hasler's name and read his online bio as he says he did, he also had to know that Hasler was a former legislator.
The fact that Daggy knew Hasler's identity in advance is an interesting fact given that Catherine Cummings, an IMPD spokesperson, flat out lied to me when I called her Wednesday evening seeking confirmation of a prostitution-related arrest of a prominent politician at a downtown hotel earlier in the afternoon. Cummings refused to tell me the name of the person arrested, and she denied the person was a politician of note. She gave me the distinct impression it was just an average citizen. Why Cummings lied to me is any one's guess? I guess that she thinks police spokespersons can lie at will to bloggers because they don't accord them the same respect. After I got off the telephone with Cummings, I e-mailed Fox 59's Russ McQuaid, who followed up with IMPD, which provided him with Hasler's name and the basic details involving his arrest.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hasler had asked to see a picture of the undercover agent, as well as a picture of his penis. The officer says he downloaded a picture of a penis from a Craigslist site in Miami and e-mailed it to Hasler. He declined to provide Hasler with a picture of his face, although he confirmed at Hasler's request that he was HIV-negative and disease free. Hasler's e-mail exchange with the undercover officer sought more than a mere massage according to the probable cause affidavit. "Head, top," Hasler replied. The officer confirmed that he meant he wanted both oral and anal sex. The officer said Hasler told him to bring condoms with him. The officer says he recognized Hasler as soon as he made eye contact with him in the lobby of the Omni Severin hotel because he had looked up his biographical information online in advance. The officer immediately identified himself as a police officer and placed Hasler under arrest. During Hasler's booking, the officer states that he found exactly $160 cash on him, the amount he agreed to pay him for the encounter, which included $60 for the massage and an additional $100 for the sex.
I'm not sure what kind of professional training Ms. Cummings has received as a spokesperson for IMPD, but I'm highly offended by her false and misleading statements to me in response to my public inquiry. She not only lied to me about the fact that IMPD knew at the time of Hasler's arrest that he was a prominent public official, she also lied to me about Hasler's arrest being the result of a sting operation conducted by an undercover agent. She clearly had decided she was not going to let a blogger like me break the story about Hasler's arrest, even though Matt Stone as I explained to her had already reported on his blog a rumor that a prominent former politician had been arrested for solicitation at a downtown hotel earlier that day. She immediately gave up the same information to mainstream reporters like Russ McQuaid when they contacted her asking about the same arrest. I await Ms. Cummings explanation of why she lied to me during our telephone conversation Wednesday evening, but I won't hold my breath expecting to get one. Whatever her rationale, she's left a very sour taste in my mouth about our police department, which was already pretty low to begin with. It also raises questions in my mind if IMPD is specifically targeting gay encounters as opposed to the opposite-sex encounters that no doubt make up the bulk of the prostitution activity taking place. One also has to wonder what IMPD's priorities are when homeowners and businesses are finding themselves under siege from break-ins, burglaries and home invasions, while undercover police resources are being devoted to what many would argue is a victimless crime.
The fact that Daggy knew Hasler's identity in advance is an interesting fact given that Catherine Cummings, an IMPD spokesperson, flat out lied to me when I called her Wednesday evening seeking confirmation of a prostitution-related arrest of a prominent politician at a downtown hotel earlier in the afternoon. Cummings refused to tell me the name of the person arrested, and she denied the person was a politician of note. She gave me the distinct impression it was just an average citizen. Why Cummings lied to me is any one's guess? I guess that she thinks police spokespersons can lie at will to bloggers because they don't accord them the same respect. After I got off the telephone with Cummings, I e-mailed Fox 59's Russ McQuaid, who followed up with IMPD, which provided him with Hasler's name and the basic details involving his arrest.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Hasler had asked to see a picture of the undercover agent, as well as a picture of his penis. The officer says he downloaded a picture of a penis from a Craigslist site in Miami and e-mailed it to Hasler. He declined to provide Hasler with a picture of his face, although he confirmed at Hasler's request that he was HIV-negative and disease free. Hasler's e-mail exchange with the undercover officer sought more than a mere massage according to the probable cause affidavit. "Head, top," Hasler replied. The officer confirmed that he meant he wanted both oral and anal sex. The officer said Hasler told him to bring condoms with him. The officer says he recognized Hasler as soon as he made eye contact with him in the lobby of the Omni Severin hotel because he had looked up his biographical information online in advance. The officer immediately identified himself as a police officer and placed Hasler under arrest. During Hasler's booking, the officer states that he found exactly $160 cash on him, the amount he agreed to pay him for the encounter, which included $60 for the massage and an additional $100 for the sex.
I'm not sure what kind of professional training Ms. Cummings has received as a spokesperson for IMPD, but I'm highly offended by her false and misleading statements to me in response to my public inquiry. She not only lied to me about the fact that IMPD knew at the time of Hasler's arrest that he was a prominent public official, she also lied to me about Hasler's arrest being the result of a sting operation conducted by an undercover agent. She clearly had decided she was not going to let a blogger like me break the story about Hasler's arrest, even though Matt Stone as I explained to her had already reported on his blog a rumor that a prominent former politician had been arrested for solicitation at a downtown hotel earlier that day. She immediately gave up the same information to mainstream reporters like Russ McQuaid when they contacted her asking about the same arrest. I await Ms. Cummings explanation of why she lied to me during our telephone conversation Wednesday evening, but I won't hold my breath expecting to get one. Whatever her rationale, she's left a very sour taste in my mouth about our police department, which was already pretty low to begin with. It also raises questions in my mind if IMPD is specifically targeting gay encounters as opposed to the opposite-sex encounters that no doubt make up the bulk of the prostitution activity taking place. One also has to wonder what IMPD's priorities are when homeowners and businesses are finding themselves under siege from break-ins, burglaries and home invasions, while undercover police resources are being devoted to what many would argue is a victimless crime.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Former Democratic Lawmaker Busted For Soliciting Undercover Male Cop
An undercover IMPD officer arrested former State Rep. Brian Hasler (D) for patronizing a prostitute after Hasler allegedly responded to an online ad placed by the male police officer and then offered to pay the police officer $160 for sex when the two met in a downtown Indianapolis hotel lobby. Hasler, who
Former State Representative Brian Hasler was arrested by an undercover Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer and charged with patronizing a prostitute in a downtown hotel lobby.Yesterday, I contacted IMPD's media relations office after Matt Stone published a rumor on his blog that a prominent former politician had been busted for soliciting a male prostitute at a downtown hotel. A spokesperson, Catherine Cummings, confirmed a prostitution arrest had occurred, but she refused to release the name of the person to me. She told me that the person arrested was not a politician. She also told me that the arrest did not occur as a result of a sting by the department but rather an investigative tip, which was obviously not the case. After I inquired with Russ McQuaid about the story, he contacted IMPD and was given Hasler's name and the details of his arrest. Thanks for nothing, Ms. Cummings.
Hasler is a special assistant to the president of Indiana State University handling external affairs. The probable cause filed in superior court indicates Hasler utilized his ISU e-mail account to arrange the meeting with the vice officer.
ISU indicated it has no comment on Hasler’s arrest.
The officer advertised on a website offering a message. He reported that Hasler contacted him and negotiated to pay $160 for sex. He also requested photographs of the officer. In the lobby of the hotel Wednesday afternoon, Hasler identified himself to the officer and was placed under arrest.
Hasler served the Evansville area in the state house from 1996 until 2004.
Hasler would be at least the fourth person with statehouse connections investigated for alleged sex crimes in the past few years.
In August, a young man reported that state representative Phil Hinkle paid him to have sex in a downtown hotel. Hinkle admitted to poor judgment. No criminal charges were filed.
This story should tell Indianapolis State Rep. Phil Hinkle (R) just how lucky he is. IMPD could have charged him with solicitation after he responded to a young man's ad on Craigslist seeking a "sugga daddy." Hinkle met the 18-year-old boy, Kameryn Gibson, at the J.W. Marriott where Hinkle was attending the wedding reception for the daughter of a prominent Indianapolis' lobbyist. The young man who hooked up with Hinkle later took up a career as an adult performer for a gay pornographic producer. IMPD swept the Hinkle matter under the rug. Maybe if Hasler had been tied to the corrupt Indianapolis political community he could have gotten a pass as well.
UPDATE: WISH-TV's AJ Colley has a few more details on Hasler's arrest, which occurred at the Omni Severin Hotel:
The undercover officer who posted the ad on a website received a response from Hasler's ISU email account, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in a Marion County court. After receiving Hasler’s response, the officer asked what he wanted.
“Massage or more. Are you DDF/HIV-? Face pic,” Hasler responded, according to court documents. The officer said this meant Hasler was asking if he was disease- and drug-free and HIV negative. He also wanted a picture of the man’s face. In later correspondence, Hasler asked for a photo of the man’s penis.
The men met at 2 p.m. in the lobby of the Omni Severin Hotel, 40 W. Jackson Place. When they confirmed each other’s identity, the undercover officer identified himself as a police officer and arrested Hasler. While searching Hasler, the officer found exactly $160 in cash on him.This item from WTHI-TV is almost surreal. It looks like Hasler has written a children's book about the ISU Sycamore's mascot, Sycamore Sam, and was scheduled to do a book signing in Terre Haute tomorrow:
Hasler wrote a children's book called "The Story of Sycamore Sam" about how Indiana State's 'Sycamore Sam' became their mascot. He was scheduled to appear at the Indiana State bookstore on Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. for an autograph session.UPDATE [4:15 p.m.]: The Terre Haute Tribune-Star is reporting that Hasler used his ISU e-mail account to arrange the tryst with the undercover male cop, citing court documents. At Hasler's request, a university spokesperson told the Tribune-Star that Hasler is taking paid vacation time off in the wake of his arrest. Hasler is paid a whopping $116,159 a year. I can't imagine that university officials would not fire him since he was arranging the sexual tryst during the middle of a work day using his official university e-mail account.
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