Councilman Kirby Delauter of Frederick County, Maryland finally gave journalists of the world permission on Wednesday to use his name.
The politician faced widespread ridicule earlier this week after threatening a local journalist on Facebook with a lawsuit for using his name in a newspaper article without his permission.
“Use my name again and you’ll be paying for an Attorney [sic],” he told the reporter for the Frederick News-Post.
The rant went viral and Delauter’s name wound up appearing in more than just the local newspaper, which quickly ran an editorial that used his name 27 times.
On Wednesday, Delauter said he’d had a change of heart. In a news release titled “Frederick County Supports Transparent Government,” he said he’d posted his legal threat in a moment of anger.
“I thought I had long ago learned the lesson of waiting 24 hours before I hit the send key, but apparently I didn’t learn that lesson as well as I should have,” Delauter said.
“Of course, as I am an elected official, the Frederick News-Post has the right to use my name in any article related to the running of the county — that comes with the job,” he continued. “So yes, my statement to the Frederick News-Post regarding the use of my name was wrong and inappropriate. I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong.”
Read the full statement below:
