The Mysterious Case of Colin Bonini’s Vanishing M. P. A.
Colin Bonini used to have an M. P. A. from the University of Delaware. So said his official profile at the Delaware General Assembly website. In fact, he used to have that M. P. A. until Monday of this week. It was an M. P. A. that he claimed to have received in 2005. The official information on the website is provided by the elected officials themselves, so this information was provided on a form that Colin Bonini filled out and returned to Legislative Council.
I had never doubted, nor even thought of the possibility, that Bonini in fact had not achieved this advanced degree, as I had no reason to.
Until I read the News-Journal profile of the Treasurer’s race that came out at the end of last week. Under ‘Education’, Bonini was cited as a ‘Wesley College graduate’. Nothing about an advanced degree.
Hmm, there seemed to be a clear discrepancy. And there was. Until about 10 am Monday morning, the last time that the website was updated. Suddenly, according to the official website of the Delaware General Assembly upon which Bonini had claimed his M. P. A. from the University of Delaware, Bonini no longer held an M. P. A. from the University of Delaware. It had either vanished or been taken back by the University of Delaware. He now has been relegated to “Enrolled, M. P. A., University of Delaware”.
Memo to the News-Journal: This is just one more piece of information handed to you on a silver platter. You can easily contact Bonini and ask him about his misrepresentation of his educational bona fides. You can also contact Legislative Council and try to get to the bottom of this sudden change. Maybe even contact the University to find out about his status. You know, commit ‘journalism’. Or you can continue to engage in passing along unsubstantiated and, in some cases, refuted, rumors.
Granted, I’ve never worked as a full-time journalist (although I did some ‘stringing’ for the Newark Post several decades ago), but it seems to me that a candidate misrepresenting his academic record is, what’s that word, newsworthy. Not to mention dishonest on the candidate’s part.
After all, if he’s lying about that, then why should anybody believe anything else he says?
**UPDATE**
Here’s a screenshot of Bonini’s wikipedia entry, before it gets scrubbed.
–UI
Let the excuse mongering begin!
#1 Surely this was a typo on the part of some state employee?
republican lies about credentials. yawn… It is not a story for the NJ unless there is a Democrat with made up educational credentials to prove how objective they are.
an M. P. A. that he claimed to have received in 2005.
I’d like to know if his classes were meeting at the time of the Sunset Committee meetings.
That is also the timeframe during which Bonini’s supporters claim he was too preoccupied to attend the Sunset Committee meetings, yet too dutiful to resign. He was spending his time in California with his ailing mother, and then when he came back to Delaware he was busy catching up on his day job:
#2 It was written on fancy paper
That load couldn’t hold a tea cup without dipping in it and tripping over it. I was gonna say dippin n trippin but I’m too cauc to pull it off
What a scumbag! He’s told so many lies and is trying to cover up now. I hope mainstream media gets ahold of this info and properly exposes him for the fraud he is.
is it me or does Bonini have an awesome name?
Dude! You got Bonini’d?
or
Ha, he bonini’d you!
or
man, I wish I could bonini her!
or
Man! what a nice set of bonini’s on that girl
or
Damn! Did you see the bonini on that guy?
Name alone, this guy get’s my vote. Besides, education is for elites.
We now have confirmation. Although I’m pretty sure that the General Assembly site said 2005, Wikipedia says he claims he got his MPA in 1999:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_R._J._Bonini
Either year, he really doesn’t have it. He’s lied about it for 11 years.
Is that news? I think so.
Oh. He also peddled the claim to Project Vote Smart as well:
http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=5728
Hello-o-o-o, is there any credible journalist willing to ask the key questions to the prevaricating bloviator who is Colin Bonini?
I hope you don’t mind ‘Bulo – I stuck a screenshot of Bonini’s wikipedia page in your post.
Not at all, UI. I so appreciate you young’uns with your highfalutin’ computer skills!
anyone dv over the bonini metaphors?
Concerned, very very odonnelled with the bonini of dv’s jensen. Turnblatt
Ask one of Chip Flower’s old gf’s they may talk, that is if their wounds have healed.
Wow, the Rethug rumor-mongerers are out.
Between Celia, who now answers only to Charlie Copeland, and the Rethug operatives, who push the ‘story’ despite contradicting testimony from people as reliable as the former managing editor of the News-Journal, throwing shit on the wall is the only thing Bonini has going for him.
Especially when contrasted with Bonini’s false and public assertions of educational credentials that he does not possess.
And his no-show ways in the Delaware General Assembly, also verified.
By his actions, lies and failure to do the job for which he’s being paid, Bonini has demonstrated that he has never been, and never will be, a public servant.
So, ‘I Don’t Know’, do you intend to disprove the facts as I’ve laid them out? Or just try to change the subject?
Expose Bonini. He is a fraud.
Very interesting. I’m an MPA candidate at UD. The program loves to toss out names of graduates that have achieved great things – John Carney is the name I hear the most. Not once have I heard any of the professors say anything about the accomplishments of Colin Bonini. Either because he never got very far in the program, or because he hasn’t accomplished anything. Or because he never showed up.
This was sent out to Jud Bennett’s many thousands of ‘fans’ on Wednesday with an attachment that clearly showed Chip was found not guilty:
Dear Friends,
In the close race for Delaware State Treasurer between Republican Senator Colin Bonini and Democrat Chipman L. Flowers, some disturbing information about Mr. Flowers has come across the Coastal Network’s screen. When one runs for public office of any kind, that particular candidate’s history is fair game. The voting public is definitely entitled to know everything about the person they might be voting for.
Apparently Mr. Flowers was arrested and charged with Domestic Abuse and a Prevention From Abuse Order hearing did occur. As to the outcome or dispensation of these violent charges, I have not yet been able to ascertain. Please open the attachments and read about Mr. Flower’s criminal difficulties.
Regardless, Mr. Chipman L. Flowers (D) has some answering to do as a candidate for State Treasurer. Is Mr. Flowers a domestic abuser of women? If so should he be our State Treasurer? Senator Colin Bonini (R) has no criminal record or questionable behavior in his past that I am aware of.
Regardless, read the charges which are attached and ask Mr. Flowers to respond. Your comments are welcome and subject to being forwarded.
JUDSON Bennett-Coastal Network
I immediately called him out and alerted the Flowers campaign. Jud sent this out the next day:
The Coastal Network published legal Court Documents on Domestic Abuse Charges against State Treasure Candidate Chip Flowers which were sent to the Coastal Network.
In the interest of fairness the outcome of these legal cases were ascertained to be as follows:.
****************************************************************************
1. A protection from abuse order was filed by a woman against Chip Flowers on May 19 2004 in Family Court. In the affidavit the woman states the alleged incident that led her to file occurred on July 5, 2003. Note that 10 months passed before filing. In her own writing the woman states she is requesting “no contact, no abuse, and possession of Mazda.”
The Order WAS DISMISSED on May 27, 2004.
2. On November 21, 2006 a woman filed two charges against Chip Flowers.
On March 14, 2008 a jury unanimously found Chip Flowers NOT GUILTY.
3. Chip responded to these incidents in the News Journal on October 23, 2010. Here are sections of the article with a link to the entire article.
The 2006 assault allegations stemmed from an alleged incident at Wilmington’s Columbus Inn restaurant, according to court records. Later, the woman unsuccessfully tried to drop the charges and dated Flowers again, the records show.
Witnesses at the trial included John Taylor, former editorial page editor of The News Journal, and Bob Byrd, a lobbyist who has represented The News Journal in the past. Taylor said Friday that he and Byrd were standing next to each other and saw the interaction between Flowers and the women.
“It didn’t happen, and that’s what we testified to,” Taylor said. “He didn’t do what she alleged he did.”
Flowers said both accusations were lies, and the women wanted to ruin his future political aspirations. He anticipated the news of the cases would come out, so he called local reporters to tell them about the details, even before some of the press knew about the incidents.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101023/NEWS02/10230352/1006/NEWS/Delaware-treasurer-race-turns-personal
Jud Bennett is a fat-ass punk.
heh, and check out what Bonini told Adam Taylor in the WNJ piece today ” he doesn’t have the degrees”. yeah, no kidding.
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101029/NEWS02/101029012&theme=ELECTION2010
Their race is too close to call so I hope that the Congressional ticket will bring enough coattails to pull Flowers over.
Maybe he really _does_ have the degree, but he doesn’t want his constituents to know that, since every good conservative knows that education is for those liberal elitists.
Does anyone know just who/what it is that Colin is a marketing representative for?
Bellefonte —
It appears from his robocalls that he’s now working for Tom Wagner. Appropriate enough, as he should be campaigning for deputy state auditor.
Seriously, suggest you ask for a resume and some work samples before you consider hiring him.