At 'Private' Press Conference, Larry Krasner Hides From BigTrial.net

The D.A. hides & glares at me

By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

For three years now, District Attorney Larry Krasner has been stonewalling me.

Every week, I've been emailing Larry Krasner one question after another at both of his email addresses, larry.krasner@phila.gov, and lawrence.krasner@phila.gov. [The D.A. is so important that he has two official government emails.]

And for three years now, he's been stiffing me. He never responds. Neither does his official spokesperson, Jane Roh [jane.roh@phila.gov]. This from the guy who on the campaign trail promised to be the most transparent Philly D.A. ever.

So today, I decided to stop by one of Krasner's weekly press conferences, which typically feature a dog-and-pony show, and long speeches from Larry on his soap box. 

Krasner's press conferences typically end with a weekly Q & A with the media. So I was hoping that maybe I could bark out a question above the rabble, and for once, get a straight answer out of our D.A.

The problems started when I attempted to enter the press conference shortly before 11 a.m. Police Officer Agnes Torres of Krasner's security detail promptly informed me that the D.A. was holding was a "private press conference" and that I wasn't allowed to come in. 

With my cell phone video running, I then invited P.O. Torres to explain the concept of a private press conference to Big Trial readers, one of the most avid of whom is reputed to be Larry himself. That's when P.O. Torres ordered me to take my hand off the door knob, and then she locked the door between us.

P.O. Torres guards the fort

It was an impressive show of authority.

But there were too many other reporters and camera crews and other invited guests showing up, so P.O. Torres had to keep opening the door again and again.

Of course no matter how many times she kept opening and closing that door, she wouldn't let me in.

She kept saying that somebody from the office was going to talk to me. But nobody ever did.  

When the press conference started, P.O. Torres left her post and wandered down the hall to hear what Fearless Leader had to say. That's when I tried the door, and found it was unlocked. 

So I went down a long corridor until I reached the press conference. While Krasner was pontificating for the benefit of the TV cameras, I noticed several of his staffers staring at me and whispering. But nobody made a move to throw me out.

What followed was a two-hour cat-and-mouse game where Krasner changed the format of his entire press conference for the single purpose of evading me.

What on earth is this guy afraid of?

Today's press conference was held at the Fairmount Water Works near the Art Museum where Krasner was going to pontificate on the "importance of public pools as community violence prevention."

The speakers included the deputy commissioner of programs in the city Department of Parks and Recreation, the founding coach of a local swim team, a couple of community activists and a couple of Philly lifeguards.

The press conference was delayed when one of the speakers -- the swim coach -- was overcome by the heat, and an ambulance was summoned to bring him to a local hospital. That gave Krasner an opportunity to lead the media on a tour of the building. 

I decided to skip the tour and hang out until the D.A. got back and resumed his press conference. 

When the dog and pony show was finally over, Krasner announced to the press corps that he would only be taking questions during the regular Q&A session regarding the pool program. When that exercise was over, Krasner told the reporters, if they had questions about any other subjects, say the soaring rates of local murders, shooting and carjackings, he would meet with them down the hall to answer all their questions in private one-on-one Q&A's.

What a transparent guy, right? But this was something that media folks and other longtime observers of Krasner press conferences said that the D.A. had never done before. 

The TV guys dutifully lined up in the hallway behind Jeff Cole of Fox 29. One by one they went behind closed doors to have their private confab with Larry. From time to time, I would glance through the window into the fish bowl to watch Krasner in action.

He seemed to be charming my fellow reporters with his charisma and witty rhetoric. One particular time, though, he looked up and glared at me. So I took pictures of him behind the glass.

When all the reporters got through with their private confabs with Krasner, the only ones left in line in the hallway were just me and the reporter from Univision 65 Philadelphia.

That's when P.O. Torres flashed one finger up to D.A. Krasner, indicating he only had one one-on-one interview left to do. I figured it wasn't with me.

Behind closed doors, Krasner charms the press

Suddenly, First Assistant District Attorney Robert Listenbee appeared and began chatting. Listenbee, who has an impressive booming voice, soon attracted the attention of P.O. Torres. 

She informed both of us that we were talking too loud and we had to move down the hall. Then, she partially closed another door in the hallway between us.

I should have detected a set-up right then. I told P.O. Torres I didn't think I was being that loud, but she told me that ADA Listenbee was. 

So we moved down the hallway. In the midst of a friendly conversation with ADA Listenbee, I heard a door open. I pushed open the hallway door and went up the hall, only to discover that the room that Krasner was in was already empty.

The district attorney of Philadelphia had successfully evaded me by sneaking out of the place.

I congratulated P.O. Torres on a well-executed maneuver. I should have congratulated ADA Listenbee as well.

When I went outside, Krasner and the rest of his entourage were nowhere to be seen. 

So Mr. Krasner, I guess it was kind of flattering that you re-arranged the entire format of your press conference just to make sure you wouldn't be subjected to any probing questions from bigtrial.net.

Once again, I have to ask what are you afraid of, sir? 

This reminds me, Mr. Krasner, that your predecessor in office used to do the same thing to me, namely stonewall.

Do not disturb: private press conference in progress 

It went on for five years. And do you know how and where it finally ended?

In 2017, when then-Philly D.A. Rufus Seth Williams went on trial in federal court for corruption, Rufus and I finally met up in the men's room. 

To my surprise, we had a friendly chat and he actually complimented me on the stories I'd written about his corruption trial.

What a swell guy! He got me to thinking that perhaps I'd misjudged him all those years when he was stonewalling me, and I was writing about what a corrupt fraud he was.

Well, not really.

Amazingly, as I was typing this story, I just found out that Rep. Bryan Cutler, the speaker of the state House of Representatives, has announced the names of a five-member select committee that's been asked to address the "skyrocketing crime rates in Philadelphia."

The group is composed of three suburban Republicans -- Rep. John Lawrence of Chester and Lancaster counties; Rep. Wendi Thomas of Bucks County; and Rep. Torren Ecker of Adams and Cumberland counties; plus two brave Democrats -- Rep. Amen Brown and Rep. Danilo Burgos, both of whom are from Philadelphia!

So Mr. Krasner, if you continue to duck me, I promise to look you up when your impeachment trial starts in Harrisburg. I'm really looking forward to covering that event.

And when you hit the men's room, I promise to save you a seat. 

In the meantime, here's looking at you, kid!