Cops: McCain Worker Made Up Attack Story

Pittsburgh Woman To Be Charged With Making False Report After Claiming "B" Was Carved Into Face By Mugger

(CBS/AP)  A John McCain campaign volunteer made up a story of being robbed, pinned to the ground and having the letter "B" scratched on her face in a politically inspired attack, police said Friday.

Ashley Todd, 20-year-old college student from College Station, Texas, admitted Friday that the story was false, police said.

Maurita Bryant, the assistant chief of the police department's investigations division, said Todd is being charged with making a false police report.

Police doubted her story from the start, Bryant said.

"She just opened up and said she wanted to tell the truth," Bryant said, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "She was upset with the media for blowing this into a political firestorm."

Todd, who is white, initially told police she was attacked by a 6-foot-4 black man Wednesday night.

She told investigators she was attempting to use a bank branch ATM when the man approached her from behind, put a knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade to her throat and demanded money. She said she handed the assailant $60 and walked away.

Todd claimed that she suspected the man then noticed a McCain sticker on her car, became angry and punched her in the back of the head, knocking her to the ground and telling her "you are going to be a Barack supporter," police said.

She said he continued to punch and kick her while threatening "to teach her a lesson for being a McCain supporter," police said. She said he then sat on her chest, pinned her hands down with his knees and scratched a backward letter "B" into her face with a dull knife.

Todd also told police she didn't seek medical attention, but instead went to a friend's apartment nearby and called police about 45 minutes later.

On Friday, when she admitted the story was fabricated, Todd told police she believes she cut the backward "B" onto her own cheek, but she didn't explain how or why, Bryant said.

"She said she doesn't remember doing it but knows it must have been her who did it," Bryant said, according to the Tribune-Review.

Todd reportedly said she thought of Barack Obama when she saw the "B" on her cheek and minutes later "came up what a plan" to manufacture the story, according to Bryant.

She now tells investigators she was neither robbed nor attacked.

"We had some serious cases going on, and this wasted so much time," Bryant said. "Our detectives have been working through the night just to verify the information we suspected was false from the beginning."

Bryant said somebody charged with making a false report would typically be cited and sent a summons. But because police have concerns about Todd's mental health, they are consulting with the Allegheny County District Attorney. She remained in custody and was awaiting arraignment.

Todd worked in New York for the College Republican National Committee before moving two weeks ago to Pennsylvania, where her duties included recruiting college students, the committee's executive director, Ethan Eilon, has said.

Eilon declined to comment on the investigation Friday or to help The Associated Press contact Todd.

Police investigating the alleged attack quickly noticed some inconsistencies in Todd's story and administered a polygraph test, CBS station KDKA reports.

Authorities declined to release the results of that test, but investigators said they received photos from the ATM machine and "the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction."

Police say they do not believe any other people were involved. They said Todd's friends believed the story about the attack.

Police suspected all along that Todd might not be telling the truth, starting with the fact that the "B" was backward, Bryant said.

"We have robbers here in Pittsburgh, but they don't generally mutilate someone's face like that," Bryant said. "They just take the money and run."

She was "upset with the media" for their coverage of the story? What was she thinking would happen with this bizarre tale from the dark side of the McCain Cult? I mean,this is coming from the religious f-right! And McCain and Palin jumped right on the bandwagon from the git go! I learned from the Brawley case with Sharpton and from the Susan Smith case to never, never, never believe the victim without verifying. You think a guy as old as McCain might have picked up on that lesson. Palin I can understand. She was too busy choosing her wardrobe to actually listen. Shows how "ready" she is.

[k-russ24]

Hey guys cmon. I''m a democrat too (or atleast I would be if i didn''t live in Canada) but let''s try to be respectful. Not all republicans are like this, there are alot that are actually very intelligent people. We can''t judge the whole group of them based on what hateful things we see at rallies and the crazy things that a few do, because those aren''t true republicans. The true republicans are real americans, and are atleast somewhat respectful of obama even if they don''t agree with him. So let''s try not to make this a hate thread okay? She doesn''t represent all republicans.

[hawksprings]

Don''t worry about her.
Once Obama spreads the wealth around, she''ll be happy.

[andsab]

What a loser and a disgrace to the GOP.

[flreason]

On further consideration, there seems to be no swelling or secondary discoloration. Is the black eye just (stage) make up?

[flreason]

While I tend to distrust conspiracy theories, how did this young woman get her black eye? It argues a least one more conspirator.

[indianaman13]

She''s the perfect republican! Someone is doing something she doesn''t like (Obama running for Pres) and instead of meeting the challenge like an adult and come up with solutions or even try to peacefully resolve the issues, she makes up a story, lies, deceives, and mutilates herself just to get her way. The only thing not Republican about it? She didn''t figure out how to get paid.

[bogees888]

hey; did anyone see the photo of sarah palin wearing a red, white and blue scarf w/ the democratic party symbol on it. she tried to play it off as "i just got confused. i do that a lot". gee tell me something we have learned about you already mrs. sarah ''not ready for prime time player'' palin. what a dolt. (lol) so, what was this dimwits excuse. at least joe ''the plumber'' is standing by his lie(s). way to go "repugantclans"!!!

[bogees888]

this was just typical ''willie horton'' playbook strategy from you "repugnantklans". moreover, it''s american racism at it''s most typical, vile and debased level. blame the black guy (i.e. susan smith or the guy in mass. who killed his wife ...etc.)because after all that''s what the face on crime looks like. for those who may disagree and may cite the tawana brawley fraud it''s true black people do it too. but, just like racism, it''s been learned from those who''ve ''mastered'' it.

[unlresources]

And this year''s Darwin Award goes to.....Ashley Todd. How sad what people will do to themselves for attention.

[crispp1]

The sad part is that she admitted that the story was fake. She blamed someone of color of doing this to here because she was a McCain supporter. Then McCain and his campaign jump on this before verifiying that it was in fact true. This becomes an example that McCain / Palin are not ready to lead as they jump to a conculsion, what if this were a story that Mexico had WMD would they spread that as truth? Would we be quick to spread fear as Bush did? You decide.

[boglen888]

this is american racist at it''s most typical, vile and debased level. blame the black guy (i.e. susan smith or the guy in mass. who killed his wife ...etc.)because after all that''s what the face on crime looks like. for those who may disagree and may cite the tawana brawley fraud it''s true black people do it too. but, just like racism, we''ve learned it from those who "mastered" it.

[boglen888]

this is american racist at it''s most typical, vile and debased level. blame the guy (i.e. susan smith or the guy in mass. who killed his wife ...etc.)because after all that''s what the face on crime looks like. for those who may disagree and may cite the tawana brawley fraud it''s true black people do it too. but, just like racist, we''ve learned it from those who "mastered" it.

[jameshki]

Move over Sarah Palin. ASHLEY TODD FOR VICE PRESIDENT!!!

(this is evidently more nuts than John McCain''s VP pick. I''ll give you John a "B" for Bad judgement and your campaign a big B for BALONEY!))

[dixxson-2009]

jOEZAP5 I remember that Carl Rove" Final min'' Bug plant!
I said the timing and choosing of
Sarah Palin, looked exactly like the same thing. They waited for Obama not to select Hillary and then struck.
A *** choice another McCain insult to
thinking Americans. Thinking we were all like him. And couldn''t see past the long legs, pretty face, through the
"Ding Bat" Eyes to find just another
right wing" Flat Earth" "Space "Cadet".

[aguuled]

My theory on this:

If this story stuck, the racial tension and emotions it would have stirred could have caused Obama.

So if few hard core McCain supporters realized the naivity of this girl, got her her dragged and while semi-sedated dressed as a black man and kept shouting out as an Obama supporter, then when she regains her soberity, wouldn''t she say exactly what she said.

Only that she couldn''t recall much.


It is probable that she was drugged, and those who did it hoped that the story will stick and would stir a racial sentiment in the country.

It is even stranger that McCain & Palin were quick to capitalize on it by sending sympathies, how did they know of it soooo quickly, they are busy campaigning, could some of those who planned this tip it off to McCain so the news will get early air time.

[darrylrs]

By now, we''ve all got it figured that ALL McCain volunteers are whack jobs!

[darrylrs]

By now, we''ve all got it figured that ALL McCain volunteers are whack jobs!

[chimpyout]

This story was a LIE--er, make that damned LIE--oops, I mean a MESSAGE APPROVED by John McCain.

[raskal_2]

Women who scar their own face have serious emotional issues boiling in the background, I''m thinking considering her age, Maybe BPD. So much for carving in a mirror.