I used to love the F-word — but Hunter Biden, Stephen Colbert and politicians have ruined it
It's so sad to see such a good bad word dragged through the mud like this. Stripped of its zing. Its shock value. Now, it's just another word.
F–k has become almost boring, the way it's barfed up with reckless abandon — by purported comedians and once-woke lefty politicians trying to prove to their blood-thirsty constituents that they have a backbone.
Also by bitter Hunter Biden.
The last 48 hours have felt like an all-out assault on the integrity of the naughty word.
Yesterday, 'Channel 5' YouTuber Andrew Callaghan released a three-hour interview with Hunter, who unleashed on all the Dem establishment figures he sees as treasonous to his family: George Clooney, David Axelrod, Joe Biden's former adviser Anita Dunn, President Obama, James Carville and the hosts of 'Pod Save America.'
For good measure, he swaddled each insult with an F bomb. And then another F bomb.
'…George Clooney is not a f–king actor … he is a brand,' Hunter said. 'He's great friends with [former President] Barack Obama. F–k you. What do you have to do with f–king anything? Why do I have to f–king listen to you?'
I should have been shocked by the sheer breadth of the former crack addict's hit list. But all those big bold names from the DC swamp simply faded into background noise, overtaken by the cacophony of effing swears.
I lost count of how many.
It was an assault on the ear — and a perfect lead-in for Stephen Colbert, who on Monday assembled an on-air group of comedy personalities (including John Oliver, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers) to rage against the dying of the late-night light.
They put on an episode that confirmed, yeah, CBS did the right thing by pulling the plug on 'The Late Show.'
Colbert's seriously unfunny, MSBNC-esque, anti-Trump sideshow is said to lose a reported $30-$40 million a year, but the left is convinced that the government is trying to censor him. So Colbert — who was taunted by trolling Trump as a no-talent, looked at the camera and told the president in a faux tough-guy accent, 'Go f–k yourself.'
Yawn.
The same day on 'The Daily Show,' Stewart performed a sad number, singing, 'F–k f–k f–k yourself. Just go f–k yourself' as he danced in front of a gospel choir.
Given that, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the age of Colbert's average viewer is 68, it was like screaming F bombs inside Shady Pines. Yet another misfire by Colbert, who doesn't seem to understand that viewers want some laughs to lull them to sleep at night — not bitter political discourse.
It wouldn't be hyperbole to say the Dems are reinventing themselves as gratuitous gutter mouths. They are foolishly conflating profanity with grit, toughness and cojones.
These are no longer weenie elites with pronouns in their bios. They can get down with the cursing working-class!
Look no further than Jasmine Crockett, who treats Congress like a Jerry Springer set. After the US' June strike on Iranian nuclear sites, the Texas representative railed, 'I understand enough about the Constitution. To the extent that I'm the one that's supposed to make a f–king decision or at least get a vote.'
In May, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar told a Daily Caller reporter to 'fuck off' when asked if Dems should be traveling to El Salvador to fight the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
At a February rally, Rep. Maxine Dexter of Oregon made an uncomfortable proposal: 'I don't swear in public very well, but we have to fâ€'â€'k Trump.'
Michigan's Sen. Elise Slotkin has urged fellow Dems to 'f–king retake the flag.' Mike Sacks is running to represent New York's 17th congressional district on the campaign message of 'Unf–k Our Country.'
I'd be remiss to exclude the time last month that a frustrated Trump let an impromptu F bomb fly on live TV while attempting to forge peace between Iran and Israel. When it comes to direct insults, he's usually more imaginative ('Low Energy Jeb' Bush, 'Sloppy Steve' Bannon).
It feels like everyone is lost at sea and clinging to expletives — which is what you use as filler when you have nothing meaningful to say.
The once glorious F -word was once described as a 'good strong word' by the late George Carlin, who waxed poetic about its versatility. It was, as Jean Shepherd said in 'A Christmas Story,' 'the queen mother of dirty words.'
It had gravitas among curses.
Used with restraint and purpose, boy, the word packs a punch.
But the overuse in polite society suggests its' time to put the word in the penalty box for a while.
Originally published as I used to love the F-word — but Hunter Biden, Stephen Colbert and politicians have ruined it
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His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters US President Donald Trump has arrived in Scotland as his family's business prepares for the upcoming opening of a new golf course in Aberdeenshire billed as "the greatest 36 holes in golf". Air Force One - the presidential plane - touched down at Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire on Friday just before 8.30pm. The president was met by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray as he disembarked, before heading to the waiting presidential helicopter Marine One, bound for his nearby Turnberry golf course. His presence is expected to spark protests across the country, with Scottish Police being forced to request aid from other forces to help increase manpower for the trip. Trump is set to spend time at his golf resort in Turnberry on Scotland's west coast, before heading to his sprawling golf property 320 kilometres away near Aberdeen in the east. But it won't be all play and no work. He will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who both want to talk about trade. Trump said Washington was also working hard on a possible trade deal with the EU, which he said was very keen to make a deal. EU diplomats say a deal could result in a broad 15 per cent tariff on EU goods, mirroring a framework agreement with Japan and half of the 30 per cent tariff Trump is threatening to impose by August 1 As part of the visit, he will open a second 18-hole course on the Aberdeen property named in honour of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to America. The White House has described the trip as "private". The trip shows how the president has become increasingly comfortable intermingling his governing pursuits with promoting his family's business interests. Trump has described Scotland as a "very special place" and made a similar trip there in 2016 during his first run for the presidency, but he will not necessarily get a warm welcome. About 70 per cent of Scots have an unfavourable opinion of Trump, while 18 per cent have a favourable opinion, an Ipsos poll in March found. His visit requires a major police operation that will cost Scottish taxpayers millions of pounds as protests are planned over the weekend. The union representing officers is concerned that they are already overworked and will be diverted from their normal duties. The overseas travel comes as Trump faces the biggest domestic political crisis of his second term in office. Allies and opponents alike have criticised his administration's handling of investigative files related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's criminal charges and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The issue has caused a rare breach with some of Trump's most loyal Make America Great Again supporters, and majorities of Americans and Trump's Republicans say they believe the government is hiding details on the case, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. White House officials, frustrated by the ongoing focus on the Epstein saga, are hoping the controversy dies down while Trump is abroad, one person familiar with the matter said. with PA and Reuters
The Advertiser
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The Scottish government has flagged £180,000 ($A363,108) of public money to support a tournament at the Trump International golf links in Aberdeenshire, citing a tourism and economic boost. The 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known as the Scottish Championship, is set to take place there next month. But Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie likened the awarding of public cash to the tournament to "handing some pocket money to the school bully". Trump will travel in the coming days to his property near Aberdeen, where he will open a second course named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States. White House officials hope some time out of the limelight will allow the Epstein controversy to die down, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. with PA US President Donald Trump kept a low profile on his Scottish golf course, ahead of meetings with top British and European leaders, as questions swirled at home about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday night, with hundreds of people on hand to watch the arrival in Glasgow of Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. He told reporters that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland - one in Turnberry on the west coast, where he is playing on Saturday and the other near Aberdeen. He is also due to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Scottish leader John Swinney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a "highly respected woman". Frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison, Trump told reporters to focus on bigger issues and other people. "You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump said. "Don't talk about Trump. What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency." Trump was spotted on the golf course on Saturday morning, but he had no public events scheduled. Dressed in black, with a white cap that said USA on it, Mr Trump could be seen driving a golf buggy, flanked by a fleet of security personnel. Reporters and supporters were kept away. Protests took place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, hundreds of kilometres away. The White House said Trump was golfing on Saturday with his son, Eric, and the US ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, and his son. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on the course. Hundreds gathered in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen - near the site of Mr Trump's other Scottish golf resort - to make their opposition to the president known. In Aberdeen, Scottish MP Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: "We stand in solidarity not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for". "He is not welcome in Scotland, he is certainly not welcome in Aberdeenshire," she said. Another protester, Anita Bhadani, hailed the "carnival of resistance" and said Trump's "huge promises" of creating thousands of jobs through development around his Scottish golf courses had not come to pass. Trump bought the Turnberry property, which includes a hotel and golf course, for $US60 million ($A90 million) in 2014, in the hope of returning the course to the rotation for the Open Championship, but said his visit was "not about that". Turnberry has been the site of the golf major four times, the most recent being in 2009. It has not hosted the event since then, amid concerns about the lack of accommodation and infrastructure for an event that draws hundreds of thousands. The Scottish government has flagged £180,000 ($A363,108) of public money to support a tournament at the Trump International golf links in Aberdeenshire, citing a tourism and economic boost. The 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known as the Scottish Championship, is set to take place there next month. But Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie likened the awarding of public cash to the tournament to "handing some pocket money to the school bully". Trump will travel in the coming days to his property near Aberdeen, where he will open a second course named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States. White House officials hope some time out of the limelight will allow the Epstein controversy to die down, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. with PA US President Donald Trump kept a low profile on his Scottish golf course, ahead of meetings with top British and European leaders, as questions swirled at home about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday night, with hundreds of people on hand to watch the arrival in Glasgow of Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. He told reporters that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland - one in Turnberry on the west coast, where he is playing on Saturday and the other near Aberdeen. He is also due to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Scottish leader John Swinney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a "highly respected woman". Frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison, Trump told reporters to focus on bigger issues and other people. "You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump said. "Don't talk about Trump. What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency." Trump was spotted on the golf course on Saturday morning, but he had no public events scheduled. Dressed in black, with a white cap that said USA on it, Mr Trump could be seen driving a golf buggy, flanked by a fleet of security personnel. Reporters and supporters were kept away. Protests took place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, hundreds of kilometres away. The White House said Trump was golfing on Saturday with his son, Eric, and the US ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, and his son. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on the course. Hundreds gathered in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen - near the site of Mr Trump's other Scottish golf resort - to make their opposition to the president known. In Aberdeen, Scottish MP Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: "We stand in solidarity not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for". "He is not welcome in Scotland, he is certainly not welcome in Aberdeenshire," she said. Another protester, Anita Bhadani, hailed the "carnival of resistance" and said Trump's "huge promises" of creating thousands of jobs through development around his Scottish golf courses had not come to pass. Trump bought the Turnberry property, which includes a hotel and golf course, for $US60 million ($A90 million) in 2014, in the hope of returning the course to the rotation for the Open Championship, but said his visit was "not about that". Turnberry has been the site of the golf major four times, the most recent being in 2009. It has not hosted the event since then, amid concerns about the lack of accommodation and infrastructure for an event that draws hundreds of thousands. The Scottish government has flagged £180,000 ($A363,108) of public money to support a tournament at the Trump International golf links in Aberdeenshire, citing a tourism and economic boost. The 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known as the Scottish Championship, is set to take place there next month. But Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie likened the awarding of public cash to the tournament to "handing some pocket money to the school bully". Trump will travel in the coming days to his property near Aberdeen, where he will open a second course named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States. White House officials hope some time out of the limelight will allow the Epstein controversy to die down, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. with PA US President Donald Trump kept a low profile on his Scottish golf course, ahead of meetings with top British and European leaders, as questions swirled at home about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump arrived in Scotland on Friday night, with hundreds of people on hand to watch the arrival in Glasgow of Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. He told reporters that he will visit his two golf properties in Scotland - one in Turnberry on the west coast, where he is playing on Saturday and the other near Aberdeen. He is also due to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Scottish leader John Swinney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a "highly respected woman". Frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison, Trump told reporters to focus on bigger issues and other people. "You make it a very big thing over something that's not a big thing," Trump said. "Don't talk about Trump. What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency." Trump was spotted on the golf course on Saturday morning, but he had no public events scheduled. Dressed in black, with a white cap that said USA on it, Mr Trump could be seen driving a golf buggy, flanked by a fleet of security personnel. Reporters and supporters were kept away. Protests took place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, hundreds of kilometres away. The White House said Trump was golfing on Saturday with his son, Eric, and the US ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, and his son. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on the course. Hundreds gathered in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen - near the site of Mr Trump's other Scottish golf resort - to make their opposition to the president known. In Aberdeen, Scottish MP Maggie Chapman told the crowd of hundreds: "We stand in solidarity not only against Trump but against everything he and his politics stand for". "He is not welcome in Scotland, he is certainly not welcome in Aberdeenshire," she said. Another protester, Anita Bhadani, hailed the "carnival of resistance" and said Trump's "huge promises" of creating thousands of jobs through development around his Scottish golf courses had not come to pass. Trump bought the Turnberry property, which includes a hotel and golf course, for $US60 million ($A90 million) in 2014, in the hope of returning the course to the rotation for the Open Championship, but said his visit was "not about that". Turnberry has been the site of the golf major four times, the most recent being in 2009. It has not hosted the event since then, amid concerns about the lack of accommodation and infrastructure for an event that draws hundreds of thousands. The Scottish government has flagged £180,000 ($A363,108) of public money to support a tournament at the Trump International golf links in Aberdeenshire, citing a tourism and economic boost. The 2025 Nexo Championship, previously known as the Scottish Championship, is set to take place there next month. But Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie likened the awarding of public cash to the tournament to "handing some pocket money to the school bully". Trump will travel in the coming days to his property near Aberdeen, where he will open a second course named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States. White House officials hope some time out of the limelight will allow the Epstein controversy to die down, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. with PA
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
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'Just a little lie': the costly Jeremy Bath rumour Allan Robinson started
IT was the fib that sparked a bitter feud between councillors, a formal investigation, and set back City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath's employment by six months. Nine years on, in a colourful eulogy about former lord mayor and development titan Jeff McCloy, former councillor Allan 'Robbo' Robinson confessed: he made it up. Mr Bath's recruitment was thrown into turmoil in December 2016 when then Cr Robinson claimed a mystery man in Belmont told him Mr Bath had the job, two days before interviews. At Mr McCloy's packed City Hall funeral, Mr Robinson told an enraptured crowd he "made up some shit story" that was "just a little lie". "Jeremy Bath was coming on, and the whispers were, you know, 'He's not up for it, he's not up for it, he's not doing this, he's not doing this'," Mr Robinson said. "So I made up some shit story, just a little lie, it didn't hurt anyone. "I just made up this story, and it held Jeremy up for I think eight weeks I kept him out of a wage." Mr Robinson went on to say Mr McCloy approached him to ask what he'd heard. "I said 'Oh nothing, I've made it up'," Mr Robinson said. "Jeff went berserk at me for lying, I thought, 'f***, you're not me [sic] dad.'" In 2016, Mr Robinson said a man had approached him in Belmont and revealed a former Hunter-based executive had been given the job two days before interviews were due to take place. At the time, Mr Robinson said he did not know the mystery man's name, where he lived, and did not probe where the information had come from. The lie led to Cr Andrea Rufo, who died in November 2024 following a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, resigning from his position on the CEO recruitment panel. Councillors walked out of a confidential vote on the election of a new interim CEO, and the NSW Office of Local Government later launched an investigation. It found nothing "improper or unethical" in the recruitment process. Mr Robinson told the Newcastle Herald he did not remember the particulars of the conversation, that a bloke from Belmont did tell him something, but he "might have added fuel to it" to put a stop to Mr Bath's recruitment until an investigation could be held. "I know with what I'd said I made up the best part of it to stop it and start an investigation, and then the investigation started," he said. Despite the fall-out, Mr Robinson said he does not "have any regrets". "They had to look into it ... and did I tell a white lie to stop it? I must have," he said. "I'm telling you now it's a better thing for the district for the fact what I done [sic] to Jeremy." Mr Robinson admitted he told Mr Bath at the time he "might have had something to do with it" and the pair have been "mates ever since". "I think he called me a name, my grandkids say f***, they don't say that one, right?" he said. "Let the people know how lucky they are to have Jeremy Bath at the helm. "He gives his guts to that joint, yeah, he gets a fortune for it, but he's worth every f****** cent he gets." Mr Bath was offered the role in March 2017. Several weeks before he started at City of Newcastle, Mr Bath said he called Mr Robinson about the "old man in Belmont" and the impact of the lie. "It was probably a more colourful conversation than I care to repeat now, but I made clear that I was willing to move forward on the condition that there were no more made-up stories about me," he said. Mr Bath said the story, the resulting council walk-out and Mr Rufo's resignation damaged his reputation and saw him start on the back foot with staff, councillors and the community. "Fortunately, several months before he passed away, Andrea called me to tell me that he no longer believed the story, and that he regretted believing it at the time. It was a lovely moment between us," Mr Bath said. "They say mud sticks, and it probably has to some degree. The 'old man in Belmont' reference still comes up every now and then, but I learnt a long time ago most people judge me based on how the city is performing rather than what other people tell them about me." Mr Bath said he did not speak publicly about Mr Robinson's admission at the time because he knew it was a lie. "The timeline of his story was based on a supposed conversation that took place before I'd even spoken with the recruiter about the job," he said. "I told Robbo when we spoke for the first time that I was willing to move forward. That meant putting it behind us." Four years on from Mr Robinson's tenure, Mr Bath said he still answers his calls. "In terms of going forward, it's nice to have the story put to bed and the truth known," he said. 'Robbo' was not eligible to stand for council in the 2024 elections because he was banned from holding civic office for two years, for misconduct the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal deemed "grossly homophobic" and "discriminatory". The tribunal found Mr Robinson had made a series of abusive comments towards fellow councillors between 2019 and 2020. IT was the fib that sparked a bitter feud between councillors, a formal investigation, and set back City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath's employment by six months. Nine years on, in a colourful eulogy about former lord mayor and development titan Jeff McCloy, former councillor Allan 'Robbo' Robinson confessed: he made it up. Mr Bath's recruitment was thrown into turmoil in December 2016 when then Cr Robinson claimed a mystery man in Belmont told him Mr Bath had the job, two days before interviews. At Mr McCloy's packed City Hall funeral, Mr Robinson told an enraptured crowd he "made up some shit story" that was "just a little lie". "Jeremy Bath was coming on, and the whispers were, you know, 'He's not up for it, he's not up for it, he's not doing this, he's not doing this'," Mr Robinson said. "So I made up some shit story, just a little lie, it didn't hurt anyone. "I just made up this story, and it held Jeremy up for I think eight weeks I kept him out of a wage." Mr Robinson went on to say Mr McCloy approached him to ask what he'd heard. "I said 'Oh nothing, I've made it up'," Mr Robinson said. "Jeff went berserk at me for lying, I thought, 'f***, you're not me [sic] dad.'" In 2016, Mr Robinson said a man had approached him in Belmont and revealed a former Hunter-based executive had been given the job two days before interviews were due to take place. At the time, Mr Robinson said he did not know the mystery man's name, where he lived, and did not probe where the information had come from. The lie led to Cr Andrea Rufo, who died in November 2024 following a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, resigning from his position on the CEO recruitment panel. Councillors walked out of a confidential vote on the election of a new interim CEO, and the NSW Office of Local Government later launched an investigation. It found nothing "improper or unethical" in the recruitment process. Mr Robinson told the Newcastle Herald he did not remember the particulars of the conversation, that a bloke from Belmont did tell him something, but he "might have added fuel to it" to put a stop to Mr Bath's recruitment until an investigation could be held. "I know with what I'd said I made up the best part of it to stop it and start an investigation, and then the investigation started," he said. Despite the fall-out, Mr Robinson said he does not "have any regrets". "They had to look into it ... and did I tell a white lie to stop it? I must have," he said. "I'm telling you now it's a better thing for the district for the fact what I done [sic] to Jeremy." Mr Robinson admitted he told Mr Bath at the time he "might have had something to do with it" and the pair have been "mates ever since". "I think he called me a name, my grandkids say f***, they don't say that one, right?" he said. "Let the people know how lucky they are to have Jeremy Bath at the helm. "He gives his guts to that joint, yeah, he gets a fortune for it, but he's worth every f****** cent he gets." Mr Bath was offered the role in March 2017. Several weeks before he started at City of Newcastle, Mr Bath said he called Mr Robinson about the "old man in Belmont" and the impact of the lie. "It was probably a more colourful conversation than I care to repeat now, but I made clear that I was willing to move forward on the condition that there were no more made-up stories about me," he said. Mr Bath said the story, the resulting council walk-out and Mr Rufo's resignation damaged his reputation and saw him start on the back foot with staff, councillors and the community. "Fortunately, several months before he passed away, Andrea called me to tell me that he no longer believed the story, and that he regretted believing it at the time. It was a lovely moment between us," Mr Bath said. "They say mud sticks, and it probably has to some degree. The 'old man in Belmont' reference still comes up every now and then, but I learnt a long time ago most people judge me based on how the city is performing rather than what other people tell them about me." Mr Bath said he did not speak publicly about Mr Robinson's admission at the time because he knew it was a lie. "The timeline of his story was based on a supposed conversation that took place before I'd even spoken with the recruiter about the job," he said. "I told Robbo when we spoke for the first time that I was willing to move forward. That meant putting it behind us." Four years on from Mr Robinson's tenure, Mr Bath said he still answers his calls. "In terms of going forward, it's nice to have the story put to bed and the truth known," he said. 'Robbo' was not eligible to stand for council in the 2024 elections because he was banned from holding civic office for two years, for misconduct the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal deemed "grossly homophobic" and "discriminatory". The tribunal found Mr Robinson had made a series of abusive comments towards fellow councillors between 2019 and 2020. IT was the fib that sparked a bitter feud between councillors, a formal investigation, and set back City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath's employment by six months. Nine years on, in a colourful eulogy about former lord mayor and development titan Jeff McCloy, former councillor Allan 'Robbo' Robinson confessed: he made it up. Mr Bath's recruitment was thrown into turmoil in December 2016 when then Cr Robinson claimed a mystery man in Belmont told him Mr Bath had the job, two days before interviews. At Mr McCloy's packed City Hall funeral, Mr Robinson told an enraptured crowd he "made up some shit story" that was "just a little lie". "Jeremy Bath was coming on, and the whispers were, you know, 'He's not up for it, he's not up for it, he's not doing this, he's not doing this'," Mr Robinson said. "So I made up some shit story, just a little lie, it didn't hurt anyone. "I just made up this story, and it held Jeremy up for I think eight weeks I kept him out of a wage." Mr Robinson went on to say Mr McCloy approached him to ask what he'd heard. "I said 'Oh nothing, I've made it up'," Mr Robinson said. "Jeff went berserk at me for lying, I thought, 'f***, you're not me [sic] dad.'" In 2016, Mr Robinson said a man had approached him in Belmont and revealed a former Hunter-based executive had been given the job two days before interviews were due to take place. At the time, Mr Robinson said he did not know the mystery man's name, where he lived, and did not probe where the information had come from. The lie led to Cr Andrea Rufo, who died in November 2024 following a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, resigning from his position on the CEO recruitment panel. Councillors walked out of a confidential vote on the election of a new interim CEO, and the NSW Office of Local Government later launched an investigation. It found nothing "improper or unethical" in the recruitment process. Mr Robinson told the Newcastle Herald he did not remember the particulars of the conversation, that a bloke from Belmont did tell him something, but he "might have added fuel to it" to put a stop to Mr Bath's recruitment until an investigation could be held. "I know with what I'd said I made up the best part of it to stop it and start an investigation, and then the investigation started," he said. Despite the fall-out, Mr Robinson said he does not "have any regrets". "They had to look into it ... and did I tell a white lie to stop it? I must have," he said. "I'm telling you now it's a better thing for the district for the fact what I done [sic] to Jeremy." Mr Robinson admitted he told Mr Bath at the time he "might have had something to do with it" and the pair have been "mates ever since". "I think he called me a name, my grandkids say f***, they don't say that one, right?" he said. "Let the people know how lucky they are to have Jeremy Bath at the helm. "He gives his guts to that joint, yeah, he gets a fortune for it, but he's worth every f****** cent he gets." Mr Bath was offered the role in March 2017. Several weeks before he started at City of Newcastle, Mr Bath said he called Mr Robinson about the "old man in Belmont" and the impact of the lie. "It was probably a more colourful conversation than I care to repeat now, but I made clear that I was willing to move forward on the condition that there were no more made-up stories about me," he said. Mr Bath said the story, the resulting council walk-out and Mr Rufo's resignation damaged his reputation and saw him start on the back foot with staff, councillors and the community. "Fortunately, several months before he passed away, Andrea called me to tell me that he no longer believed the story, and that he regretted believing it at the time. It was a lovely moment between us," Mr Bath said. "They say mud sticks, and it probably has to some degree. The 'old man in Belmont' reference still comes up every now and then, but I learnt a long time ago most people judge me based on how the city is performing rather than what other people tell them about me." Mr Bath said he did not speak publicly about Mr Robinson's admission at the time because he knew it was a lie. "The timeline of his story was based on a supposed conversation that took place before I'd even spoken with the recruiter about the job," he said. "I told Robbo when we spoke for the first time that I was willing to move forward. That meant putting it behind us." Four years on from Mr Robinson's tenure, Mr Bath said he still answers his calls. "In terms of going forward, it's nice to have the story put to bed and the truth known," he said. 'Robbo' was not eligible to stand for council in the 2024 elections because he was banned from holding civic office for two years, for misconduct the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal deemed "grossly homophobic" and "discriminatory". The tribunal found Mr Robinson had made a series of abusive comments towards fellow councillors between 2019 and 2020. IT was the fib that sparked a bitter feud between councillors, a formal investigation, and set back City of Newcastle chief executive Jeremy Bath's employment by six months. Nine years on, in a colourful eulogy about former lord mayor and development titan Jeff McCloy, former councillor Allan 'Robbo' Robinson confessed: he made it up. Mr Bath's recruitment was thrown into turmoil in December 2016 when then Cr Robinson claimed a mystery man in Belmont told him Mr Bath had the job, two days before interviews. At Mr McCloy's packed City Hall funeral, Mr Robinson told an enraptured crowd he "made up some shit story" that was "just a little lie". "Jeremy Bath was coming on, and the whispers were, you know, 'He's not up for it, he's not up for it, he's not doing this, he's not doing this'," Mr Robinson said. "So I made up some shit story, just a little lie, it didn't hurt anyone. "I just made up this story, and it held Jeremy up for I think eight weeks I kept him out of a wage." Mr Robinson went on to say Mr McCloy approached him to ask what he'd heard. "I said 'Oh nothing, I've made it up'," Mr Robinson said. "Jeff went berserk at me for lying, I thought, 'f***, you're not me [sic] dad.'" In 2016, Mr Robinson said a man had approached him in Belmont and revealed a former Hunter-based executive had been given the job two days before interviews were due to take place. At the time, Mr Robinson said he did not know the mystery man's name, where he lived, and did not probe where the information had come from. The lie led to Cr Andrea Rufo, who died in November 2024 following a battle with acute myeloid leukemia, resigning from his position on the CEO recruitment panel. Councillors walked out of a confidential vote on the election of a new interim CEO, and the NSW Office of Local Government later launched an investigation. It found nothing "improper or unethical" in the recruitment process. Mr Robinson told the Newcastle Herald he did not remember the particulars of the conversation, that a bloke from Belmont did tell him something, but he "might have added fuel to it" to put a stop to Mr Bath's recruitment until an investigation could be held. "I know with what I'd said I made up the best part of it to stop it and start an investigation, and then the investigation started," he said. Despite the fall-out, Mr Robinson said he does not "have any regrets". "They had to look into it ... and did I tell a white lie to stop it? I must have," he said. "I'm telling you now it's a better thing for the district for the fact what I done [sic] to Jeremy." Mr Robinson admitted he told Mr Bath at the time he "might have had something to do with it" and the pair have been "mates ever since". "I think he called me a name, my grandkids say f***, they don't say that one, right?" he said. "Let the people know how lucky they are to have Jeremy Bath at the helm. "He gives his guts to that joint, yeah, he gets a fortune for it, but he's worth every f****** cent he gets." Mr Bath was offered the role in March 2017. Several weeks before he started at City of Newcastle, Mr Bath said he called Mr Robinson about the "old man in Belmont" and the impact of the lie. "It was probably a more colourful conversation than I care to repeat now, but I made clear that I was willing to move forward on the condition that there were no more made-up stories about me," he said. Mr Bath said the story, the resulting council walk-out and Mr Rufo's resignation damaged his reputation and saw him start on the back foot with staff, councillors and the community. "Fortunately, several months before he passed away, Andrea called me to tell me that he no longer believed the story, and that he regretted believing it at the time. It was a lovely moment between us," Mr Bath said. "They say mud sticks, and it probably has to some degree. The 'old man in Belmont' reference still comes up every now and then, but I learnt a long time ago most people judge me based on how the city is performing rather than what other people tell them about me." Mr Bath said he did not speak publicly about Mr Robinson's admission at the time because he knew it was a lie. "The timeline of his story was based on a supposed conversation that took place before I'd even spoken with the recruiter about the job," he said. "I told Robbo when we spoke for the first time that I was willing to move forward. That meant putting it behind us." Four years on from Mr Robinson's tenure, Mr Bath said he still answers his calls. "In terms of going forward, it's nice to have the story put to bed and the truth known," he said. 'Robbo' was not eligible to stand for council in the 2024 elections because he was banned from holding civic office for two years, for misconduct the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal deemed "grossly homophobic" and "discriminatory". The tribunal found Mr Robinson had made a series of abusive comments towards fellow councillors between 2019 and 2020.
