Ellis Julian “E.J.” Laughter: the first lyin’ politician

| April 2, 2014

Richard sends us this link from the Cleveland Daily Banner about Ellis Julian “E.J.” Laughter who is running as the Democratic nominee for the 6th District County commissioner. I’m sure he’d be a fine candidate, but then he flattened his appendage by claiming that he was EOD in the Navy, that he spent four years in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, that he was awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

So, veterans started writing to the Banner, which prompted them to get a FOIA on Studly, here;

According to Laughter’s publicly releasable service data from the U.S. Navy, Laughter’s military decorations do not include either the Bronze Star or Purple Heart, an award given for injuries received while engaged in actions with a hostile enemy.

The U.S. Navy information is also absent of any reference to acquiring an EOD rating — a rating which requires about a year of specialized training in explosives, dive school and parachute training.

The required training for such a rating occurs at Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; Panama City, Fla.; and Fort Benning, Ga. Those do not appear as sites of service on Laughter’s records as provided by the U.S. Navy.

In addition, a multiyear period of obligated service is required following successful completion of EOD training.

Laughter’s record from the U.S. Navy shows his initial induction into Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill., Dec. 14, 2009, and being detached from his last duty station Sept. 5, 2012, which is a total of 33 months — a total much less than would be required for the rating Laughter says he obtained.

Also missing from Laughter’s record provided by the U.S. Navy was any record of four years of service in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

Of course, Laughter is shocked that Navy records don’t match his own, but not so shocked that he’s going to correct the record with his own paperwork (sound familiar?) and his excuse is that some former Navy officer is out to get him (first time we’ve heard that one, too, huh?

Well, he did finally come into the Banner’s offices on Saturday, while they held off on the story, and he brought with him his DD214, which he had altered. The Banner asked for further documentation and he said he’d bring those in on Monday. When he did come in again, he had a statement which basically called the inquiry a political stunt and that he was requesting the documentation from the Navy.

Laughter said he will have to “order new awards and all the pictures I have in full uniform are in Virginia,” and get them to the Banner.

Yeah, and Shane Ladner’s medical records are in a hospital in Panama and Fort Benning has his Purple Heart. How long have we been waiting for those?

Category: Phony soldiers

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B Woodman

Being a lying douche politician (is there any other kind?) on top of being a poser, makes one wonder what else is in this POS’s background. Where there’s smoke, etc.

Hack Stone

Maybe some organization bestowed an “honorary EOD badge” to him. If he needs someone to fly him around to his various campaign appearances, I know of a lawer with his own aircraft in the Northwest who doesn’t seem to be busy lately. Just make sure he tops off the fuel tanks or you will end up like Buddy Holly.

Mr. Blue

Did he try blaiming hackers yet?
Maybe he just cut off part of his signature?

A Proud Infidel®™

WHA? A politician LYING about its past? I’M SHOCKED!!

Yeah,as shocked as the rest of y’all, I hope it doesn’t get away with this!

Sparks

A Proud Infidel…you’re shocked too? A politician lying to help get himself elected? It’s gotta be a first. Who knew?

Wrench S2/S3

Pretty simple fix for this one. Send him to an EOD range and have him render safe a live IED – After all, his training is fairly recent. Have the real techs stand by with spatulas….

2/17 Air Cav

Perfect.

A Proud Infidel®

…and a ShopVac!!

Combat Historian

The lying liar got caught lying and is now lyingly spinning his lies to sustain his lying lies so he can lie low until election day…

Poetrooper

Historian, I’m confused. Are you referring to this guy or the one in the White House?

Sparks

Poetrooper…BWAAAAHHHGAAAAA!!!!

Hondo

Hey guys – he was “just joking”. Just look at the last name. (smile)

Seriously: faq deese goy.

Hondo

Addendum: and kudos to the Cleveland Daily Banner for doing their homework here – and publicly outing this tool as the LSoS he is.

Kinda old ET1

That’s the best part about this story. The paper is nailing his ass to the wall.

NHSparky

I wanna play poker with this guy, cause he can’t bluff for shit.

Veritas Omnia Vincit

He showed an “altered” DD214, isn’t that a nice way of saying he forged false information onto a US Government document in violation of federal law?

A fine start to a political career.

James in Gulf Breeze

That’s a felony isn’t? Which I believe is part of the job requirements for Ohio!!!! I keed I keed!!!

2/17 Air Cav

Actually, he seems to be well qualified for elected office. In fact, he may be overly qualified. I don’t know why he is messin’ around with county commissioner. He sounds like congressional material to me.

AverageNCO

“all the pictures I have in full uniform”
Because everyone knows a picture of someone in uniform is valid proof. Just as Soup Sandwich, Ballduster McSoulpatch, Denny Crane, Richard Ortega, Paul Tillson, Ronny Mailman…Do I need to keep going?

Andy

and that at all key points in your military service the military takes a picture of everyone in full uniform. the only “official” Army photo I ever took was in the basement of the 30th AG on Sand hill when they lined us up and stuffed us into those generic uniforms that velcroed up the back. I was a E-6 when I got out and I was getting repeated emails to my AKO that I needed to take a DA photo. I never bothered.

Bobo

So, the guy was NUC waste who, apparently, didn’t have the balls to volunteer for or was disqualified from submarine duty. He then went off to be an FM or GM on a gater freighter.

I also don’t see a separate EOD rating anywhere with the rating changes to the Naval Special Warfare community since I was in, so he couldn’t have been an EOD2 when he got out. If he were an EOD guy, I believe that his rank would have been annotated as something like GM 2(EOD).

Finally, I don’t remember exactly when I got my BSM, but the date is on the certificate along with the order number. I’m pretty damn sure, though, that I would have a pretty good idea of the time and place of some guy stabbing me badly enough that I had to be treated by a medical person and awarded a PH for it.

If he really wants to solve this, which he doesn’t given his self-redacted DD-214, all he has to do is sign an SF-180 with the originals going directly to the news paper instead of sending pictures of himself in a uniform.

B TYRRELL

EOD is indeed it’s own rating, has been since 2006 HOWEVER he didn’t have time for EOD, Dive and Parachute training before going to an EOD unit and doing all that deployment time…. And he never was a NUKE. Check out the dates. He washed out of NUKE “A” School…. and went to the fleet undesignated…. I know what I am talking about, I am a retired Navy EOD Master Chief. Navy EOD Techs were responsible for contacting the newspaper at the outset. He can be prosecuted on a Felony count of Stolen Valor “if it is done for financial or political gain” Believe, several Fed “alphabet organizations” are on this…. …and the stupid shall be punished….

eoddiverguy

Accurate info. We should ask him who his CMC was…

B TYRRELL

It certainly wasn’t me Brother!!!

Ash Blanton

Billy-

I asked him who his CMC was and of course, he couldn’t remember. Or his LCPO’s name, or the C.O.’s name, etc… P.O.S.

dotherightthing

Did anything ever happen to him?

J O'Neil

Hey Master Chief! What dog you feeding today? (ha ha ha). Hope all is well. They should just ask this dillweed what his class number was. Hopefully, I’ll see you at the EOD Ball in a couple weeks.

iwosailor

I served with him on the iwo. He was an undes seaman, never made rank over e3, never went overseas, never got eod, never got the purple heart. He is a fraud.

EODCS

Bobo- we became a rate in 2006. Regardless- every AD EOD guy is on this- he’s gonna get his.

AverageNCO

This is what I was thinking would happen. This isn’t a guy claiming Korea, Vietnam or even Desert Storm. This guy was claiming service within the last 5 years. He doesn’t need to get records. If he was legit, he should be be able to contact 20 people within a day that could back up his claims. I deployed for the start of OIF 11 years ago, and I have at least 5 people on my Facebook friends list that I was deployed with. Hell, even Dullas benefited from some folks who remembered him from Vietnam(they said he was nuts then too). But back to this guy. If he got out in 2012, he certainly has to be able to contact some EOD buddies or instructors.

eoddiverguy

Im just a few minutes away and am both a West and East coast guy. He could contact me anytime and we could clear this whole misunderstanding up…I expect nothing as usual.

Bobo

Senior Chief, thanks for the update. I knew that they had created the new rates for the Spec War guys since I had gotten out, I just didn’t see one for EOD when I was looking.

2/17 Air Cav

“Gee, this DD 214 seems to have been altered.”

“Huh? Altered? What makes you say that?”

“It’s just I’ve never seen one with entries in crayon before.”

Sparks

2/17 Air Cav

BWaAAAaHaAAaa!!!!

JarHead Pat

Dick Head……

Hondo
Twist

Don’t forget the NASCAR driver Dick Trickle.

Sparks

ChipNASA so there IS a real Mr. Obvious! Who knew? I only heard him on Bob and Tom.

LebbenB

Long time listener, first time caller

Sparks

Hondo what do you think the odds are he insisted on being called Richard?

Hondo

Sparks: I’d say pretty damn good.

Still mentally chuckle every time I think about that guy. (smile)

Really?

I worked with this guy right up until he got discharged. He was an undesignated deck seaman when he got to my command (USS IWO JIMA). I don’t know where he was previous to there but I do know they don’t send people with that type of background to chip paint and swab decks. Also as far as I know he was medically discharged due to mental issues ( I think he just played the system though)

By the looks of it now, maybe he really does have mental issues! what a joke.

AverageNCO

Oh the patterns of these phonies are starting to get so predictable. With his service time being so recent, as I stated, I knew some of his former shipmates would show up. I knew they wouldn’t being EOD. So not only was he not EOD…he apparently wasn’t anything. Undesignated. Awesome.

AverageNCO

Oh I think we’re going to have fun with this one. He does know the world of shit he has created for himself. As fakers go, he’s running the normal course..but the fact he’s running for office makes this so much better. For a small-town paper, The Cleveland Banner is doing a great job letting this clown sink his own ship. Here are my favorite quotes:
“I hope this quells any doubts that anyone may have regarding my service in the United States Navy.”
Uhhhh, no pal. Not even close. All you did was dig a deeper hole in you BS story.

“I don’t know why someone would spread such lies.”
Why don’t you ask the guy in the mirror? He seems to be good a spreading lies.

“Please feel free to contact me directly should anyone have any questions regarding my service, my political opinions, or should you just want an intelligent debate.”
Did you hear that my fellow TAH friends?He just said he wants us to contact him for intelligent debate on this. It’s 0130 here in Japan, but I think I just may have to go to call someone with the Bradley County Democratic Party. I wonder of the Cleveland Banner will give us his contact information? He wants to talk to us about it, he said so. We would love to have “intelligent debate.” But too often all we get are the ramblings of insane lawyers and cheese gobblers. Oh I want to talk to this guy.

Really?

I have a phone number for him. If interested shoot me an email: Gregfr1989@gmail.com

AverageNCO

Former shipmates calling him out…Can anyone say TIM POWE?

Twist

Did you mean Tim Poe. If so, please don’t mention his name. I got called in while on leave because of that jack ass.

AverageNCO

Yes, I ddddddid mmmmmmmmean him. I think our wannabee politician here is using the Poe method of public relations and doubling down on stupid.

Marine_7002

Anyone else notice that he doesn’t even know how to SPELL “ordnance”? A real EOD type wouldn’t be caught dead making that mistake.

“Laughter stated in his announcement he “was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his military service to our country. I served four years in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. I was an Explosive Ordinance (sic) Disposal Technician, 2nd Class, and attached to EOD Mobile Unit 2 at the end of my career.”

“Laughter’s campaign announcement in the Banner was provided by Laughter and was printed, he concurred, as he submitted it.”

Combat Historian

That’s why he wants to be a politican; he wants to legislate the little nasties out of existence…

USMCE8Ret

Ellis Julian “Bomb Patrol Afghanistan” Laughter.

Green Thumb

Turd.

A Proud Infidel®

EVERYONE had the right to be stupid, but JESUS, JOSEPH, MARY AND HAILE SELASSIE, fools like Ellis J, Laughter ABUSE THE PRIVILEGE every time! I hope that newspaper stays on his arse like stink on sh!t!

AD1 retired

I have contacted a very good friend of mine who is an EODCMC and was in Mobile Unit 2 a while back. I will pass along any info Jeff is able to get. 🙂

Green Thumb

“Please feel free to contact me directly should anyone have any questions regarding my service, my political opinions, or should you just want an intelligent debate.”

Folks, give him a buzz.

NHSparky

Hmmmm…nuke waste out of Charleston? I wonder if I know some folks still there. They would be able to fill in some gaps as to why a kid couldn’t even make it two months in NFAS (less, considering he was probably awaiting orders for at least a month.)

Another Week 3 ACBOARD waste. And considering how hard it supposedly is to fail out of the pipeline these days…

Hondo

I wonder if the Cleveland Banner might have a copy of that “redacted” DD214 Laughter showed them – and if they’d like some help in figuring out if it’s been altered/forged as well as having information redacted.

Green Thumb

They say “laughter” is the best medicine.

I have an odd feeling that dipshit here probably disagrees at this point.

Just an observation.

B TYRRELL

I can’t wait to see what becomes of this IDIOT’s posing and his “stolen valor”. He can be charged with a felony because he did it for political gain…. Just saying…. Thanks to Navy EOD Techs, a “bullsh!t flag was thrown and his newspaper was contacted. Trust me when I tell you he is going to be prosecuted…. signed, EODCM BWWT retired

EODJay

Finally! A poser wants to be a Tech and not SF or a SEAL. Sniff, sniff, wiping tears…I’m honored…or something.

AD1 retired

I know! I long for the day when people want to pose with my service back ground. A retired Aviation Machinist Mate First Class who’s highest decoration is the NAM. How cool would that be? LOL

AMSC USN (ret.)

AD1 Retired, off subject…but it’s good to see another airdale on here. Were you ADR or ADJ? You mentioned Nam. I was on the USS Oriskany CVA-34, with fighter squadron VF-162 (Hunters)during the early to mid 60s. Haven’t ran into too many from those days. Sorry for trashing the thread.

Sounds like this Laughter clown is John Kerry’s first cousin! And look where he is these days!

Thanks to all who have served this great country.

Retired First Class

When he said “NAM” I think he was referring to the Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal, not Vietnam.

Lobster
AverageNCO

Yeah, I sent a message to that Facebook page, and the candidates page five hours ago…..crickets

Really?

I posted a comment on that Bradley County Dem FB page and they deleted it within an hour!

Do I take this to mean that they’re still backing this guy???

AverageNCO

I just posted something too. I left a special message for whoever the person is that is going to delete my post. I recommend everyone do the same. Be respectful. Simply say you want to the opportunity to talk to Mr. Laughter about his claims. He stated he welcomed people asking him about it. Just post with some military bearing, and ask them if they plan on deleting your post? Of course get a screen shot. I don’t really get into the Dems vs. Republican battle too much. But an official party website cannot censor veterans when they are respectfully asking for answers.

AverageNCO

They deleted my comment in less than 30 minutes. Someone posted after me, and it’s gone now too. Keep commenting, and take screenshots. I think I’m going to contact the Cleveland Daily Banner. Local politcal party censors veterans..could be a good headline.

Bobo

E.J. has a Fecebook page, too. The Bradley County Democratic Party linked to it. It’s https://www.facebook.com/BillSmith02

Odd how he uses Bob Smith, especially for a political candidate.

AverageNCO

It now appears they have removed the post about Mr. Laughter and his candidacy. Instead of a donkey, maybe their mascot should be an ostrich with its head in the sand.

Bobo

They have also limited who can comment on the Facebook page. Typical, instead of dealing with the issues, they limit the ability to openly discuss the problems and hide what they know. It is no surprise that the politicians are running this country into the ground.

Frankly Opinionated

I left this at the Facebook page of the Cleveland Daily Banner:
“Thank you CDB, for showing Ellis EJ Laughter for what he really is:
Nothing more than your run of the mill lying politician. I am a veteran, (non-combat, but a veteran nonetheless), and I have seen far too many of my military brothers lost to be able to stomach the lies that this poor excuse for a veteran is using in an attempt to further his political career. When the SCOTUS struck down one Stolen Valor law, they left it to the public to fight speech that is false with speech that is true. And there are those of us who do this quite well, even having one site especially geared to the exposure of creatures such as Ellis “EJ” Laughter. Our post on him can be seen here: http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=41808
That he uses these claims to further his political endeavor makes his lies a federal offense.
Mr. Laughter can see his name being etched very deeply in the granite that is the altar of St. Gooooooooooooogle.
He has committed a grave error in claim to be EOD qualified.”

13B2P

Same town as Charles Lattuca III… What’s going on here!!!????

FYI… this guy in his pony tail was at the Walmart by my house a few days ago telling a girl he knew to tell her friends to vote for him…

Maybe the US Attorney in Chattanooga will get brought on board since his lies were for political gain….

AverageNCO

Angela Minor is the Public Relations Chair of the Bradley Country Democratic Party. It looks like she is also the administrator of their website and Facebook page. So I would assume she is the one who has been deleting everyone’s comments. I think she would LOVE to hear from us. I would ask that you keep it professional, and apply the “Bernath” rule; dont write anything that could be taken as a threat. Here is her e-mail: Minor.BCDP@gmail.com

AD1 retired

I heard back from my EOD buddy who just deployed. All I can say is what B. Tyrrell has already posted. He states what I have been told so I will leave it there. I will continue to bring this up on other forums to make sure as many people are aware as possible.

Green Thumb

This town is not as big as you think and calls have been made. Home of some of the best, if not the best, wrestling in the state as well. The area is a little “liberal” due to its location in the mountains, but never forget it is in the “Volunteer State”.

I have an odd feeling that this windbag’s political days are about over.

Maybe he should go back to bartending or whatever he did before he joined the Navy.

Bobo

E-mail sent to Ms. Minor. I’d be surprised if she gets past the first sentence before she hits delete.

AverageNCO

I sent her a very calm, professional e-mail. All I really wanted was a way to contact Mr. Laughter to discuss his record as he offered to do in the article. Her response? Crickets.

eoddiverguy

So, I am an active duty EODCM and happen to be 23 mins away from Cleveland TN buying a car. What to do?…

Greg

I would pay him a visit, and politely ask him about his time in service! But I’d record it just to cover your own!!

Did you end up going there?

eoddiverguy

I didn’t. Although in my mind I pictured me being the sophisticated and refined Master Chief that I am…my wife thought otherwise.

Retired AD1

Or you could have swung by here for a tasty adult beverage and dinner.

Green Thumb

Liquor by the drink these days.

AD1 retired

The Cleveland Daily Banner did a follow up story on this clown in todays paper. However there wasn’t much to it other than Laughter hasn’t made any attempt to clarify or support his claims.
http://www.clevelandbanner.com/view/full_story/24923125/article-No-comments–documents–from-Laughter?

AverageNCO

So this guy never officially withdrew from the race, even though the local democratic party has tried to scrub all traces of him from their website. He ran unopposed in the primary, but I guess there were three democrats smart enough to vote for a write-in candidate over him. There were less than 100 votes cast in his primary, compared to over 3K on the Republican side for the same office. So his chances of winniner were probably zero even before he got exposed. I just thinks it’s a joke that he has refused to offer any explanation other than the initial promise to provide documents(didn’t happen); and that the local party is just trying to act like they don’t know who he is, after initially propping him up as a local young hot shot. Now they seem to be like Igor in Young Frankenstein, “Hump? What hump?”

AverageNCO

apologies for the typos.

AverageNCO

Mr. Laughter’s latest Facebook post: “I just received a call from a professor friend of mine at UTC telling me I got the part of Lenny in The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s upcoming production of Of Mice and Men. Wish me luck and come out to see it once it starts. Friday October 3rd at 8pm is the first production.”
Well I guess he’s giving up politics to become an actor. He’s more qualified to be an actor. He’s been acting as and EOD tech and Purple Heart recipient for a while.

Green Thumb

The “Laughter” will quickly turn to boos once the audience is apprised of who this maggot claims he is/was.

I know some folks on that campus. Maybe a few well-positioned fliers here and there and who knows?

Sky is the limit.

Posers always seen to think they can outmaneuver and outrun their shitbaggery in the long run.

The list is to long to recite but I think you get the point.