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

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