Records in Mel Gibson inquiry show calls to TMZ, efforts by sheriff's officials to conceal actor’s anti-Semitic tirade

 Authorities investigating media leaks surrounding Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic tirade during a 2006 drunk driving arrest found that two calls were made the same day to celebrity news website TMZ.com from the home of the sheriff’s deputy who arrested the actor, records reviewed by The Times show.

Despite the findings, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against Sheriff’s Deputy James Mee, concluding that they could not identify who made the brief calls from his home or who leaked portions of his report about Gibson’s arrest.

Mee, reached at home, said he was relieved by the district attorney's decision and insisted he had done nothing wrong. He declined to comment further.

Sheriff’s supervisors attempted to prevent details of Gibson’s inflammatory remarks from becoming public, according to a July 21 district attorney’s memo explaining why prosecutors declined to file charges. The memo said that a sheriff’s captain ordered that Mee rewrite his initial report to remove the actor’s anti-Semitic statements. 

Capt. Thomas Martin ordered that Mee then write a supplemental report that would include the statements and be placed in a locked safe along with a video of Gibson’s booking and a bottle of tequila taken from the actor, the memo said.

“This procedure would prevent the press from getting a copy of the report,” the memo said.

Prosecutors noted, however, that the supplemental report was never placed in a safe. A sheriff’s spokesman initially described the arrest as having occurred “without incident.”

But TMZ later posted excerpts of Mee’s initial report on its website, detailing Gibson’s profane outbursts, his alleged attempt to escape custody and repeated threats against the arresting deputy. The report also detailed Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks.

“The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” the actor was quoted as saying before asking the deputy, who is Jewish, “Are you a Jew?”

The news sparked outrage at the actor’s behavior as well as fierce criticism of the Sheriff’s Department, which was accused of giving Gibson special treatment.

The Sheriff’s Department launched a probe into who leaked Mee’s report. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the cellphone records of Harvey Levin, the founder of TMZ, as well as phone and bank records for Mee and his family, according to the memo.

The records showed no unusual payments to Mee, his wife or daughter, the memo said. But the phone records showed eight more calls from Levin to Mee’s home in the two days after the arrest, including a 10-minute call the next day and a 25-minute call the day after.

The memo said that investigators found no evidence that anyone used Mee’s home computer or fax machine to electronicially share the initial arrest report. Mee was one of three sheriff’s officials who had access to the report that was leaked, the memo said.

This week, Gibson’s drunk driving conviction was expunged after completing the terms of his probation.

-- Jack Leonard and Richard Winton

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Comments

[Astonished]

Actually, These guys really need to research before the print these stories. If they expunged his record under Penal Code Section 1203.4, the record itself is still there. It never just disappears. It just means that he doesn't have to disclose this conviction if he should apply for a job in the private sector. However, if he has to obtain a government issued license to work, he still must disclose the conviction. The only way a conviction truely disappears is if the record is sealed. That almost never happens to an adult.

[Tatum]

The Thin Blue Line, huh?

[donalds]

No surprise. Just another officer that broke the laws he is sworn to uphold. Polygraphs!

[dixie]

The deputy should be prosecuted, and why isn't he? I'm sure he was paid for calling in the report. Just follow the paper trail.

[Marcia Twane]

Gibson should have been arrested on other felony charges and received a prison sentence for them...specifically the attempt to escape custody and repeated threats against the arresting deputy:

"detailing Gibson’s profane outbursts, his alleged attempt to escape custody and repeated threats against the arresting deputy. "

Gibson is a scumbag imbecile...

[jessi]

Who cares?! I'm sick of these celebrities getting away with everything! He said it...end of story!

[marco]

I love how this take the focus off of Mel and him getting another free pass, lets just focus on how the report was leaked. what a joke.

Your outed Mel! God bless the one who did it

[Jon]

Guess the case is closed as to whether Mel is an antisemite.

[Syd]

Really we are angry at the officer. So what? If I get arrested do I get my remarks stricken from the report by Capt. Martin and do I get the report sent to a safe? Gibson should have known better, he's an actor people want to know everything. Then again we do side with the underdog, wait who was that again?

[Movieye]

let's see - Mel gets his record expunged. Polanksi won't answer to his rape conviction. Letterman hits on his staff. Christian Bale screams at his crew. Darn, I wish I was a celeb!

[bill]

what about the bottle of tequila? they should have allowed mel to keep it while in the tank to calm him dwn.

[scoutballer]

Even Stevie Wonder could see this deputy made the calls, now the Sheriff’s Department are playing the blind games.

[jim jefrere]

LET IT GO...NO ONE CARES...IF HE SAID ANTI-CATHOLIC REMARKS NO ONE WOULD GIVE A DAMN....

[Jack]

It is clear as day-and-night that the ex-Deputy Lee disclosed the contents of the report to Mark Levin. DA office is complicit in this cover up. I mean common! The guy made the call to Levin and magically the Sheriff report shows up on TMZ. Lee didn't need to send anything by fax. Levin could have easily have had copies picked up by a worker from Lee's home.

Why special treatment is meted out to certain groups?

[Judy]

What else is new? The whole world knows that there will always be two sets of rules; one for the rich and famous who gets away with everything, including rape and murder and the other is people like you & me. And I will never, never see another stupid Mel Gibson movie!

[Peter]

It's the law enforcement officers who tried to bury the full report to protect Gibson who ought to be investigated and prosecuted. The officer who leaked that report ought to be patted on the back. He had a defense anyway in view of his superiors' corruption, and that is why he was not prosecuted.

[RightSaidFred]

It sounds like the Sheriff's Department worked harder to screw over one of their own than convicting the racist drunk driver.

[detroit4life]

Once again, you can't trust the cops. If Mel was Black, they would've thrown away the key - maybe even shot him or beat him up.

Cops are Pathetic!!!

[Ron]

Donald: polygrahs are a joke which can be beaten by any person who takes the time to educate themselves on how to do it. It doesn't take a lot of skill, special devices, or training, either. Polygraphs are nothing more than a tool which measures physical responses, which can be easily manipulated by anyone. Google it and see for yourself.

And maybe the deputy did break the law (it wasn't proven -- maybe his wife called), but maybe he was outraged that another celebrity was being coddled by his star-struck captain. Maybe the deputy was angry that he was ordered to rewrite a factual account of events to cover up something a celebrity did, and wanted people to know the truth. Maybe he just wanted the world to know that Captain Martin was trying to protect a bigoted, sexist, loud-mouthed drunk driver.

Dixie: reread the article, dear. They DID look for a "paper trail" and none as found showing that the deputy or his family received any payments or usual deposits to their bank accounts.

[randy davis]

what a crock, if the sherrifs had half this against a private citizen they would try to convict, phone calls to and from the deputies home, hes one of only three to have access to the report, anit jew statments made to a jewish deputy? come on now.

[Mister Lachuza]

Well well mister Mel,
How does your garden grow,
With silver badges, and cabbage patches,
And your own church, up in the mo. (Mulholland Hwy)

You've insulted some, and called others "scum",
To you, we're all just jerks,
But hear this now, you idiot punk,
You're all out of political perks.

Your movies, they were all so good,
I loved them, every one,
But now you've gone, and given shame,
To all of Hollywood.

Please don't bother to try and ammend,
It just won't do any good,
I'd much rather have you fade away,
Back to Australia, you know.

Now with this little poem I bid you adeu,
I hope you will listen, if just for a few,
Now get your ass out, and don't you come back,
For we do not need you, the folks of Malibu.

Oh, I forgot.......you OWN Malibu.

[Orbituer]

Unfortunately, while what Gibson said was reprehensible, only a police officer can be above the rules and get away with a leak of confidential information. We can add this to the other special rights they have... e.g. police officers are the only public employees who are not required to submit to random drug testing after hiring, and; even though the cost of medical retirements for public safety employees are astronomical, no one enforces cops to wear seatbelts while performing their jobs. Don't believe it? Check it out for yourself!

[Jon]

Mee was a real jerk for leaking his arrest report to an internet tabloid. Celebrities do get special treatment, both good and bad. If a regular person was pulled over for DUI and got lippy, there's little chance the cop would bother to write 4 pages about a drunk driving arrest and then have it published online.

What Officer Mee did SHOULD be illegal...cops should not have the power to anonymously ruin a suspect's reputation before the legal proceedings. How can a suspect get a fair trial if law enforcement or the prosecution poison the well? Because of the leak and the other allegations from the anonymous "law enforcement source," Gibson was forced to immediately confess that he committed the crime of driving drunk because the bigger story was his alleged anti-Semitic rant. That isn't justice.

[joel grossman]

I do not care if Mel hates Jewish people. All I know is that if push ever came to shove ol' Mel better be faster on the draw than this Jewish cowboy cause I'll blow his you know what clear to kingdom come. This is one Jew that will fight. Anytime, any place Mel.

[Sophie]

MEL GIBSON'S DUI: HOW COME THE CHARGES AGAINST THAT OFFICER WERE DROPED AND HIS REPORT WAS FOUND UNGUILLIBLE?

Whats weird in that story is that the officer Mee wasnt jailed evne so they know for sure all call to TMZ were made form his home that same day and folowing days, they say "its not enough evidence that its hjim who made the phione calls!!" bahah! what is then?
There was 2 reports, a real and a fake, the fake was handled for lots of money to TMZ, and of course they wont found that money since i doubt they send him a check or made a bank transfer form TMZ to the police officer's account!
The doc was a fake, and secodn prove of that is the fact that Mel Gibson never said "Sugar tits" that officer admited that he made it up, and that its a thing he use himself to call his female colleagues!
He admitted to fordgery! and the question is why they then take the rest of that report as being treu when the guy already admited he made that part up.
It was all afake ot get money form TMZ adn should be reinvestigated.
3rd prove is that TMZ didnt wrote a word about this investigation!
I woudl like to know why TMZ didnt wrote a single word about the infvestigation of officer Mee, thus TMZ was first concerned by it! as they were investigated too!
their silence say a lot about their involvement in this matter, and prove that they ordered a fake report that could link Mel Gibson to something antisemitic as the bosses at TMZ are jews and hated Mel Gibson for suing them before!
TMZ always said that Mel Gibson was an antisemite in all their articles previous to the DUI, since the passion of Christ.

They just loved to nail him but didnt have much to go for. So they jumped on that story and wanted more from it and paid to get a fake report.

The fact is that there was 2 reports.
one without an antisemtic sentence and without the "sugar tits" quote, and one wiht it.
Since its officer Mee that call his police colleague sugar tits, but wrote in his report that it was Mel Gibson that said it, it also prove that he added the antisemitic part on his own, and that this too was his own words and not Mel Gibson's words.

That report is a fake and the usual procedure when something is faulse in a testimony, is to refute the enitre testimony as being falsificated and a fordgery.

its the case here, so why dotn they refute it?
That all case is a fraude.
Nobody is daring enough to mention it why?
Not even AP question that case, why is that?

The Los Angeles time was the first to mention the ongoing investigation of officer Mee
I found weird that he isnt prosecuted when all cal ot TMZ were made form his home that same day, just casue they cant prove it was form him!!
and that they couldnt prove that he received money!
of course.
I dont think TMZ usualy put money into the account of people in that way.

Another suspiscious thing is that TMZ do not have printed one single article on that investigation thus they are the first involved in it.

That story is stinky.

I even tried to post comments at TMZ; on articles of Mle Gibson DUI expunge, and they cleaned my comments form anything related to that investigation and officer MEE involvement with TMZ!

that too is higly suspicious!

we are so very few asking questions those days!

people seems to drink what ever tabloids and pseudo media dish at them wihtout asking questions!

I am sure that if you make a video about that its going to make noise!

Also weird the fact that all charges agaisnt officer Mee were droped the exact same day the Mel Gibsons DUI was exponged!
That way, nobody noticed it, cause al media were talkign about Mel Gibson's DUI!
If this isnt a typical political trick I dont know what to call it.
A media trick maybe??