(Update: The girls pictured with Ed requested that we take down the photo or else their "lawyers" – yes, lawyers – would be contacting us. They don't have any legal ground to stand on, but we're nice guys and decided to update the photo with images that are more reflective of their personalities. You can view the original photo here.)
Something tells me that Ed Shadid would totally be okay with the Lingerie Football League coming to town.
In response to The Oklahoman's determined pursuit of his divorce records – and just weeks after admitting to being a recovering stoner – Shadid admitted in an exclusive interview with the Oklahoma Gazette that he's tried cocaine, was addicted to Internet porn, and once got angry and kicked a hole in the wall during an argument with his now ex-wife.
Yes, you read that right, the Gazette broke a relevant local news story. Are we in 1998 or something? Are they also going to bring back the angry old man who wrote movie reviews and make the "Best Of" fun again? Probably not. I bet it was just a one time thing.
Here are the juicy details:
Oklahoma City Councilman and mayoral candidate Ed Shadid announced today that he's the one who kidnapped those girls from the State Fair in the 1970s...
Oops. Sorry. That was the first line from a dream post written by the guy who runs The Okie. Here's the Gazette article:
Oklahoma City Councilman and mayoral candidate Ed Shadid snorted cocaine on two occasions, chose pornography over marital intimacy and became violent with his wife before entering an addiction treatment center, according to sealed divorce records reviewed by Oklahoma Gazette.
When asked about the records, acquired from Gazette sources, Shadid said he is ready for the anticipated public reaction later this week if the full divorce file is unsealed...
With Shadid posing a serious threat to unseat incumbent Mayor Mick Cornett in next spring’s mayoral election, The Oklahoman newspaper, which also has supported Cornett’s runs for political office, has tried for two months to unseal the divorce records. Hammond will decide Friday if she will open the secret file as requested by the newspaper.
“I don’t have a chance right now (to keep divorce records sealed),” Shadid told Oklahoma Gazette in an exclusive interview. “I already know what the result is.”...
What specifically is in these sealed records that are so secretive that a writer for the Gazette was able to get his hands on them?
On several occasions during the deposition, Shadid’s attorney instructed him not to answer questions about past marijuana or cocaine use. Shadid also admitted he underwent a previous drug treatment program at age 18 in San Antonio, Texas.
Shadid said he began drinking alcohol at 15, started smoking marijuana at 16 and used hallucinogens at 17. The drug use continued until November 2004 when Shadid claims he stopped.
Shadid, a spinal surgeon, admitted himself in January 2005 to Talbott Recovery in Atlanta, Ga., to deal with the addiction. He stayed at the center until mid-April 2005 and has been drug-free since that time, the Ward 2 councilman said.
“The best thing that happened to me was going to treatment for three months,” the councilman said. “I was able to learn new tools about dealing with pain and trauma and being honest with other human beings about who you are. It was one of the most beautiful and powerful experiences I’ve ever had in my life.”...
Shadid’s cocaine use occurred in 2000 and again in August 2004 when he and his brother traveled to Las Vegas for a weekend. That was the last time Shadid used the drug, he said, but it was another story for his brother who died two months later from a drug overdose.
Records reflect that in 2003 and 2004, Shadid destroyed personal property and shouted at his wife during arguments when their children were present.
In the 2005 divorce deposition, Shadid admitted he threw a chair against a wall, kicked a hole in a wall and broke a lamp during a heated argument with his wife. Those altercations, he said, occurred while he was dealing with the emotional trauma of his brother’s death.
Another serious allegation made in the divorce file acquired by Oklahoma Gazette is one of sexual abuse by Shadid toward his children. The allegation was made by a nanny employed by Shadid’s ex-wife. However, an investigation by the Department of Human Services discovered no wrongdoing. Instead, investigators recommended the nanny should be barred from being with the children.
Shadid admits he ignored his wife “in a lot of different ways,” including the use of pornography and his medical practice as another way to escape the marriage relationship...
So Ed Shadid is like every other divorced American male, only with a crazy nanny. Good to know.
Here were Ed's thoughts on how his past will affect his mayoral campaign:
Despite the public attacks, Shadid, described as a progressive, said there’s nothing in the divorce file that would preclude him from making sound decisions as mayor.
“I performed at an extraordinary level as a doctor and I’d do the same as mayor,” he said.
Despite the negatives associated with politics, Shadid remains optimistic.
“It has been worth it and it’ll be worth it even with all this stuff coming out. I made a deal with God. Politics is a way of making amends,” he said, referring to the lessons he learned in drug treatment. “You have to be willing to suffer. There has to be a willingness to endure pain and then everything will be OK.”
For Shadid, he’s accumulated enough wealth and enough material goods, so much in fact, that he has no plans to return to his old work habits.
“Now, I have to work for others,” he said.
Where to begin...
First of all, lets talk about the drug use, porn addiction and anger management stuff. In all honesty, it doesn't really bother me all that much. I have a very libertarian view on drugs. I've never tried cocaine and don't condone its use, but if you want to constantly blow your nose, money and Wayne Coyne at a bar for one quick score, I guess that's fine. Just be safe and don't kill someone. Also, who cares about the Internet porn? Unless someone's watching Hentai or the Family Guy stuff that Marisa's always talking about, it doesn't really bother me. Just be sure to use the incognito browser and wash your hands.
That being said, this isn't good news for Ed Shadid. I know he's trying to spin his recovery from addiction into a positive message for his campaign, but that's going to be a challenge. At last check, he's still running for the mayor of Oklahoma City. We're not exactly known as a bastion of understanding, forgiveness and acceptance.
According to my sources, this is how Mayor Mick, Larry Nichols, Roy Williams, David Holt and those singers from that awful Chamber of Commerce commercial celebrated once they read that article.
Seriously, Shadid's given them a treasure chest of negative campaign material that's going to be really hard to overcome. Once February gets here, expect daily mailers and cold calls about all of his transgressions.
Here are a few other notes:
• Even though the Gazette story dropped on Sunday afternoon, it has still not been mentioned anywhere in The Oklahoman or NewsOK.com. That's kind of odd, especially when you consider a) the amount of coverage the Oklahoman gave to the sealed records and b) they are the same organization that now hat-tips Buzzfeed, KFOR, News 9, Gawker and even Fark on NewsOK.com. Seriously, how does this not get mentioned anywhere? I bet they are waiting on a big Sunday feature where they can cover everything in their own fair and balanced way. They are called "The State's Most Trusted News" for a reason.
• The Gazette also talked to Wayne Coyne regarding his comments (reported here first) about Mayor Mick being a pot smoking mayor.
Coyne, known for his flamboyant comments and actions, also said, “The mayor of OKC, a good friend of ours, secretly in his own home smokes marijuana.” The comment drew loud cheers from the audience. The video is publicly available on YouTube.
In a text to Oklahoma Gazette late Sunday night, Coyne clarified what he said: “It was just a silly remark. No I've never smoked pot with Mayor Cornett and I don't think he smokes pot. But, I think he is open minded and has progressive solutions for lower income families in OKC and perhaps he will consider the outdated marihuana laws, and their impact on our families and community in his next term.”
"The mayor has never done illegal drugs," the mayor's chief of staff Steve Hill wrote in an email message to Oklahoma Gazette
If you read this site, this isn't very surprising at all. Wayne's a weirdo and Mayor Mick is about as straight-laced as they come. I think the most daring thing Mick's ever tried in life are Flamin' Hot Cheetos. With Ed Shadid now trying to spin battling addiction into a strength, expect Cornett to reveal in special Q&A with the Oklahoma that he's addicted to baseball cards and bar trivia. I guess that's how politics works today.
For more on the 2014 mayoral race and my thoughts on these guys, check out this article from a few weeks back.
