Claybourne Apologizes to Ellsworth's Daughter

Joshua Claybourne, the blogger from Indiana Barrister and IU law school student who caused a furor after The Evansville Courier & Press last week published a story about photos he had shared with the newspaper showing Vanderburgh Co. Sheriff Brad Ellsworth's 19-year old daughter illegally consuming alcohol, has offered a public apology.

In a published letter in the newspaper today, Claybourne said, "Although I have spoken with Andrea Ellsworth, I would like to publicly apologize to her, to the Ellsworth family and any others for my part in passing along the forum thread to the newspaper." Claybourne added, "I suspect - and hope - that this news will become a footnote. No election, particularly not one of the few competitive House races in the entire United States, should be decided by such a story. And I doubt that anyone's vote will be changed in any event. It is time to move beyond this issue."

In the letter, Claybourne insists that he never "sought out evidence of improprieties committed by Ellsworth or his family" or "[sought] out dirt in some sort of covert political investigation as was implied." He insists he merely forwarded information brought to his attention by another person on his blogsite, and that it was up to the newspaper's editors and reporters to determine whether it was newsworthy. Claybourne said, "I believe far too much has been made of the issue. It should not be a front-page story, and my own opinion, which [the reporter] made the focus of the story, is irrelevant."

Claybourne, a Republican activist, is a supporter of Hostettler's; however, he and Hostettler's campaign insist that the two did not collaborate in any effort to bring this matter to public attention. Nonetheless, the anger of some voters in the district has been directed at Hostettler according to the comments the newspaper has received in reaction to the original story.