People who make their livings as spokesmen are usually very careful in how they choose their words. That’s especially true when they’re addressing issues as serious as potential criminal charges against a public figure.
So it’s a little surprising to see the way the spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lashed out at members of the media covering the Ben Roethlisberger sexual assault investigation.
John Bankhead, spokesman for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in Atlanta, told Dan Majors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that members of the media who have questioned the Bureau’s handling of the Roethlisberger case are going to look foolish when the full scope of the investigation comes to light.
“There are a lot of people out there reporting things and repeating things that just are not true,” Bankhead said. “They’ll be eating crow later. It may taste delicious like Thanksgiving turkey now, but later on, when the facts come out, it’ll taste like eating crow.”
It’s not clear which reports Bankhead is referring to. It’s also not clear why Bankhead feels the need to call out unnamed members of the media now, rather than wait until the Bureau can reveal its findings and let the investigation speak for itself.
Asked if investigators have encountered any difficulties, Bankhead replied, “No, other than with the media.”
Bankhead added that people who believe the investigation is moving slowly “don’t understand our procedures.”