A reporter asking where about $25 million in taxpayer money went had a Jeep driven at him outside a Bangor, Maine, drug-treatment clinic on Thursday, October 1, and police announced the driver’s arrest on Friday, October 2.
Story Highlights
- Bangor police arrested Ryan Hayward, 38, of Bangor, on four charges after video showed a vehicle driven at reporter Joe Sokol.
- Sokol, who works for The Maine Wire, a conservative news site, was reporting on a methadone clinic that has taken about $25 million in Medicaid money since 2018.
- Hayward told the site’s editor the reporter “just kind of fired me up.” He denies trying to run Sokol over.
- Sokol was not hurt. Police say the case is still under investigation.
Arrest Follows Video Of Car Driven At Reporter In Bangor
Joe Sokol is a reporter for The Maine Wire. He was outside the Bangor Comprehensive Treatment Center on Odlin Road because of the money. The center is a methadone clinic, a place where people addicted to opioid drugs such as heroin get a daily dose of medicine that eases withdrawal. According to reports, the clinic has received about $25 million since 2018 from Medicaid, the government health program for people with low incomes. Sokol was asking where that money went.
Police said they were called shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday about an erratic vehicle and a man who had tried to run someone over near a medical clinic. Sokol’s own video shows a Jeep leaving the road and coming toward him. He got out of the way and was not hurt. He also got the license plate number.
What The Driver Is Charged With And What He Said
Hayward is charged with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, driving to endanger, and violating conditions of release. In this case the “dangerous weapon” is the vehicle. The last charge means police say he was already out on release terms from an earlier case and broke them. These are charges, and he has not been convicted of anything.
After the video spread, Hayward called Steve Robinson, the editor-in-chief of The Maine Wire, and talked for about 10 minutes. Asked why he drove off the road, he said: “Well, that’s a good question. He just kind of fired me up, so, I don’t know. No good reason, really.” According to reports, he admitted he drove at Sokol and said he went after him over his politics. He denied that he tried to run Sokol over or kill anyone, and said he felt disrespected.
The site says it gave a recording of that call to the U.S. Department of Justice. Robinson has said the four charges are too light for what the video shows and has asked federal authorities to step in. Police have not released a court date.
Why This Case Matters Beyond Bangor
For readers, the stakes are plain. A reporter was doing the basic job of asking how public money was spent. Medicaid is paid for by taxpayers, so any citizen has a right to ask that question. The answer he got was a vehicle coming at him.
People can disagree about how a story on addiction treatment should be told, and people who need that treatment deserve respect. But the law draws a firm line at threats and violence. A court will now weigh the video, the phone call and the charges. What Sokol was asking about the $25 million is still a fair question, and one car did not make it go away.
Sources:
redstate.com, thegatewaypundit.com, themainewire.com, hindustantimes.com, robinsonreport.substack.com
