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Examiner.com) On Friday, the Internet exploded with reports that Alix Bryan, an employee at Richmond, Virginia, CBS affiliate WTVR-6, reported the Memories Pizza GoFundMe page for fraud. Bryan offered no evidence for the claim, saying it was done "just in case." The Walkerton, Indiana, Memories Pizza closed earlier this week as a result of death threats from pro-gay liberals reacting to another media report that the restaurant would not cater gay weddings if asked. No one was denied service, but that did not shield company owners from the wrath of what many now call the "gay mafia."
"I have reported the GoFundMe for Memories Pizza for fraud," Bryan tweeted. "Just in case."
"In case of what," one person asked. "Ever heard of Libel?" another person asked. "So you didn't know whether it's fraud or not, but you reported it anyway," added Aaron Worthing, a conservative blogger who also works as an attorney in the Washington, D.C. area. "You ever hear of defamation?"
"You know that a false allegation of fraud is libel per se? asked the official Twitter feed for the Popehat blog. "Since you're in the media? And that your tweet's admissible evidence?"
Bryan claimed the action was "totally acceptable" and said research was conducted after the claim was made. Moreover, Bryan claimed to have contacted the person who started the fundraising effort. "Also, that is totally acceptable to do," Bryan tweeted. "I also did research afterward and contacted person who started fund." But Lawrence B. Jones III and Dana Loesch quickly denied Bryan's claim.
Twitchy said Bryan issued a tweet to Jones asking how the money will be used. "Sorry, honey," the Twitchy staff said. "But that just doesn’t cut it." Loesch said she reached out to Stephen Hayes, general manager of WTVR. Hayes told Loesch that Bryan sent the message from her personal account and was not part of any research being done by the station. Loesch also asked if it was company policy "to have an employee boast about falsely filing" a claim of fraud.
According to Bryan's Twitter bio, she works as part of the web and social media team for WTVR. Loesch also informed Hayes that Bryan's Twitter account is listed on WTVR's official Twitter feed. Hayes, she added, quit responding after that exchange.
But, Kristinn Taylor said at the Gateway Pundit, station management is investigating Bryan's actions. "A spokeswoman for WTVR told The Gateway Pundit the station is still reviewing Alix Bryan’s situation," Taylor posted. "No statement has been issued by the station as of 5 p.m. EDT."
Critics flooded WTVR's Facebook page with angry messages. "WOW! You are now right up their with ABC57 for the Bologna Awards," one person said. "Alix Bryan has certainly made you popular."
"So how does it feel to know that your station is now known nationwide for employing a liar?" another person asked. "I'm thinking that every Christian person within viewing range of this station should boycott until they fire the liar and publicly apologize for her actions while she was their employee," another person added.
The GoFundMe page set up to help the owners of Memories Pizza stopped taking donations Friday. Over $842,000 was raised in just two days.
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