Buster
On The Trail Of "Anonymous," Christine O'Donnell's Sex-Free Pal
[UPDATE: TSG has identified the “Anonymous” correspondent who today detailed his purported (sexless) one-night stand with Christine O’Donnell. See bottom of piece.]
Readers of today’s first-person account of a sexless one-night stand with kooky Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell might have noticed that the author--whom Gawker cloaked as “Anonymous” --was wearing an actual Boy Scouts uniform in photos accompanying the story about the purported Halloween night encounter three years ago.
While the man’s identity remains a secret (at least for the time being), TSG has determined that the uniform’s owner is a buddy of “Anonymous” who actually works for the Boy Scouts of America.
Brad Kurisko, 28, is a district executive with a Boy Scouts council in the Philadelphia area. In the pictures of O’Donnell mugging with “Anonymous,” the nametag on the uniform is obscured with a black bar. This was presumably done to further protect the identity of “Anonymous” and cut off any attempts to ID him via the uniform.
Which apparently only worked half.
In a series of phone conversations this afternoon, Kurisko, pictured above, acknowledged that “Anonymous” had worn his Boy Scouts outfit, but claimed that he was unaware that the uniform would be seen in photos published with the O’Donnell story. “I have to go home and kick his ass,” Kurisko said of his buddy, whom he declined to identify. He added, “I had no idea that any pictures existed.”
Asked if he was involved in the preparation or brokering of the Gawker story, Kurisko declined comment. While denying that he was “Anonymous,” Kurisko refused to identify the story’s author, claiming that TSG was “asking me to throw someone under the bus.” He also refused to answer a question about whether he received money in connection with the story (Gawker's editor told a Yahoo reporter that the site paid in the "low four figures" for the O'Donnell story).
While Kurisko refused to out “Anonymous,” some online activity this evening may point to the author’s identity. Shortly after his last phone conversation with a TSG reporter, a single name disappeared from Kurisko's list of Facebook friends.
The man with whom electronic ties were abruptly cut is Dustin Dominiak, a 28-year-old buddy who attended Albion College with Kurisko. Records show that Dominiak has previously shared a Philadelphia address with Kurisko. One online posting reports that Dominiak, a Michigan native, has worked as an auditor at the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia. Dominiak is pictured at left.
Soon after Dominiak's name vanished from Kurisko's list of friends, Dominiak’s entire Facebook page (which listed 356 friends) was suddenly deactivated. Perhaps this was Dominiak’s attempt to achieve a greater degree of anonymity.
UPDATE: In a phone interview tonight, a besieged Kurisko told TSG that Dominiak is the man pictured with O’Donnell in the Gawker photos. He said that while Dominiak had borrowed his Boy Scouts uniform, he was unaware of the existence of photos of his roommate with O’Donnell.
Kurisko said that he had no idea that Dominiak was preparing the Gawker piece and only became aware of its publication after speaking with a TSG reporter late this afternoon. He added that he is now concerned about “preserving my job” in light of media scrutiny, which has included reporters attempting to contact members of his family. These contacts, Kurisko added, were triggered by a Village Voice report that erroneously identified him as “Anonymous.”
Dominiak is “well aware of the situation,” said Kurisko, who added, "I was not aware this was going down."
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