Friday, November 14, 2014

Busch Has Yet To Speak With Law Enforcement, Congresswoman Chastizes NASCAR For Handling

The Dover (Del.) Police Department has yet to interview former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, more than a week after former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll accused him of domestic assault.\

Driscoll said Busch grabbed her face and repeatedly smashed her head against the wall in his motorhome at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, leaving her with severe pain, difficulty breathing and bruising on her neck. Since those allegations were made public last Wednesday, Dover Police public information officer Cpl. Mark Hoffman said his department has interviewed a number of witnesses associated with to the case, but not Busch.

In his words, “We would like to speak with him, obviously. We're working with Mr. Busch and his legal team to schedule an appointment that we can sit down and talk with him. Whether that's in person or by videophone, we're not completely sure yet. It's just going to depend on their availability at this point.”

Hoffman said the department’s willingness to accommodate Busch’s schedule is not related to "who he is or what he does for a living," adding that the case is complicated by Driscoll’s decision to wait approximately six weeks to file a police report. Driscoll has said her delay stemmed from an ongoing dispute with her ex-husband over the custody of their son.

Busch’s attorney, Rusty Hardin, said last week that his client “will fully cooperate with (the) investigation and expects to be vindicated when the entire truth of the situation comes to light.’ He called Driscoll’s allegations “a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship.”

In a related story, a member of the United States House of Representatives has criticized both NASCAR and Stewart Haas Racing for failing to suspend Busch from competition until the case is resolved.

SI.com is reporting that Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), wrote to NASCAR president Mike Helton and Stewart Haas owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas this week, calling NASCAR and SHR’s response “totally inadequate.

“Despite the severity of the criminal allegations against Mr. Busch,” wrote Speier, “I am disappointed to see that NASCAR and Stewart-Haas Racing have not taken any action.” She said NASCAR’s refusal to suspend Busch and driver Travis Kvapil – who received two years’ probation and community service as part of a deferred domestic assault prosecution agreement in October of 2013 – “calls into question the enforcement policies exercised by NASCAR.


"NASCAR would rather let Mr. Busch drive for the remainder of the racing season than take a stance on violence against women," wrote Speier. "While he rounds the track, the legal processes for his domestic violence charges race forward as well. Until his legal proceedings end, NASCAR should put Mr. Busch's car in park. The charges are horrifying, and NASCAR's inaction sends a clear signal to drivers that owners do not take these violent actions seriously."

She called for NASCAR and SHR to “suspend Mr. Busch from his weekend’s Championship and adopt a policy going forward in all domestic violence cases to suspend drivers until criminal proceedings end, or there is a clear lack of evidence.”

She also requested that she be included in all of internal investigations conducted by the sanctioning body or race team, and requested “a history of sanctions levied by NASCAR and racing teams for domestic violence incidents brought to your attention over the last five years.”



15 comments:

  1. Bush hasn't been charged, if we suspended everyone when they are accused, with out the opportunity to face legal adjudication, we would be going against the very constitution granting the right to be innocent until proven guilty!

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  2. Anonymous11:41 AM

    The congresswoman needs to MYOB & let those involved resolve the situation. Seems like a grandstand play to me!

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  3. Question. Since NASCAR is a privately held company, can she really just request all that information and to add herself to an internal investigation?

    Because if so, consider me requested into all future discussions into how TV money is spend...

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  4. Anonymous11:44 AM

    I do not understand why this woman would wait 6 weeks to file charges against Kurt Busch. If the injuries were as serious as she claims, charges should have been filed immediately not six weeks later. I am not saying this to defend Kurt Busch because I do not approve of domestic violence of any kind.

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  5. Anonymous11:58 AM

    I say this know it all broad needs to mind her own business and worry more about what she can do to help this country in sted of being a head hunter looking for headlines IGNORANT BITCH

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  6. Anonymous12:29 PM

    Just a couple of words for the Rep. Speier. Aren't there a million other problems in this country that you should worry about besides making someone guilty before an investigation is complete? Did you bitch at the 49ers also because they wouldn't suspend one of their players who had allegations made against him and in the end no charges were filed because of insufficient evidence? Worry about the bigger problems in this country, please!!!!!

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    1. Anonymous12:50 PM

      Yes, Rep. Speier, did you call for the suspension of Ray McDonald of the 49ers. He was even arrested and the accusations against Kurt Busch has not even resulted in an arrest. The 49ers are in or very clsoe to your district. I believe your inquiries into NASCAR are simply the workings of Patricia Driscoll who is well known in congress because of her work.

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    2. FYI, Rep Speier is a Democrat who represents the 14th Congressional District of California which includes portions of San Mateo County, and, you guessed it, SAN FRANCISCO! Too close to home to ask the same of the NFL and the '49ers. What on the surface appears to be a noble act, turn's out to be just another attention-getting political hack-job.

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  7. The fact that Patricia Driscoll waited 6 weeks to make these allegations because she was involved in a custody battle is one of several red flags that makes me question this whole situation. Why didn’t she go to the police at the time of the alleged abuse, when she could have had a medical evaluation and proof of the alleged injuries? Waiting implies that she was concerned the custody battle could be affected if it came out that she allowed her son to live with an abusive man, so were the allegations true or does this show a pattern of manipulation and not being forthcoming in a legal situation with another man? And if so why should she be believed now?

    She has always struck me as an attention-seeking narcissist who was using Kurt to get herself on TV. From putting Kurt behind her in the red carpet photos at the Nascar banquet (at the time I gave her my own nickname - Ms. HoneyMoveOverYou’reInMyShot) to her inappropriately pushing her way into the coverage of Tony Stewart returning to the garage after his 3 week absence, grabbing and clinging to him while turning him so her face would be on camera, I have mostly laughed and rolled my eyes at her behavior.

    These allegations make me suspect this is more about revenge than authenticity. NASCAR and SHR are doing the right thing by waiting for the authorities to investigate. And as for Rep. Speier, she needs to attend to the needs of her own district in California and stay out of NASCAR’s business.

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  8. Anonymous2:03 PM

    Way to go, Kurt. You went and pissed off Congress now!! Watch out for black suburbans and maybe even drones. Lol. The congresswoman should have many other issues to be focusing on.

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  9. Regarding the 6 week wait to file charges...

    If she was in a custody battle with her ex husband, and she files these charges, it seems to me it would be very easy for her husband and his legal team to say she is putting her son in harms way. Custody goes to the ex. Anyone with a Mom knows- you take part of her, when you take her child. I can see her putting that off.

    As for Wackie Jackie, I live in the SF bay area. I follow news closely. I never heard a peep out of her regarding Ray McDonald, or the decision by the 49ers not to suspend him. I did hear outcry from multiple other outlets, groups, and such. But, not Jackie.

    Another tid bit regarding the Ray McDonald case you would think she would be interested in getting to the bottom of... The responding officer has close ties to the 49ers and its players. No conflict of interest?

    This is a US lawmaker saying we should all be treated as guilty until proven innocent. Is anyone else frightened by this? I'm pretty sure its unconstitutional.

    As I said, I am unfortunate enough to live in the SF Bay Area. Home to such political greats as Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Barbara Lee, and the list goes on and on. And on. And on.


    And on....

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    1. Michael in SoCal12:33 PM

      It's those same political greats that lead me to vote Libertarian. Not voting for any of those clowns.

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  10. Anonymous3:29 PM

    Speier should keep her nose in ashington and worry about the country and NOT the publicity related to chasing Kurt Busch for face time in the media.


    If there are no charges, why suspend him? I guess in her small mind all that matters is that she be involved.

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  11. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

    I am glad that Congress has fixed all the other issues we are having in this country and focus one one driver in NASCAR.

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  12. Brian Harrison10:18 PM

    If Dumocrats like her had as much interest in the reduction of Trillions of dollars of debt in America , as Kurt Busch's personal business, then they would actually be doing their job and earn the $175,000 year that they steal from the American people! These people are already rich and completely out of touch with us, the American people.These people are an embarrassment to America.

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