Brooksville radio host says 'no truth' to Obama threats

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Post a comment | E-mail this story | Print

Some listeners say the radio personality threatened the President.

HERNANDO COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The U.S. Secret Service launched an investigation into local radio talk show host Bob Haa after complaints about comments he made on a Friday morning broadcast.

Haa is host of the Haa Wire show on WWJB-AM 1450 in Brooksville. The investigation was launched after complaints were filed that incendiary comments were made on the show about President Barack Obama.

"There's just no truth to it," Haa said.

Haa says he remembers the call. He says the caller was talking about target practice and ammunition. He says he told the caller to save their bullets.

"It could have been that somebody actually heard that conversation and mistook what they were hearing," he said.

More Information

Haa says if he threatened the president he would jobless right now.

"I would have been fired," he said. "I wouldn't be here sitting here talking to you."

"We're looking into what was allegedly said," said John Joyce, special agent in charge of the Secret Service's field office in Tampa. "We have yet to determine what was actually said that day."

The investigation was started after Hernando County administration staffer JoJo DiViccaro started receiving calls complaining that Haa was making threats and racist comments about Obama.

DiViccaro said she then called Mark Tobert, Hernando's emergency management planning coordinator, who told her he would notify the proper authorities.

"Somebody called (Monday) and asked if the station had to be shut down because of the threats," DiViccaro said.

Haa also confirmed Monday that he had spoken with the Secret Service, calling the investigation a "waste of time." Haa said the topic of discussion on Friday was healthcare, not Obama.

"There's one fruitcake in town out there trying to start all these rumors," Haa said. "I would never stand for anyone threatening the president. We do not have that kind of edgy talk on there."

Haa said he is complying with the investigation and plans to meet with the Secret Service in the near future.

One of the owners of the WWJB says her full support is behind Haa. According to her, Haa mentioned nothing about threatening the president.

The Hernando County Sheriff's Office investigated Haa in 2001 after he was accused of trying to incite his audience to "act violently" against the County Commission.

The case was later closed when investigators were unable to prove those claims.

Be in the Know with Bay News 9 Now!

Get news, weather, and traffic alerts delivered directly to your computer desktop, e-mail, or cell phone with Bay News 9 Now.

Subscribe for free!

Valentine's Day

Do you have a romantic Valentine's Day story? Or a funny one? What about a nightmarish one? We want to hear them! Send them to us and we may use them in a story on BayNews9.com.