Remember the flap a few days ago about Justice Scalia supposedly flipping off a photographer and then claiming he didn't do it?
Well, the photographer in question has been talking with the Boston Herald, and Tony is busted busted busted. See, the photo is now up on the Herald's website:
And one quote from the article:
"It's inaccurate and deceptive of him to say there was no vulgarity in the moment," said Peter Smith, the Boston University assistant photojournalism professor who made the shot.
Despite Scalia's insistence that the Sicilian gesture was not offensive and had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald as obscene, the photographer said the newspaper "got the story right."
OK, a second quote:
Smith was working as a freelance photographer for the Boston archdiocese's weekly newspaper at a special Mass for lawyers Sunday when a Herald reporter asked the justice how he responds to critics who might question his impartiality as a judge given his public worship.
"The judge paused for a second, then looked directly into my lens and said, `To my critics, I say, `Vaffanculo,' " punctuating the comment by flicking his right hand out from under his chin, Smith said.
The Italian phrase means "(expletive) you."
Hat tip: Atrios
[Update] There was a request in the comments for more context/backstory to this issue. During a Mass this past Sunday, Scalia was apparently asked by a reporter about his impartiality
when a Herald reporter asked the justice how he responds to critics who might question his impartiality as a judge given his public worship.
Scalia responded with the gesture and an Italian obscenity. A photographer happened to catch the gesture. Scalia attempted to deny that the gesture was obscene in a letter to the Boston Herald, but combined with the obscenity, most people aren't buying the explanation.
In addition, it should be noted that when this controversy first erupted, Scalia attempted to browbeat the free-lance photographer into not publishing the photograph. See e.g. this story, again in the Boston Herald, from a few days ago. In particular,
The conduct unbecoming a 20-year veteran of the country’s highest court - and just feet from the Mother Church’s altar - was captured by a photographer for the Archdiocese of Boston newspaper The Pilot, whose publisher is newly minted Cardinal Sean O’Malley.
Although one of his sworn duties is to uphold the freedom of the press, a jocular Scalia told the shutterbug, “Don’t publish that.”
-dms