Thanks to Village14 for inviting me as a guest columnist.
Yesterday Richard Saunders took out papers to run for Mayor of Newton. This was extremely interesting for a few reasons. It appears that nobody in Newton, certainly nobody in Newton political circles, has ever heard of Richard Saunders until he launched his campaign.
My name is Richard Heidel and I’m a local freelance investigative reporter who has been looking into Mr. Saunder’s fledgling campaign. Mr Saunders campaign web site call him ““The most interesting ‘politician’ in the world” . The deeper I dig, the truer that title has become.
If you start at his web site things begin on a fairly conventional plane. There’s nothing startling or outlandish about any of his policies or positions. The first clue that we’re not dealing with a conventional candidate is “the contest”. If you are a Newton High School Student, over 65, or a registered voter you can enter. Five winners will be picked up in a chauffeured limousine and driven to a Newton restaurant to spend “an hour or two” with the candidate. Other curious details on the web site are that his campaign address is a Post Office box, and his campaign treasurer is Ed Sabbagh, someone else nobody in Newton appears to have heard of.
It’s only when you veer off his campaign web site that things really begin to get interesting. Mr Saunders is an author of a book called SecretAgentMan = “A fictional biography and a serial novel in progress… the culmination of Richard Saunders life’s work … Saunders has created a twist where he has impersonated his protagonist in many real-life situations over the years, even further confusing the line between where the fiction ends and the historical facts begin.”. The SecretAgentMan web site bills Mr Saunders as “The Great Imposter“. He practices something he calls “method writing” in which he has “successfully impersonated an independent political operative, a scientist, a computer hacker, an undercover police officer, an attorney, a philanthropist and an avenger – among others.”
It’s well known that Benjamin Franklin wrote under the name “Poor Richard”. Less well known is that the full name of Franklin’s nom de plume was “Richard Saunders”.
In email correspondence Mr Saunders explains his relative public obscurity like this – “Until now, I led a life of carefully guarding my privacy because I have made a few enemies (among the bad guys) in my activities with the Phoenix Foundation.”
The SecretAgentMan web site features an interview with Mr Saunders by AnEx Publications, a local vanity press in which he talks about The Phoenix Foundation. “Some of my Phoenix Foundation covert agents and I have self-funded our efforts …I hope to establish an endowment before my death that will help ensure the long-term-viability of the organization after I am gone and to make it into a legal 501(c)(3) or similar corporation that has the potential to operate in perpetuity.”
He goes on to say – “Officially, it doesn’t exist. Unofficially, it operates as a small, clandestine international organization with the mission to try and “Make the world a better place”. …All told we have fewer than 135 agent volunteers in over 20 countries.”
Meanwhile, on Mr Saunders Facebook page he describes a recent initiative of the Phoenix Foundation – “The Phoenix Foundation of Boston, Massachusetts has established a Pokémon Refuge in New Hampshire. This secret location with over 50 acres of protected private land has been set aside to house these displaced refugees who are being ruthlessly hunted around the world.
Thanks once again to Village14 for hosting my report on the Newton mayoral race’s “most interesting politician in the world“. I am a freelance journalist who recently moved to Newton. My investigative work has won Pulitzer prizes three times and runner-up awards twice. This is the first of my investigative pieces on the Newton mayoral candidates.
Look for my next Village14 piece – “Scott Lennon – the forgotten Beatle”, – he’s never forgiven brother John for stealing all his songs.
So, “Richard Heidel,” We are following up on the Saunders campaign. We just checked with the city clerk’s office and there is indeed a registered voter in Ward 4 named Richard Saunders. The most recent street listings we have here are from 2015 and there is no Richard Saunders listed at 272 Grove St. Then again, Mr. Saunders told us, he moved to Newton only about three years ago, so that 2015 book may simply not be up to date. What we found interesting is that there is another person listed in that 2015 book, at Mr. Saunders’ address, who lists his occupation as “freelance writer.” Probably just a coincidence that will further fuel conspiracy theories.
… the plot thickens
How does Rocky De La Fuenta fit into this picture?
We have a mayoral candidate who may or may not be impersonating a politician living in a missing box without running water who may be SpecialAgentMan whose Phoenix Foundation has a Pokémon Refuge and whose picture evokes a laugh from the UPS manager.
Best local political season ever.
There doesn’t seem to be much of an google footprint for the name “Richard Heidel”…and the profile on V14 maps to another author? Bug or feature?
Much like I suspect of my new favorite candidate, two-time Pulitzer runner-up Richard Heidel is a fictional character practicing “method writing”
My brain hurts!
A comment above was removed at the author’s request because it contained erroneous information – can you believe that in this thread?
Mr. Saunder’s campaign Post Office box does in fact exist.
I dislike curmudgeons. But I’m going to be a curmudgeon here.
“Richard Saunders” may be an opportunist, a scam artist, a huckster or a performance artist. Maybe he’s doing this to get laughs, sell books, out of boredom, or for reasons that any of Newton’s many shrinks may be better qualified to explain than me.
But in my opinion, he should not be running for mayor. And it’s pretty clear that he should not be taken seriously.
In my opinion, he also should not be participating in any of the many mayoral forums that will happen this summer.
This job is too important for this distraction.
The actual serious candidates in this contest should not have to waste their time with this distraction.
Now don’t get me wrong, I like a good prankster as much as anybody. But Newton already has a World Class Prankster in Jerry Reilly.
This guy is bush league. I hope he stops his charade now.
I can’t decide if this is a very elaborate scheme by a mysterious man none of us have hard of, or even better yet, a very elaborate scheme by Greg and Jerry to create such a man. I am confident that Greg and Jerry are capable of such shenanigans.
Either way, I’m getting popcorn.
How does someone who no one has ever actually seen collect the required number of signatures?
I met him. He attended a League of Women Voters event.
@Greg Reibman – Hold on a minute there Greg. The candidates just picked up their papers less than 48 hours ago. There is only one candidate (Ruth Ann Fuller) who has returned their papers so far. The campaign hasn’t even begun so its too early to begin disqualifying candidates.
Now I don’t hold up high hopes that Mr Saunders will be a creditable candidate. It’s a lot of hard work to run a real campaign, starting with collecting 900 signatures, knocking on lots of doors, attending lots of events, etc. Let’s see if Mr Saunders runs a real campaign. If he does, then he has as much right as anyone else to be in running. If he doesn’t and this was just a quick stunt then yes, we can all ignore him.
I think Greg still smarting from his mayoral campaign being cut so short.
None of this is funny or even mildly interesting. Perhaps in another political era it would be. But now now. Now it’s just annoying and sad. Focus, folks. For the love of God. Focus.
Pulitzer.org has no results for anyone named “Heidel.” This appears to be a parody piece, especially given the Beatles reference.
Meanwhile, no one seems to be able to figure out how to unscramble the V14 bylines on posts that predate the web hosting switchover. So for now, all my older posts seem to have Jerry Reilly’s name on them, Jerry’s have Chuck’s name, and lord knows whose work my name is on.
I hope we return to reality soon.
BTW, I think using a PO Box is the one thing that’s not odd. That seems a pretty standard choice.
FYI, many of us can properly focus on many things at once such as both the serious races and this fun mysterious diversion. Exercising a sense of humor is good for the soul.
political sport- being in the right place at the right time maneuvering within the confines of the political goal.
– always believe everything you read on the internet – no sense of humor is a common denominator to those without..
This is a dirty hit piece on Saunders. Why publish it Village 14? Because the owner only wants candidates he likes in the race?
Politics is not a joke a special club for people in suits. Treat Saunders fairly and seriously!
@Annonymous: I’m not sure what you mean by ‘dirty hit job”? I’m also not sure what you mean by “owner”? Village 14 doesn’t have an “owner.” We’re a collection of individuals who volunteer our time to provide a platform to discuss all things Newton. By its very nature people express opinions here. My opinion seems to be different from Jerry’s on this one.
What surprises me most is that Richard Saunders hasn’t taken the opportunity to explain and introduce himself here (unless you’re him commenting as “anonymous.”) It would be the ideal way to clear up any confusion and/or explain why he wants our votes. His silence suggests to me that maybe he doesn’t want to be taken seriously.
Given what fake news has done and continues to do to our country, forgive me if I don’t yuck it up with everyone else. Devaluing news and political discourse and laughing about it in the current climate – where fake news and real politics are being used every day to promote policies that will literally kill some of our friends and neighbors – screams white suburban privilege more loudly than most things I can imagine. But good that you can carve out some time for it in all your multitasking. Hilarious.
Humor is a tension release for lots of folks – including me. Finding the absurd funny is not dismissing the serious issues created by the disaster in the White House, it’s just taking a bit of a break from fighting against them. It’s both invigorating and grounding.
Studying the Trumpcare that passed the house made me feel unstable. I took a one day break from reading the national news, talking to congress members, contacting friends in red states to spur them on and writing. If I don’t laugh I get burned out.
But that’s just me.