Clueless Upstate New York Foreclosure Mill Sweatshop Operator Makes Laughable Attempt To Media-Spin Way Out Of 'Halloween' Fiasco

In Buffalo, New York, Buffalo Business First reports on the attempt attorney and foreclosure mill sweatshop operator Steven J. Baum has made to 'positive-spin' his way out of the mess he finds himself in after the columnist Joe Nocera's story (with pictures) of his tasteless 2010 Halloween party was published in The New York Times:

• The Baum story has gone worldwide. Yahoo, Huffington Post, cable news, everyone is jumping on the chance to vilify a firm that certainly seems anything but sympathetic. I reached back out yesterday for comment from Baum. Sure, I knew he wouldn’t talk to me, but how about a statement?



• As I was writing this, the statement arrived. Allow me to share it with you, in its entirety so that you can judge it for yourself:
  
  The images in the photographs that were published in The New York Times obviously were in very poor taste. In fact, we had our annual Halloween party last week at our various locations and we reiterated our company policy as it pertains to wearing appropriate costumes. No one is permitted to wear a costume that could be interpreted as being offensive.
  
  At this year’s party we raised money for the American Red Cross. Our office continues to be active in the community and has donated to Habitat for Humanity, Hospice of Buffalo and the Ronald McDonald Foundation among others. We have held various fund raisers for our servicemen and women. We are also involved in the Military Warriors Foundation, in having our clients donate foreclosed homes to soldiers in need.On behalf of the firm, I sincerely apologize for what happened last year at our Halloween party.
  
  
• Really? All that mortgage money piled up to spend and this is what you came up with? Is it me, or is this statement more about how the firm is donating to charity and less about the act? Using servicemen and women to spin is in poor taste at best and disgraceful at worst.



• It gets worse. Baum issued a second letter to his clients in which he blames the New York Times for essentially being out to get his firm. I could offer my thoughts on how silly that is, but instead, take a look at the article and photos and decide for yourself.



• Finally, you know you are fast becoming a pariah when other attorneys turn on you. Western New York is a close-knit legal community so when I logged into my LinkedIn account this morning and saw highly respected attorney Jeffrey Freedman dropping the hammer on Baum, I knew things had reached the point of no return.



• Your colleagues are turning their backs on you, the media is churning the blood in the water and the sharks are circling the boat. Yet for the law firm of Steven J. Baum, it is Tuesday morning and it is business as usual. And that, I suspect, is the problem.

For the story, see Attorney Steven J. Baum just doesn't get it.