New LONG story on Mike Webb in Seattle Weekly

[Newsjock]

http://seattleweekly.com/news/0615/mike-webb.php
Tangled Webb
Accused of insurance fraud, KIRO-AM's progressive former talk-show host faces a criminal trial. That's not the only quirk of his radio career.
By Geov Parrish

... One night in December, Webb was abruptly gone from the airwaves. His listeners would have had no idea why unless they read blogs about radio or caught one of the two articles about him in The Seattle Times. Webb says he's not sure himself why he was fired. You could call that disingenuous considering he's up on a criminal felony charge and faces a trial next month, but this story's not that simple.

On Dec. 6, a warrant was issued for Webb's arrest on suspicion of felony insurance fraud. An additional investigation, of possible forgery, apparently has been dropped. On Dec. 20, Webb was arraigned in King County Superior Court and pleaded not guilty. He was initially released on personal recognizance, then on bond of $5,050. After several postponements, a pretrial hearing is set for April 21. Webb's trial is scheduled to begin May 4.

Those are the seemingly straightforward facts. But the tale that precedes Webb being charged with a crime is a twisty one. It's about a radio talent who alternately impresses and pisses off co-workers, whose work habits have been questioned, whose firing is tangled up in the demise of once-legendary KIRO-AM, and who helped decertify his union. On top of everything else, some question the liberal credentials of this irrepressible talker.

... During an extensive recent interview with Seattle Weekly, but stepping carefully around his attorney's admonishment about talking, Webb explained his theory of what happened in the insurance dispute. He doesn't think anyone broke into Geico's or Washington Mutual's computers. It was his computer, he says, that was hacked and used to execute the policy cancellation and purchase. Webb, who refuses to be photographed, fearing for his safety, thinks he noticed other signs that his computer was being tampered with.

lots more