Fruition Tablegate Sparks Internet Outrage in Philly

Whether or not Jason Sheehan of Philly Mag in fact tried to bribe a server at Fruition for a table years ago while he was the Westword critic, it sure did get under some skin. It's a true scandal, Sheehan writes in his self-authored post. How dare someone like Paul Attardi, who has worked in Denver restaurants for years, spot him, the critic? He's anonymous, damnit. But afterall, he says this doesn't pass for news anyway, and that's why Foobooz, an extension of Philly Mag, has posted twice about it after his rebuttal in Westword.

"To be clear, I didn’t do it. I’m just not that kind of guy. And frankly, anyone who knows me knows that if I had fifty bucks in my pocket, I would’ve spent it on whiskey and salami sandwiches, not on trying to grease some waiter."

But are bribes wrong? Victor Fiorillo, a colleague at Foobooz doesn't think so, sort of defending bribes (even though Sheehan would never, ever do that). "It's not bribery, it's palm-greasing," and definitely not worthy of national news. But hey, blog on, Philly.

· Scandel! Sheehan (Falsely) Accused of Bribing [Foobooz]
· It's Not Bribery, It's Palm-Greasing [Foobooz]