Jim Douglas' Dirty Trickster? 

It's a dirt-dishing backroom story nobody wants out. Not the Douglas administration and not the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC).

It appears a member of Gov. Jim Douglas' inner circle pitched an erroneous story to a major Vermont newspaper. It was clearly designed to destroy the integrity of a leading Statehouse environmental lobbyist. It occurred just hours after the Senate Natural Resources Committee approved Wayne Laroche as the new Commissioner of Fish & Wildlife.

Seven Days has learned that on February 28, Douglas aide Jim Barnett attempted to plant a story in The Burlington Free Press that a VNRC official had publicly "lied" about his organization's position on the LaRoche appointment.

Mr. Barnett told the Freeps that VNRC communications director Patrick Berry was a "liar." His evidence was an anti-LaRoche email forwarded by a VNRC staffer and Berry's earlier comments in the Free Press stating the VNRC was not going to oppose LaRoche.

That email, sent by the VNRC's outreach director Matteo Burani, was actually a forwarded statement distributed by the Lamoille River Anglers. It accused Laroche of being a "threat to wild fish." Burani told Seven Days he is a member of the Lamoille Anglers and he was merely forwarding the group's email to friends. It was in no way, he said, a reflection of VNRC's position. And it was not sent to the VNRC membership.

Barnett didn't see it that way. The fact that it was sent out "during work time on a VNRC account urging people to call their senators sounds like an organized campaign to me."

Mr. Berry told Seven Days he first became aware of Barnett's attack "when a Free Press reporter called me and asked if I was a liar."

Under the golden dome, integrity counts big-time. One's career depends on credibility. Mr. Berry quickly set the reporter straight and called other media outlets to do "damage control." He then learned that Barnett had only pitched it to the Freeps.

Berry made it perfectly clear that the VNRC "has not opposed, lobbied against or coordinated efforts against the Laroche appointment." Berry was reluctant to comment on Mr. Barnett. After all, his organization has to deal with the Douglas administration on a host of issues.

Longtime Vermont conservationist Warner Shedd of East Calais told Seven Days he has "never experienced anything like this" in Vermont's political arena.

"It comes under the category of very dirty political tricks," said Shedd. The governor's aide, he said, was "trying to discredit a person who has an excellent reputation for integrity at the State-house."

On Tuesday, Barnett denied the accusation of engaging in "dirty tricks." In fact, he said he didn't remember if he had actually used the word "liar" when pitching the story.

"It's ridiculous," insisted Barnett, who earned his office on the Fifth Floor by serving as Candidate Douglas' campaign attack dog.

One thing's for sure. The relationship between the Douglas administration and the environmental lobby is off to a rather rocky start.

Deanwatch 2004 -- Our favorite presidential hopeful more than held his own Sunday morning on NBC's "Meet the Press." Host Tim Russert gave Howard Dean a pretty good grilling on his opposition to President George W. Bush's plan to invade Iraq. Ho-Ho stood firm. And his comment about a Bush attack giving China license to invade Taiwan got some traction on the news wires.