Andy Thibault

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Local Author Offers Insight, Advice and Advocacy
 
by Melanie McMillan
The Litchfield Enquirer
December 13, 2002
 
 
      If one were searching for a single adjective to capture the spirit of Litchfield resident Andre "Andy" Thibault, it would have to be "unabridged." 

      There is no holding back this man who has taken on a starring role in the realm of advocacy journalism.

      Mr. Thibault is a columnist for the Law Tribune Newspapers and co-author of several business books. The second edition of one of his most recent books, "Law & Justice in Everyday Life" was released earlier this year. While Mr. Thibault has worked as a lecturer, a college journalism professor and an investigator for law firms in Connecticut, New York, California, and Washington, D.C., it is his work as an investigative reporter and feature writer for which he is best known, most revered-and sometimes feared.

      As attorney F. Lee Bailey writes in the foreword of "Law & Justice in Everyday Life," "Andy Thibault himself is an unusual, and probably extraordinary man. In this day and age, he is a bit of an anomaly, sort of a gunslinger from the Old West, ready to fire at anything that moves-especially if he doesn't take kindly to the movement." When asked why he chose the career path of a journalist instead of heading to law school, Mr. Thibault explained, "I like operating from a point of view of the journalist. I feel I can advocate for a cause in an effective manner (from this position). When I'm on the hunt for a story, I'm totally motivated. That's when I'm most alive. I never give up."

      Even that is an understatement. Mr. Thibault's book is chock full of example after example of his relentless search for the truth. But the book isn't just for those who know the law, but for people who think they know the law or care about social justice.

      "The Showalter hit-and-run cover-up is a dark chapter in Connecticut history," writes Mr. Thibault in the book's first chapter, "Cover-Up In New London." He called it "a tale more appropriate for a Third World Country," as he examined the case of Kevin B. Showalter, a college student, who was killed in 1973 while changing a tire on a well-lit road in New London on Christmas Eve. Mr. Thibault, who grew up in New London, called the hit-and-run accident the town's "cover up."

      According to Mr. Thibault, the file that was supposed to contain headlight glass from the vehicle actually contained glass from three different headlights. He also alleged that State Police and others suspected that Mr. Showalter's clothing was pounded against a different colored car than the one that killed him, in an effort to throw investigators off the trail.

      Harvey Mallove, a former New London mayor who died a few years ago, was the prime suspect in Mr. Showalter's death. Mr. Thibault wrote that the standing joke among reporters became, "Harvey's a great guy to have a beer with, just don't change your tire if he's driving by." He wrote that there is still time for those with information about the case to come forward. Mr. Thibault used the Showalter case as a launch pad to call attention to political and police corruption that he says goes back "a couple of generations in New London."

      "By the 1970s, New London police were widely known to be involved in the selling of women, dope and refrigerators, among other things," Mr. Thibault wrote. "A federal grand jury took note. But as with the Showalter case, there were these little problems with the evidence."

      In his book, Mr. Thibault also offered his insights about organized crime in Stamford, the only unsolved killing of a Connecticut police officer in 50 years, Michael Skakel's conviction in the killing of Martha Moxley, and Michael Malchik, the man who gained fame for charming and ultimately bringing down Connecticut's most notorious serial killer, Michael Ross.

      One of Mr. Thibault's greatest inspirations for vigorously pursuing issues that pertain to social justice, he said, was a teacher at his alma mater, Boston University. While a majoring in political science there, he studied under Howard Zinn, who is currently professor emeritus of political science at the university.

      "He (Professor Zinn) literally turned my world upside down," Mr. Thibault said. "He taught me that real life is not like textbooks."

      Mr. Zinn, who penned the introduction to "Law and Justice," wrote, "What you will find in these pages is a journalistic courage rare in these times when too many columnists, TV anchors, and talk-show hosts rush to show their support of official policy, in the mistaken notion that patriotism means blind obedience to government." Mr. Zinn also said that the legendary fictional detective Sherlock Holmes might want to phone Mr. Thibault for
advice.

      The author got his start in journalism by delivering newspapers as a child, beginning his day at 5 a.m. The Norwich Bulletin and The Groton News set Mr. Thibault sailing on his career during his senior year in high school. Mr. Thibault worked part-time as a sports writer and reporter.  "I had a really great guy for my editor," he said. "We used to get hot dogs out of the (vending) machine at 5 a.m."

      As he ponders future projects, Mr. Thibault is thinking about trying his hand at fiction writing, and said he'll write about "crime and politics, of course. Aren't they one in the same?"

      Social justice isn't Mr. Thibault's only writing passion. He is a member of the Litchfield Board of Education, a seat he was elected to in 2001, and is a watchdog in his own community.

      He has tangled with town officials during his search for information, as well, including filing a Freedom of Information Act request with the town after a black Santa Claus doll was donated by a resident to be displayed in town hall, and then removed after an employee complained about its presence to First Selectman Jerry Zinn. Mr. Thibault embarked on a battle with the town to disclose the contents of the memo from the employee who complained, and when the evidence failed to surface, he filed a formal complaint with the state's FOI Commission against Mr. Zinn, claiming the official had improperly destroyed a public document. The commission recently dismissed the complaint, but Mr. Thibault maintains that the law was violated and that the town should be held responsible.

      Mr. Thibault is also the chairman of IMPAC-CSU Young Writers contest for Connecticut students, a private-public partnership between IMPAC, a Florida-based international productivity consulting firm, and the Connecticut State University System. The leader of IMPAC and founder of he writing award is James Irwin, who owns the Litchfield Inn and an equestrian farm in town.

      The awards program, a source of great pride for the author, honors outstanding writers, something that Mr. Thibault deems important because "even the greatest writers need affirmation." Not only are students recognized for their work, but well-known published poets and writers, who work with students and share their ideas, run workshops and participate in the IMPAC-CSU programs.

      After all is said and done and it's the end of the story, someone might wonder what Mr. Thibault would write for his own epitaph. He reflects on his four children and his wife before answering the question. "That I was a good father," he said. "That's enough."

      Mr. Thibault is to appear at Barnes and Noble Bookstores in Danbury and Waterbury at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 and Jan 24, respectively, to promote the second printing of his book.
 
©The Litchfield Enquirer 2002 

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