Screenshot from: New York Daily News, March 15, 2015
By Patrick
Looking into the affairs of the Palin-family often provides us with lots of surprises. In the past we learned that the Palin-family has hidden many secrets, and therefore we probably should not be too surprised that the people who associate with them also have their very own secrets. Bristol Palin is about to marry Medal of Honour recipient Dakota Meyer, and the marriage will apparently take place in about 10 days in Kentucky.
While I was away during the recent weeks, our readers did the most amazing research about Dakota Meyer, and discovered that there is much to find. Many thanks to everyone!
Dakota Meyer is a self-identified public figure, who has appeared on TV many times, for example on Dave Letterman's show, he also wrote a book about his exploits in Afghanistan, called "Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War." Therefore it is fair game to examine his life story.
Our reader KAO did excellent sleuthing and reported in her recent guest post that Dakota Meyer actually had another girlfriend right up until December 2014, and just about three months later, he became engaged to Bristol Palin. This was never reported anywhere in the media.
But there is another interesting detail, and it does appear that Dakota Meyer is even less inclined to make this fact public. He even seems to try to suppress it, as this information is "purged" from all his own accounts, including his book. Dakota apparently does not want you to know, but despite the fact that the media widely reported that the marriage with Bristol Palin will be Dakota's first marriage, he had indeed already married Cassandra Marie Wain on May 17, 2008 (click to enlarge):
The entry from the "Central Kentucky News Journal" - screenshot:
Apart from the original copy of the marriage license and the entry from the local paper, there is also the fact that Cassandra Marie Wain afterwards used the surname "Meyer" for years, and we don't even know if she has stopped using this name.
This is her current public facebook:
We know from several internet accounts that Cassandra Marie Wain used the surname "Meyer" for accounts she opened only recently, for example in 2013.
She joined Youtube with the name "Cassandra Meyer" only in September 2013:
She also joined Google Plus under the name Cassandra Meyer:
There might be even more accounts.
The University of Michigan also lists her under "Cassandra Meyer":
How much evidence does Wikipedia need to include the fact that Dakota Meyer already had a first marriage?
A lot of evidence, it seems. It appears that according to rules which were unfamiliar to me, and also to many of our readers, a marriage certificate, a notification in the paper and a bride who then changed her name is not enough to get this fact included in Wikipedia. Or this is what the administrators want to have us believe!
Apparently, a fact has to be mentioned somewhere in the media in order to be acknowledged by Wikipedia, and the original documentation is not good enough.
Some of our readers tried to include the undeniable fact about Dakota's first marriage in his Wikipedia page, and they were repeatedly rejected.
Screenshot 1:
Screenshot 2:
Screenshot 3:
This is beyond ridiculous, and the rejections were also in contradiction to Wikipedia's own guidelines.
Cullen328 said regarding this issue:
Hello KarenJ503. The clerk's office listing is a primary source, and the local newspaper blurb is a simple reprint of that primary source with no secondary coverage. In my opinion, those sources are not yet adequate to add that information to the article. It is not Wikipedia's job to break a scoop. My hunch is that actual news coverage will be forthcoming. Be patient. Cullen328 Let's discuss it 18:18, 13 May 2015 (UTC)
However, this is not about a scoop, it is about an undeniable fact.
Checking the Wikipedia-guidelines, it is apparent that "Cullen328" and another Wikipedia-Admin, a right-winger called "RightCowLeftCoast", who removed the information about the first marriage again, are wrong.
Reading the explanation in Wikipedia about "Verifiability", it becomes obvious that an original copy of a marriage certificate, which is being published on a government website, especially in combination with a marriage notice in the paper, should be enough to justify the inclusion in Wikipedia.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
In Wikipedia, verifiability means that anyone using the encyclopedia can check the information comes from a reliable source. Wikipedia does not publish original research. Its content is determined by previously published information rather than the beliefs or experiences of its editors. Even if you're sure something is true, it must be verifiable before you can add it.[1] When reliable sources disagree, present what the various sources say, give each side its due weight, and maintain a neutral point of view.
All material in Wikipedia mainspace, including everything in articles, lists and captions, must be verifiable. All quotations, and any material whose verifiability has been challenged or is likely to be challenged, must include an inline citation that directly supports the material. Any material that needs a source but does not have one may be removed. Please remove contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced immediately.
(...)
All content must be verifiable. The burden to demonstrate verifiability lies with the editor who adds or restores material, and is satisfied by providing a citation to a reliable source that directly supports the contribution.[2]
Attribute all quotations and any material challenged or likely to be challenged to a reliable, published source using an inline citation. Cite the source clearly and precisely (specifying page, section, or such divisions as may be appropriate). The citation must clearly support the material as presented in the article. See Citing sources for details of how to do this.
Any material lacking a reliable source directly supporting it may be removed and should not be restored without an inline citation to a reliable source. Whether and how quickly this should happen depends on the material and the overall state of the article. In some cases, editors may object if you remove material without giving them time to provide references; consider adding a citation needed tag as an interim step.[3] When tagging or removing material for lacking an inline citation, please state your concern that there may not be a published reliable source for the content, and therefore it may not be verifiable.[4] If you think the material is verifiable, you are encouraged to provide an inline citation yourself before considering whether to remove or tag it.
An original marriage certificate, available online from a government website,
- comes from a reliable source
- comes from a published source
- can be cited clearly and precisely
- is easily verifiable, also for example through the marriage notification in the paper, and through the above mentioned fact that the bride subsequently used the surname "Meyer"
Therefore, no reason exists to exclude the fact about Dakota Meyer's first marriage from Wikipedia!
It is obvious that Dakota Meyer himself is not interested at all in letting the world know about his first marriage, as he has not mentioned his first marriage anywhere, neither in an interview, nor in his book. Also, he left the false recent reporting uncorrected, when the media widely reported that it was his and Bristol Palin's first marriage (see above).
So we really have to wonder what his reasons are for this curious omission.
Also, in his book "Into The Fire", we learn a lot about how Dakota Meyer killed his enemies, but we don't learn anything about his first marriage. In contrast, he included in the introduction of the book, talking about "Summer 2009", that his team leader was "the only married man on our team" - screenshots:
So was Dakota Meyer already divorced by Summer 2009?
No divorce records have yet been found, although it is possible that he was divorced in a state where records are not available to the general public.
Curiously, in a mortgage document from February 2013, Dakota Meyer calls himself "single" (and not "divorced"):
Regardless of what happened after his marriage in May 2008, one thing is certain: Dakota Meyer did marry, and the fact that he is not keen to have this fact "on the record" cannot serve as a valid reason for Wikipedia to exclude it.
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UPDATE:
Cassandra Marie Wain (Meyer) took down her facebook page, it is not available any more.
This happened several minutes after this post was published.
We sent an email to Cassandra Meyer/Wain on May 14 at 15.10 EST and asked for the date of the divorce, but we have not received a reply yet.
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UPDATE 2:
Somebody edited Dakota Meyer's Wikipedia page again, and let's see whether this edit is going to stay:
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UPDATE 3:
The University of Michigan now removed Cassandra Meyer's name from their website!
Now it looks like this:
Yesterday it still looked like this (click to enlarge):
This truly is the most pathetic cover-up I have ever seen!
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UPDATE 4:
The first media outlets have now picked up the story, with Radar Online and the Daily Mail Online making a start.
The Daily Mail also posted some potentially explosive information:
Bristol's rep told DailyMail.com that it was the first he had heard of the relationship and had not discussed the issue with his client. DailyMail.com is still awaiting a response from Meyer.
Therefore this once very secret marriage is not secret anymore, and the new revelations raise even more questions.
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UPDATE 5:
We are finally making the first steps towards the solution of the puzzle, and it seems that it is getting ugly - which does not surprise us at all, given the extreme secrecy which surrounds Dakota Meyer's marriage with Cassandra Marie Wain/Meyer.
An extremely revealing comment was left today on Dakota Meyer's facebook page, by a woman called Raelyn Marie, who is apparently not afraid to speak out. We could immediately confirm that this woman is connected to Cassandra Marie Wain.
Raelyn Marie left this comment:
Raelyn Marie "Tell the truth Dakota....Cassie doesn't deserve to be in your mess."
This comment immediately seemed to be genuine, and a diligent search revealed that Raelyn Marie is friends on facebook with Erin Foster, who is the sister of Cassandra Marie Wain.
Screenshots from the public facebook pages:
Raelyn Marie was possibly friends on facebook with Cassandra Marie Wain herself as well, but we cannot confirm this, as Cassandra's facebook account has apparently been deleted. However, on Raelyn Marie's public facebook profile, there is also a picture which shows Raelyn Marie together with Cassandra Wain/Meyer:
Therefore, there can be no doubt whatsoever that Raelyn Marie knows exactly what she is talking about, when she mentions Dakota's "mess" and urges him to come clean!
In addition, from our reader who originally gave us the tip to the marriage certificate, which was based on inside info, we have now also heard that the details of the apparent divorce with Cassandra Wain are so ugly, that Dakota Meyer possibly would have not been eligible to receive the Medal of Honor. However, at this point, the details are still sketchy.
It is now up to Dakota Meyer himself to come forward with the truth!
Dakota, be a man and clean up your mess!
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UPDATE 6:
Raelyn Marie left a new, much longer comment on Dakota Meyer's facebook page, and this actually unintentionally raises far more questions in my opinion:
Raelyn Marie
Dakota.....who we use to call "Mater" from the movie cars because if his southern accent.... Remember that? We never discredit you as a marine, you were a great soldier. We took you in after you came back from the hospital in Ohio and wanted to be there for you. What I'm not understanding is why this marriage to my best fiend is something you are trying to hide. You guys were young and infatuated with one another. You got married, then realized it was a mistake. No scandal, no abuse, no nothing. It was short lived and we thought you all remained civil. To read the bullshit of people putting their two cents into this issue they know nothing about is hard to read. Cassie is a small town girl who is beautiful and intelligent and just wants the past in the past. Now she's suffering from other peoples opinions of her based off your lies Dakota. She doesn't want the spotlight like you do....she wants to move on and you aren't letting her. The last time you contacted her was in October of 2014.....leave her alone and let it go. We wish you all the best with your future Dakota. Just be honest.
I am very thankful for Raelyn Marie for this comment, as it provides much more details, but there are several things I still do not understand.
Raelyn Marie says: "You got married, then realized it was a mistake. No scandal, no abuse, no nothing."
So far, so good. But if this is true, I have the following questions:
- If there was no abuse etc., why was the divorce sealed, as Radar Online reported? Very sorry, Raelyn Marie, but it is very difficult for us to believe that there was "nothing."
- Why was this marriage kept secret in the first place? Why has it never been mentioned anywhere by Dakota Meyer, despite the fact that for example his book is full of highly embarrassing details, as he openly describes his own violence, his ill temper and his alcoholism?
- If there was no "scandal" and no "abuse", if there was really "nothing", what is the reason for all the secrecy? Also, why does Cassandra not respond to our questions? All we wanted to know is that date of the divorce! If there is "nothing", as Raelyn Marie says, why is this all so embarrassing and inconvenient for Cassandra? I simply do not understand it.
- What does this mean exactly: "She wants to move on and you aren't letting her"...?
How is he "not letting her"...? How are supposed to interpret this? Should this be a hint that they might actually not be divorced?
- Also: Why is Cassandra still using his name, if she is so keen to leave everything behind her?
- What does this mean: "Now she's suffering from other peoples opinions of her based off your lies Dakota."
What lies exactly is Raelyn Marie talking about? Does she refer to the fact that Dakota simply "omitted" the marriage from his autobiography, and never mentioned it elsewhere as well, or are there other lies as well?
- This also needs to be explained further: "The last time you contacted her was in October of 2014."
So, despite that fact that his marriage is purged from the official story of his life, he still wants to be in contact with her? Is Cassandra refusing to have any contact with him any more, is he basically harassing her?
Also, was he contacting her in a kind of "affectionate" way? At this time, in October 2014, his girlfriend was still Regan Judd...!
These are just a few of the questions which should answered!
Why is nobody keen to speak about this? Again: What was the reason for the secrecy in the first place?
Why was the divorce supposedly sealed?
Why does nobody want to talk about it?
While we really appreciate the comment by Raelyn Marie, and while we can understand that she is upset that other people like us now speculate about the details of the marriage, or write "bullshit" about it, as she puts it, it should be easy to understand that the discovery of this very secret marriage, and the fact that nobody is keen to talk about it at all, neither Dakota nor Cassandra, raises a lot of questions. Most of them are still not answered, for reasons which are still unknown.
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UPDATE 7:
Finally, an answer from Dakota, or more precise, from his lawyer!
His lawyer told the Daily Mail that the divorce happened in March 2010.
But this is apparently the only piece of information about the "secret marriage" which has been released to the media!
All the other open questions still remain unanswered.
Now it has also been proven that Dakota Meyer blatanly lied in his book "Into The Fire", when he wrote in the book that in summer 2009 his team leader was "the only married man on our team." So Dakota Meyer not only completed omitted the marriage from this book, but even purposefully claimed that he was actually not married - which was a lie.
It is very telling that still no statements have been made so far from anyone why the marriage was being kept secret.
Several hours ago, I tweeted to Dakota's co-author Bing West, asking why the marriage was not mentioned in his book:
I received no reply, but maybe Mr. West is busy with writing other fantasy books.
This is by far not the first time that facts which are included in Dakota Meyer's book are being challenged. In 2013, an extensive investigation by the media group McClatchy concluded that various pieces of evidence exist that "dispute crucial events" which are described in Dakota Meyer's book.
Finally, it is interesting to note that the date of the divorce from Cassandra Wain in March 2010 falls together with the suicide attempt which Dakota Meyer describes in detail in his book, and which happened in "spring 2010", according to his account.
In his book, he says that he tried to commit suicide because he grieved for his fallen team members.
Dakota Meyer was very forthcoming about many other very private details of his life in his book, including many personal weaknesses, and many instances of alcohol abuse, violence and killing, but mentioning the marriage was too much, even for him. This is very strange, and still unexplained.
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UPDATE 8:
Bristol posted this picture today on her Instagram:
Kathleen and I believe that the wedding has been postponed.
We have no inside info yet, but we know Bristol Palin well enough to come to this conclusion. So this is just speculation at this point.
We did Bristol a huge favor here, as she obviously had no idea who she was actually about to marry. She should send us a very big bunch of flowers! We like roses!
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READ THE FOLLOW-UP:
In the wake of the Dakota Meyer "secret marriage scandal", the big deleting begins: The website "Popular Military" cowardly deletes its article about the scandal, and Raelyn Marie, Cassandra Wain's best friend, who bravely spoke out against Dakota Meyer, deletes her facebook profile
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