Mark McBride named as controversial "Elmer Fudd"

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – The Sun News announced Saturday that the controversial online poster known by the screen name "Elmer Fudd" has been identified as Mark McBride.

Grand Strand Chamber of Commerce Founder Ward Shepherd says Mcbride, the Grand Strand Chamber president, confessed to him that he was Elmer Fudd.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce had previously said it would pursue a defamation lawsuit against the poster. The chamber claims Fudd defamed it on the Sun News' website by saying the Horry County Sheriff's Office raided chamber offices and seized computers in August. The MBACC has maintained that the comments posted were defamatory and untrue. The Horry County Sheriff's Office also signed an affidavit as evidence that these comments were untrue.

The following is a post from Fudd on Aug. 27:

Off the subject but curious......

Which local news agency is going to break the news and capture the headline "Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce raided by the Horry County Sheriff's office and computers seized"? More than 24 hours but NO local press coverage. Hmmmmm....

Sheriff and Police also seized computers from The Brittains and The Jordan Properties.

Just think, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce is waiting on their $18 million in Ad TAX monies. Will that be misused to benefit the Brittain and Jordan Properties?

As a result of the false claims, several local news agencies contacted the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, the two hotels listed and the Horry County Police Department to check the legitimacy of the claims.

Officials say Fudd made a second round of comments once word leaked on the potential for a defamation lawsuit. The following is a post from Fudd on September 9:

Good morning everyone-it's Elmer Fudd.

The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce (MBACC) has more important things to worry about than me asking questions. I believe in our Constitution and our Freedom of Speech.

The real story- which is coming out- involves the court-ordered investigations of the MBACC and prominent business owner's hard drives, email, etc. MBACC was in arbitration over these issues recently. They will have to explain their policies regarding the restrait of trade and fair competition.

This is the same group of people who orchestrated the $205 million 1% Ad TAX and "its passage through Myrtle Beach City Council."

I'll ask a few more questions. Is the press going to report what happened surrounding the deadline (Monday, Sept. 7th at 5:00 pm) to produce the court-ordered information to a local law firm? What was turned in? Hard drives? Emails? Phone logs?

Those wascally wabbits!

MBACC officials filed the defamation suit on Sept. 4, claiming Fudd publicly reflected the chamber in a bad light by posting false and inaccurate statements about the organization. They filed the motion Oct. 2 to compel the Sun News to reveal Fudd's registration information.