Sitting across from Chris Mattei, a high-profile lawyer based here in Connecticut, I had a thought. Yup, it was a thought. Gotta grab it! As a U.S. Attorney, this guy successfully prosecuted a former Governor. In private practice, he helped win a nearly billion-dollar judgment against Infowars host Alex Jones.
Those are just the big ones. Mattei has worked on countless cases, winning countless judgments for people who may have had limited options for help.
I got a new high score on Sudoku and picked up my dog’s poop.
Sorry – quick digression into under-achiever mode.
I wondered, though, why was he sitting there with me. I mean, he is in our dude’s book club (subject of a future column), but really, why was he doing local radio media to discuss Alex Jones and Donald Trump, among other legal issues of the day?
As a show that trumpets independence on a largely conservative news radio station, I encourage alternative voices, and his certainly would rarely be heard on other day parts. Maybe, there’s value in that from his perspective as well.
However, talking to me and my audience in Connecticut doesn’t help get money from Alex Jones in Texas.
So, why do it? I decided to ask him about it.
Before that, a quick background check on Mattei. Undergrad at Georgetown (I once dated a girl there but never even took the admissions tour). UConn Law School, law clerk, U.S. Attorney, partner in quite the socially active Connecticut-based law firm Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, or as they want you to say, just Koskoff.
Oh, by the way, his winning percentage is better than Bill Belichick’s – I mean, with Tom Brady.
Got it? Good.
“When I left the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2015, several reporters asked to interview me about my work for the Justice Department, and, in particular, some of the high-profile corruption prosecutions I handled,” Mattei told me. “Prior to that time, I never spoke to the media. It was my view and the policy of the Justice Department that prosecutors should let their work in the courtroom do the talking.”
Yes, sir!
“When I moved into private practice, I thought it was important to help the public understand our legal system, its power, and its shortcomings … I recall being quite nervous and very aware that there would be no takebacks.”
Some years later, he’s now confident, smooth, and compelling. When talking about the Sandy Hook families Alex Jones lied about, there’s even a hint of emotion in his voice. You get the sense that he’s truly fighting for them in the courtroom. It’s not hyperbole.
As for what sort of media he does, Mattei will appear on both local news and national networks. For instance, on any given weekend, he may do a Sunday political show in Connecticut, or like last weekend, Mattei went on MSNBC to discuss the latest on the various Trump-related cases.
“I don’t get very nervous doing interviews these days, mainly because I work hard to be prepared and I try to speak only about issues that I’ve thought about and feel like I have something to offer,” he said.
As for radio vs. TV vs. social media, his firm doesn’t have an explicit strategy, as long as it furthers the cause, the case, and his clients.
“There are so many different ways that people access media,” he said. “I suppose it depends on who you’re trying to reach. For us, our main goal when doing media is to help inform the public about different issues related to our justice system.
“Since we believe that is important to everybody, we don’t really pick and choose between types of media.”
What about lil old radio?
“I think radio is relevant but probably struggling with many of the challenges presented by the profusion of social media and other media outlets,” he admitted. (I guess he’s good at understatement, too?)
“(But) we still need a place that isn’t so narrowly tailored to each individual’s preferences, where a broad spectrum of people can go to get helpful information that’s useful to all of our daily lives.
“I think radio, when done right, can help fill that role.”
You got that right.
Brian Shactman is a weekly columnist for Barrett News Radio. In addition to writing for BNM, Brian can be heard weekday mornings in Hartford, CT on 1080 WTIC hosting the popular morning program ‘Brian & Company’. During his career, Brian has worked for ESPN, CNBC, MSNBC, and local TV channels in Connecticut and Massachusetts. You can find him on Twitter @bshactman.
