he says he can't fire shirvell because shirvell has the right of free speech in his spare time. a lot of legal experts disagree, saying his actions go way beyond what's appropriate for a public official and way beyond matters of free speech. so the question is, why hasn't he been fired or at least reprimanded? on this program, the attorney general implied that shirvell was just a minor functionary in his office. tonight we've uncovered evidence shuging shirvell's political ties to the attorney general go way back. we'll get to that in a moment. andrew shirvell launched his blog. after months of being attacked and confronted on campus, chris armstrong requested a protection order on the 13th of last month. shirvell has been barred from setting foot on campus in part of things like this, picketing outside a club and armstrong's home with a video camera. remember, chris armstrong is a college student. mr. shirvell, though off duty, is a public official, also a university of michigan alum. so there's court action pending against shirvell and a no trespass orderner effect. yet today

this is andrew shirvell, on the left. for months he has been targeting the university of michigan student body president, chris armstrong. shirvell has set up a website entirely devoted to attacking armstrong. this is one blog posting, a picture of chris armstrong with the word "resign" scrawled on his face. a rainbow flag there, and a swastika in the center. there's months of posting like this, page after page on this guy's blog. unproven allegations, smears, he calls the college student a nazi-like recruiter for the cult that is homosexuality. that's a quote. he also calls him a privileged pervert. he's even called him satan's representative on the student assembly. in addition, shirvell, who is a public official, has shouted down the college student, armstrong, in public, on campus and has appeared outside armstrong's home videotaping at night. i interviewed shirvell two nights ago. i've got to ask you. you're a state official. this say college student. what are you doing? >> well, anderson, basically if you've been in

shirvell acknowledges on his blog doing. he also says shirvell protested against him outside a nightclub in ann arbor. which mr. shirvell also acknowledges on his blog. the hearing on the case is reportedly scheduled for monday. we also learned the university of michigan has actually barred andrew shirvell from setting foot on campus. a campus police spokeswoman telling the local newspaper they're basing it on an investigation involving, and i quote, potential harassment or stalking or intimidation. this no trespassing order was read to andrew shirvell september 14th. so the no trespassing order involves action, not speech. so they would perhaps seem to weaken attorney general cox's claim that there's no cause at all to fire shirvell. either the attorney general was unaware of the orders or mr. armstrong's application for protection order last night when we spoke to him, or he just didn't mention them. we put in calls to his office tonight, we have yet to hear back. governor jennifer granholm weighed in today on facebook, sh

shirvell from setting foot on campus in midseptember. also two former attorney generals including jennifer granholm, says mike cox has ample discretion to discipline or fire andrew shirvell, but neither governor granholm, cox or andrew shirvell would agree to come on the program tonight. only chris armstrong. he came on to talk not about himself but his concerns for the young kids who have been recently committing suicide after being bullied. i speak to chris earlier tonight. how are you holding up? >> i think i've obviously been better. it's obviously been like a really big strain on like myself and my friends and family. >> because this has been going on for months now. >> yeah. yeah, since -- since march. and i think like what's been really great is that like the university of michigan and friends and family have been really supportive the entire way through. >> when you first heard this blog had been set up, what did you think? >> you know, obviously it was hurtful. >> how did you hear about it? someone told but it? >> yeah. i'd hear

. >> well, the very next night, shirvell's boss michigan attorney general mike cox told ac 360 shirvelllly but has a first amendment right to air his opinions. now word comes that shirvell has taken a voluntary leave of absence. duration of that leave of absence is unknown right now. i want to turn to david jesse, journalist with the site annarbor.com. what do we know about this leave of absence? what happened here? >> we don't know very much about it. sometime late thursday afternoon, we're hearing that andrew shirvell, the assistant attorney general, decided to take a leave of absence. no one in mr. cox's -- the attorney general's office saddam hussein comme-- attorney general's office has commented how long that will be. all we know he's not at work today. >> at this point he has disappeared. what else have we been getting from the attorney general who came on air here at cnn who defended shirvell's right to that first amendment speech. has he come out and changed his mind in any form or fashion as far as disciplinary action against shirvell? >> his office has said there will be some

. >>> tonight -- andrew shirvell and his boss, attorney general mike cox not only refuses to fire himght may have good reason to keep him on staff. tell you why that is. as of today, mr. shirvell, targeting chris armstrong a gay college student on voluntary personal leave, facing disciplinary hearing when he returnsch he still has a job. the question is why? tonight. this man, steven hayes could face the death penalty if convicted in the chilling home invasion trial in connecticut. bank surveillance, taken moments before a woman and two daughters were killed. she was withdrawing $15,000 she hoped would buy the freedom of her family. it did not. closing arguments were made today. we'll talk with jeff toobin about what happened in court today. the stories and more at the top of the hour. now back to "larry king." [ male announcer ] some prescription drugs may lead to constipation. fortunately, there's senokot-s tablets. senokot-s for occasional constipation associated with certain medications. find the relief that's right for you and get a $10 rebate at getconstipationrelief.com. . >> l

armstrong is pursuing legal action against shirvell. >>> president obama has lost his right hand manuel, he stepped down as white house chief of staff. >> the last 20 months, rahm has exceeded all my expectations. it's fair to say we could not have accomplished what we've accomplished without rahm's leadership. from preventing a second depression, to passing historic health care and financial reform legislation to restoring america's leadership in the world. >> rahm emanuel is expected to run for mayor of chicago. he's being replaced temporarily by pete rouse. >>> closing arguments today in the murder trial of steven hayes, the first of two to be tried for a home invasion in connecticut, accused of killing jennifer hawke-petit and her daughters in 2007. hayes could face the death penalty in convicted. his accused accomplice will be tried separately. >>> deadly flooding from the carolinas to the northeast has caused at least eight deaths, including six in south carolina. many people had to be rescued from their homes in boats. water is six or seven feet deep in many homes and business