Patriot Act Used to Snag Rush Limbaugh?

2003 Insight/News World Communications Inc. /World Net Daily ^ | December 29, 2003 | John Berlau

[xrp]

Maybe you can respect Rush for courageously take measures to arrest this physical, mental and spiritual affliction.

I could, but that is held in check by Rush's mentality and preaching on his show against drug users, abusers and dealers. In other words, he is a hypocrit.

[zeugma]

Can you imagine how the PATRIOT Act will be abused, ten years down the track?

Unfortunately, yes. I can. Lots of kool-aid drinkers will show up though to tell us how wonderful it is to increase the survellance powers of fedgov any time the opportunity to do so comes up.

[flashbunny]

"Can you imagine the Patriot act under Reichsführer President Hillary?"

Can you imagine Freepers supporting giving hillary the power to declare a US citizen an enemy combatant and hold that person permanently without trial and without access to a lawyer?

[blackie]

Rush will persevere ~ Bump!

Be Well ~ Be Armed ~ Be Safe ~ Molon Labe!

[dread78645]

Can you imagine Freepers supporting giving hillary the power to declare a US citizen an enemy combatant and hold that person permanently without trial and without access to a lawyer?

Only Bush & Ashcroft can do that. </sarc>

[flashbunny]

Well, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. I can see president hillary declaring a jihad on gun owners and locking some up because they had a copy of shotgun news on their coffee table.

[Faith]

Another bump in support of Rush.

[aristeides]

I'm currently reading a very disturbing book on the Patriot Act, James Bovard's Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice and Peace to Rid the World of Evil.

[SuziQ]

The problem I have with Rush ( I don't respect him anymore) is that he was paying blackmail money to drug dealers, rather than go to the FBI, and have them put in prison. Now that would have been a really courageous thing to do.

Have you seen any independent corroboration of this? The only word I've seen on Rush's troubles have come from the housekeeper's story in the Enquirer, or from the Democrat controlled District Attorney's office in Palm Beach, which has not put out any SOLID information, only innuendo and supposition. Until I see something solid and from an irrefutable source, I'll hold off on my judgement of Rush.

[Dianna]

Until I see something solid and from an irrefutable source, I'll hold off on my judgement of Rush.

The story about blackmail being paid came from Rush's atty while in court. While I wouldn't exactly call an atty's statement irrefutable, Rush must have allowed the statement to be made.

[colorado tanker]

Read the transcript of Rush's hearing. The prosecutor made no reference to the Patriot Act and did not attempt to use the Act to justify the seizure of the records. He used a plain vanilla Florida search warrant - contrary to Florida statutes, BTW.

The author is also confused about the requirement to report transactions of $10,000 or more. That is not "money laundering" but is a legal reporting requirement designed to help the government spot money laundering.

[SuziQ]

Where is this statement by his attorney printed? I haven't read anything by anyone other than the DA's office and the info about the original story.

[marty60]

Talk to Shawn Hannity.

[marty60]

And it is correct HIS attorney brought it up in court. To the JUDGE. I hardly think Black would lie to a judge.

[SuziQ]

Talk to Shawn Hannity.

I don't know SEAN Hannity, so I won't be talking to him. I'll do a Google search on what the attorney said.

[marty60]

Don't get me wrong millions of people deal with addictions everyday, it is a life or death struggle. But, Rush had all the advantages, money, position and I'm sure millions of listeners that would have helped. But, he gets on radio everyday to give hiis opinion. If he is more worried about what the NATIONAL INQUIRER might say about him, then how in the world can I take him seriously.

[marty60]

Maybe you should, the price tag was 4 million.

[marty60]

Entertainment - AP

Lawyer: Maid Blackmailed Rush Limbaugh
Tue Dec 23, 8:13 AM ET

By JILL BARTON, Associated Press Writer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Rush Limbaugh's lawyer said the conservative radio commentator was "bled dry" by a former maid who demanded $4 million and threatened to reveal his addiction to prescription painkillers.


AP Photo


Reuters Photo
Slideshow: Rush Limbaugh




Attorney Roy Black said Monday that Limbaugh could not complain to authorities about the maid's demand because they would use the information against him, though the maid and her husband eventually went public anyway.


The claim was made during a court hearing where Black asked that medical records related to Limbaugh be kept secret. The seizure of the records from doctors in Florida and California violated the conservative radio commentator's privacy, Black argued.


Palm Beach County prosecutors insist they need to review the records, which are sealed, to determine how much Limbaugh's doctors knew about his frequent prescriptions for OxyContin, hydrocodone and other painkillers.


In a statement Monday, Limbaugh's lawyers denied their client was considering a plea bargain. The statement was released after Keven Bellows, a spokeswoman for Premier Radio Networks, told CNN that Black had been talking with prosecutors about Limbaugh "accepting responsibility for his actions."


Assistant State Attorney James Martz said in court that judges approved search warrants after investigators discovered Limbaugh received more than 2,000 painkillers, prescribed by four doctors, at a pharmacy near his $24 million mansion.


"Now the next question is did those doctors know about each other?" Martz said. Reviewing the records would be the only way to determine if Limbaugh violated the law by withholding information from his doctors — and went "doctor shopping" for drugs.


Limbaugh's attorneys outlined a defense against accusations that he illegally used prescription painkillers and laundered money to finance his drug habit.


Black said Limbaugh suffered from a degenerative disc disease with "pain so great at one point doctors thought he had bone cancer," and that Limbaugh chose to take addictive painkillers rather than have surgery.


Surgery would have meant doctors would have gone through Limbaugh's throat to operate on his spine, which could threaten his career as a commentator, Black said.


Limbaugh's former maid, Wilma Cline, learned of his addiction and threatened to sell the story to The National Enquirer. She and her husband, David Cline, demanded millions and were "paid substantial amounts of money," the lawyer said.


The couple "bled him dry" and then went to authorities to gain immunity from prosecutors before selling their story for $250,000 to the Enquirer, Black said. The tabloid ran a story in October, days before Limbaugh announced he would enter a drug rehabilitation program, alleging they supplied him drugs for years.


Black said Limbaugh paid money to the Clines because they were blackmailing him — not because he was laundering money.


"It's not money laundering to pay blackmail and extortion," Black said.


Ed Shohat, the attorney for the Clines, denied Black's allegation.


"Rush Limbaugh confessed and admitted that he bought the pills. ... I know of no facts that my clients demanded money from Rush Limbaugh in any way," he said.


Limbaugh allegedly withdrew cash 30 to 40 times at amounts just under the $10,000 limit that requires a bank to report the transaction to the federal government.





The action drew suspicion because it can be a federal crime to structure financial transactions below the $10,000 limit.

"This would never happen except this guy's name is Rush Limbaugh," Black said about the financial probe. "There's a double standard."

Martz declined to comment after the hearing.

Judge Jeffrey A. Winikoff did not say when he would decide whether the records should be unsealed.

[marty60]

Apology accepted

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Rush had all the advantages, money, position and I'm sure millions of listeners that would have helped. But, he gets on radio everyday to give his opinion. If he is more worried about what the NATIONAL INQUIRER might say about him, then how in the world can I take him seriously.

You can't take him seriously, and neither can I.