My Experiences With the Secret Service

Myself | 4/07/04 | RightFighter

[don-o]

bump for later

[7.62 x 51mm]

It is amazing. Apparently, there's a pretty specific electronic trail left by every email or forum post. I truly hope they're closely watching the DU scum, as the ferocity of their threatening posts would be enough to keep hundreds/thousands of agents busy.

"...subpoena punch card." LOL!

[Rocky Mountain High]

RF, I would probably let this go, unless you want to go to the media with it. That might not be a bad course of action since you could end up on Fox News being interviewed by Laurie Dhur ;).

I had a somewhat similar experience and I share your frustration:

As we all know, after 9/11 we the public were advised to be vigilant and report suspicious activites, etc. I used to work in a building that also had an IRS office a few floors above us. One day, my receptionist came in with a 4-page rambling letter that she had found on her car. The letter had pro-Bin Laden remarks as well as anti-US, anti-President Bush and anti-IRS remarks. Needless to say, we were a little concerned.
First I called the FBI and left a VM message. Then I called the El Paso County (Colorado) Sheriff's office. The dispatcher was very concerned and professional and said she would send someone asap.
About 4 hours later, a deputy arrived with a sour-puss look on his face. This guy was totally put out that he had been dispatched to something like this. He was rude and unprofessional and could have not have possibly cared less. He also seemed to be in complete denial (imagine that) that this could be a real threat. He took the letters, of which I had made copies and left.
Shortly after, the FBI agent called back and asked me to fax the letters over to him. He called back the next morning and said that they knew who the author was and not to worry, he was just a fruitcake that they had delt with before. The FBI guy was polite and professional.

That was my experience, though the moron in this story was at the local level.

[FourtySeven]

Did someone else read the thread and call in their concerns or do agents peruse the political sites?

Yeah, it's called "Carnivore".

[Enterprise]

At face value, it sounds like they handled it amateurishly. You did what was needed, do nothing more.

[The Other Harry]

I learned a long time ago that being pro-active when dealing with law enforcement agencies is usually a bad idea. That is unfortunate, but that is the way it is.

There are some good reasons why that is. A large percentage of the calls they receive come from crackpots who themselves are the real threats. It doesn't sound like that applies to you, but they need to look at you. And they aren't always delicate in the ways they do that.

Except in dire emergencies, my experience is that it is usually best to keep a low profile.

[kidd]

How many times, or how frequently, do you receive subpoenas for our personal information?

In general, do you immediately comply?

[Cobra Scott]

So unless you told the girl who took your call that you had posted about this on FR, the only way they got this info was from someone reading FR.

Maybe someone took your reservations to heart and started the ball rolling without you (meaning well of course), and if that were the case you were targeted in the investigation along with the perp. In fact, that sounds plausible, especially if the anonymous "helper" posted through TIPS.

The third possibility is that the feds are perusing this board (maybe off duty?) and the red flag came from an internal source, while your call was ignored/lost. Has the USSS outsourced too?

[Old Sarge]

Did someone else read the thread and call in their concerns or do agents peruse the political sites?

Yeah, it's called "Carnivore".

Not any more. It's now, "DCS-2000". Or was, last year. Google on it.

[7thson]

I don't know what type of company you are in or the size, but I would start looking for another company to work for. Why? From your story, I am not sure of the boss's loyalty. The guy who made the initial remarks probably knows it is you. I think any chance of upward mobility is more or less in the tank. What if this guy who made the threat is promoted over you? Put out resumes.

[The Other Harry]

A similar thing happened to me a few years ago when I made an uncomplimentary remark about the IRS in a Usenet post. Apparently the IRS has its own police force that handles public remarks made about it in the way that the Secret Service handles actual threats against the president.

I never assume my UseNet posts, email messages, and posts to dicussion groups are not being read by someone. I think even one key word can trip a reading. In turn, that reading can trip more.

I don't want any problems with the government, so I leave them alone. It's a no-winner, even when you are completely innocent and well-intentioned.

[Cold Heat]

I had some dealings with the FBI 14 years years ago.

I too discovered to my chagrin that they like to meet you away from home.(protocol as it was explained to me)

Also, the person who makes the complaint is vetted for obvious reasons.

That is all I can say that makes any sense, but it was a interesting experience for sure.

[The Other Harry]

In general, do you immediately comply?

If you get a subpoena from a goverment agency, you comply with it. Otherwise, you better be very rich.

[alisasny]

The reason that it had taken so long for him to contact me was that the USSS had to SUBPOENA Free Republic for my records so that they could track me down by IP address through my ISP.

Jim, Is this true?

[alisasny]

I am wondering the same as you.

[tracer]

And "Eschoir"....

[Diva Betsy Ross]

WOW! I had an experience with the Secret Service and what I thought were violent threats against President Bush.

My experience was exactly the opposite of yours. I have never seen guys works so fast and so throughly in my life as the Secret Service agents had on the day I called them.

[Malsua]

How many times, or how frequently, do you receive subpoenas for our personal information?

I wondered the same thing. Does every DU troll that says "Blah blah ba blah blah Bush" generate one?

[tracer]

"I never assume my UseNet posts, email messages, and posts to dicussion groups are not being read by someone. I think even one key word can trip a reading. In turn, that reading can trip more."

See my post above.....

[btcusn]

I never assume my UseNet posts, email messages, and posts to dicussion groups are not being read by someone. I think even one key word can trip a reading. In turn, that reading can trip more.

I don't want any problems with the government, so I leave them alone. It's a no-winner, even when you are completely innocent and well-intentioned.

Good advice, never put on the net ANYTHING that you wouldn't put in the local newspaper, you have no idea who is reading it. Even private e-mail is not private.
Jack