My Experiences With the Secret Service

Myself | 4/07/04 | RightFighter

[Jim Robinson]

Very, very seldom. Almost never. In this case, the FReeper wanted to be contacted so I had no problem voluntarily complying. I will fight subpoenas if I can, but I won't fight them if someone posts something really, really stupid or obviously criminal (death threats, etc).

[kidd]

Thank you for the reply. Others were interested as well.

Others - see post 81.

[alisasny]

Very, very seldom. Almost never. In this case, the FReeper wanted to be contacted so I had no problem voluntarily complying. I will fight subpoenas if I can, but I won't fight them if someone posts something really, really stupid or obviously criminal (death threats,

As I would notify a neighbor first as a tip (provided no criminal activity that I know of) off do you notify a freeper first? I guess that is my bigger question.

[7.62 x 51mm]

If I had your computer skills, I'd be a dangerous vigilante. I'd track down all spammers, torture them and stand them against a wall and... I'd better stop or I'll get banned. Probably better I don't have your skills.

[Jim Robinson]

Well, to the best of my memory, I've only had three contacts from the government regarding FR and or our posters in all these years (and, no, one was not regarding Gonzo. LOL). One was from the FBI on something I posted msyself. I answered a couple questions over the phone and they never followed up. One was from either the USSS or FBI (don't remember which) and it was regarding a post someone made from Texas that could've been construed to be a threat. I turned it over to my lawyer and he decided we should comply. The poster had already been banned. Our lawyer did communicate with the poster, but it was after complying. I believe the poster was deemed not to be a threat and was cleared. The third case was this one and I complied voluntarily. I did not contact the poster. I thought he wanted to be contacted by the SS regarding this matter and thus saw no reason to resist or to contact him.

[RightFighter]

Jim, you assumed correctly. I had no problem with them contacting me. I'm only concerned about the way they did it and the fact that the call I made was apparently ignored or discarded, while the post I made here, which concerned the same incident, was significant enough to warrant a subpoena.

[Jim Robinson]

Yes, that is pretty weird.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

I disagree with you ..IMO, what your friend said was not a threat at all.

[alisasny]

Ok fair enough. : )

3 out of how many millions of posts..not bad..we have more people on the do not post articles from thread..LOL

This is interesting though.

Thanks : )

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Yes, the double standard between your phone call and your post is intriguing.

[Quix]

It would be understandable if you pulled waaaayyyyy back and kept silent.

But I salute your pluck and persistence.

IDEALLY, I THINK I would have the pluck or perhaps gall to do a couple more things . . . maybe 3.

1) I'd type up a bulleted outline summary. I'd send that to the head office of the FBI at least moderately screaming about the shlocky way it was handled on all the points you rightfully criticize.

2) I'd send a copy directly to Ridge of Homeland Security.

3) I'd send a copy to whatever Senate committee has oversight for such spheres--to the Republican chairman. I'd probably include clear recommendations. I'd ask of the Senator a follow-up message of what action has been taken within 4 months.

I would at least THINK about asking Jim Robinson what he thought about and how he felt about having some flexibility in cases where a Freeper brings such a case to the forum such that in THOSE cases said FREEPER'S info could be confirmed by FR without a warrant.

YOU ARE A PATRIOTIC TREASURE. GOD'S BEST TO YOU AND YOURS. I FEEL YOU HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING. I don't know that any of us ever thought that your doing the right thing would be stress, bother or even abuse free. Still, it was the right thing. It conceivably COULD have been a life or death issue for Our Precious Leader whom we need so desperately in this trying time.

THANKS FOR THE HONOR OF KNOWING YOU.

[archy]

It was fumbling like this by drunken Secret Service agents that got President Kennedy killed in Dallas. Maybe their protective service duties should be taken over by Marines who'd take their investigative duties more seriously.

[archy]

There are still too many USSS agents loyal to HRC. Why? Everything I ever heard about her indicates that she treated them like garbage.

Because everything she's ever done politically has been from a standpoint of political control. She knows the personal and professional secrets of secret service seperiors and upper echelon managers, who'll not only do what she tells them, as witness the disappearing video surveillance tapes from the day Vince Foster was murdered, but will continue to do so for the rest of their lives, lest they not only lose their hefty retirement and federal perks, but also face felony criminal charges for some crimes not covered by any statute of limitations.

[archy]

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)

You ought to see what it's like when you've reported criminal misconduct by one of their fellow FBI agents to their Office of Professional Responsibility, the *internal affairs* office that supposedly investigates criminal misconduct by FBI agents profiting by committing crimes behind their badges.

See FBI case file IP7- 1690.

[hershey]

Maybe a call to the FBI would have been better?

[archy]

My sarcasm detector is on the blink ... please tell me you don't really think that's true! The Secret Service disliked the Clintons almost to a man... the Clintons treated the Secret Service like servants and houseboys, something the Secret Service won't soon forget.

So how's the career of the USSS agent with the *close personal relationship* with Chelsea Clinton progressing?

[TexRef]

The bottom line is that he was making a threat against a President and I would have done he same thing no matter who the president was.

Saying that you envision an image of the President while you shoot your gun is not making a threat. It is simply not the same as saying, "I am going to shoot the President."

Part of the problem with this law is that it is so vauge that anyone can be harassed simply for making statements against the President -- Clinton was a master at that.

You lost a friend because you overreacted to an off-hand remark to someone he probably thought he could trust.

[Cold Heat]

See FBI case file IP7- 1690

LOL, I though one would need to do a FOIA request or something to do that.

My situation never went anywhere. I had made a complaint regarding a government contractor that I had worked for.

The company unleashed the dogs on me and I dropped it. It cost me bigtime and I will never forgive them. But I have moved on, as they say. The company is no longer. I still have a story to tell, but nobody would be interested now, except for maybe the EPA.

I no longer even reside in the state, so frankly, I don't care.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

There are still too many USSS agents loyal to HRC.

If that is truly the case then she must give great h3@d.

[skipjackcity]

"I think the SS and FBI always takes into consideration that the caller may have it in for a co-worker. I'm sure they get lots of bogus complaints."....I think you are exactly right. That is probably their first assumption. People make things up againts co-workers, ex-husbands, enemies, etc. just to get back at them. One time when I phoned 911 to report an accident where a bicyclist had been hit and injured by a car on my usual drive to work (it happened right in front of me), the cop asked me when I reported what my name was, my number, and my job. I asked him what difference was it what my job happened to be, and he replied that he got a lot of crank calls or something of that nature. I still found that an odd question, but I guess he wanted to know if I was a regular guy or a crackpot. If I were you, I probably would've crossed the street and used a pay phone to call, just to avoid my boss knowing about it, and particularly, to avoid letting someone slip by telling the co-worker who made the comment. I would be extremely upset as are you at what happened. I don't think I would've told the COO, but then if this guy had shot the president, your employer would've been mentioned in news reports, and the organization would have suffered. If the COO had any vision, he would realize that, and be on your side. Frankly, the SS should have gone to the man's home and questioned him there so as not to compromise the source of their information. The way they handled it only leads people not to report future incidents.
If I were you, I wouldn't call the local paper or anything. You did the right thing, and it's possible he is not sure it was you who said anything, so let sleeping dogs lie. If the paper gets ahold of it, he and the whole community, including everyone at work, will then know. Remember Linda Tripp? She told only the truth, and yet people villified her for ratting on her friend. You don't need the grief of any more publicity.