4 charged in phone scheme at La. senator's office

AP via Breitbart ^ | January 26,2010 | MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

[ColdOne]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A conservative activist who posed as a pimp to target the community-organizing group ACORN and the son of a federal prosecutor were among four people arrested by the FBI and accused of trying to interfere with phones at Sen. Mary Landrieu's office. Activist James O'Keefe, 25, was already in Landrieu's New Orleans office Monday when Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel, both 24, showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Tuesday. Letten says O'Keefe recorded the two

[A CA Guy]

If true, dumb move and possibly highly illegal.

[Conservativism]

Agreed, if this is true it is a very, very stupid move by O’Keefe. Wire tapping a senator? Wow...

[Martin Tell]

If they were trying to tap phones (instead of just gaining access to the office), they should serve some serious time.

I admired what they did to Acorn, but this illegal stuff is different.

[A Strict Constructionist]

If you want to do something, do something legal and effective. The press in NO is very much for the Landrieu clan so illegal won’t get any play unless it’s good enough for BreitBart...and even then shooting yourself and Conservatives in the foot is stupid and childish.

[Darteaus94025]

If true, dumb move and possibly highly illegal.

Hmmm. OK, and let's go arrest ALL "journalists" that pose as "Health Inspectors", job applicants, etc. in the pursuit of a "story".

That would be equality, but, somehow, I'm sure a different principal applies for those of the "Progressive" nature.

[Allegra]

Seems to me some people attempted something similar to this (was it in the 70s?) in DC...and got caught.

Not a good idea if this story is true...

[skeeter]

IF true.

On the other hand, the left is anxious to make an example of O'Keefe & they're definitely not above setting him up.

I'll need more info.

[A CA Guy]

What journalist have you known who came in as phone repair people and to what end?
Tapping the phones would be illegal.

I don’t know if those passing as phone company people were even related to the other young man, but there are lots of legal problems potentially here.

Hope they weren’t stupid.

[autumnraine]

I think the difference is messing with recording phone calls.

Given how much the issue was brought up on how the ACORN stuff WASN’T illegal because it didn’t involve a phone call, you would think that they would know this was way way worse.

[RGSpincich]

Bullet proof kids meet reality.

[engrpat]

This is beyond stupid. If what we are reading is true there no possible explanation they could have that could make this go away. Shaking my head in disbelief.

[A CA Guy]

I believe a connection would have to be proven also.

I hope O'K wasn’t stupid enough to try and get that phone tapped.

[shield]

Reading the article...doesn’t sound too bad.

[ColdOne]

just a bad move if true....

[NEMDF]

What was the punishment for the kid in KY or TN who had hacked into Sarah Palin’s email account?

[fight_truth_decay]

For Immediate Release
January 26, 2010
United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Louisiana
Contact: (504) 680-3000
http://neworleans.fbi.gov

"....the complaint alleges that O’KEEFE and DAI assisted FLANAGAN and BASEL in the planning, coordination, and preparation of the operation. The men were apprehended by the United States Marshal’s Service soon thereafter."

If convicted, FLANAGAN, BASEL, O’KEEFE, and DAI each face a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that the complaint is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation is being conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Deputy Marshals with the United States Marshal’s Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.

[fight_truth_decay]

..."charged in a criminal complaint with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony"

http://neworleans.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/no012610.htm

[Mamzelle]

Very strange; I'm intrigued. O'Keefe was recording two people pretending to be telephone repairmen...does not seem to me like an attempt was actually made to tap into phones.

I'm thinking this is theatre. And look at all the attn it's getting. It may be Mary Landrieu who is sweating bullets.

[Conservativism]

Not sure he’s been tried or punished yet, but he was hit with some big charges: fraud, unlawful electronic transmission of material and attempts to conceal records to impede an FBI investigation. I remember he could get somewhere around 5 years. We’ll see.

[muawiyah]

They asked to see a phone in the reception area.

Last I heard that's not a federal crime.

[fight_truth_decay]

Read FBI Affidavit on Tampering Charges

. Spokesman Saunders did say Landrieu was in Washington, not in her office, when the men showed up Monday. Landrieu has been in the news recently because she negotiated an increase in Medicaid funds for her state before announcing her support for Senate health care legislation.

Bill Flanagan's office confirmed his son was among those arrested, but declined further comment.

An FBI criminal complaint charging the men was unsealed Tuesday, and a magistrate set bond at $10,000 each after they made their initial court appearances wearing red prison jumpsuits.

None of the defendants commented on the allegations in court.

"It was poor judgment," Robert Flanagan's lawyer, Garrison Jordan, said in a brief interview outside the courthouse. "I don't think there was any intent or motive to commit a crime."

Eddie Castaing, who represented O'Keefe, Dai and Basel, said he had no details on the allegations.

"We are just grateful that they were not detained ... and they can go home to their families," he said.

CBS

Andrew Breitbart, center, flanked by James O'Keefe III, left, and Hannah Giles, takes part in a news conference, Oct. 21, 2009, at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Statement from Andrew Breitbart:

“We have no knowledge about or connection to any alleged acts and events involving James O’Keefe at Senator Mary Landrieu’s office. We only just learned about the alleged incident this afternoon. We have no information other than what has been reported publicly by the press. Accordingly, we simply are not in a position to make any further comment.”

[fight_truth_decay]

affadavit, why guess the details...are we making light of this? making excuses..if it were someone on the Left we would be all over this. So far does not look good..sorry to say.

This is a federal building, fraud in representing oneself in gaining access, manipulating a phone by just touching it...The Left will be all over this story.

[imfrmdixie]

When I first read this I thought how ignorant of these people but then I wondered...what would make them go to Landrieu’s office in the first place? If they indeed did do this, then they had to be on the track of something...what was it? Then I remembered my run in with the criminal police force of New Orleans when my husband and I and two friends crossed a policeman many years ago.

The New Orleans government is as crooked as it comes...has been, is now and probably will always be as it seems to continue to be good ole Southern politics of old....and I know....I grew up in a political family in the South.

This whole thing smells as dirty as the water of the Mississippi flowing past New Orleans...that is my belief.

[peeps36]

They don't say what Okeefe was doing in the office beside using his phone to tape the two other guys. Was he pretending to be a phone repairman?

[awake-n-angry]

“Hmmm. OK, and let’s go arrest ALL “journalists” that pose as “Health Inspectors”, job applicants, etc. in the pursuit of a “story”. “
________

If they try to bug a Senator, hell even a private citizen, you are right. Arrest them and prosecute to the full extent of the law. When that couple from Florida taped Newt Gingrich’s cell phone with a police scanner, they were prosecuted. O’Keefe is toast.

[imfrmdixie]

This whole story won’t be “allowed out” except and unless someone from Fox starts digging. Did O’Keefe know these people before this incident? Why were they there? I would think there are many questions not answered (and probably not asked as yet) on this situation. It is a sad and terrifying thing to realize that your own government is capable of setting up a citizen trying to keep the government honest. I find it interesting that this happened in corrupt NO and in the office of corrupt Landrieu who has already sold her soul for pieces of Obama silver. I’ll just bet a judge down there will slap a shut your mouth on this one so O’Keefe will be silenced.

[skeeter]

Yeah, I'm aware he was charged. But there is no connection defined in the complaint.

Not to say there isn't one, I would simply like to see what the FBI has.

[engrpat]

just a bad move if true....

Read elsewhere that O'keefe has admitted that he planned the operation. This:

Updated: O’Keefe and the others admit to entering the government office under false pretenses. O’Keefe admits to planning the operation.

This is from Michelle Malkin.

[Ramius]

Presuming that they were caught before they could actually accomplish what they were up to, isn’t this really just a trespassing charge? Doesn’t sound like hard time to me.

Of course he should’ve come up with a legal way to get whatever he was after... but I wonder what sort of trail they are on with Landrieu. She’s corrupt as they come. I wonder what they had on her.

[ColdOne]

Thanks.

[fight_truth_decay]

"Presuming that they were caught before they could actually accomplish what they were up to, isn’t this really just a trespassing charge?"

Lipstick on a pig.

However, I am really curious to what they were after. It seemed like a curious caper with high degree of "daytime" failure. So would need a back up plan, if caught. Testing security within a federal building?[excuse]

There were witnesses as seen in the affidavit [I supplied link above], guess it will be up to the feds, as it is a FEDERAL OFFICE.

Male(s) enters federal building with hard hat; alleges telephone repairman; Arab clean shaven, but can see where once was beard (sun); the other male blond wth blue eyes; carrying telecom equipment of some kind. No credentials "left in truck", no appointment--what would you do if your Federal office?

"caught before they could actually accomplish what they were up to"

I think that means GOOD security, not like the "crotch bomber" with lapsed security at the highest levels.

[fight_truth_decay]

Forgot to add ANOTHER SENARIO to example I used..WHAT IF..Male(s) enters federal building

[tfbcowinafog]

I agree, more info is needed. One of the arrested is the son of a US attorney in Shreveport, LA, according to one of the reports I read, either Chicago Sun Times or MSNBC, I forget which. Don’t forget, the Louisiana attorney general also launched an investigation into Acorn, and I belive Jindal stopped or suspended funding. More info is needed, smells fishy to me. But then, I wear tin foil often.

[Ramius]

I don’t think they were testing security at government offices. I think they were hoping to plant a bug and/or a wiretap in Landrieu’s office. They seem to think she’s got something dirty going on, and they’re probably right.

[fight_truth_decay]

I don’t think they were testing security at government offices..

I just would use that as my backup..excuse. ;)

Yes, they had to be looking for something to take this high level of risk to enter a federal building housing Landrieu..the question would be, who would stand to be most embarrassed?