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ACORN foe James O'Keefe arrested by FBI in plot to bug Landrieu's office
Washington Post ^ | 1/26/10

Posted on 01/26/2010 6:43:50 PM PST by FromLori

The conservative young filmmaker who tarnished the reputation of a liberal activist group with his undercover videos has been arrested for allegedly trying to bug Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in New Orleans.

Federal investigators allege that James O'Keefe was among a group of four men who created a ruse to enter Landrieu's downtown office for the supposed purpose of repairing the lawmaker's telephones. O'Keefe and another man, Stan Dai, are accused of aiding the plot, while two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, are accused of pretending to be telephone company employees, according to federal court records (PDF) unsealed today.

All four, including O'Keefe, were arrested Monday and charged by federal prosecutors with entering federal property under false pretenses and with the intent of committing a felony. If convicted, Flanagan, Basel, O'Keefe and Dai face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: acorn; basel; dai; fbi; flanagan; jamesokeefe; josephbasel; landrieu; marylandrieu; okeefe; robertflanagan; standai
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To: FromLori
UPDATED
21 posted on 01/26/2010 6:55:26 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (I Upped My Monthly Donation To FR....Now, Up Yours.)
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To: upchuck

If they released him....something ain’t right...but then again look where he’s at.


22 posted on 01/26/2010 6:57:20 PM PST by Dallas59 (President Robert Gibbs 2009-2013)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Thank you.


23 posted on 01/26/2010 6:57:43 PM PST by FromLori (FromLori)
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To: USALiberty
Can you say political prosecution?

Not if the events are as they are being presented so far: in a Senator's office, impersonating telephone company repairmen and fooling around with the phone system?

This would have to be some kind of frame-up if they weren't really committing the acts described.

24 posted on 01/26/2010 6:57:57 PM PST by Will88
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To: upchuck

Glad to see that I am sure there is more to this story. Thanks


25 posted on 01/26/2010 6:58:33 PM PST by FromLori (FromLori)
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To: Palladin

Yep. Looks like he stepped on his you know what. You just cannot flagrantly commit felonies and not expect consequences...especially if you are a conservative firebrand.


26 posted on 01/26/2010 6:59:17 PM PST by mono
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To: FromLori

There’s a fine line between investigative journalism and espionage. Trying to wiretap a US senator’s offices is nowhere near that line.

If the events occured as described, expect ACORN’s lawyers to jump at the chance to pound this kid deep into the ground.


27 posted on 01/26/2010 6:59:25 PM PST by jz638
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To: struggle

And remember.....Breitbart is supp.osed to have some ‘tapes’ that haven’t been shown.


28 posted on 01/26/2010 7:01:05 PM PST by RushIsMyTeddyBear (I don't have a 'Cousin Pookie'.)
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To: FromLori

Would have been sweet if they could have busted Landrieu on her unpublic dealings......


29 posted on 01/26/2010 7:03:27 PM PST by cranked
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To: ohiobuckeye1997
I wonder what the real story is on this?

I wondered the same today. Then it dawned on me, the truth won't matter and probably won't fully come out for a week or so.
By the time all the facts are straight, this kid will have already been run over by the drive-by media.

Here's what is nagging me (adjusts tin foil for a good snug fit); this does not "feel" like an Obama or Chicago thing. It has the feeling of the good 'ol days when the Clinton's graced the halls of the White House; doesn't it?

30 posted on 01/26/2010 7:03:29 PM PST by Michael Barnes (Call me when the bullets start flying.)
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To: FromLori

JUDGES DETAINED PENDING SENTENCING AFTER
RACKETEERING CONVICTION
Shreveport, Louisiana . . . MICHAEL WALKER, age 58, and VERNON CLAVILLE, age 57, both residents of Shreveport, were detained by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., after a detention hearing following their conviction of racketeering, United States Attorney Donald W. Washington announced.

After two weeks of trial and a day and a half of deliberation, a jury returned guilty verdicts against two sitting state judges for accepting bribes from a bail bond company in exchange for lowering bonds and lifting probation and juvenile court holds against pre-trial detainees. The first RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) prosecution brought in this district was built on FBI wiretaps on two telephones and secretly recorded surveillance videotape. After the verdict on Saturday, Judge Hicks immediately revoked the bond on both defendants and ordered them to be taken into custody pending a detention hearing, which was held today. Sentencing will be September 4, 2008.

Acting Special Agent In Charge Mark Gant stated: “Public Corruption is the FBI’s number one criminal priority and anyone who undermines the integrity of federal, state or local governmental operations will be pursued aggressively. The public is reminded that rarely is an investigation successful without the cooperation of the public. Any allegations of Public Corruption can be reported to the Northwest Louisiana Public Corruption Task Force at 318-864-2608.

U. S. Attorney Donald Washington stated: “Courts, along with their judges and staffs, are the cornerstone of the judicial system. When judges engage in acts of corruption, the entire justice system suffers a mighty blow. Our investigation and prosecution of these judges squarely targeted judges committing corrupt acts, and the jury agreed.”

Sentencing in federal court is determined by the discretion of federal judges and the governing statute. Parole has been abolished in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by U. S. Attorney Donald W. Washington, First Assistant U. S. Attorney William J. Flanagan, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook.

....................
Looks like they are going to get a two fer on this one.
Flanagan will have to resign, watch


31 posted on 01/26/2010 7:05:02 PM PST by Marty62 (former Marty60)
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To: USALiberty

Everybody might be missing it.

Why would a guy film on his cell phone a bunch of “Rockford Files” obvious pretend phone workers going into a Federal building, a U.S. Senator’s office, unstopped by security, and gotten so far as to plant a bug in a phone. They didn’t get anything recorded, so no actual recorded bugging crime committed.

Me thinks this is like carrying a fake dangerous device through an airport security system and then exposing it to the public, ticking off a lot of security people.

SOOOOOooooo, spin it beforehand security folks, and say you caught these “New Media” types doing something Nixonian so maybe the true story will be divided and conquered.

Maybe. We’ll see. Think about it - these young guys aren’t stupid, just gutsy!!! Of course they know the law!


32 posted on 01/26/2010 7:07:48 PM PST by If You Want It Fixed - Fix It
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To: Will88
This would have to be some kind of frame-up if they weren't really committing the acts described.
Sounds like a frame-up to me. I'll bet Mary Landrieu is hip-deep in it. I wonder how they were lured it. It certainly wasn't Landrieu's "feminine wiles."

33 posted on 01/26/2010 7:07:52 PM PST by USALiberty
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To: FromLori

Rush likes to say follow the money. I hope it’s a short trail.


34 posted on 01/26/2010 7:10:15 PM PST by writetolife
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To: FromLori

Let’s wait for the facts to come in. Lefties are frothing, but we need to see what really happened.

I like the retort....what about Tony Reszko, a convicted felon who bought Obama a house?


35 posted on 01/26/2010 7:14:35 PM PST by Titus-Maximus (Light from Light)
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To: USALiberty

hmmmm....She put them up to it....maybe she wanted to bug somebody?


36 posted on 01/26/2010 7:14:50 PM PST by Dallas59 (President Robert Gibbs 2009-2013)
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To: USALiberty
Sounds like a frame-up to me.

It'll have to be some sort of story to have a logical plot that landed O'Keefe innocently in that office in those circumstances. But I guess strangers things have happened.

37 posted on 01/26/2010 7:16:21 PM PST by Will88
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To: Palladin

Liddy not a conservative? Sure, OK.


38 posted on 01/26/2010 7:17:58 PM PST by Leonard210 (Tagline? We don't need no stinkin' tagline.)
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To: FromLori
CREW FILES JUSTICE AND SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE COMPLAINTS AGAINST SEN. MARY LANDRIEU
39 posted on 01/26/2010 7:18:57 PM PST by Dallas59 (President Robert Gibbs 2009-2013)
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To: FromLori

NEVER HAS ANYTHING SMELT MORE LIKE A SET-UP THAN THIS... the left wants this guys head on a platter, and we’er just going to sit around muttering inanities about how dumb this guy must be. I don’t underestimate anybody’s ability to be stupid, but this doesn’t pass the smell test, not right now it doesn’t.


40 posted on 01/26/2010 7:20:57 PM PST by dps.inspect
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