Posted on 08/30/2002 5:41:44 PM PDT by PJeffQ
Records: Pair attempted to extort political analyst
By LAUREN DUNN
Journal staff writer
A former host of CNN's ``Crossfire Sunday" and regular contributor to CBS ``This Morning" paid a Fairfax County woman to perform sex acts on him at his Maryland home and was then threatened that the incident would be made public unless he paid $50,000, according to Virginia court records.
Bob Beckel, a political analyst who managed Walter Mondale's 1984 presidential campaign, paid a woman $300 per hour to visit his home on June 27 and 29. Days later, he found a note on his car and a message on his answering machine demanding money and threatening to release evidence of the woman's visits to his family and the media, according to a search warrant filed Aug. 26 in Alexandria Circuit Court.
Beckel said Thursday that he cannot comment on the case because it still is under investigation.
Officer Joyce Utter, Montgomery police spokeswoman, acknowledged Thursday that Beckel was the victim of extortion and that he has been very cooperative. She would not comment on the case because it is still being investigated.
Three people from Alexandria, Washington, D.C., and Fairfax County were arrested and charged last week with extortion and conspiracy to commit extortion.
About 6 p.m. June 27, Beckel was at his Bethesda, Md., home when he found an Internet Web site with a photograph of a woman named ``Tiffany," who was dressed in provocative clothing. The site said she was available for regular sessions, bachelor parties and multiple-hour sessions, according to the warrant's sworn affidavit.
Beckel called the telephone number listed on the Web page and made arrangements for the woman to come to his house for a $300-an-hour massage, the affidavit states. The woman, who identified herself as Tiffany, arrived at his home and he paid her $600 for two hours.
During the visit, she performed oral sex on him and he revealed to her that he worked for a ``major media syndicate." She asked if he could say something to her in code while he was on television, but he said he could not, according to the affidavit.
Tiffany saw Beckel again at his home from 3 to 6 p.m. June 29 and received a check for $1,300. She performed oral sex on him and she agreed that she would return to his house July 1, the affidavit states. On July 1, she left him a message saying that she was going out of town and he never heard from her again, according to the warrant.
Beckel left town from July 5 to July 11; when he returned, an envelope was on the windshield of his car. The envelope contained a computer-generated letter that stated: ``for the last time, you need to drop off the money on Friday July 12, 2002 at exactly 4pm." The letter then stated, ``you might want to listen to your answering machine if you think I have prove of your actions," according to the affidavit.
Beckel remembered that he had a similar envelope in his mail from the previous day. He opened that letter and realized it was the first computer-generated extortion letter, according to the affidavit. The letter stated: ``I've been watching you for the past few months. Now in my possession I hold credible evidence of your illegal activities. This includes taped phone conversations, pictures, times, dates, dates and soliciting sex. These instructions are to be followed 100% or the above evidence stated will be turned over to your wife, your employer, and the newspapers."
The letter included demands for $50,000 in cash, all in $100 bills, a drop-off time of 2 p.m. July 7 and directions to the drop-off area on Potomac Street in Washington, the affidavit states.
Beckel then listened to his answering machine and recognized his first conversation with Tiffany. A male voice then told him to look at the message on his car, the warrant states.
Beckel went to see his lawyer and they went to the Montgomery County police station in Bethesda. Police set up a surveillance team and Beckel was given a bag, which contained a newspaper and a note that said, ``I am still working on the money, give me another week."
About 3:30 p.m. July 12, Montgomery police officers were at the drop-off location in the District and observed a green, two-door Chevrolet car that was being driven in a suspicious manner.
There were two men and a woman in the car. The car drove near the drop-off spot, but did not pick up the package, the warrant states.
Officers subpoenaed phone records and subscriber information for the telephone number listed on Tiffany's Web page. The listing came back to Annandale resident Maryam Massihi, who had been convicted of running a prostitution ring out of Fairfax County, the affidavit states.
Massihi pleaded guilty in January of running the ring and was sentenced to two years in prison, with two years suspended, according to Fairfax County Circuit Court records.
According to the affidavit, Massihi had run the Fairfax County ring with 28-year-old Abdullah Hamid. Hamid and his partner, Eric Holland, would drive female escorts to different locations, where the women would perform sex acts on clients.
The trio employed several women and Massihi trained the women and taught them how to act, the affidavit states.
A registration check on the green car showed that it was registered to Holland, 28, of Alexandria. On July 18, detectives observed the same green car in front of Holland's home, the affidavit states.
Fairfax County police told Montgomery officers that Hamid was using a newer-model Cadillac Escalade. A check on his registration showed that Hamid's address was the one on Massihi's telephone records.
Montgomery police also checked Hamid's bank records, which indicated that both of Beckel's checks had been deposited into his account.
The Alexandria warrant authorized city and Montgomery police to search Holland's home at 37 S. Bragg St. About $700 in cash and a box of documents were recovered Aug. 23 from the home.
Alexandria police would not comment on the investigation because it is being led by Montgomery police. ``It is a routine investigation that crosses over state and county lines and it is typical to have a local law enforcement department assist," said Amy Bertsch, city police spokeswoman.
Massihi, 23, whose real name is Angela Anglin, Holland and Hamid were arrested and charged Aug. 21 in connection to the extortion case. Anglin and Holland are being held without bond at the Alexandria Adult Detention Center. Hamid was released on a $50,000 bond.
They were not charged with prostitution or running a ring because police are focusing on the extortion investigation, Utter said. Extortion carries a heavier penalty than prostitution.
Beckel has not been charged with soliciting a prostitute.
Beckel, known in political circles as a liberal pundit, made headlines after the 2000 presidential election, when Republicans said he tried to persuade some members of the electoral college to vote for Democrats.
During Mondale's 1984 primary campaign for president, Beckel adopted the phrase ``Where's the beef?" to describe a lack of substance in rival Democrat Gary Hart.
He wrote a syndicated column in the Los Angeles Times until October 2000 and has made appearances on ``CBS News", ``NBC Nightly News", ``Face the Nation" and ``Meet the Press". He co-hosted ``Crossfire" in the late 1990s and continues to hold television contracts with CNN and work as a political consultant.
Think The Associated Press will pick up this story?? :o)
...think this guy might just be an AP "contributing writer"???
Beckel for President!!! He is the EPITOME of the PERFECT DEMOCRAT!! Blow Jobs for All!!
"We believe in the workers control of production, and what we ought to be producing is kneepads for all the female workers so we can get our rocks off."
I haven't seen that written anywhere, but it seems as if it is so.
Still this thread is too gauche for words - Bob Beckel having sex is not something polite people care to consider.
Regards, Ivan
But in Oakland, you never know if your getting a "Lewinsky" or a "Lewie"!
Beckel used to be on against Lynne Cheney on Crossfire....did you ever see them? It was GREAT!! He would say the NASTIEST things to Lynne and she would stand her ground as the lady she is....he sometimes would even have to apologize to her after a break. I guess the producer even realized when he was over the top.
Beckel is a dirtbag along with the entire Democrat Party.
I thought you had to be a dirtbag to join. ;)
Regards, Ivan
Same as with Newt and Bob Livingston.
The Big Ten were meant for both Democrats and Republicans.
But if you think that a national politician or political figure is more likely to be obedient to God's laws because of his party registration, you are sadly deluded.
[Leland] Beckel arrived [at the 13th Women's Mid-Amateur in 1999 at Cherokee Town and Country Club, Dunwoody, GA] with one goal: win five matches. If she could achieve that, she would continue a summer progression that saw her win two matches at the Southern, three at the Western and four at the Trans-National. Beckel, who played professionally on mini-tours from 1992-94 before regaining her amateur status, reached the round of 16 at the U.S. Women's Amateur last summer and was one of nine-mid-amateurs (age 25 and over) to qualify for match play at the Women's Amateur in August. She eventually fell in 20 holes to Celeste Troche of Paraguay.
Now if she could only fight off the yips. That old demon snuck back into Backless putter while shooting an 82 in the first round of stroke play. A top from club member and championship general chairman Joseph Ester acted as a temporary fix. Beckel, the wife of CBS political analyst Bob Beckel and mother of 5- and 4- year olds, easily qualified for match play and posted victories over Brenda Williams (4 and 2), Pam Harnack (1 up), Kraus (2 and 1) and Melanie Curtin (4 and 3).
What came next might go down in the annals of not only Women's Mid-Am history, but USGA history, as one of the great comebacks of all time. Against two-time Curtis Cup player Pat Cornett of Mill Valley, Calif., Beckel hit only two greens on the front nine and trailed by 5 down. It easily could have been six as Cornett missed a three-footer that would have won the par-4 eighth. At the turn, a Texan - quarter finalist Creekmore, not Ryder Cup captain Ben Crenshaw - gave Beckel a brief pep talk. A Cherokee member also offered some encouragement.
"They told me, 'Swing at the damn ball. You've got to get it together,' " Beckel said. "I felt like I just wanted to not make it embarrassing. I know how to play golf and I know I don't shoot 42 (for nine holes). I ate a protein bar and drank some water and started feeling much better."
Cornett helped out by missing a three-footer to lose the 10th, but Beckel's putter heated up as she drained the birdies at the 11th, 13th and 15th, the last coming when she nailed a 7-wood from 188 yards to reach the 436-yard hole in two. She two-putter to square the match. Beckel also won the dogleg right, par-4 12th with a par when Cornett's tee shot found the right fairway bunker, and she grabbed her first lead on the toughest par 4 on the course, the uphill, 401-yard 16th, with another par. "I could feel the momentum and it was swinging my way," Beckel said. " I had left the ugly twin sister on the ninth hole."
A brilliant 21-foot birdie from the fringe by Cornett at the 17th squared the match again, but at the 18th she popped her drive barely over the pond and into some bushes marked as part of the hazard. She extricated her ball with an 8-iron but then pulled her 3-wood left of the green, allowing Beckel to win.
......
Said Beckel, "I didn't think about the front nine anymore and started to say to myself, 'These (spectators) are not going away. There's a lot of match left. You have some integrity here. You need to get it together.' (Club member and caddie) Chuck (Kuhn) was able to help me with that."
================================
Well, well. His kids are now 8 and 7. Hey Bob, if they missed the oral sex discussion during Sinkmaster's years, I guess the kids are about to get a lesson about daddy.
I can see them at show and tell discussing what they did over the summer. "Well, daddy got extorted for 50 grand by the woman giving BJs while mommy was gone. She wasn't paying enough attention to his putter."
Who has a wife named Leland?
"She extricated her ball with an 8-iron but then pulled her 3-wood left of the green, allowing Beckel to win." (Perhaps -- She extricated his b*lls with an 8-iron and then pulled her 3-wood through his [you pick the organ], causing Beckel to cough up a great quantity of blood.)
Remember the Condit DC condo that the FBI went through? They even had some kind of lighting that would show up "nasty" stuff ... and there was plenty of it!
g
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.