Posted on 11/12/2003 8:15:04 AM PST by truthandlife
Hollywood is buzzing over "investigator-to-the-stars" private eye Anthony Pellicano, who copped a plea earlier this year after the FBI caught him with a draw full of hand grenades and, in the words of one agent, enough plastique explosive to "take out a 747."
But Left Coast celebs may not be the only folks currently losing sleep over Pellicano - especially since news broke late last week that he had the habit of illegally wiretapping the targets of his investigations.
Besides causing trouble for headliners like Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, Kevin Costner and dozens of other stars, Pellicano's tapes could easily expose a certain political power couple to a new round of scrutiny, just as one of them sets the stage for a future presidential run.
Though the American press insists on not reporting this inconvenient detail, Anthony Pellicano was first hired by Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1992 in a bid to discredit Gennifer Flowers' steamy tape recordings of conversations with Mr. Clinton.
As noted in Ron Kessler's 1995 best-seller, "Inside the White House," "The Clinton camp made much of the fact that Anthony J. Pellicano, an expert on audio recording analysis, had told the press that a twelve-minute portion of the tape of conversations between Flowers and Clinton had been 'selectively edited' at two points."
To counter Pellicano's claims, Flowers submitted her recordings to Truth Verification Labs, which found them to be 100 percent authentic.
In 1999 Flowers filed a defamation suit against Clinton campaign officials James Carville and George Stephanopoulos - along with then-first lady Hillary Clinton - based on their attempts to use Pellicano's analysis to discredit her.
Arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last year, Flowers' Judicial Watch attorneys tied Pellicano directly to the first lady-turned-New York Senator, telling the court, "Anthony Pellicano was a private investigator hired by Mrs. Clinton herself. And he's the one who did the analysis of the tapes."
The court ruled in Flowers' favor, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.
But that isn't the only time Pellicano has been linked to the Clintons.
Four days after the Monica Lewinsky story broke in Jan. 1998, ex-Lewinsky boyfriend Andy Bleiler came forward with the claim that she had stalked him. The Washington state school teacher also contended that Lewinsky wanted to become a White House intern so she could perform oral sex on then-President Clinton.
"I'm going to Washington to get my presidential knee pads," Bleiler's lawyer, Terry Giles, quoted Lewinsky as saying.
"Anthony Pellicano, the L.A.-based private investigator and O.J. defense team veteran [was] responsible for digging up Andy Bleiler," the New York Post's Andrea Peyser reported at the time. Sexgate provocatuer Lucianne Goldberg told Peyser that Pellicano's services were bought and paid for by the Clinton White House.
When Peyser confronted the "investigator-to-the-stars" with Goldberg's claim, he didn't deny it. "You're a smart girl. No comment," Pellicano told the Post reporter.
Indeed, the tough-talking private eye makes no bones about his hardball tactics. He claimed to carry a baseball bat, not a gun, as his weapon of choice and once told the Los Angeles Times: "I only use intimidation and fear when I absolutely have to."
Interestingly enough, some of Pellicano's targets, like former Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch and one-time "Hard Copy" correspondent Dina Dimond, report break-ins and property vandalism, the kind of problems encountered by Clinton accusers like Flowers, Sally Perdue, Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick.
If "the Pelican's" tapes include any information on his work for the former first couple, Hollywood celebrities won't be the only folks sweating bullets.
And anyone who believes that Bush would use this against the Clintons is dreaming. The Pubbies are much too nice for that. This and the rest of it will never see the light of day
It's all about the computer files.
This taken together with "The Memo" and the extradition of the campaign donor gives Hillary the incentive to run (for cover).
LOL
I'm hoping the files are being used to squeeze Madame Dufarge out of the contest. She has too much clout behind her for anyone to dismiss the threat she poses.
I also think this may be why CBS pulled the Reagan movie, and why La Barbra didn't put up a louder stink. Look for Moonves to quietly retire sometime soon.
Such a pity...not.
"Arguing before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last year, Flowers' Judicial Watch attorneys tied Pellicano directly to the first lady-turned-New York Senator, telling the court, "Anthony Pellicano was a private investigator hired by Mrs. Clinton herself. And he's the one who did the analysis of the tapes." The court ruled in Flowers' favor, allowing the lawsuit to proceed. But that isn't the only time Pellicano has been linked to the Clintons. "
The writer tries to give the impression that the 9th Circuit ruled that Pellicano was hired by Clinton. But read closed and all it says is that the court didn't throw Judicial Watch out of court for filing a suit that lacks any merit. We don't know what the reason for the court's decision was, however they are very very reluctant to throw people out of court without a trial unless it is painfully obvious that the suit is groundless.
Judicial Watch has a habit of declaring it a major victory anytime they don't get booted out of court before they can send out another fund-raising letter.
First, the Clintons' power has long been diluted, any power that they have now is more percieved than real. Yes, they probably still have lacky operatives in the FBI, but the FBI has a new director (a Bush appointee). If something would happen to this guy under FBI protection then that would out the lackies and end the HILL&BILL connection, and we'll never hear about that internal investigation.
Secondly, if this guy has 'balls to the wall' evidence it is already in the hands of Ashcroft and his most trusted people, and has probably been briefed to the White House. We may never see this either, but I pretty sure that's what would happen.
The best that the Clintoons can do know is sit back and wait. Sure, they could hire the Dixie Mafia to whack the dude, but if the information has passed already then it would be an invitation to a murder investigation. An investigation that they could not control because they have little power in all the agencies that would be involved. Even if their flunkies did try something and get caught they would be reassigned to run down gun checks on the North Slope in Alaska. The Clintoons are fading (not fast enough for us FReepers, but they are fading), like two huge Ps'OS circling the bowl. It's just a long flush cycle--thanks to the 1 gallon toilets mandated by the Feds. I say let the drama continue, with every passing day the whirlpool gets bigger and picks up more 'material' sweeping away the filth that is the left. The next 'glug, glug' you hear will be the RAT party on the way to the sewer, compliments of the Clintoons.
I have said before that the one to run a stake through the political heart of these two would be a lacky that saved stuff and got pissed enough to turn over all he/she saved. I might just be right on the money.
Hence, the glass is half full, and the toilet is half empty.
Timy
I was thinking the same thing. When Bill was President he had a lot of power at his disposal. As an expresident, he has a lot less. Hillary has even less.
While it is true the major media is still running interference, each day even that is getting weaker.
Remember the movie ROAD HOUSE, the head bouncer is giving instructions to the crew. "Be nice until it is time not to be nice." It is my opinion President Bush is being nice until it is time not to be nice.
If the feds get his computer files, Hillary can kiss off any chances at the Presidency.
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.