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Palin attorney warns press on 'defamatory material'
Politico ^ | July 4, 2009 | Jonathan Martin

Posted on 07/04/2009 8:41:24 PM PDT by Al B.

Ratcheting up her offensive against the news media, Gov. Sarah Palin’s attorney threatened Saturday to sue mainstream news organizations if they publish “defamatory” stories relating to whether Palin is under federal investigation.

In an extraordinary four-page letter, Alaska-based attorney Thomas Van Flein warns of severe consequences should speculation that until now has largely been confined to blogs about whether Palin embezzled funds in the construction of a Wasilla, Alaska, sports arena find its way into print.

“This is to provide notice to Ms. Moore, and those who re-publish the defamation, such as Huffington Post, MSNBC, the New York Times and The Washington Post, that the Palins will not allow them to propagate defamatory material without answering to this in a court of law,” Van Flein warned, citing Alaska liberal blogger Shannyn Moore.

Much like Palin did in her Facebook statement Saturday, Van Flein savages the news media in his letter.

“Just as power abhors a vacuum, modern journalism apparently abhors any type of due diligence and fact checking before scurrilous allegations are repeated as fact,” the Anchorage attorney wrote.

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: frivolouslawsuits; gopimplosion; lawsuitabuse; lawyerabuse; palin; palinattacks; quitter; sarahbarraquitta; slapp; tortreform
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To: bitterohiogunclinger

I wonder if it may have been more productive to start this as soon as the first few investigations and charges started flying. It may have reduced the number of suits by 10 to 12.


21 posted on 07/04/2009 8:56:24 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (_Resident of the United States and Kenya's favorite son, Baraaaack Hussein Obamaaaa...)
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To: cleveland gop

Ping.


22 posted on 07/04/2009 8:56:32 PM PDT by ChicagoConservative27 (Obozo the clown)
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To: MHGinTN
"When she is no longer a public figure, she can own the sniveling bastards if they do what Letterman tried or the enemedia has been spewing for lo these many months. .."

She will always be a public figure. That never ends. It's very much like un-ringing a bell. Even if she retreats into total and absolute seclusion (which of course is ridiculous), she will still be a public figure.

The First Amendment makes it virtually impossible for her, or her attorney to stop media outlets from speculating about any reasons for her departure, regardless of how outrageous the speculation is.

But, she does have some limited ability to fight back. Unfortunately, it's very limited.

23 posted on 07/04/2009 8:57:30 PM PDT by OldDeckHand
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To: Antoninus

Kick a**. Take names.


24 posted on 07/04/2009 8:58:16 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Abby4116
"A few well placed libel/slander jury trials may just do the trick"

Yeah, they may. Anything may. Can’t rule out a possibility if it can be conceived of.. I suppose. So they may, but they won’t. Any other ideas? Nothing wrong with a two pronged approach.

I have no solution.


25 posted on 07/04/2009 8:58:17 PM PDT by I see my hands (_8(|)
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To: maccaca

Why bother ? Just make stuff up. If it’s good enough for the PDS psychotics... (and hey, it probably won’t be nearly as bad as the reality).


26 posted on 07/04/2009 8:58:46 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~"This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps !"~~)
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To: Publius6961
For those of us who neither live in Alaska nor visit gossip blogs —— who is Ms Moore?

She is this disgusting, vomit-inducing pig getting paid under the table by the DNC to try and bring down Palin. No, I'm not posting her pic, which will probably result in the Blue Screen of Death for my computer.

27 posted on 07/04/2009 8:58:57 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist ("President Obama, your agenda is not new, it's not change, and it's not hope" - Rush Limbaugh 02/28)
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To: MHGinTN

I believe legally she will remain a ‘public figure’ for the rest of her life.


28 posted on 07/04/2009 8:59:27 PM PDT by Mr Rogers (I loathe the ground he slithers on!)
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To: Al B.

In a prime example of words meaning different things to different people, Moore calls herself a Patriot. Constitutionalist. Lover of Freedom.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=Shannyn+Moore&FORM=MSNH11


29 posted on 07/04/2009 9:03:25 PM PDT by LucyJo ("...guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism...". George Washington)
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To: redk
"apparently Kos people are flipping out and claiming because she is famous they can say whatever they want about her."

Isn't this pretty much the case? She's a public figure. The can say antyhing they want, there is no recourde in law.

The Trig stuff, though, may be another question. I'd love to see Sullivan sued on that.

30 posted on 07/04/2009 9:03:29 PM PDT by cookcounty (He who controls the Language controls the Debate.)
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To: ncalburt

Thanks for the info. People are keeping score. I passed this along.


31 posted on 07/04/2009 9:04:03 PM PDT by Al B.
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I sure hope they try to do something stupid....


32 posted on 07/04/2009 9:04:09 PM PDT by cleveland gop (CLEVELAND, HOME OF LeSHAQ)
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To: Mr Rogers

Will her family, also?


33 posted on 07/04/2009 9:04:45 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
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To: Al B.

Good for Governor Palin.

Character assassins are despicable.


34 posted on 07/04/2009 9:05:02 PM PDT by EternalVigilance ("The fiat of the Almighty, "Let there be Light," has not yet spent its force." - Frederick Douglass)
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To: Al B.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 4, 2009

On July 3rd, 2009, Governor Sarah Palin announced her intent to resign her gubernatorial duties

and transfer the powers of Governor to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell.

Almost immediately afterwards, several unscrupulous people have asserted false and defamatory

allegations that the “real” reasons for Governor Palin’s resignation stem from an alleged

criminal investigation pertaining to the construction of the Wasilla Sports Complex. This

canard was first floated by Democrat operatives in September 2008 during the national

campaign and followed up by sympathetic Democratic writers.1 It was easily rebutted then as

one of many fabrications about Sarah Palin. Just as power abhors a vacuum, modern journalism

apparently abhors any type of due diligence and fact checking before scurrilous allegations are

repeated as fact.

The history of the Wasilla Sports Complex is publicly known. Contrary to the insinuation that

as Mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin “personally” oversaw bidding, construction, funding and

accounting for the project (and thus, the allegation goes, “embezzled” from the project), the

truth is far more mundane, and publicly available:

Curtis D. Menard was instrumental in spearheading the effort from conception to

realization of the Wasilla Sports Complex. He directed the steering committee

that was responsible for placing the issue before the voters of Wasilla and

1

Wayne Barrett, a writer for the left wing Village Voice, published these insinuations, on October 7, 2008 in a

story entitled “The Book of Sarah” available at http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10-08/news/the-book-of-sarah.

This was written in the style of one pretending to be amazed that so many people in a small town like Wasilla

appear to know one another, support one another, and take on big projects together. Apparently that is uncommon

in New York. Rather than recognize that leaders of a community often mobilize to accomplish projects, the

writer offered this up as an unusual and questionable association of special interests.


35 posted on 07/04/2009 9:05:52 PM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: cookcounty

I remeber when Carol Burnett sued the National Enquirer for calling her a drunk and won. So, there are some limits to waht they can say but it is pretty broad. Isn’t it funny that the Enquirer almost seems like a reputable rag compared to the media of today?


36 posted on 07/04/2009 9:06:46 PM PDT by PLKIng
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To: cookcounty
The problem is when they are repeating something they know is not true just for the sake of defaming her.

I refuse to go to kos but apparently they are admitting they know damn well there is no indictment coming but they want the other media outlets to run with this anyway.

It's a little more serious than a tabloid claiming Madonna had plastic surgery.

37 posted on 07/04/2009 9:08:02 PM PDT by redk
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To: Al B.

bump for later


38 posted on 07/04/2009 9:08:25 PM PDT by Born Conservative (Bohicaville: http://bohicaville.wordpress.com/)
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To: cookcounty

Just bringing about a lawsuit against these idiots will have a lasting affect. Bottom line it will cost them money and time and serve notice upon them.


39 posted on 07/04/2009 9:11:46 PM PDT by skimask (When dealing with people who value death over life, traditional means of negotiation will not work)
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To: devane617

I thought it was Linda Kellen Biegle, and Andree McLeod.


40 posted on 07/04/2009 9:13:12 PM PDT by Jacob Kell (Steam the CLAMs! (Communist Liberal American Media))
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