Posted on 01/26/2010 12:41:17 PM PST by Cheap_Hessian
The FBI, alleging a plot to wiretap Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in downtown New Orleans, arrested four people Monday, including James O'Keefe, a conservative filmmaker whose undercover videos at ACORN field offices severely damaged the advocacy group's credibility.
FBI Special Agent Steven Rayes alleges that O'Keefe aided and abetted two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who dressed up as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office's telephone system.
A fourth person, Stan Dai, was accused of aiding and abetting Basel and Flanagan. All four were charged with entering fedral property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony.
A witness from Landrieu's staff said O'Keefe was present in the office and claimed to be "waiting for someone to arrive."
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Yep... it's called 'Conspiracy to commit a crime', which is a felony. I'm no lawyer, but I believe it doesn't even matter what the crime is. If you hatch a jaywalking plot with your buddies, it's a Conspiracy rap.
“NO, they deserve Justice! Innocent until proven guilty, but its funny how everyone on here is trying to dream/make/come up with why they are innocent. . He’s 25 years old. He probably got a pretty big head on him after his early success and tried to push the bounds. I’ll give him innocent until proven guilty, but can we at least look with open eyes and say that it doesn’t look too good right now? And if/when proven guilty, can we dispense with the “Patriot” lines??? If found guilty by a jury of his peers, he broke FEDERAL laws! If he was an ACORN nut we’d want to lynch him in the town square! What if this had been Palin instead of Landreau????”
I disagree. Even if O’Keefe is guilty as sin, I will stand beside him. He’s a patriot on my side of the line in this civil war. In fact, even if O’Keefe becomes a convicted felon, I would consider it an honor to shake his hand. His heart and loyalty are in the right place. After all, the Senator in question is corrupt and a socialist, a traitor to the U.S. Constitution and Enemy of the American People.
Landreau should be standing before judge and jury. Maybe in the near future she will be.
This was her office?...in N.O.?
How is that “federal” property?
And if it is...why wasnt anyone ever convicted of federal crimes for trashing GOP rep offices?
2. Why no mention of any actual wiretapping equipment?”
—
Probably a modern day PBX. Just Software tap it.
No hardware required.
It's in a federal office building.
The feds were quick on the scene because - it’s a Federal building. Plus, it’s a sitting U.S. Senator’s office.
Even the FBI has to go through hoops to wiretap a Senator. As I recall, the Abscam bribe taking (Sen. Harrison “Pete” Williams, D-NJ) videos were set up on neutral ground (a yacht, hotel rooms, a house in D.C.). For national security reasons (sensitive material could be discussed), it’s not good for security that the two guys in repairman outfits got even this far.
GSA (Boggs building)- 500 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA
FBI - 1250 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA (about a block from the Superdome)
about a mile apart.
Watergate all over again. Just another opportunity for the Dems to destroy the GOP.
The FBI’s two chief methods for catching people are:
1) Informants
2) Setups
For instance, they go to some suspected terrorists and say they work for this company and would like to sell them some missiles.
Another possibility is that they were shadowing him, and set him up.
This is Standard Operating Procedure. The question is, whether he did anything or seemed to consent to anything that would enable them to prosecute.
Ah, thanks for the info.
what I couldn’t tell from the William Flanagan bio is whether he was a Clinton, Bush or Obama appointee — or a civil servant who is acting in an interim capacity.
Finding out more about the father may reveal a lot about the son’s activities.
Thnx
Well I’m reading through the comments about this and I’ll not say I agree with you. I WILL say that I’m not buying that that group was actually going to tap a senator’s phone.
Hey, anything’s possible but damn, tapping a senator’s phone is right serious, not the stuff of amateurs.
So I’d suggest that your assertion that it was likely some attempt to film activity involving phones....or maybe that group had wind that Landreau’s phones were already tapped and they were trying to get pics of this...but I’m not ready to believe they were trying to tape a senator’s phone lines.
Two guys are obviously all dressed up like telephone repair guys...they wanted to get near the phone lines of course. But why O’Keefe there, NOT dressed like a phone guy? There was no need for him to be there if the intent was to put a bug on Landreau’s phone, unless he was a distraction I suppose.
Point being, I’m not buying, for now, that they were trying to tape a senator’s phone.
And if they were, goodness me...well I just don’t know. They should leave that sort of thing up to the FBI methinks.
Didn’t some people try something like this at the Watergate Hotel in DC once? ;-)
stupid and hyperbolic analogy. there is no cover-up of anything, and we are not the party in power.
It’s definitely not as bad as Watergate, but I can tell you Breitbart is having a bad day.
From the affidavit: OKEEFE and DAI have also admitted to federal agents that worked with FLANAGAN and BASEL in the planning, coordination, and preparation of the operation.
Maybe it parses like this:
... federal agents that worked with FLANAGAN and BASEL in the planning, coordination, and preparation of the operation.
IOW, this was a federal sting that went sour.
I find it hard to believe that anyone whose face has been so publicized would atempt to do something like this. He had to know he would be recognized. Not to mention that someone who makes a name for himself by exposing illegal activity would turn around and break the law....it just doesn’t sound right.
So, I'm glad to know that YOU are the final arbitor of justice here in the grand ol US of A! "His heart..is in the right place"??? Are you freakin' kidding me? So, if someone tapped Palin's lines, broke into her house, roused her family, and I dont know, killed the dog, it would be "OK" if their "heart was in the right place"? If they truly believed they were saving the country from evil? SERIOUSLY??? You cant be that thick. Laws are Laws, and without them, we quickly devolve into anarchy!
I too believe that Landreau is dirty, but you dont break the law trying to prove it. Let me simplify it for you.... THE ENDS DO NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS!
You sound like a KOS kid over here!
An example of an individual being morally correct but legally wrong. Someone needs to “bug” every politician’s office, computers and telephones etc. I could not read all the article but he seemed somewhat clumsy. Better luck next time.
Agreed... on all points.
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.