Filmmaker Who Targeted ACORN Arrested in Alleged Senate Phone Scheme

Fox News ^ | 01/25/10

[BuckeyeTexan]

Developing ... James O'Keefe, of ACORN sting video fame, and three other suspects have been arrested by the FBI for interfering with LA Senator Landrieu's phone system on federal property.

[CaribouCrossing]

“I don’t know whether they are guilty or not, but I’m not going to jump to slandering the FBI agents involved until I know more. And I must say that if they did as described, that was incredibly stupid and we can’t and shouldn’t defend it.”

I agree.

[manc]

you do not need 4 guys to wire tap a phone and none of this even makes sense.
was he caught doing it? No
was he caught in the act? no
has there been an admission? No
there’s supposed to be a witness, witness to what exactly.
two guys tried to get into a fed building dressed a phone workers

how does that tie into O keefe?

nothing adds up

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

article up on Breitbart now, no comments yet...
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9DFMBT80&show_article=1

[CaribouCrossing]

Got something against lurkers?

[P-Marlowe]

Does it strike anyone else as ‘strange’ that the arrests were made by the US Marshall’s service? Isn’t that a bit unusual?

What is unusual is that anyone would be so stupid as to commit this crime in a FEDERAL BUILDING.

Of course the US Marshalls would have made the arrest. It was a Federal Crime on Federal Property. The state has no jurisdiction on this one.

[manc]

what was he thinking
HUH

WE don’t even know if he did this yet , lets wait and see but as far as I am concerned this charge does not add up

[Tallguy]

The Feds go absolutely ape if there is a hint of unauthorized wiretapping.

... unless it involves Democrat operatives spying on Republican members of congress (Newt & Boehner) or Republican candidates (Palin's email). Then it's anything goes (just about).

[manc]

what has he confessed to because no where does it state he admitted to wire tapping so lets not be too quick hey

[Zeppelin]

Were they trying to bug the lines? I thought their intent was to cut the lines b/c the election was the next day...

[BuckeyeTexan]

It is interesting. I wonder what advice the son gave O’Keefe in the planning of this incident? Let me be clear that O’Keefe is responsible for his own actions, but one does wonder whether or not he was “advised” by the son regarding the legality of the plan.

[CaribouCrossing]

Thanks for the link. I had one wild thought. What if these fellas weren’t trying to really mess with the phones but rather prove that our federal buildings are not secure and are easy targets for terrorism. If terrorists had managed to pull off a stunt like that, they could have rigged the phones to explode and we might be looking at a pile of rubble right now.

[messierhunter]

He confessed to entering under false pretenses, but the accusation seems to be that they had the intent of interfering with the phone system. I don’t think anyone admitted that that was their real intent. I’m betting the whole telephone angle was just a ploy to get deeper into the office for some other reason, perhaps to start a conversation with office staffers while pretending to do work. It sounds to me like the case would have to prove that they really intended to interfere with the phone system in order for any serious charge to apply. It was a boneheaded strategy, but we can’t yet say what the plan really was.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“The guy might have been a mole, and this was a sting. “

I didn’t think of that. Good point.

[yield 2 the right]

Crap, not good.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Read the FBI affidavit. O’Keefe admits to aiding and abetting the two phony telephone repairmen in the planning and organization of this little scheme. And he admits to being on federal property under false pretenses.

[Tallguy]

What is unusual is that anyone would be so stupid as to commit this crime in a FEDERAL BUILDING.

I understand the part about this being a federal crime and that a federal agency would be making the arrest. I just thought that the Federal Marshals had other duties. Perhaps they just had offices in that building & they were the closest people "with a badge?" The FBI has them now, and I expect that this will bring heavy charges.

[RS_Rider]

And lastly, it is a federal crime to attempt to gain unauthorized access to secured areas. That, in and of itself is a crime.

So that should apply to the White House party crashers as well?

[manc]

it states admit , it does not state he admits to wiretapping at all which is the big charge which is being spread about by those who are too clueless to think for themselves and will just go with the media

[manc]

it states admit , it does not state he admits to wiretapping at all which is the big charge which is being spread about by those who are too clueless to think for themselves and will just go with the media

have to read the part where it state he was recording the incident too.

please tell me that you do not think that this is all above board do you

[Charles Martel]

GSA also has “guards”. THey got past the guards. No notice in any of this who is guarding this particular building.

I've been in the Hale Boggs Building before - I think the entrance/exit security is handled by a GSA contractor. Definitely not U.S. Marshal's Service personnel, like at the federal courthouse right across the street.

Still, it's a standard setup - metal detector, present your photo I.D., get a Visitor Pass. There may be additional layers of security on the floor where the congresscritters' office space is located - maybe the same contractor has that detail, maybe not.