4 charged in phone scheme at La. senator's office

AP via Breitbart ^ | January 26,2010 | MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

[ColdOne]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A conservative activist who posed as a pimp to target the community-organizing group ACORN and the son of a federal prosecutor were among four people arrested by the FBI and accused of trying to interfere with phones at Sen. Mary Landrieu's office. Activist James O'Keefe, 25, was already in Landrieu's New Orleans office Monday when Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel, both 24, showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Tuesday. Letten says O'Keefe recorded the two

[A CA Guy]

If true, dumb move and possibly highly illegal.

[Conservativism]

Agreed, if this is true it is a very, very stupid move by O’Keefe. Wire tapping a senator? Wow...

[Martin Tell]

If they were trying to tap phones (instead of just gaining access to the office), they should serve some serious time.

I admired what they did to Acorn, but this illegal stuff is different.

[A Strict Constructionist]

If you want to do something, do something legal and effective. The press in NO is very much for the Landrieu clan so illegal won’t get any play unless it’s good enough for BreitBart...and even then shooting yourself and Conservatives in the foot is stupid and childish.

[Darteaus94025]

If true, dumb move and possibly highly illegal.

Hmmm. OK, and let's go arrest ALL "journalists" that pose as "Health Inspectors", job applicants, etc. in the pursuit of a "story".

That would be equality, but, somehow, I'm sure a different principal applies for those of the "Progressive" nature.

[Allegra]

Seems to me some people attempted something similar to this (was it in the 70s?) in DC...and got caught.

Not a good idea if this story is true...

[skeeter]

IF true.

On the other hand, the left is anxious to make an example of O'Keefe & they're definitely not above setting him up.

I'll need more info.

[A CA Guy]

What journalist have you known who came in as phone repair people and to what end?
Tapping the phones would be illegal.

I don’t know if those passing as phone company people were even related to the other young man, but there are lots of legal problems potentially here.

Hope they weren’t stupid.

[autumnraine]

I think the difference is messing with recording phone calls.

Given how much the issue was brought up on how the ACORN stuff WASN’T illegal because it didn’t involve a phone call, you would think that they would know this was way way worse.

[RGSpincich]

Bullet proof kids meet reality.

[engrpat]

This is beyond stupid. If what we are reading is true there no possible explanation they could have that could make this go away. Shaking my head in disbelief.

[A CA Guy]

I believe a connection would have to be proven also.

I hope O'K wasn’t stupid enough to try and get that phone tapped.

[shield]

Reading the article...doesn’t sound too bad.

[ColdOne]

just a bad move if true....

[NEMDF]

What was the punishment for the kid in KY or TN who had hacked into Sarah Palin’s email account?

[fight_truth_decay]

For Immediate Release
January 26, 2010
United States Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Louisiana
Contact: (504) 680-3000
http://neworleans.fbi.gov

"....the complaint alleges that O’KEEFE and DAI assisted FLANAGAN and BASEL in the planning, coordination, and preparation of the operation. The men were apprehended by the United States Marshal’s Service soon thereafter."

If convicted, FLANAGAN, BASEL, O’KEEFE, and DAI each face a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that the complaint is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The investigation is being conducted by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Deputy Marshals with the United States Marshal’s Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg.

[fight_truth_decay]

..."charged in a criminal complaint with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony"

http://neworleans.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/no012610.htm

[Mamzelle]

Very strange; I'm intrigued. O'Keefe was recording two people pretending to be telephone repairmen...does not seem to me like an attempt was actually made to tap into phones.

I'm thinking this is theatre. And look at all the attn it's getting. It may be Mary Landrieu who is sweating bullets.

[Conservativism]

Not sure he’s been tried or punished yet, but he was hit with some big charges: fraud, unlawful electronic transmission of material and attempts to conceal records to impede an FBI investigation. I remember he could get somewhere around 5 years. We’ll see.