James flippin' O'Keefe (ACORN headcase) Arrested

[TeyshaBlue]

Last time I checked, Cashiers don't register voters, but I get the gist of your statement. However, if one of the cashiers robs or defrauds a customer, who do you think gets held responsible?

[PixelPusher]

As an investigative journalist...
lol, no.

[TeyshaBlue]

lol, no.

I know I kinda thought: lol whut?

[Nbadan]

Last time I checked, Cashiers don't register voters, but I get the gist of your statement. However, if one of the cashiers robs or defrauds a customer, who do you think gets held responsible?

That's not negligence though is my point...and certainly not criminal by Walmart...

[Winehole23]

(burp)

[George Gervin's Afro]

so has anyone found out if the phones were working?

[DarrinS]

Nbadan: resident 911 nutter and ACORN defender

[spursncowboys]

Okeefe is going to be on Hannity tonight. In this post, I saw most conservatives say that if he did what they were alleging then he deserves to be arrested. Now, like most drive by pieces about conservatives, they might be wrong. I would hope to see the same ethical stand from the other side if he did nothing wrong.

[Winehole23]

Okeefe is going to be on Hannity tonight. In this post, I saw most conservatives say that if he did what they were alleging then he deserves to be arrested.Inaccurate, and slightly confused IMO.

O'Keefe has already been arrested. How you reached your conclusion about the "conservative consensus" here frankly eludes me. I don't recall anyone who said what you say.

Are you suggesting there was something improper about his arrest? Or were you referring to the pending charges against O'Keefe? The chances of conviction?

Little help?

[Marcus Bryant]

Soon enough this will be spun into the FBI having a vendetta to 'get him.'

[ElNono]

Soon enough this will be spun into the FBI having a vendetta to 'get him.'

I thought we were past that already, and into the 'DC politics as usual' party is out to get him...

[spursncowboys]

Inaccurate, and slightly confused IMO.

O'Keefe has already been arrested. How you reached your conclusion about the "conservative consensus" here frankly eludes me. I don't recall anyone who said what you say.

Are you suggesting there was something improper about his arrest? Or were you referring to the pending charges against O'Keefe? The chances of conviction?

Little help?
I could have swore in this OP were posters of non Obama apologists who said if he did what they were alleging then he deserves the arrest. I realize he got arrested and was just stating how there were no "but" and "the libs did ..." posts.
I am refering to the inaccuracies from the msm reporting. I do not know the actual laws where he is and how it applies to his situation. My main point though is that he is going on Hannity to give his take on the situation.

[Marcus Bryant]

How many neocon anarchists are there these days?

[Winehole23]

Charges reduced.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100326/NEWS03/100326020

[BRHornet45]

Charges reduced.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100326/NEWS03/100326020

and rightfully so

[Wild Cobra]

Charges reduced.

http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100326/NEWS03/100326020
Wow...and rightfully so

To offer such a light plea agreement tells me that they have nothing, and hope to get them on that.

My guess is they will refuse the plea and get off completely.

[Nbadan]

The new charges carry maximum sentences of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. A date for their next court appearance has not been set.

J. Garrison Jordan, a lawyer for defendant Robert Flanagan, said his client has “an agreement worked out with the government” but wouldn’t elaborate.

“I think it’s a fair resolution to the charges, and I’m happy with the agreement we’ve worked out,” he said.

The fact that he's now a felon should speak volumes about O'Keefe's character, or lack of, and should raise alarm-bells to normal, non-wing-nut minded Americans about O'Keefe's role in the ACORN scandal, otherwise known as the wing-nut hit-job of a organization that dared to help register minorities to vote - to suppress the minority vote...

[Wild Cobra]

The fact that he's now a felon should speak volumes about O'Keefe's character, or lack of, and should raise alarm-bells to normal, non-wing-nut minded Americans about O'Keefe's role in the ACORN scandal, otherwise known as the wing-nut hit-job of a organization that dared to help register minorities to vote - to suppress the minority vote...
He's not yet a felon. The article I read was that it was the offer on the table, but not accepted yet. Am I wrong?

[Nbadan]

He's not yet a felon. The article I read was that it was the offer on the table, but not accepted yet. Am I wrong?

It's a plea-deal....were just waiting for it to be official...

[Wild Cobra]

It's a plea-deal....were just waiting for it to be official...
And until it's official, it can still be changed, or rejected.

Right or wrong?

[Nbadan]

And until it's official, it can still be changed, or rejected.

Right or wrong?

Sure, and the prosecution is likely to go for the more serious felony....you know the 10 year one...

[Winehole23]

Are you talking about some other case, Dan?

[Nbadan]

Are you talking about some other case, Dan?

No...he could have been charged with a much more serious offense - this smells of plea deal...mostly because the govt. had a lack of evidence to prove that O/Keefe and the rest of the GOP operatives and thugs supported by BG.com and other fringe organizations intended to bug the Senator's office...much more likely this was just a scouting mission to see how easily they could gain access to the Senator's phone line

[Wild Cobra]

No...he could have been charged with a much more serious offense - this smells of plea deal...mostly because the govt. had a lack of evidence to prove that O/Keefe and the rest of the GOP operatives and thugs supported by BG.com and other fringe organizations intended to bug the Senator's office...much more likely this was just a scouting mission to see how easily they could gain access to the Senator's phone line
Sentences are not based on what someone assumes. Innocent until proven guilty, at least that's how we Americans see it. Wasn't there some compelling evidence that the initial reports of what they did were assumptions and lies anyway?

Tell me Dan. What facts do you know as actual fact?

[Nbadan]

Sentences are not based on what someone assumes. Innocent until proven guilty, at least that's how we Americans see it. Wasn't there some compelling evidence that the initial reports of what they did were assumptions and lies anyway?

Tell me Dan. What facts do you know as actual fact?

The facts of the case speak for themselves, also O'Keefe and the two GOP operatives he was caught with don't want the M$M to do its job and look behind the curtain revealing the GOP dirty tricks campaign...these guys are nuts, not stupid...

[spursncowboys]

The facts of the case speak for themselves, also O'Keefe and the two GOP operatives he was caught with don't want the M$M to do its job and look behind the curtain revealing the GOP dirty tricks campaign...these guys are nuts, not stupid...
Or Okeefe wants a book deal. Also why are they nuts?

[Nbadan]

Or Okeefe wants a book deal. Also why are they nuts?

Of course he does..

[ChumpDumper]

Oh, I think they're stupid.

[Winehole23]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/breitbart-disowns-okeefe-demands-apology-failed-love-boat-prank/

[DarrinS]

Damn, WH, you really reached into the bowels to bump this one.

[boutons_deux]

Breitbart dumps O'Keefe, two maggots swimming in their own latrine, typical heroes of Repugs and tea baggers.

[Wild Cobra]

Boutons having a wet dream again:

Breitbart dumps O'Keefe, two maggots swimming in their own latrine, typical heroes of Repugs and tea baggers.

[Winehole23]

Damn, WH, you really reached into the bowels to bump this one.Rather than start a brand new one thought I'd update this one. Breitbart backing away from O'Keefe is relevant. Maybe someday he'll take the megaphone away.

[Wild Cobra]

Rather than start a brand new one thought I'd update this one. Breitbart backing away from O'Keefe is relevant. Maybe someday he'll take the megaphone away.
I think the whole topic is comical. Both sides were wrong, and ACORN was left with their pants down no matter how one looks at it.

[Winehole23]

O'Keefe was never credible to begin with. He was a pure hoaxster from the start. That you believe him at all is comical.

[boutons_deux]

"Both sides were wrong"

yet again more false equivalence bullshit.

ACORN registered HaveNot voters, there was never any proof of fraud, the Repugs just wanted to disenfranchise/intimidate non-Repugs voters. Typical dirty tricks.

[Wild Cobra]

"Both sides were wrong"

yet again more false equivalence bullshit.

ACORN registered HaveNot voters, there was never any proof of fraud, the Repugs just wanted to disenfranchise/intimidate non-Repugs voters. Typical dirty tricks.
Give me a break. Even edited, it was obvious.

[Winehole23]

Just guessing, you're not taking into account the phone call to the police O'Keefe edited out.

[Wild Cobra]

Just guessing, you're not taking into account the phone call to the police O'Keefe edited out.
I assume you have evidence of this in context?

[Winehole23]

It was in the California AG's report. I'll see if I can find it.

[Wild Cobra]

It was in the California AG's report. I'll see if I can find it.
It would be interesting to see an unedited recording. Californicated AG report? Call it my prejudice if you must, but I'll pass on his opinion. I would like something more substantial.

[ChumpDumper]

Wild Cobra is expecting ACORN to call the police while O'Keefe is still in the room recording them.

Wild Cobra isn't very smart.

[boutons_deux]

"see an unedited recording"

Repug hero/scumbag Breitbart refuses, and we can assume he knows his lies and slander would be exposed.

[Winehole23]

It would be interesting to see an unedited recording. Californicated AG report? Call it my prejudice if you must, but I'll pass on his opinion. I would like something more substantial.Dismissing the public record sight unseen? Unsurprising.

[boutons_deux]

"Call it my prejudice"

Who needs facts that Breitbart and O'Keefe are sacks of shit when you have prejudice that they aren't?

And where are all the "facts" and prosecutions of widespread, election-outcome-changing non-Repug voter fraud the Repugs and conservatives are always whining about?

[George Gervin's Afro]

Dismissing the public record sight unseen? Unsurprising.

You forget, back in the day WC stated that he was in the top 1% in the world regarding his intellect.. said so in his signature..

[Oh, Gee!!]

It would be interesting to see an unedited recording. Californicated AG report? Call it my prejudice if you must, but I'll pass on his opinion. I would like something more substantial.

At least you're objective.

[Winehole23]

To offer such a light plea agreement tells me that they have nothing, and hope to get them on that.

My guess is they will refuse the plea and get off completely.O'Keefe pled (http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/05/26/james-okeefe-pleads-guilty-to-misdemeanor-in-sen-landrieu-phone-stunt/) guilty.

[Wild Cobra]

O'Keefe pled (http://biggovernment.com/publius/2010/05/26/james-okeefe-pleads-guilty-to-misdemeanor-in-sen-landrieu-phone-stunt/) guilty.
Interesting. Maybe with no time served, he just took the easy way out. Maybe they could have stuck him on something and wanted him bad enough to use the full force of law.

Think any possible jail time would have happened if a reported serendipitously filmed a conservative employer doing something?

[Winehole23]

They'd probably just give him a Pulitzer.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Do you think wc gets tired of being wrong all of the time

[George Gervin's Afro]

Do you think wc gets tired of being wrong all of the time

his side is rampant with wrongness..

[Wild Cobra]

They'd probably just give him a Pulitzer.
LOL....

Agreed.

Didn't Gerardo's big break in reporting come from illegally entering a mental facility?

[Winehole23]

(WC: please check your sarcasm detector)

[Wild Cobra]

(WC: please check your sarcasm detector)
Are you aware of Geraldo's big story in 1972 when he won a Peabody award for a news story he got by illegal means?

[Winehole23]

No. How is it similar to what O'Keefe did?

[Wild Cobra]

No. How is it similar to what O'Keefe did?
One got busted before he could find a story, the other found a good story.

Geraldo could have been in his shoes, facing jail. O'Keefe could have got lucky and win an award.

[Winehole23]

In the ACORN tapes O'Keefe tried to enmesh his targets in a fictitious scheme of his own devising and used some artful editing.

In the Landrieu caper he used false ID to gain access to her office bldg, for god only knows what reason.

And this last thing is a crass juvenile prank.

In none of the above cases was O'Keefe pursuing a fact-based story in the public interest. Or to put it another way, two things the cases all have in common is James O'Keefe and deception.

[Winehole23]

If there were some underlying story of great public interest underwriting O'Keefe's misdemeanors, perhaps the element of moral luck might creep in, as it seems to have done with Ellsworth/Scheer and apparently Geraldo. But that seems not to be the case.

[ChuckD]

You forget, back in the day WC stated that he was in the top 1% in the world regarding his intellect.. said so in his signature..

I thought it was 0.1%. Did he say 99% or 99.9%? I forgot.

[Wild Cobra]

If there were some underlying story of great public interest underwriting O'Keefe's misdemeanors, perhaps the element of moral luck might creep in, as it seems to have done with Ellsworth/Scheer and apparently Geraldo. But that seems not to be the case.
So are you saying that the number of people whom say a crime is OK makes the difference?

[LnGrrrR]

So are you saying that the number of people whom say a crime is OK makes the difference?

It's more along the lines of whether or not the crime committed leads to stopping an even greater crime.

Ie. Can breaking a law (ie. breaking and entering a place to obtain documentation to expose a scandal) be considered moral? If Geraldo breaks in and doesn't find anything, then he's screwed. But if he DOES find something, he's potentially off the hook morally as he committed a small crime to expose a much larger one.

If you want a good example of moral luck, the classic case is comparing a drunk driver who hits someone with a drunk driver that does not. The person who causes damages is obviously punished more than the person who doesn't, even though it was moral luck more than anything else that saved the drunk driver who didn't hit anything (and no action on his own part).

[Wild Cobra]

It's more along the lines of whether or not the crime committed leads to stopping an even greater crime.

Ie. Can breaking a law (ie. breaking and entering a place to obtain documentation to expose a scandal) be considered moral? If Geraldo breaks in and doesn't find anything, then he's screwed. But if he DOES find something, he's potentially off the hook morally as he committed a small crime to expose a much larger one.

If you want a good example of moral luck, the classic case is comparing a drunk driver who hits someone with a drunk driver that does not. The person who causes damages is obviously punished more than the person who doesn't, even though it was moral luck more than anything else that saved the drunk driver who didn't hit anything (and no action on his own part).
Awwwww...

So in your book, the ends justify the means?

I get it.

[LnGrrrR]

Awwwww...

So in your book, the ends justify the means?

I get it.

Way to misrepresent. I just clarified WH23's position.

On top of that, don't give me that high horse bullshit. :lol You're totally fine with advanced interrogation techniques if it saves American lives, aren't you? You're fine with government eavesdropping if it increases security. There's all sorts of means you use that you justify through their ends.

Ends sometimes justify the means; sometimes they don't.

[Wild Cobra]

Way to misrepresent. I just clarified WH23's position.

On top of that, don't give me that high horse bullshit. :lol You're totally fine with advanced interrogation techniques if it saves American lives, aren't you? You're fine with government eavesdropping if it increases security. There's all sorts of means you use that you justify through their ends.

Ends sometimes justify the means; sometimes they don't.
So we are back to what I said before. What if O'Keefe got a great story, and Geraldo bombed?

Can you appreciate the chance each took or not? Myself, but the law is apparently not on my side here, I belief O'Keefs's infiltration was OK because we are talking about looking into our elected officials. I don't know many of the details surrounding Geraldo's situation, but what if the complaints were just from disgruntled ex-employees.

I don't agree with the ends justifying the means, except in very rare circumstances. You appear to be OK with simple allegations.

[LnGrrrR]

So we are back to what I said before. What if O'Keefe got a great story, and Geraldo bombed?

Except in the case of O'Keefe, he was (IIRC) trying to create a story where there was none, and trying to entice people into doing something wrong, where Geraldo was trying to expose those doing wrong-doing without his enticement. Whether that distinction changes your justification of the means used is up to you; it seemingly does for WH23.


I belief O'Keefs's infiltration was OK because we are talking about looking into our elected officials.


I don't agree with the ends justifying the means, except in very rare circumstances.

These two quotes don't really make sense together. Care to explain?


You appear to be OK with simple allegations.

Don't know what you're referring to here. I was just explaining moral luck. I didn't say whether what O'Keefe or Geraldo did was ok in my book or not. I haven't really bothered to research both of their stories and determine it if was morally kosher or not.

[Nbadan]

In the ACORN tapes O'Keefe tried to enmesh his targets in a fictitious scheme of his own devising and used some artful editing.
.

...the more troubling aspect of this was that it was reported in the mainstream media that O'Keefe was wearing his Halloween pimp costume when he went to the ACORN offices to pass off GiLES as a hoe who needed a place to shack up....when it was proven later by the unedited video that O'Keefe was dressed pretty normally in Kacki pants and a short sleeve tennis shirt and the circumstances for finding gIles a place to live was really because she was escaping a abusive relationship, not a hoe, the media, yes you NY Times and other M$M outlets, flat out refused to report these new findings and retract the story....

[Winehole23]

So are you saying that the number of people whom say a crime is OK makes the difference?I'm saying uncovering an underlying story of great public significance might justify cutting a few corners. O'Keefe did no such thing.

[Winehole23]

...the more troubling aspect of this was that it was reported in the mainstream media that O'Keefe was wearing his Halloween pimp costume when he went to the ACORN offices to pass off GiLES as a hoe who needed a place to shack up....when it was proven later by the unedited video that O'Keefe was dressed pretty normally in Kacki pants and a short sleeve tennis shirt and the circumstances for finding gIles a place to live was really because she was escaping a abusive relationship, not a hoe, the media, yes you NY Times and other M$M outlets, flat out refused to report these new findings and retract the story....Yeah, he misrepresented himself too. He didn't go in wearing the pimp costume, but dropped that back in later. The deception was thoroughgoing.

[Winehole23]

Awwwww...

So in your book, the ends justify the means?

I get it.No. The judgment about whether a given course course of action was the right thing to do sometimes depends on the results, perceived or actual, of the action.

[Winehole23]

A dumb play that gets (your team) a touchdown is a great play, period.

[Winehole23]

Ends sometimes justify the means; sometimes they don't.I would rather say the results justify the means.

Expedience is king. Whether things turn out well or worse is almost everything.

[Winehole23]

It's turning out worse and worse for Mr. O'Keefe.

[George Gervin's Afro]

I don't agree with the ends justifying the means, except in very rare circumstances. You appear to be OK with simple allegations.


Sincerely,
The guy who blindly supported Bush in Iraq

[Wild Cobra]

Except in the case of O'Keefe, he was (IIRC) trying to create a story where there was none, and trying to entice people into doing something wrong, where Geraldo was trying to expose those doing wrong-doing without his enticement.
Do you know that with certainty? What if he did have intel on something amiss? What if Geralgo's information was false? I already made this point. Please don't make me say it a 3rd time.

These two quotes don't really make sense together. Care to explain?
Not really. This would be extreme cases, and another topic. Never in a non life threatening situation however.... Never!

Don't know what you're referring to here.
Back to my first response in this post. The trustworthiness of information.

[Wild Cobra]

I'm saying uncovering an underlying story of great public significance might justify cutting a few corners. O'Keefe did no such thing.
Are you absolutely certain of that? What would your response be then if he did uncover a real juicy story?

[Wild Cobra]

Sincerely,
The guy who blindly supported Bush in Iraq
there you go again, exposing your ass again by ASSuming untrue things. I never blindly support people that I don't personally know.

[George Gervin's Afro]

there you go again, exposing your ass again by ASSuming untrue things. I never blindly support people that I don't personally know.



Wild Cobra-What I see today is that most blacks are racists, and almost no whites are.

[Winehole23]

Are you absolutely certain of that? What would your response be then if he did uncover a real juicy story?Did he?

[Winehole23]

Consequentialism is the big bad bitch here. O'Keefe's consequences were puny in the end, but he took down ACORN. For some people, that's enough to put his portrait on a plate.

[RandomGuy]

Awwwww...

So in your book, the ends justify the means?

I get it.

Does that mean torturing captured terrorists is wrong?

[Wild Cobra]

Does that mean torturing captured terrorists is wrong?
That's right, go run to an unrelated tangent when you agree with me, but are hard headed enough you refuse to acknowledge it.

No, torture is wrong. The only exception I would make would be imminent large scale necessity, like stopping the countdown of a nuclear bomb.

[Winehole23]

Battleground shifts to Texas: http://www.texastribune.org/2014/01/27/brief/

[Winehole23]

O'Keefe's losing streak remains intact: http://www.burntorangereport.com/upload/201404071153_20140407_115219.pdf

[boutons_deux]

He won today in TX court

[Winehole23]

wut? link please?

[TeyshaBlue]

wut? link please?
http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/04/07/texas-special-prosecutors-james-okeefe-video-a/198786

This is all I could find and is not exactly a win. :lol

[Winehole23]

boutons' losing streak remains intact . . .

[boutons_deux]

As Rummy repeats ad nausea, shit happens

[Winehole23]

Federal prosecutors pull an O'Keefe:


Federal prosecutors hid evidence from anti-Trump activists set to go on trial, two judges ruled this week.

For months, prosecutors have claimed a video by the conservative group Project Veritas (https://www.thedailybeast.com/james-okeefes-big-money-donors-revealed) proved that anti-Trump activists conspired to riot outside his inauguration. Court rules required the prosecution to disclose all edits made to the Project Veritas video, which purports to show some anti-Trump activists discussing the protest in advance. Instead, prosecutors passed off an edited video as undoctored, a judge ruled Wednesday and a second judge confirmed Thursday.https://www.thedailybeast.com/feds-hid-edits-in-right-wing-video-used-to-prosecute-anti-trump-protesters

[Winehole23]

dozens of Brady violations, selective edits:


that initial, single Brady violation is actually part of a much broader pattern of evidence-concealing, the lawyers now say. The government has concealed another 69 separate recordings — three audio files and 66 videos — of planning meetings for the Inauguration protests known as #DisruptJ20, defense lawyers say in the motion.

The recordings, which were made by employees of the right-wing Project Veritas, purportedly show defendants discussing de-escalation tactics and their intent not to initiate physical violence with anyone unless they are attacked first. The prosecutor had previously told the judge that no recordings existed from the meetings where the newly revealed audio and videos were made.

“The Government has succeeded in misleading over 200 co-defendants, their attorneys, and three Honorable Superior Court Judges to believe there were only seven videos in its possession from Project Veritas,” attorney Andrew Clarke wrote in the filing (https://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/reply-and-mot-for-add-2.pdf). “Only by Order of the Court and more recently, its own disclosures, we now know the truth, that the Government withheld 69 additional recordings by Project Veritas and altered others.”
via https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180531/11525339951/six-more-j20-protest-prosecutions-dismissed-as-govt-admits-to-hiding-exculpatory-evidence-defendants.shtml

[Winehole23]

Prosecutors should go to jail and lose their licenses for shit like this

[RandomGuy]

Prosecutors should go to jail and lose their licenses for shit like this

We'll see if anyone gets disbarred. In the current environment... I wish I could be more certain.

[boutons_deux]

JeBo will attempt to make sure his DoJ liars go free, and J20 protesters get screwed

Depends on the judging,

which is of course why the Repugs/Federalist Soc are corrupting, polluting the courts with extreme right wing, incompetent ideologues, aka "politicians in robes", as we see with the SCOTUS5.

[spurraider21]

Prosecutors should go to jail and lose their licenses for shit like this
completely agree

[boutons_deux]

Prosecutors should go to jail and lose their licenses for shit like this

state and local prosecutors have been caught withholding exculpating evidence.

How many went to jail, or were just disbarred?

prosecuting the lawless prosecutors just doesn't happen, sorta like bad doctors and nurses can move around and start over. The professional "blue wall"

[Winehole23]

Ida wrecks Project Veritas' offices

1433785565678342145?s=20

[Chumpette]

Ida wrecks Project Veritas' offices

1433785565678342145?s=20

IT'S A SIGN!!!

[Winehole23]

1456734919607074822

[Winehole23]

ACLU is right. Whether O'Keefe is a legit member of press as determined by prosecutors is beside the point -- prosecutors shouldn't have the discretion to deny activists privacy rights based on their own opinion about whether the target is a journalist or not. It's not very hard to imagine political leadership that would declare the press illegitimate and prosecute it based on unfavorable coverage.

DOJ says it's treating O'Keefe as if he were a member of the press and following pertinent DOJ protocols, but the raid on his home because someone else stole Ashley Biden's electronic device looks like overkill. Even if it turns out O'Keefe was directly involved, the appointment of a special master sounds reasonable.


“Project Veritas has engaged in disgraceful deceptions, and reasonable observers might not consider their activities to be journalism at all. Nevertheless, the precedent set in this case could have serious consequences for press freedom. Unless the government had good reason to believe that Project Veritas employees were directly involved in the criminal theft of the diary, it should not have subjected them to invasive searches and seizures. We urge the court to appoint a special master to ensure that law enforcement officers review only those materials that were lawfully seized and that are directly relevant to a legitimate criminal investigation.”https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-fbi-raid-project-veritas-founder

[RandomGuy]

ACLU is right. Whether O'Keefe is a legit member of press as determined by prosecutors is beside the point -- prosecutors shouldn't have the discretion to deny activists privacy rights based on their own opinion about whether the target is a journalist or not. It's not very hard to imagine political leadership that would declare the press illegitimate and prosecute it based on unfavorable coverage.

DOJ says it's treating O'Keefe as if he were a member of the press and following pertinent DOJ protocols, but the raid on his home because someone else stole Ashley Biden's electronic device looks like overkill. Even if it turns out O'Keefe was directly involved, the appointment of a special master sounds reasonable.

https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-comment-fbi-raid-project-veritas-founder

Eyuch. Agreed.

As much as I might be "fuck that guy", this cannot stand.

[Winehole23]

just perceptible through a tabloidy lens

1557095650894004231

[Winehole23]

Deep state coming for James O'Keefe, Project Veritas may oust him for mismanagement.


The memo’s authors also raised concerns about O’Keefe’s use of Project Veritas money to promote his own theatrical ambitions. Project Veritas is best known for its undercover stings against Democratic groups and other Republican targets. But O’Keefe, who performed in high-school musicals (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po55fzTuJyk), has added a series of musical productions to the group’s repertoire, including an elaborate “Project Veritas” experience that involves O’Keefe dancing while wearing a bulletproof vest.


In December, Project Veritas acknowledged (https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/12/us/politics/project-veritas-james-okeefe-taxes.html) improperly giving O’Keefe $20,500 in “excess benefits” to pay for Project Veritas staff to accompany him to Virginia as he performed a lead role in a production of the musical Oklahoma!.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/james-okeefe-outright-cruel-to-project-veritas-employees-internal-memo

[Winehole23]

O'Keefe resigns without severance pay

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Westchester County is investigating O'Keefe for using his non-profit as a personal piggy bank.


Following O’Keefe’s attempt to unilaterally fire (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/21/james-okeefe-project-veritas-irs-nonprofit/) Veritas Chief Financial Officer Tom O’Hara, in contravention of the 501(c)3’s bylaws, and O’Keefe’s own surprise resignation (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sQF561tjhffI48zwLjv4KnxAGB1DQoFl/view?usp=share_link) this past February, the Veritas board published (https://archive.is/2023.02.21-010315/https:/www.projectveritas.com/news/statement-from-the-project-veritas-board-of-directors/) a preliminary tally of its former leader’s financial misdeeds.

Pending a “third party investigative audit,” the board accused O’Keefe of spending “$14,000 on a charter flight to meet someone to fix his boat under the guise of meeting with a donor,” blowing over $150,000 on high-end limo services, and taking thousands of dollars more for personal DJ equipment. O’Keefe, they said, also requisitioned $60,000 for “dance events,” including the production of a semi-autobiographical pop music celebration of his life in muckraking: the Project Veritas Experience (https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfH5UKKgnZR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D). Such self-indulgent expenditures would be what’s known within the Internal Revenue Code for tax-exempt 501(c)3s (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopich01.pdf) as “inurement (https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/charitable-organizations/inurement-private-benefit-charitable-organizations).”

It’s worth noting that, by the end of the Trump years, Veritas’s cash flow offered ample opportunity for this kind of personal dipping: The group brought in over $22 million (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272894856) in 2020, an exponential swelling in revenue compared to the $396,450 in donations (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/272894856/2013_01_EO%2F27-2894856_990_201112) reported in its first year as a nonprofit. And O’Keefe was very much along for the ride, with his reported salary, $56,000 in 2012 (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/272894856/2014_01_EO%2F27-2894856_990_201212), growing ultimately to $430,920 (https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.599611/gov.uscourts.nysd.599611.1.1.pdf) by the time of his September 2022 at-will employment agreement.

In private, however, past and present Veritas executives have groused to us for much longer about O’Keefe’s dubiously charitable expenditures outside that reported compensation, including the construction of a recording studio (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tT7PhpFm1-TCLudUaXwRK6HaAkL7e5G3/view?usp=share_link) for his high school music buddy Anthony Dini and tens of thousands of dollars in “investigating reporting (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272894856/201423189349303687/full)” and “consulting (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272894856/201833189349308863/full)” fees paid to O’Keefe’s pass-thru NJ S-corp, Veritas Inc.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/james-okeefe-criminal-investigation-project-veritas/

[Winehole23]

O'Keefe was a grifter from start to finish

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His legacy is real, though. His initial journalistic hoaxes (Acorn and Shirley Sherrod) paid off politically, a lesson right wingers have taken very much to heart.

[Winehole23]

Since then, Veritas has been pretty much a complete flop.

[Winehole23]

All done (http://https://x.com/Mediaite/status/1704665542861414519?s=20)

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Project Veritas CEO resigns (https://x.com/willsommer/status/1734281521580618042?s=20), bends the knee to deep state prosecutors.

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Spycraft


one being recorded on video — a police body camera — as he threatened officers with the Dearborn Police Department.

“It’s amazing these f--kers hate America so much,” Spadone said during the 81-minute encounter.

"Weak-ass motherfu--ers," he added. "If they took their vest off and their badges, they’d get knocked the f--k out. Every one of you would get knocked the f--k out. Choked the f--k out.”

He repeated the threat. Then he hurled a homophobic slur: “Bunch of weak-ass f---ing f-----s.”https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/hatched-plan-infiltrate-palestinian-groups-started-drinking-rcna163821

[Winehole23]

The incident took place at the Henry Hotel. Soon after the police officers arrived, they were met by a member of the hotel’s staff who explained why they wanted to evict the group.

“They were drinking a lot. At least half of them were very intoxicated,” the staffer told the officers, according to the video. “They were dropping profanities left and right, and were super loud.”

[Winehole23]

got scared after a lady asked him for his press credentials



https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_fullsize/plain/did:plc:ujdrnt6lmrkpz5kqsxsjr5ib/bafkreid5bo5zcc2ujue2i6yfjqxsjwu7hcbkvoc3vjmir7zl7 xa2rq6y5i@jpeghttps://www.ms.now/news/minneapolis-influencers-ice-resistance-terrorism-narrative