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ACORN busting film maker busted!

Decatur, AL - James O'Keefe made a name for himself with clandestine videos of ACORN staff members assisting what they believed to be a pimp. O'Keefe led the ACORN staffers to believe he wanted to set up a brothel and staff it with underage girls brought in from overseas. Most of the ACORN staff in several locations were only too happy to assist.

Alas, the young man with "60 Minutes" ambitions and no common sense stepped over a line and now finds himself in hot water. It seems that somehow he got it in his head that it would be a great idea to impersonate telephone repair people (can't say repairmen any more), enter Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office and play silly buggers with her office telephone system.

Activist James O'Keefe, 25, was already in the New Orleans office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu on Monday when two of the accused showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Tuesday. Letten says O'Keefe videoed them with his cellphone.

The two men, Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel, both 24, asked the reception for and received access to the main phone at the desk, and later asked for access to a phone closet, Letten's office said. The men were directed to another office in the building, where they are again accused of misrepresenting themselves as telephone repairmen.

Federal agents arrested them later. A fourth man, Stan Dai, 24, was also arrested, but Letten's office said only that he assisted the others in planning, coordinating and preparing the operation.
USA Today

Not smart!

How can this Mike Wallace want-to-be forget who is in charge now? He had to know a target appeared on his forehead the day he busted the ACORN people.

Other then finding a way to shut down Fox News and any effective US intelligence operations, there is nothing US Attorney General Eric Holder would like more then to prosecute the snot nosed little brat that embarrassed his President's favorite community organization. Especially when it is a slam dunk case like this that will almost certainly draw jail time.

Let's see now...

  • Criminal impersonation
  • Felony tampering
  • Criminal trespass
  • Illegal wire tap (Depending on what they did.)
  • There has to be some law about messing with a congress critter's office...
  • No doubt there is something under new and shiny anti-terrorism statutes the government can throw at him.
  • Felony stupid.
  • One count of conspiracy to commit for each of the above

Ah, the impetuous nature of youth. You just have to love 'em while they get their life lessons under their belts. Hope O'Keefe hasn't got any plans for the next ten years or so. I don't see him getting a plea bargain on this one.

"Here's your sign…"
- Bill Engvall

Published 01-27-2010 9:33 by TVNews
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Comments

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Friday, January 29, 2010 4:18 AM

I'm betting that these intrepid four--led by O'Keefe--will see no jail time at all. Two reasons:

First, their very capable defense attorneys [well at least O'Keefe's attorney] has presented a plausible explanation already: The whole thing was just a silly prank. Overzealous youthful high-jinks as it were.

Second Mr. Flanagan happens to be the son of the acting A.G. in Louisiana, and that has to count for something. We'll see.

by Libby

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Friday, January 29, 2010 9:14 AM

Overzealous youthful high-jinks has never been an affirmative defense in a criminal case. This is especially true when the defendants are all many years over the age of majority.

The acting Louisiana attorney general has zero influence over a federal case. But Flanagan won't be the primary target. O'Keefe is the one that nailed ACORN and has the score that needs settling.

So... Focusing on O'Keefe, how much do you want to bet? I'll even set the threshhold at 50% of the time sentencing guidelines allow. If he gets 49% or less, you win.

by TVNews

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:20 AM

Ok, TV. You're on. I'll take the bet.

I have a question: I take it from the tone of your post and your reply to me that you are of the opinion that the Feds were gunning for O'Keefe and watching him like a hawk waiting for him to make a miss-step. Is that the case? Extrapolating from there, I take it that you are applying those same ideas to a vendetta against FOX NEWS? Was that the point of your blog posting?

by Libby

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Saturday, January 30, 2010 7:09 AM

Not exactly. The point of the post was to illustrate O'Keefe's capacity of stupidity.

I don't think the fed was gunning for him. I don't believe he was under surveillance or anything like that.

However, the top Legal Dog for the United States, Attorney General Eric Holder, has not been shy about publicly using his office to further political ends.

Harassing and threatening to prosecute intelligence operatives for operating under the rules of the manual they had at the time is one. Letting a couple of club wielding voter intimidating black panthers off the hook is another.

He has discretion in these maters as long as he stays within the law. Which is as it should be. Not everything in human interaction is black and white. (Both of the above examples are being reviewed for their legality.)

As the boss, Holder will have the ultimate prosecutorial discretion over O'Keefe and Co. That is also as it should be. If O'Keefe was stupid enough to test the bear trap with his own hand, then what happenes to him next is his fault.

So... Five bucks on the bet?

by TVNews

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Sunday, January 31, 2010 3:56 AM

You're ON!

I think these guys will get off with a slap on the wrist. Time served...extenuating circumstances...probation...etc.

I don't buy O'Keefe's argument that "He's a journalist" and was just trying to do the job. And I don't know how these four can claim that they had no intention of phone-tapping the Sen.'s office, but were just trying to expose the fact that her office was not taking calls from disgruntled constituents who wanted to complain about "the Louisiana Purchase". How could they do that without taping the phones to listen in?

Anyway if you are right and these perps get any jailtime, I'll see that you get your five bucks through EW.  

by Libby

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:57 AM

Five bucks is fine with me. If O'Keefe gets any jailtime I'll pay up using EW as my delivery boy if he's willing.

It's possible that the two who posed as telephone repairmen could get sentenced to some time in jail though...I suppose they could claim they were on the way to a costume party and got way-laid...

O'Keefe on the other hand was just doing his job as an "investigative journalist", and we don't put them in jail. To quote O'Keefe: "The truth will set me free!" What a noble human being. Can't wait to see how this all turns out.

by Libby

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Tuesday, February 02, 2010 6:12 AM

We arrest investigative journalists all the time. I don't know where you got the idea that they had a "get out of jail free" card.

Just ask any of the those that took it upon themselves to test airport security for instance.  

People think journalists enjoy some kind of special legal protections. The fact is that they are just like you and I. If they are ordered off private property, they have to leave. If they come to an airport, they have to play by the same rules you and I do.

by TVNews

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Wednesday, February 03, 2010 3:57 AM

I agree that journalists should get no free passes. That's the way it's supposed to be. But it doesn't always work out that way.

Even as we speak, the Liberal media is saying that there is a deal in the works over O'Keefe. They say that he will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge and pay a fine. A plea deal in other words. I'm betting that's what will happen.

by Libby

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Wednesday, February 03, 2010 5:34 AM

I saw that last night. It turns out the majority of the media may have gotten it wrong. (Big surprise there.) We shall see, you may have just made yourself five bucks.

by TVNews

# re: ACORN busting film maker busted!@ Sunday, February 07, 2010 9:56 AM

NOTE: I just cleared Libby's post from Jan. 31. I didn't know there was one pending.

by TVNews

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