Many of you may not know a about Charles Grapski or what is happening in Floridia as we speak. I believe this is a important story and one people should at least read because right now Charles Grapski is being arrested under Wiretapping charges. This is a very scary and dark state of affairs.
http://www.rawstory.com/...
The State of Florida has filed felony wiretapping charges against election reform activist Charles Grapski for audiotaping his efforts to obtain public records related to his investigation of alleged election fraud, RAW STORY has learned. He faces arraignment Tuesday, October 17th.
More below on why this matters.
First Charles Grapski received premission to record the events on tape.
www.truthout.org
RS: So you had reason to be suspicious?
CG: The City's normal approach even to City Commissioners they didn't like was to deny them the public records. So I went in on that Friday with a witness, Eileen McCoy, who was the sole plaintiff at the time, a resident of Alachua. A lot of people were afraid to put their name on the complaint, but she did. I brought my video recorder, because if the city was going to tell me lies or deny me records I wanted a record of that. So I walked in and I told Alan Henderson that I was recording him even though I didn't have to tell him, and he even talked to the recorder to make sure he was being heard clearly.
More below in the interview.
RS: What was your reaction and what happened next? Were you surprised that the police were called?
CG: Whenever anybody comes to City Hall in Alachua and speaks up, they call the police force. Clovis Watson holds more than one office (City Manager/Police Commissioner/Clerk Canvassing Board Member). It's unlawful in state of FL to hold 2 offices.... Then Clovis came in and began speaking; a few minutes into it said I notice you're recording me. He said "If I don't give consent, that's a felony." I said, "No, you can clearly see that I'm recording, two is that you're continuing to talk, and three is you're a public official engaged in public business." He actually wrote in a memorandum to the City Commission that he had no problem being recorded.
Even more from the interview giving consent to the recording.
RS: So they arrested you?
CG: He didn't arrest me that day. He then said I could review the records Monday at 10:30. Over the weekend he e-mailed me asking for a copy of the tape. I said I'd consider it ... He asked to be notified in advance if I planned to record him. I said "Be on notice that I will record all my transactions with you." I came in on Monday, began reviewing the records and in the middle of doing that he came out with a police chief and two armed officers and arrested me for what is a felony wiretap statute.
So what is really happening is a town full of corruption is threatening anyone that might find the truth. There is also a witness to this.
Grapski audiotaped City Manager Clovis Watson, who commented on the fact that he was being taped, consented, and kept talking, Thomas noted. Subsequently Watson, who also serves as Police Commissioner (an apparent violation of Florida law that prohibits officials from holding more than one public office at a time), ordered Grapski arrested.
"He didn't do anything a newspaper reporter doesn't do every day. It's absurd," Thomas said. "While he was being arrested, the editor of a newspaper was in there audiotaping this." A third person, Green Party representative Michael Canney, was also present making audiotapes. Canney and Grapski have been threatened with additional charges, but the newspaper editor has not, Thomas said.
There is a lot more to this case and I hope I have listed enough to understand. It's been a while since I have made a dairy so please understand I'm a little rusty.
RS: What did the Mayor have to say about all of this?
CG: The Mayor (Jean Calderwood) had been appointed in the past by Jeb Bush. Her husband was the treasurer of the James Lewis campaign. She's also a defendant in the case. She's come out publicly in the newspapers over the weekend saying that she was in constant communication with Clovis Watson to arrange my being arrested ... She said Clovis Watson did not go out on a limb alone, he was in constant communication with her ... She said that in a letter to the editor of the newspaper editor.
This story needs attention so far it hasn't been covered much by the media. Charles Grapski and Michael Canney maybe innocent of any crimes and a republican run town is willing to threaten the innocent in order to hold power. Clovis Watson claims to be a democrat, but a republican website is claiming he will be switching parties.
RS: Is Clovis Watson a Republican?
CG: Clovis Watson is a Democrat who the Republican Party says on their website is coming over to the Republican Party. But Rod Smith is a player. There is another dimension to what's happening in Alachua County. The County of Alachua is one of the two Democratic voting areas in Florida; the rest of the state has gone Republican. The Republican Party has taken over the City of Alachua and basically opened it up for drive-through development. There are all kinds of land deals where these city officials and cronies are benefiting by development of land, including Rod Smith. We're talking a Wal-Mart distribution center, a Wal-Mart super-center and a Home Depot ... They can't get these developed in Alachua County so they absolutely have control over some of these small towns. They are just opening doors for unrestrained growth and development - multi-millions of dollars changing hands.
Update: From the interview so people know what started his investigation.
RS: Let's go back to April and what happened that that started all the troubles leading up to your arrest.
CG: On April 11th there was an election in the City of Alachua. That's part of my district that I'm running for. I went up to the polling location to meet people and get petitions signed and campaign for my candidacy. I knew of some problems in Alachua, but I didn't know how bad they were; people came to me with all sorts of concerns. I said "I'll stay around to watch the vote count on election night." So I went there and saw a number of violations of the law. This was at City Hall. The City officials conducted the elections themselves, which is problematic.
Update: Another newspaper has picked up on it and has a little more information I believe.
http://www.highspringsherald.com
Adding this section from the same article apparently they waited on the filing till a speedy trail could not be reached.
Grapski said Tuesday that he will plead not guilty in court Oct. 17 at his arraignment.
"I'm moving forward aggressively on this," he said.
He said he was upset that the State Attorney's Office had waited six months to make a ruling.
Some more about the election.
Further complicating matters was the fact that Grapski was running for the State House of Representatives, as was Alachua City Commissioner Bonnie Burgess, who is one of Watson's bosses.
Watson is trying to tell a different story. From the same article.
Watson said that after he pointed out that what had occurred was illegal, he continued his conversation with Grapski, allowing the rest of the conversation to be recorded with his consent.
"I told him that I do not mind being recorded because what I say I will say in any venue," Watson said in a letter to city commissioners about the incident.
Watson told The Herald that he made the decision to arrest Grapski after reading Grapski's e-mail responses. He said that when Grapski kept saying he had a right to record "anything" Watson said at any time, Watson began to realize that Grapski did not realize the gravity of his offense.
"He clearly doesn't see the infraction, even after it happened," Watson said. "I have an obligation to hold him accountable."
Update: donna in evanston posted A link that may help with a little more information.
http://freealachua.org/
Another article on it
The Dirty South
The tape recorder had been sitting openly on a table throughout the conversation, according to everyone present in the room, and did not appear to cause undue concern to the official, City Manager Clovis Watson, even after he acknowledged it. No matter: When Grapski returned to City Hall a few days later, he was slapped in handcuffs by three police officers summoned by Watson, told he would face third-degree felony charges for taping Watson without his express consent, and hauled off to the county jail.
Update How to contribute to the Defense Fund.
http://grapskidefense.org/