Yeah, that's right James O'Keefe the Third - the Nutbagging Rat-Fucker Youtube-alist who hopes someday to grow up to become Ashton Kutcher without the talent, or looks, or brains - has released a statement on his arrest via tweet. Amazingly, he's not terribly apologetic. What a shocker.
From Big Government.com (No Link Traffic for THEM!)
The government has now confirmed what has always been clear: No one tried to wiretap or bug Senator Landrieu’s office. Nor did we try to cut or shut down her phone lines. Reports to this effect over the past 48 hours are inaccurate and false.
Got that, he didn't try to "Wiretap" her phones? Ok, bunkie, but y'know - that's not what you were accused of in court, which as a matter of fact is still a Felony.
Quick Reality Check, here's a bit from the FBI Affidavit on the Case.
In the affidavit FBI Agent Reyes describes what the witnesses told him. Two men, Basel and Flanagan entered the office dressed as Telephone Repairmen, while O'Keefe was already present filming with his cell phone. Basel told them there was something wrong with Landriue's phone system, then attempted to call Landrieu's office phone using his own cell. He then claimed that this didn't work, and to further validate this falsehood Flanagan called Basel's cell to confirm that the cell phones did in fact work. They then stated they needed to perform repairs on the main phone system and requested access to it.
It was a this point that they were asked for identification. They responded that they had left their identification in their vehicle - after which the Marshall's were called and hilarity ensued.
They were arrested for violating Title 18 USC 1036 - Falsely entering Federal Property
(a) Whoever, by any fraud or false pretense, enters or attempts to enter - (1) any real property belonging in whole or in part to, or leased by, the United States; (2) any vessel or aircraft belonging in whole or in part to, or leased by, the United States; or (3) any secure area of any airport, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b) of this section. (b) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) of this section is - (1) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both, if the offense is committed with the intent to commit a felony; or (2) a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or both, in any other case. (c) As used in this section - (1) the term "secure area" means an area access to which is restricted by the airport authority or a public agency; and (2) the term "airport" has the meaning given such term in section 47102 of title 49.
And Title 18 USC 1362 - Tampering with U.S. Communications
Whoever willfully or maliciously injures or destroys any of the works, property, or material of any radio, telegraph, telephone or cable, line, station, or system, or other means of communication, operated or controlled by the United States, or used or intended to be used for military or civil defense functions of the United States, whether constructed or in process of construction, or willfully or maliciously interferes in any way with the working or use of any such line, or system, or willfully or maliciously obstructs, hinders, or delays the transmission of any communication over any such line, or system, or attempts or conspires to do such an act, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both. In the case of any works, property, or material, not operated or controlled by the United States, this section shall not apply to any lawful strike activity, or other lawful concerted activities for the purposes of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection which do not injure or destroy any line or system used or intended to be used for the military or civil defense functions of the United States.
In response to these charges O'Keefe explains his actions this way...
I learned from a number of sources that many of Senator Landrieu’s constituents were having trouble getting through to her office to tell her that they didn’t want her taking millions of federal dollars in exchange for her vote on the healthcare bill. When asked about this, Senator Landrieu’s explanation was that, "Our lines have been jammed for weeks." I decided to investigate why a representative of the people would be out of touch with her constituents for "weeks" because her phones were broken. In investigating this matter, we decided to visit Senator Landrieu’s district office – the people’s office – to ask the staff if their phones were working.
Sen. Landrieu actually has four district Offices across the state of Louisiana, plus her office in Washington. The phone problem she decribed could have been at any one of them, although I'm willing to bet it was in Washington, not New Orleans - Logic Boy.
So, O'Keefe claims here that he went to Landrieu's office to "ASK IF THE PHONES WERE WORKING?" - then exactly why did he and his compatriots perpetrate the charade that the phones Weren't working exactly?
You don't have to dress up as a phone technician to ASK if the phones are working. They either are or they aren't. I may be speculating here, but I fully suspect that Basel's supposed call to test the phone system was faked as an excuse to gain them access to the phone equipment.
What O'Keefe hasn't explained here is why did he and his gang want to get into the phone closet exactly - to ASK if the phone closet was working?
So does he explain this discrepancy? Not hardly.
On reflection, I could have used a different approach to this investigation, particularly given the sensitivities that people understandably have about security in a federal building.
Ya Think? You ever heard of the Patriot Act? How about Homeland Security? What's about 9-11? Did you even see Die Hard IV with the Hackers and the distruption of our communications grid? Kids like Cr*p like that don't they? What ROCK have you been hiding under that makes you think messing with Federal Communications - even making someone THINK they're phones weren't working - wasn't a BIG DEAL?.
Y'see, I'm thinking if you wanted to "Ask" the Senator's Office if the phones were working, you could have done it by - um - Asking if the Phones were working!
The sole intent of our investigation was to determine whether or not Senator Landrieu was purposely trying to avoid constituents who were calling to register their views to her as their Senator. We video taped the entire visit, the government has those tapes, and I’m eager for them to be released because they refute the false claims being repeated by much of the mainstream media.
So now he's playing a Blaggo and saying he's eager for the tapes to be released. I would assume this is because the tapes don't show them tampering with the phone system - only because They didn't get the Chance if the affidavit is correct.
He doesn't even attempt to answer the first charge, that of entering Federal Property for False Purposes. Even if the Government fails to prove that an underlying Felony was the true purpose for the deception, they're still looking at 6 Months in Jail plus a Fine.
If prosecutors prove the underlying Felony of simply "conspiring to interfere with or obstruct Federal communications" beyond a reasonable doubt these guys are going down for as much as a decade. Their problem here is in their (very likely false) claim that the phones weren't working when Basel made his cell call.
As I type this I just did my own unscientific test - and just now (9:42 PST) called Senator Landrieu's Office in New Orleans just to see if their phones were working - They Are. A aachine did not pick up, a person did. (They also hung-up on me, but then I don't blame them for that since I doubt I was the first person to call just to see if the phone worked...)
Logic dictates that Basel was Lying.
Telling Landrieu's staff that their phone wasn't working when in fact was working is itself potentially proof of count two "Obstructing Communications". Psst, You don't have to touch the phones lines to obstruct them Mr. Super GOPer-Genius.
I have little expectation that O'Keefe and his supporters fully understand and appreciate this fact even if all they have to do to confirm it is read the book "How to Rig An Election" by former Republican Operative Allan Raymond who did time in Federal Prison for Jamming Democratic Phone Lines in 2002.
Raymond: This was essentially an adolescent prank, we just called the phone lines over and over again...
Oh, look what a little adolescent prank did there? It only sent Raymond to Federal Prison.
Even if all the O'Keefe gang were trying to do was good 'old fashioned Rove-styled Rat-Fucking - they're could still go to jail for it, just like Raymond did.
Rather than truly address the substance of the charges against him O'Keefe with his employer Andrew Breitbart's blessing spends the rest of his "Statement" attacking the mainstream press for their (fairly honest IMO) mistakes, of presuming that their entrance was part of some attempt to "Wiretap" Senator Landrieu and that O'Keefe has violated a "gag-order" by tweeting about it, which from what I can tell he didn't. I haven't found any evidence of a "gag order" - not yet.
It has been amazing to witness the journalistic malpractice committed by many of the organizations covering this story. MSNBC falsely claimed that I violated a non-existent "gag order." The Associated Press incorrectly reported that I "broke in" to an office which is open to the public. The Washington Post has now had to print corrections in two stories on me. And these are just a few examples of inaccurate and false reporting. The public will judge whether reporters who can’t get their facts straight have the credibility to question my integrity as a journalist.
"Journalist Malpractice"? Seriously? Look, no journalist bats 1000 everytime, but this guy is trying to lecture the Washington Post on Journalism? The fact they made corrections is a good thing. A true Journalist is able and willing to correct himself when he or she makes an honest mistake - not Double-Down on it like a two-year-old under House Arrest at Mommy and Daddie's place. Which would be YOU James.
They're never gonna get it, until the courts make them.
These are the guys who - under false pretenses - attempted to discredit ACORN by soliciting aid for a phony "Honduran Child Prostitution Ring". They claimed that no one at ACORN refused to help them, this was false - they were turned away in Los Angeles and Philadelphia as soon as underage children were mentioned. They claimed that every Office was eager to help them, yet they never mentioned human trafficking in New York or Washington. They claimed no one at ACORN ever had a problem with them - yet the police were called by ACORN twice in San Diego and Philadelphia.
Their argument is that ACORN were the people who were guilty of "Fraud and Corruption" when it was O'Keefe himself who committed an act of fraud and is facing a lawsuit for illegally recording ACORN employees without their permission and possible charges for the same thing in the states of Maryland and Washington.
ACORN has been repeatedly investigated for Fraud, and repeatedly cleared by the Justice Department, the Congressional Research Service and Independent Investigators.
There is also the fact is that these repeated attacks on ACORN have clear racial overtones as Allen Raymond notes... most Black people Vote Democratic, if you attack the and discredit an organization the help to register poor people - which often includes Blacks - who help suppressed the Democratic vote. It's Democ-RatFucking.
Only this time, they're about to get Fucked Right Back.
O'Keefe is with this statment clearly trying to taint the jury pool by counting on his existing "credibility" and so=called "Journalistic Integrity" to pull more people to giving him the benefit of the doubt - but a fair reading of his "journalistic" record shows him to be a self-aggrandizing serial fact mangler - not a journalist.
Vyan