ACORN-buster busted in senator's office: The Swamp
The Swamp
Chicago Tribune

'Veritas,' uttered a freelance political investigator accused of posing again.

Posted January 26, 2010 4:25 PM
The Swamp

by Mark Silva and updated

The last we heard from activist James O'Keefe, he was posing as a pimp and videotaping workers at ACORN offering tax advice to his purported client, a friend playing a prostitute.

On Monday, O'Keefe was found and arrested in the New Orleans office of Louisiana's Sen. Mary Landrieu allegedly posing as a telephone repairman.

James Okeefe.jpg

Today, upon release from jail, O'Keefe uttered: "Veritas.''

Latin for truth.

Authorities say O'Keefe, 25, was already in Landrieu's New Orleans office when Robert Flanagan, son of the acting U.S. attorney in Shreveport, and Joseph Basel, both 24, showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen. Flanagan and Basel asked for access to the main telephone at the reception desk, according to U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office , and O'Keefe recorded the two with his cell phone.

After handling the phone, "Flanagan and Basel next requested access to the telephone closet because they needed to perform work on the main telephone system," Letten's office said.

The men, accused of misrepresenting themselves as telephone repairmen, were arrested later by the U.S. Marshal's Service. A fourth man, Stan Dai, 24, also was arrested, accused of assisting the others in the planning of the operation.

Officials did not say why the men wanted to interfere with Landrieu's phones or whether they were successful. Landrieu, a Democrat, declined comment today.

As three of the suspects, mostly silent, were released from a suburban New Orleans jail today, O'Keefe mouthed the word,veritas, and Dai said there would be time for further comment. The prosecutor's son was supposed to be released today as well.

O'Keefe had been the mastermind of a freelance undercover video-sting at offices of the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now. His videotapes led to congressional calls for a cutoff of federal funds for the national organization that offers assistance to the poor.

Wire services contributed to this report. James O'Keefe is pictured above at a news conference at the National Press Club after his surreptitious videotaping of ACORN workers in a photo by Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP)

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Comments

Lock these idiots up! And Republicans wonder why people don't like them! They should have been tried and jailed immediatly for their antics!

I sure "intern loving" O'Reilly or "Jabba the Rush" will bail them out though!


This is terrorism. If these men were Muslim, Right Wing Retards would be demanding the President execute them and I'm asking him to do the same to these political terrorists. Off with their heads! This scum is bent on destroying this nation in order to turn this great country into a Libertarian paradise like Somalia. For you retarded Republicans, when I call Somalia a paradise I'm being facetious. It's he*& on Earth!


Gee, it was pulling teeth to get you guys to report on the massive corruption at Acorn (it took weeks), but you sure did jump on this!

If he broke the law, he should be punished, but the hypocrisy of the reporting is a huge story in and of itself.


Who dat?

Who dat say dey gonna mess with the Senator. Why don't these clowns take their cell phone cameras on down to the border and do something useful, like catching some illegals, instead of breaking the law themselves.


O' Keefe was also posing as a US Senator in order to coax comments out of Acorn workers when he did his stupid video.


Republicans are liars and thugs. All of them, lock, stock and barrel.



Wow - Conservatives committing a felon? I wonder what God is going to think of that or do they think since they are committing these crimes in the name of God, that it is OK? I'm pretty sure that is what terrorists do.


what will FOX news do now??


He loved playing a pimp. A little young Republican...he'll be perfect for playing the other role in that relationship when he gets to prison.


I knew the rights anti ACORN nonsense wasn't holding water a few weeks after it happened. The punk kid that was doing the video taping was trying to pass himself off to ACORN as a US Senator - all of which is the subject of a law suit right now.



Yeah, let's all weep for ACORN; on second thought, let's not. In fact, let's do what should have been done months, if not years ago; dismantle this pathetic organization.


Do the math. The mascot for democrats is a donkey. (a very fitting metaphor) and ACORN is a nut. That about sums it up.


If the ACORN story was a mega blow for the Left, this should be just as damaging for the Right. It presents much of the tea party/Fox crowd as fraudulent.

http://www.political-buzz.com/


Follow the money....right back to Andrew Breitbart?


Come on repug's, come out and defend your hero!


If only we had known sooner that all the problems in our country were caused by the all powerfull ACORN!


Look at the power this massive criminal conmspiracy has!


They are solely at fault for the banking meltdown.


The banks and Wall Street were powerless against them!


They have controlled every election through massive vote fraud. They destroyed New Orleans. The hookers David Vitter used? Supplied by ACORN. ACORN outed Valerie Plame. ACORN has Saddam's WMD's and they're going to supply them to Iran. Who was on the grassy knoll? ACORN.


Who let the dogs out? ACORN. Who took the last cookie from the cookie jar? You guessed it. ACORN!


They're everywhere! Be afraid! your neighbors are ACORN, your relatives are ACORN, the mailman is ACORN. Trust no one!



This article raises two questions. Perhaps the media can find out if federal funds ever really were cut off for ACORN. And also, whatever happened to the multi-state prosecutions of ACORN for voter fraud? Finally, is ACORN still operating in Chicago?


The future of the GOP certainly is bright! The older generation are straight up greedy a-holes and the up and comers are 2-bit criminals. Stay classy, GOP! Stay classy.


Son of acting US Attorney in Shreveport???????

Was that a Bush appointment??????


Trying to record Mary and Barack talking on the phone?????

Way, way naughty.



What do they teach children today? You think if Mr. O'Keefe had heard of "Watergate" in his American History class, he would have understood why this was not a good idea...


James O'Keefe is just doing the job the media USED to do.It is called investigative reporting.Back in the good 'ol days we actually had investigative reporters do the same thing.Me thinks James O'Keefe deserves an award for exposing ACORN and getting the feds to cut funding to those crooks.Lord only knows what he was going to expose in Senator Landrieu's office.


He'll probably have his own show on FAUX NEWS like his friend Palin...


I say we throw them in Gitmo...


Republicans think Gitmo is such a great place and how it's all about "American values" and stuff...so what better place to put these two-bit Republican crooks than there? They'll Love It.


When the burglars behind the break in at the Watergate Hotel were first busted, Republicans were quick to call it a meaningless third-rate burglary. It turned out to be orchestrated at the highest levels of power and brought down Republican President Richard Nixon.


31 House Republicans recently supported a resolution honoring today's accused felon. These scary freaks are heroes to a frightening conservative movement that reaches from militias and racists in every dark nook and cranny of the nation clear to the senior Republican leadership in the House and Senate. It's a movement that has been flirting with armed revolution and secession, disrupting political meetings in the tradition of the German Brown Shirts of the 1930s, and carrying semiautomatic rifles to town halls and Presidential addresses. The last time right-wing terrorist nuts were ignored two of them ending up blowing up a building in Oklahoma City and killed 168 innocent people including 19 children.
.
http://mediamattersaction.org/blog/201001260008


This incident demands immediate, aggressive open investigation and public hearings beginning now.



Don't worry fellow Democrats. Bubba and his brothas are waiting for them.

And they won't be yelling "I luv Acorn"!

It'l be alot louder and with alot of grunts and groans involved. These 4 white guys will be wearing dresses and nylons by the time Bubba is done with them.

LOL!!!


I'm reading the comments from all the lefty liberals. Notice all the hate and name-calling they have for the right?

I'm just sayin....


No Gary, he is commiting a crime. In addition to tampering with federal employees communication devices, he is trespassing and gaining entry through false pretenses. While some may find it commendable, I offer that they would be the first ones to cry foul if I did it to them. Grow up...you backed the wrong guy a year ago.


31 House Republicans Supported A Resolution Honoring Alleged Felon James O'Keefe!


The first thing that needs to done is to ask the 31 House Republicans if this is what they meant to "honor" when they supported the resolution?


I want to know who in the Republican party supported James O'Keefe in wiretapping the Democratic senator?


I think there needs to be an investigation. What did the Republican's know and when did they know it?


Is this is what they meant to "honor" when they supported the resolution?


Seriously. Press them on it. In public. On the House floor, in the media.


Do. Not. Let. Them. Run. Away. from this and deny what they support and have fomented.


These are the people (Republicans) that are sucking the wind out of rational debate right now.



James O'Keefe is just doing the job the media USED to do.It is called investigative reporting.Back in the good 'ol days we actually had investigative reporters do the same thing.

Posted by: Gary | January 26, 2010 5:54 PM
----------------------------------------------------
Yes, we need more Woodwards and Bernsteins exposing rethuglican crimes. Can't wait until it happens again. About time too!


Unbelievable... well I guess not actually. someone breaking the law leads to misinformed and poorly educated morons posting comments about how all republicans are bad and one idiot calling it terrorism and so on and so forth. Someone breaking the law and all the sudden they are the representatives a whole group. ACORN is a useless law breaking group, and if these guys broke the law, punish them too. Don't be so foolish to believe that they represent everyone. There are a lot of people in prison that did something good in their lives before doing something stupid. Most of the left wing comments on here don't even make sense. It's jibberish, but I guess that's what happens when Cash for Compaqs allows everyone to have a fancy computer- stupid people get to share their stupidity with the world.


What's truely disturbing is these unAmerican conservatives are doing far more damage to this country then posing as senators or phone repair men. That's because they are up to far more that no one knows anything about. The US needs to be vigilant against these terrorist.


These punks should be locked up in Gitmo.

But thanks to the GOP arse-licking corporate media, this won't get any attention beyond this blog.


===============================
I'm reading the comments from all the lefty liberals. Notice all the hate and name-calling they have for the right? I'm just sayin....

Posted by: Joeschmo | January 26, 2010 6:22 PM
--------------------------------------------------


Bobbie Mobbie,
Hate and name calling is all you and your fellow Wingnuts ever do...


Quit playing the victim card, we aren't buying it coming from you.



Reading the comments of the wingers on this thread further exposes how delusional, evil and hypocritical they are. They definitely operate on a double standard -- there are laws and rules, but they'll decide which ones only apply to others. Pathetic.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Unbelievable... well I guess not actually. someone breaking the law leads to misinformed and poorly educated morons posting comments about how all republicans are bad and one idiot calling it terrorism and so on and so forth.
Posted by: Adam | January 26, 2010 6:36 PM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


You mean like what you're doing right now?....On the internet?


Hey Slick, it isn't Democrats who go around murdering abortion doctors, carrying AK 47's to health care forums, and shooting up Holocaust museums all because they're frustrated that voters voted them into the minority - That would be the petulant children that make up todays thuggish Republican party.



It amazes me how the liberal idiots, I mean democrats, are hot to jump on something nebulous. Most Chicago democrats have always been known as the best politicians money can buy. And after they are bought they stay bought. This being Chicago they better stay bought if they know what is good for them. A few incidents that occurred lately may clear what I mean.


It amazes me how the liberal idiots, I mean democrats, are hot to jump on something nebulous. Most Chicago democrats have always been known as the best politicians money can buy. And after they are bought they stay bought. This being Chicago they better stay bought if they know what is good for them. A few incidents that occurred lately may clear what I mean.


*********************************************
It amazes me how the liberal idiots, I mean democrats, are hot to jump on something nebulous. Most Chicago democrats have always been known as the best politicians money
Posted by: Lou | January 26, 2010 6:49 PM
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Hey Louie Louie!


If Obama and the Dems were using Chicago Style politics on you right wing bed wetters there'd be about 10-15 Republican obstrutionists sitting on the bottom of the Chicago river wearing cement shoes right now.


Quit your crying....



THIS MAKES MY DAY!


I don't want to hear another peep out of the Wingnutters about O'Keefe and his phony ACORN videos ever again.
.


Wow all the blithering liberals come out on this guy (who has never claimed to be right of center) but did, at one time, out scooped the entire MSM in America. Even out scooped some of the hacks on the paper.
What O'Keefe did (entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony) might be wrong, but there is a thing called innocent until proven guilt in this country, but the left has already found him guilt of "Terrorism" HA, what a hoot.


What remains to be seen is the extent to which there may be other unknown right wing accomplices.


Is that nut, Breitbart, in on this? Or Crazy Glenn Beck? Could Fox News have encouraged this action to manufacture a news story they could exploit? It has been a while since the ACORN non-scandal, the TeaBagger uprising, or any other of the sensationalistic events that Fox likes to promote.


What role did the Republican party have in this?


Did Glenn Beck encourage this?


The people want to know!


WE REPORT YOU DECIDE!



The funniest part about this is that three of the guys in this attempted National Security Breach were dressed as Village People construction workers" - with the "mastermind" of this caper dressed like a pimp. Hahaha!!!


College Republicans are idiots, no wonder the Republican party is filled with a bunch of low IQ goobers who can barely spell their names.


That wannabe pimp dude O'Keefe dude needs to buy a new costume. I think an orange jumpsuit would look good.


Also, something tells me there will be weirder parts before this is all over.



Despite this, I'm nearly certain that a day from now we'll all be getting viral emails from Teabaggers that will be making these clowns out to be in the same league as Ollie North (their hero Ollie North, not our known, convicted felon, Ollie North).


Wingnuts aren't big on facts and stuff.



He looks kind of like Timothy McVeigh, doesn't he?


Yep, the republican party is back to its Watergate roots. They are a pretty grimy group. The funny thing is how many lemming like fools, follow them and their self righteous phony bologna doctrines.


Um, you guys do know that this is part of another report O'Keefe is doing. And you guys get all riled up. Now who looks like the fool!!!

The best part is it brings out the background on this guy and his sting of the Obama suppporting group Acorn. Which the media attempted to bury before.

O'Keefe is playing chess. You are still pulling out your checker board.


40 posts and counting on this blog. How many are John E.? 35? I say O'Keefe has earned a little leeway for exposing a scumbag, fraud of an organization like Acorn. I would like to know what he was digging for in Landrieu's office. He made a big mistake though. The only pimp Landrieu answers to is Harry Reid.


Ooooh, sheeple unite on this story. Funny to say the least
since the Acorn story is way over and they were exposed by this kid.
It will be interesting to find out why he was there.
O'Keefe will get his day in court just like the terrorist underwear bomber.
You donkey lovers should be worrying about why Obama continues to be out of touch with mainstream America.
Obama has really been the Republican party's best freind these days. Thanks to his offensive spending and socialistic policies people are turning back to the Republicans again. The dems could of had control of everything for a long time if Obama was smart. But as he said, he does not care if he is a one term President.


I just hope Michael Moore can get there in time to capture in a documentry the look on this felonious clown's face when he gets led to the slammer.


"He looks kind of like Timothy McVeigh, doesn't he?"

Posted by: Murphyman


I'm waiting for the mugshot. . .it should be interesting. I love free speech. Mugshots are public records. :-)


Looks like a dumb move . . . and probably a crime. If so, these gents should pay the price.

However, to suggest that this is any way vindicates ACORN, which itself boasts a list of felonies, both realized and attempted, as long as your arm is seriously misguided.


LOL. Another Republican felon. Send this smarmy little weasel to jail for the full 10 years. He can bunk with George Ryan.


Several of the the commentators here have said "unbelievable!"

I agree.

It is unbelievable that the Chicago Tribune finally got around to mentioning the ACORN scandals weeks after the actual events.

It is unbelievable that one day after the arrest of the young man who exposed the corruption, greed and graft of ACORN is arrested the Chicago Tribune has the story.

It is unbelievable that a once great newspaper has become nothing more than an apologist and shield for the progressive movement.


Yes,some of the comments about James O'Keefe are just plain mean.I always thought the Left was the party of compasion and sensitivity.Can't we all get along,and the like.Peace and love and flowers.And I always thought you guys believed in innocent until proven guilty?You guys want to give Muslim terrorists all kinds of rights and think they should be treated fairly,yet if some Republican dare get out of line,they should be locked up and throw away the key.Who knows,maybe James O'Keefe was just testing the security of Senator Landrieu's office.Or he was going to place a tap on the phones.We will soon find out.Until then,all you Libs keep hatin'.I can hardly wait until all the Republican victories in November.

I just wanted to say keep hatin' because I hear it all the time whenever someone disagrees with me.It must be what the kids are saying now a days.Know what I'm sayin'???


Karma.


This was just a third-rate burglary. It won't go any farther than that.


Did you ever notice?...
When a Republican:
Outed a CIA agent, broke into Watergate, shot police officers because he thought they were going to take his guns, stormed a Liberal church and murdered parishioners, assaulted a Holocaust Museum, murdered an abortion doctor, and drew up plans to assassinate President Obama the words that will never be written or spoken are by Republicans in response are "This is an outrage and they should be punished to the maximum extent and there is no justification for this criminal behaviour and we need to make an example of these folks". Their responses are literally virtual high fives, indifference and more times than not used as an excuse to suggest these people be given medals of honor. Sickening!


Haven't these right wing ringers studied the Patriot Act?

Only the govt. can tap your phone, open your mail and read your e mail without a warrant.


Stupid right wingers. Y'all should know that.


Someone is going to jail.


O'Keefe?


Mistaken identity.


That will be the defense.


The guy in the photo is Dana Carvey.


For some reason, however, he's no t laughing.


So how long before we find out he was a paid Republican operative the whole time? Watergate 2 anyone?


Atta boy.. investigate the rascals and tell us what you find out


The MSM will eat them alive.
They were embarrassed by Jim and will never forgive him.
Watch for chapter two.

ps- Libs would have used a pipe bomb.


WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO REPORT ON THE CRIMINAL ACTS OF John Edwards?

Or, are you going to leave investigative journalism to the National Enquirer?

"Former presidential candidate John Edwards is being investigated by a federal grand jury, probing if he misused campaign funds to pay his mistress, the National Enquirer is reporting in its new issue.

The bombshell report says that at least four former campaign workers for Edwards received subpoenas to testify in Raleigh, N.C.

Edwards’ mistress, Rielle Hunter, was on his campaign payroll. He at first denied the affair charge and finally admitted it after the Enquirer caught him in a late-night visit to Hunter’s hotel room.

The Enquirer now quotes a source saying the probe is centered around whether Edwards used campaign money to cover up the affair. The IRS is also reportedly involved.

Edwards still denies he is the father of Hunter’s baby and his close pal and former campaign aide Andrew Young came forward to claim paternity. But Young’s “admission” has been met with severe skepticism. He is not listed as the baby’s father on the birth certificate and Hunter has told friends that Edwards is the father."

Edwards finally admitted that the child is his. What a scum.


He looks kind of like Timothy McVeigh, doesn't he?
Posted by: Murphyman | January 26, 2010 8:22 PM

Definitely some serious, bad, right trash in-breeding went into that face.


The Republicans can't maintain any kind of momentum for more than a week without shooting themselves in the crotch.

Good job, GOP!

Hilarious...


This rightwing nutcase is a stooge for the highest levels of the GOP. Note the history of the attorneys defending him.

GOP disregarding US law yet again. Bad Habit.


Oh, so NOW your interested in the Acorn story.


I wonder if any libs remember the son of democrat congressman Kernell breaking into Sarah Palin's email?

Neither is defensible, but neither is having a biased, one way, memory.

Mike


GEEEZ LIBTARDS!
TAKE A QUE FROM WHAT YOUR PRESIDENT SAID ABOUT THE FORT HOOD SHOOTINGS....

"We don't know all the answers yet, and [I] would caution against jumping to conclusions until we know all the facts."
~president panty waist~
Listen to, and take heed in his words!...this may have been an-"isolated incident!"

Paulo


To Van, come back to earth have you seen the poll numbers for democrats. Your facts are wrong what people don't like are the democrats. I didn't hear you dems calling for an investigation of Ed Schultz when he told people to vote ten times in mass and then the dems tried to get him to run for the senate in north dakota. You just lost mass and you say people don't like republicans. Wake up your party is going over the cliff how dense can you be.


KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS ONE YOU LOONY LEFTIES. KEEP RE-ARRANGING THOSE DECK CHAIRS AS CAPTAIN OBUMBLE HITS THE ICEBERG DEAD AHEAD. PUN INTENDED.


SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT FOX NEWS, HERE'S WHAT NON-FRINGERS SAY:
*
Fox leads for trust
Americans do not trust the major tv news operations in the country- except for Fox News.

Our newest survey looking at perceptions of ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and NBC News finds Fox as the only one that more people say they trust than distrust. 49% say they trust it to 37% who do not.

CNN does next best at a 39/41 spread, followed by NBC at 35/44, CBS at 32/46, and ABC at 31/46.
*
http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2010/01/fox-leads-for-trust.html


These TeaBaggers is about to go to prison and get TeaBagged.


it's truly amazing how quickly the media jumped on this, after they tried to cover up obama's acorn group scam.
They waited 2 weeks to report it, I guess it'll be about 3 years before the media start holding obama accountable for his actions and calling him out for his outright lies and questionable associates.
Let the courts decide what happens to this idiot, but I do appreciate him helping to expose acorn for what it is.


The double standards displayed by the wingnuts continue to amaze and entertain. Jerry Springer can't hold a candle to these guys. You think Big Pharma could come up with some slick drug to help these guys out, but then again, they are relying to heavily on these warped minds to keep them in power.


Funny how the Liberal msm ignores stories like "acorn" and "Climate-gate", "radiacal czars like "Van Jones" for weeks on end, pretending that the stories will go away. But O'Keefe gets busted (probably trying to find out info on the $300 million dollar "louisiana purchase" secret backroom deal) and the goverment run msm jumps right on it. I also read the story about O'Keefe getting busted on Fox news before any one else was reporting it. I guess thats why they mop the floor with all the other liberal outlets in ratings, "fair and balanced" indeed.



This is no poor judgment; these are bunch of CRIMINALS. They are CROOKS! They’ve committed crimes before with the Acorn‘s case; they should be severely punished for their crimes.
FOX NEWS; WSJ, right-wingERs; Limbaugh; NYpost; POLITICO; … can spin it which way they want.
A CRIME IS A CRIME!


At least Nixon knew how to use scary characters when intimidating or burgling the opposition.
This guy looks like he could be beat up by a middle schooler.


What the Hell? Lock these people up! Flanagan and company committed a FELONY, it was not a case of bad judgement. The spokesman from Louisiana be damned. Get these idiots off the streets, they seem to think they are above the law! This is serious stuff, as a lot of classified info travels around our representatives office buildings. HANG EM HIGH. whiteagle38


The ACORN story did little except embarrass the agency. Federal funding was NOT cut off for ACORN as the motion to cut the funding was deemed illegal. You cheerleaders for the Right should follow up on your talking points before putting your foot in your mouth. Nobody at ACORN was charged with ANYTHING from O'Keefe's little project, though a couple of staffers were fired. He's not such a big deal, now, is he?


van you are the idiot. Why does everything have to be right wing letf wing? I respect these kids alot because with the crisis we face today most likely has a lot to do with corruption and fraud. Why are these kids idiots for trying to uncover the truth? Van must be a politician huh. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY LIKE THESE KIDS TRYING TO UNCOVER POLITICAL SCANDALS, BECAUSE THOSE SCANDALS INVOLVE OUR MONEY


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