Grand jury to hear recorder complaint (GOP Mitchell to sue Dem for destroying GOP bug)

[Robbien]

Source: Paduca Sun

BENTON, Ky. -- -- A Marshall grand jury will decide if criminal charges are warranted against anyone in Bruce Lunsford's senatorial campaign for allegedly tampering with a tape recorder used by a campaign aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

. . .

Richard St. Onge III, a staffer with the National Republican Senatorial Committee who is assisting the McConnell re-election campaign, had placed his tape recorder on Lunsford's podium before the debate and without Lunsford's knowledge.

Lunsford said he discovered the recorder midway through the debate. After it was over, he picked up the recorder and gave it to a member of his staff who admitted erasing the contents.

Lunsford said placing the tape recorder on his podium without his knowledge amounted to eavesdropping because it was hidden under a notepad debate organizers placed there so he could take notes.

However, he said he won't consider filing charges because he wants to spend the rest of the campaign talking about important issues and not tape recorders.

Lunsford said the McConnell campaign apparently was hoping that he'd say something in a private conversation or under his breath that it could use against him. It was erased because Lunsford staff members felt the recording was improper, Lunsford said

Read more: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/-grand-jury-hear-recorder-complaint-/2008/10/25/3732595.htm

---

Lunsford finds a GOP recording device placed in secret to spy on the Dem, and his staff erases the content. GOP sues for destruction of property.

What a world.

[msongs]

1. this is GREAT long as the true story is mcconnell attempt at bugging lunsford nt

[Robbien]

2. That aspect will never be explored because the Dem is not pressing charges

He wants to focus on the campaign. So the court only has permission to look into the charge of the Dem erasing material on a GOP recorder.

[LisaL]

5. Well, the dem might want to re-consider.

[Make7]

3. I would imagine that some media outlet recorded the debate.

Why don't the Dems just "apologize" for erasing the tape and offer them a media version as a replacement?
 

[Bushies gotta go]

4. You missed the point

Because the tape was not there to record public statements... it was there to record anything said in private, "muttered privately" so it could be used against him.

[Make7]

6. Actually I didn't miss the point.

My suggestion was for them to offer a reasonable solution in court to resolve the erased tape issue. The opposition would need to provide some reason to the court as to why another copy of the debate would be unacceptable (i.e. "We were trying to get a recording of something damaging to use against him."), or accept a media copy of the debate.
 

[cui bono]

7. Exactly. They can replace the content, and the actual property was not "destroyed"

if they simply erased the tape. Even if they threw the whole recorder into a river they could simply replace the hardware.

But in reality, it's a ridiculous claim and should be thrown out of court. Any background info on the judge?

[Spiffarino]

14. The recording isn't McConnell's property

The recording was being done without the knowledge of the person being recorded. A judge would throw the case out and would probably scold the people who tried to bug the podium.

[cui bono]

15. Yeah, I said: "it's a ridiculous claim and should be thrown out of court".

[Spiffarino]

19. Sorry. I had to reiterate.

I was afraid too many people were missing the point you were making. Should have added, "nailed it!"

[cui bono]

21. Ok, great! Spread the truth!

:D

[AZCat]

10. I think that's a reasonable suggestion. n/t

[Forkboy]

8. Reminds me of the train crew that ran over activist Brian Willson.

In 1987, while engaged in a protest of U.S. weapons to Central America, an action publicized in advance, Willson and other members of a Veterans Peace Action Team were blocking the train tracks at the Concord, California Naval Weapons Station. Due to a government policy decision, the train refused to stop, and the veterans were injured when the train did not slow down as they expected. Willson was hit, run over, and nearly died. Ultimately, he survived but lost both legs below the knee while suffering a severe skull fracture with loss of his right frontal lobe, among other injuries. Subsequently, he discovered that he had been identified for more than a year as an FBI domestic "terrorist" suspect under President Reagan's anti-terrorist task force provisions and that the train crew that day had been ordered to not stop the train to prevent any Hijacking attempts. Willson filed a law suit contending that the Navy and individual supervisors were given ample warning of their plan to nonviolently remain on the tracks, and that the crew had plenty of time to stop--which the subsequent official Navy report confirmed. The train crew filed a law suit against Willson, requesting punitive damages for the "humiliation, mental anguish, and physical stress" they suffered as a result of the incident. Their suit was dismissed. Willson later agreed to settle his lawsuit against the Government and train crew for $920,000. He now walks with prostheses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Willson

What a world, indeed.

[Robbien]

12. Your blood got on me so I'm suing. Nevermind that I was the one who caused you to bleed.

:shakeshead:

Thanks for the article forkboy

Peace, it is a dangerous business.

[mcg]

9. As Obama said about McCain, "You can't make this stuff up, folks" nt

[CLG_News]

11. K&R. n/t

[Spiffarino]

13. He destroyed the recording

He didn't destroy the tape recorder, only the recording. Lunsford was never informed that a recording was being made at the podium. How is that destruction of property when the recorded voice was not legally theirs?

Please, Mitch McChinless, try to get this into court. We can't wait to see the judge laugh at you.

[LisaL]

16. And since voice on the tape belonged to Lunsford,

how would it even be the property of whoever put it there? Before recorder was put on the podium, Lansford's voice wasn't on the recorder.
So, if republicans got their recorder back, they would get it the way it was-without Lunsford's voice on it.

[Spiffarino]

20. Ding!

You are the smartest lizzy in class today.

[Kber]

17. Sounds like one of those there "frivolous law suits".

I think my irony meter just broke.

KB

[POAS]

18. Not even Nixon woulda done this!