Four Conservative Activists Guilty In Phone Caper At Senator's Office

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW ORLEANS -- Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of entering federal property under false pretenses.

James O'Keefe, 25, famous for wearing a pimp costume in a video that embarrassed the ACORN, was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.

The FBI has said O'Keefe used his cell phone to try to capture video of two others who posed as telephone repairmen and asked to see the phones at Landrieu's office. The fourth allegedly waited outside in a car with a listening device.

O'Keefe has said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu's office couldn't get through to criticize the Democrat's support of a health care reform bill.

Magistrate Daniel Knowles III sentenced the three other suspects to two years probation, 75 hours of community service and $1,500 fines.

O'Keefe, Stan Dai, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan were arrested Jan. 25 on felony charges, but federal prosecutors later reduced the charges.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/26/AR2010052602697.html

[xchrom]

1. Awesome! Nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. No jail time; this sucks

[ChairmanAgnostic]

37. probation is no picnic.

First, this stays on their record. No federal job for them. Ever.
Employment in the nonpolitical world will now be close to impossible for them.
They have to stay in contact with a probation office, and report their comings and goings.
If they try some other boneheaded move, that violates probation, and poof, their goes their freedom.

While I agree that tapping a senator's office is hardly a laughing or scoffing matter, they pled, and that changes their lives forever.

Of course, the neocon cult that supports our military industrial war complex can always find room for them on a payroll.

[Strelnikov_]

44. Agreed. Consider Kwame Kilpatrick

"neocon cult . . can always find room for them on a payroll"

Until they can't use them any more, then they're screwed.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

53. yeah, the one overriding facet that neocons display is

just how self serving and cutthroat they are.

[Randomthought]

56. not felonies

They were convicted of a misdemeanor not a felony. That will not affect there employment opportunities.

[xxqqqzme]

79. OFIDDI

(Only a Felony If Democrats Do It)

This would have been upgraded to conspiracy to commit terrorism if it had been four 'other' young men.

[Randomthought]

89. Absolutely!

n/t

[24601]

86. Rep Hastings was impeached & convicted which then removed

him as a federal judge - and he has a federal job.

[marshall]

92. The Senate declined to prohibit Hastings from future federal jobs

He could pursue any job he is qualified for.

[TwentyFive]

62. Private sector jobs? How about "Pool Boys" at Rush Limbaugh's Estate.

I imagine Rush got all excited when he read about the one with the Pimp Costume. He'll get a little something extra in his paycheck, if you know what I mean.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

65. "No federal job for them. Ever."

Political appointee. They can put in anybody they want.

There was an article in today's Washington Times co-authored by someone named F. Vincent Vernuccio. I Googled him. See if you can find any reason, based on his merits, he should be hired for anything at the Department of Labor. He never in his life held a job for longer than a few months. Nonetheless, he was hired as a political appointee, because he was able to do the exact opposite of what his job description entailed. He was installed to throw a monkey wrench in the machinery and bring it crashing to a halt. "Mission accomplished," so to speak.

F. Vincent Vernuccio

[proud2BlibKansan]

67. But isn't this a misdemeanor?

That won't prevent them from getting a federal job.

[pattmarty]

74. Not true. They will not suffer at all. The best news is that it will be on......

........their record for life, so the liberals will be able to call them "convicts" whenever they are in public or on TV. Trust me, probation really doesn't mean shit to shitbags like these. They will always have a paying "job".

[SpiralHawk]

2. Republicon Family Pharisee Values pimps

Ptooooey.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Eh, sounds about right.

I know a lot of DUers will be screaming for heads to roll, but given the charges and the lack of criminal history, I think the punishment fits the crime.

[ColesCountyDem]

16. Same here, but....

.... I hope you're wearing your Nomex fire-retardant suit.

;)

[SteppingRazor]

20. Always:

[ColesCountyDem]

50. LOL!

:rofl:

[AlbertCat]

23. I know a lot of DUers will be screaming for heads to roll,

No... this keeps them from being martyrs. Now they just look like foolish teenagers.

[mfcorey1]

41. I for one am calling,"Off with their heads." Their sentence was a slap on the back.

[The Wielding Truth]

55. So when is the trial for the fraud they perpetrated against ACORN?

[Capitalocracy]

85. +100,000,000,000

[Enthusiast]

87. Yeah! When?

[stopbush]

31. Exactly. And probation violations are no small matter.

Considering the history and MO of these jerks, they will have a hard time staying clean of these dirty tricks while on probation.

[Downtown Hound]

69. I agree with you

This really isn't the greatest crime ever committed. I think both the charges and sentences are appropriate.

[defendandprotect]

75. Agree . . . but we don't know what it would have ended up being?

Was it something parallel to the ACORN scam . . .

would they have distorted the info and made it look as though phones were

rigged to exclude certain callers?

Great damage done to ACORN and Dem Party which I don't see

getting straightened out!

[quakerboy]

80. How about the Palin Email

"hacker"? Last I heard they were talking 3-10 for him. It seems somewhat out of balance.

[Ian David]

4. Bwahahaha!

[d_r]

5. I think it was way too light

[Ian David]

6. I agree. They got off too easy.

However, I doubt O'Keefe will be able to stay out of trouble for the three years of his probation.

I expect he'll eventually do time for SOMETHING fairly soon.

[hay rick]

71. The only time he'll do

is another "time out" in his bedroom at his parent's New Jersey home.

[haikugal]

7. How Does This Compare

to what happened at the RNC convention and the people they put in jail for peaceful protest?

[d_r]

8. I was thinking of this guy as a comparison

the one who logged on to Palin's yahoo mail account. I hope that he gets as light a sentence frankly-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/sarah-palin/7660937/Son-of-Democrat-guilty-of-hacking-Sarah-Palin-email-account.html

[beac]

19. I hope so too.

It will be interesting to see how a Democratic "kid" fares, as the Republican "kids" got every benefit of the doubt for their "prank."

[tsuki]

64. Doesn't one of them have a father that is a US Attorney? How does

that factor in the sentence.

[haikugal]

28. That's a good comparison

[SteppingRazor]

22. Charges were dropped against nearly all of the almost 1,000 people detained.

The arrests should never have happened in the first place, particularly those of journalists covering the convention and police actions outside it. But it's tough to compare what happened there to what's happened to O'Keefe, because in O'Keefe's case, we're talking about his sentencing -- and most of the folks at the RNC convention were never sentenced to anything.

[proud2BlibKansan]

29. There are still several on trial right now

I'm on an email list that sends out updates and they were still on trial as of a week ago.

[SteppingRazor]

32. I did say "nearly all." There are the folks from the RNC Welcoming Committee, but ...

it's looking more and more like they'll get off. The trial's been a bit of a farce. Check out rnc8.org.

[haikugal]

33. OK..they weren't sentenced but they were put thru hell

and didn't they spend time in jail? Did these kids even see the inside of a cell? They have been groomed to do this kind of thing..they are Breitbart's heros.

[SteppingRazor]

35. Having been tear-gassed by police under similar circumstances, believe me, I am deeply sympathetic.

First, yes, the folks at the RNC spent some hours in jail before being arraigned. And yes, so did O'Keefe and his gang.

But my overall point is that, in this case, I think justice was served. In the case of the RNC, the initial arrests were not righteous, even if the arrested people weren't charged in the end. Point being, just because the one case was overreach by the police doesn't mean that the other case is a miscarriage of justice.

I mean, really, how serious would you like the crime of entering a federal building under false pretenses to be? I'd be more concerned if the government could send people away -- regardless of their political leanings -- for years on end for this, than if a few people that I don't agree with get probation for it.

[haikugal]

39. I consider tapping a phone of an elected official pretty serious...

what am I missing here? I agree one is over-reach and one appears to be a slap on the wrist. How do I have the wrong conclusion? My point is that there is the appearance (reality) of inequality, not that people need severe punishment..

[SteppingRazor]

42. Except that they weren't charged with tapping the phone.

Not that they didn't intend to, but they hadn't actually committed the crime yet. So, they were charged with the one thing they did do -- enter a federal building under false pretenses. That's a misdemeanor, and I think it's fine that it is. If O'Keefe's as big a prick as he makes out to be, he'll fuck up at some point in his three years of probe and wind up in jail anyway.

[haikugal]

43. Agree...we'll hear from this moron again.

[SteppingRazor]

47. Undoubtedly. And conservatives will probably hear from him at gala luncheons for a $50,000 fee. n/t

[haikugal]

51. I hope I'm dead before he and Palin form a ticket for the highest office....

[cstanleytech]

59. Aye, but did anyone here really expect anything else considering the family

connections these kids had?

[denverbill]

9. So they have no committed more crimes (1) than ACORN, the org they decried as criminal.

I hope they are never allowed any where near any federal funds, like student loans, research grants, unemployment benefits, etc. They are known criminals.

[GReedDiamond]

84. A song, dedicated to the criminal exploits of little Jimmy O'K...

...called "James O'Keefe III": http://www.benedictarnoldandthetraitors.com/audio/ny/

(A free mp3 from Benedict Arnold & The Traitors, originally released on March 24, 2010.)

On edit: I meant to post this as a reply to the OP, but, well, it ended up here instead. Sorry.

[glitch]

10. Look at this headline "conservative activists" "caper"

That trivialization along with their reduced charges and ridiculous sentence tells us quite a bit about the current state of our system, doesn't it?

[DallasNE]

11. Similar Crimes, Different Outcome

Compare and contrast the slap on the wrist these 4 adults received and the prison time the minor got for hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail after she was named as McCain's VP choice.

[brendan120678]

15. I don't think the Palin "hacker" has been sentenced yet.

[SteppingRazor]

24. He hasn't, though he faces some jail time.

The person you responded to is both right and wrong here. The crimes are similar on the surface, but the e-mail hacker was charged with completely different crimes. One of the ones he was found guilty for -- felony obstruction -- has teeth. He could go away for 20 years, though that's unlikely.

[haikugal]

36. Wasn't entering a Federal Bldg under falce pretences a possible felony crime?

[Divine Discontent]

45. “a combined maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines." Up to the judge - but, of

course, since we see the attempted bugging of a senator's office during a time of war is not punishable by any jail time - so - this crime of hacking email of a governor's email should warrant the same type of punishment.


RIGHT?

RIGHT???


please tell me there's not differing types of punishment handed out in this country based on whether you're a white rich adult son of a republican us atty who's already done some questionable deeds, versus an underaged white son of a democratic state representative?

[DoBotherMe]

52. Maybe this sentence will help the email guy get

a light sentence too. I can hope. Dana ; )

[joe black]

60. Yeah,

Well how about the guy that told the burning bush joke in a fucking bar and got two years in the slammer. No double standard there.

[Divine Discontent]

61. oh, but that was the COMMANDER IN CHIEF he was referring to - in a time of war!

see... it's all justifiable!


pfff.

[bergie321]

12. Now imagine

That they were black...

[sabrina 1]

27. Or Muslim ~

[bleever]

13. Make O'Keefe clean inner-city neighborhoods in his pimp costume.

My .02.

[drmeow]

14. They will wear this

as a badge of honor. The fines won't come out of their pockets and they will find the most right wing community service they can. They will complain/brag about how they were punished unjustly for trying to protect the people, yada, yada, yada. I hope they get probation officers who think they got off too light!

[raouldukelives]

17. Trying to bug a US Senators office during a time of war

Isn't as big a deal as I thought it was.

[Magleetis]

18. Just kids having fun

isn't that right Magistrate Daniel Knowles III?

[wilt the stilt]

21. Best punishment

is for these people to serve poor people in inner city neighborhoods like Acorn did. That would be the sweetest punishment. Love to see that women around big intimidating black guys. LOL

[Joanne98]

25. Slap on the wrist! The judge should be impeached!

[sabrina 1]

30. Yes, it is a slap on the wrist which they will boast about

This is what happens when you have influence and money behind you and you're a Republican.

We will need to watch what sentence the Sarah Palin 'prankster' gets by comparison. But so far I have not seen him referred to as a prankster so it doesn't look like he has any influence with the press.

[ColesCountyDem]

93. 3 years of probation isn't as easy as it sounds.

They'll screw up, I'm pretty sure.

[msanthrope]

34. Three years of probation is a long time to refrain from fucking up. n/t

[underpants]

38. NO JAIL TIME--- shows what being able to afford good lawyering gets you

NEW ORLEANS — Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with the phones in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of entering federal property under false pretenses.

James O'Keefe, 25, famous for wearing a pimp costume in a video that embarrassed the ACORN, was sentenced to three years probation, 100 hours of community service and a $1,500 fine.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/james-okeefe-pleads-guilty-sentenced_n_590559.html

[brooklynite]

49. Will conservatives object to this "Soft on Crime" sentence?

[dem mba]

40. 4 Black Activists Sentenced to 3 Years in Botched Wiretap Sting At Senator's Office

had the activists been four liberal black Obama supporters in their mid-20s caught at James Inhofe's office, the headline would be something like that. The cynic in me thinks the felony charges would have stuck.

[BumRushDaShow]

46. Or better it would have been

4 Black Radicals Sentenced to 3 Years prison and 2 years probation in Botched Terrorist plot At Senator's Office

[dem mba]

88. exact

liberals are always radicals. conservatives are just "concerned citizens" or some BS.

[Divine Discontent]

48. you betcha! all eyes are watching what the juvenile gets for hacking Palin's email account - will he

get probation as they did?

His conviction states -
“a combined maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. It also calls for as much as eight years of supervised release, but it will be up to the judge to decide the sentence.”


How they could even consider jailing the boy after letting this idiot o'theif off with just probation is beyond me...

[fascisthunter]

73. another instance of a double standard

and yet they whine as if they were victimized... right wingers

[jgraz]

90. Imagine if they were Muslims

Obama would have ordered a drone strike.

[Plucketeer]

54. From Heros

to hoodlums - in one fell swoop! Can you hear me now??? LOL!!! :rofl:

[onehandle]

57. Slap on the wrist that will make O'Keefe even more of a hero. Any of us would be in jail...

...for several years at least.

They might as well give him a winning lottery ticket too.

[Johonny]

58. well for one side of the aisle

Like G Gordon Liddy or Oliver North being a criminal doesn't hurt you if you are a conservative talking to conservatives on conservative media. However he's basically toast for being considered a real journalist and taken serious by any other type of media organization.

[tom_paine]

63. Wow, our Corporate Controlled M$M is COTEMPTIBLE

As, apparently is our law enforcenemtn system, who let these felons get away with it, as if they were Klansmen who lynched an African-American and this was 1958.

Hey, at least our Busho-Klansmen of 2010 got a phony-wrist slap, eh?

Remember, M$M it's a CAPER when Republic Party Operatives try to bug a Democratic Senator's office. CAPER. CAPER. CAPER. CAPER. CAPER. Now THAT'S a harmless-spunding word - funny how all across the M$M the persisent and coordinated use of this word to describe a felony was in place in HOURS the day the criminals were caught. You couldn't get coordination like that in Commie Chinese Media these days - but American Corporate M$M is another matter.

Oh, and don't forget, Corporate Controlled M$M, to mention the "pimp video" without mentioning that it was all a phony set up and BULLSHIT for which ACORN was exonerated.

Remember, Bushie "federal prosecutors" (corrupt crimional Bushie operatives), drop those charges quickly, but remember to slap them on the wrist with a misdemeanor and probation, with a wink and a nod to their connected aristocratic parents and other criminal Bushies, to provide Plausible Deniability.

Ah the one-sided justice that Loyal Commies and Bushies receive from the Soviet Union and American Empire, respectively - it must be nice.

[alp227]

66. Wait, so WHO's soft on crime now?

- James O'Keefe pretty much got away with destroying ACORN and trespassing on federal property. $1,000 don't mean jack for a man with a wealthy family and plenty of more money to raise with the CON-servative movement.
- Willow Palin trashes a house that was on sale, but her powerful ex-governor mother uses her political connections to drop charges against her.

[Divine Discontent]

70. Good post! it's true - the REPUBLICANS are soft on crime - their own!!

[DonCoquixote]

68. And none of that

Will stop Mary landrieu from being the biggest DINO in Washington.

[fascisthunter]

72. ok... so if I break into and tap a Republican's office phone

I will not go to jail... got it.

Incredible

This is not a country of laws...

[harmonicon]

76. How cute! A "caper"! Thanks, AP!! Keep up the good right-wing nut-job work!

Does the AP also cover the "Iraq tussle" and other important issues of the day?

[robinblue]

77. The 2 and 3 years probation should at least keep them somewhat tame

for a while.

[LawnKorn]

82. And the next stunt they pull should put them in jail

The next stunt they pull should put them in jail for 2 to 3 years.

[Kingofalldems]

78. Hey freepers-----Look at your weenie heroes now

Pleading guilty like teenage punks.

[Atticus]

81. Bookmark this: we have not seen or heard the last of Mr. O'Keefe.

This slap on the wrist will only encourage more of his spoiled-brat behavior. He has never had to assume personal responsibility for his arrogance or his criminality.

I'm sure his fine will be paid by some "appreciative" birther or teabagger and he will be in high demand as a speaker at Klan rallies and Tea Parties across the fruited plain.

[LawnKorn]

83. K&R

[wial]

91. someone should do a mashup

substituting video of Timothy McVeigh for that of O'Keefe in those Fox appearances when they were destroying Acorn.