Tables=Turned: ACORN stalker and fake pimp arrested for wiretapping

Finally, some good news:

Alleging a plot to tamper with phones in Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s office in the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans, the FBI arrested four people Monday, including James O’Keefe, a conservative filmmaker whose undercover videos at ACORN field offices severely damaged the advocacy group’s credibility.

Also arrested were Joseph Basel, Stan Dai and Robert Flanagan, all 24. Flanagan is the son of William Flanagan, who is the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, the office confirmed. All four were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony.

According to the FBI affidavit, Flanagan and Basel entered the federal building at 500 Poydras Street about 11 a.m. Monday, dressed as telephone company employees, wearing jeans,  fluorescent green vests, tool belts, and hard hats. When they arrived at Landrieu’s 10th floor office, O’Keefe was already in the office and had told a staffer he was waiting for someone to arrive.

When Flanagan and Basel entered the office, they told the staffer they were there to fix phone problems. At that time, the staffer, referred to only as Witness 1 in the affadavit, observed O’Keefe positioning his cell phone in his hand to videotape the operation. O’Keefe later admitted to agents that he recorded the event.

After being asked, the staffer gave Basel access to the main phone at the reception desk. The staffer told investigators that Basel manipulated the handset. He also tried to call the main office phone using his cell phone, and said the main line wasn’t working. Flanagan did the same.

They then told the staffer they needed to perform repair work on the main phone system and asked where the telephone closet was located. The staffer showed the men to the main General Services Administration office on the 10th floor, and Flanagan and Basel went in. There, a GSA employee asked for the men’s credentials, after which they stated they left them in their vehicle.

The U.S. Marshal’s Service apprehended all four men shortly thereafter.

But thank god O’Keefe is used to dressing up in costumes…

The four men appeared in federal magistrate court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Louis Moore wearing red inmate jumpstuits from St. Bernard Parish Prison, where they are being held.

I think I just popped a nut.

[via a terrible, terrible wingnut blog I don’t want to acknowledge]

Posted by Kevin K. on 01/26/10 at 04:51 PM • Permalink

Landrieu passed over Flanagan and suggested two others to be USA for the western district of Louisiana, one of whom—Stephanie A. Finley—has been nominated by the president.

Oh dear.

O.M.G.

If this is the same dude, we may be witnessing the ultimate example of FAIL.

Looks like Breitbart’s hanging O’Keefe out to dry.

Of course, he’d never have run with whatever they were fishing for. No sirree.

This purports to be an arrest statement by the lead FBI Special Agent. Doesn’t look like it’s going to be a tough case to prosecute, since everyone admitted everything. Let’s just hope the trail leads to their shadowy paymasters, Sarah Palin and Sean Hannity.

Good news for O’Keefe is he’s meeting a lot of new friends who’ll be happy to show him how real pimps treat their hos. This should be a terrific learning experience.

http://tominpaine.blogspot.com/

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