Stan Dai, left, and James O'Keefe leave jail in Florida. They are accused of illegally entering the office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press / January 26, 2010) |
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Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with a senator's phones were attempting to record undercover video of her staff ignoring calls from constituents angry that she supported President Obama's healthcare overhaul, one of their attorneys said Thursday.The four -- including James O'Keefe III, 25, who previously posed as a pimp and used a hidden camera to target the community organizing group ACORN -- were arrested Monday after authorities said they had targeted Democratic Sen. Mary L. Landrieu's office in a New Orleans federal building.
Attorney J. Garrison Jordan denied that the suspects were trying to disable or wiretap Landrieu's phones.
"You're dealing with kids," he said. "I don't think they thought it through that far."
Instead, Jordan said, they hoped to get embarrassing footage of Landrieu's staff handling constituent calls. Her office received complaints last month that callers opposed to her healthcare stance couldn't get through.
Landrieu was not impressed with Jordan's explanation.
"Attorneys are hired to spin for their clients," she said Thursday.
Protesters marched in front of Landrieu's office in Baton Rouge, La., in December to criticize her support for Senate healthcare legislation and complain that they couldn't get through to her office. Landrieu said at the time that there had been a high volume of calls, and she offered an apology to constituents.
Jordan said his client, Robert Flanagan, 24, son of a federal prosecutor in Louisiana, did not intend to break the law when he went into the office posing as a telephone worker.
The four were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony, which carries up to 10 years in prison. They are free on $10,000 bail.
Charged along with O'Keefe and Flanagan were Joseph Basel and Stan Dai, both 24. The four are due back in court Feb. 12.
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These young men have the mentalities of kids. Trying to place hidden cameras and interfere with the phones at the senator's office is espionage. Those "kids" should be charged with spying and wire tapping a US senator's office. I am not surprised conservative "activists" are involved in this crime because most conservatives are dishonest, untrustworthy, hypocrites. Conservatives feel they are above the law and expect special treatment for their own problems while showing no compassion or empathy for the troubles of others.
Shaw113 (02/01/2010, 12:23 AM )