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Four arrested trying to wiretap Senator Landrieu's phone

Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Credits: 
AP Manuel Balce Ceneta

James O'Keefe, the now infamous pimp with a hidden camera who is best known for his undercover set up of ACORN workers last year, was arrested with three others and were charged with entering federal property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony.

In an FBI affidavit James O'Keefe, Joseph Basel, Stan Dai and Robert Flanagan were arrested Monday. Special Agent Steven Rayes said O’Keefe was helping two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who were dressed as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office’s telephone system, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans reported Tuesday on its Web site.

The FBI claim that the four plotted to wiretap Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in the Hale Boggs Federal Building in downtown New Orleans.

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 affidavit, 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 both went in. There, a GSA employee asked for the men's credentials, after which they stated they left them in their vehicle.

Federal Marshalls arrested the four soon after.

There is no end to the illegal activities right wingers will go discredit Democrats and now O‘Keefe the darling of Fox News, and his gang will be facing federal charges.

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By

Las Vegas Democrat Examiner

David Phillips is a published author, Vietnam era veteran, Democratic Party activist, and the Publisher and Editor of the online political magazine...

Comments

  • Tanj 2 years ago
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    Breaking into a Federal Building to carry out a felony. This smacks of terrorism. The son of a U.S. Attorney, is a terrorist. I hope they lock him and rest of the coven, up and throw away the key.

  • Ira C. Clearly 2 years ago
    Report Abuse

    There may be others who were involved with this conspiracy to bug Landrieu's phone. Roger Ailes may have provided the money for the exclusive rights to the recordings...

    Either way these four are facing a minimum of ten years each according the lawyer pundits...And as Martha Stewart likes to say "That's a good thing"...

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