**BREAKING** ACORN Sues Hidden-Camera Filmmakers, Breitbart.com
by PubliusFrom the Associated Press:
BALTIMORE (AP) – Community activist group ACORN is suing the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute.
The liberal group contends that the audio portion of the video was obtained illegally because Maryland requires two-party consent to create sound recordings.
The two employees seen in the video were fired after it was posted online. The lawsuit says the employees, Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams, suffered “extreme emotional distress.”
Read the full article here.
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481 Comments
Legal Defense Fund! Stat!
Discovery should be interesting.
Can ACORN really be so stupid as to open themselves up to discovery? Do they really think that has been the hope all along?
Oh goody! Can an organization possibly be more stupid?
playing right into their hands, lol, dumbest thing they could ever do
This comes as no surprise. Another of the tried and true liberal tactics. Deny everything, and make counter-accusations. What I find hard to believe is that Reid is saying no to investigating ACORN in the Senate, yet Frank is launching an investigation in the House. Not of ACORN, but of the film makers that busted them. Our tax dollars at work. When are these morons going to wake up and remember who they work for? My guess, in about one year and two months. Here's hoping….
I'm sure they ladies in the video did suffer "extreme emotional distress". Most people who get caught breaking the law on videotape, and lose their jobs would likely suffer from this. If they hadn't been doing something wrong they wouldn't have had anything to worry about. I hope they toss this out of court and make ACORN pay all the legal fees.
They are suing on behalf of fired employees? They want millions from two people who spent $1300 on this whole project? They look pretty bad here.
Oh, goody!
So "goody", I'll second the fellow above and raise him a "say it twice":
Oh, GOODY!!!!!!
GOODY GOODY!!!
I'll donate to the legal defense fund. Someone needs to set one up.
ACORN? Lawsuit? Discovery? Yeah, right! Those people don't have a clue. Someone needs to file a motion to compell………..
What a couple losers! Emotional distress for showing what they really are like. Entitlement and easy $$ is the norm.
Hahaha Do it …..Discovery will be a bitch, especially since Baltimore ACORN was operating without a valid commercial business license.
Is the organization suing or are the two thugs suing?
If it's the thugs, discovery is less promising — UNLESS discovery uncovers the organization is behind their suit.
I have never gave to anything an I have little money but i will give to the defense fund these kids r heros
KILL THE MESSENGER!! KILL, KILL THE MESSENGER!!
Does this mean we get to look inside the corrupt treasure trove of your accounts, etc., etc., etc?
KILL THE MESSENGER!! KILL, KILL THE MESSENGER!!
Does this mean that through discovery we get to look inside the corrupt treasure trove of your accounts, etc., etc., etc?
I do find it odd that the AP broke this story. I wonder where it will be ranked on the evening news tonight? Someone needs to alert Charlie Gibson…………
[...] “Oh, GOODY!! **BREAKING** ACORN Sues Hidden-Camera [...]
How else are they going to get their entitlement pay for their illegal advice they offered as part of their job.
Only in freakin nut job America.
Let's not forget the fact that ACORN was operating on an expired corporate charter…What a joke! Bring it on, I say.
hehe this is going to get great… this is a catch 22 if you ask me.. ACRON gets Tax payer bucks… then they sue with our Tax payer bucks
The money shall come back sooner or later to the tax payers lOl
This is despicable, but also SO stupid, as to be hilarious!
ACORN has just opened a gigantic can of worms, that they really and truly do NOT want to have opened! How is that? Because there is such a thing known as "DISCOVERY", which entitles those being sued ( Andrew, James, and Hannah ) to have thier lawyers ask to see anything and EVERYTHING regarding Acorn and each of the two people filing te suit. And yes, that does mean that ACORN will now have to show those being sued their books, all records, and anything else they can think of.
Add to that, the Baltimore ACORN group had, at the time of the filming, been operating ILLEGALLY in Baltimore! This opens up not only ACORN, but the government of Baltimore and Maryland, to all kinds of serious legal complaints and investigations!
THIS SHOULD PROVE TO BE LOTS OF FUN TO WATCH UNFOLD! Now, the ACORN mess will continue to be in the news for a very long time.
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"Compell" to do what? Motions to compel are generally involved with discovery disputes. Your Cowboy Logic could use some more Law and Order, or not.
I'd forgotten that ACORN had lost its incorporated status. So ACORN is, theoretically NOT a party to this suit. Still be interested to see who's paying for their lawyers.
Can any lawyers here speak to just how much information could potentially be made public via discovery? There seems to be a lot of popular mythology around the discovery process, and I'd like to know what the reality is. This could be seriously interesting, no doubt.
Saved by the truth
Here is the biggest point. As pointed out last week, ACORN let it's corporation standing lapse in maryland. They are OUT OF LUCK. They have to file their corporate annual reports to remain in good standing. They did not do so. A company that no longer exists can't experience damage.
I want to see that complaint. Is Acorn really asking for emotional distress damages for employees that Acorn fired? Unbelievable.
I'm no lawyer but I've been involved with a number of cases and I don't think discovery give s carte blanche access – the request(s) must be relevant to the specific case and it seems to me is limited to that which the other side is/will be using in the case. would love to hear an attorney's input on this and also would like to know where to contribute to the defense.
So, does this mean that speaking truth to power is no longer a good thing??
Oh it will be main news on NBC – Guarantee that !
emotional distress. Could that be something that a young teen who has an entire life of sexual slavery to look forward to suffer from?
Someone please look up the word shame and read Tonja and Shera the definition.
They probably think they can restrict discovery, as they are accusing them of a wiretapping violation. We'll get to see if Internet Journalism qualifies for the shield, I think.
If they are forced to have open discovery in this case, I think this will go away as fast as the CAIR lawsuit did. Do James and Hannah then have slander/libel avenues to pursue?
Methinks ACORN does not know the First Rule of Holes: When in one, STOP DIGGING!
Let me see if I have got this straight: ACORN, a criminal enterprise funded by US, the taxpayers of the United States, is using OUR money to file a lawsuit against two Patriotic Americans who exposed ACORN as a fradulent criminal enterprise. Is that correct? Is that the right assessment?
WoW, I'm shocked……………
It is a racist conspiracy.
[...] Andrew Breitbart’s Big Government; details at the [...]
ACORN must've successfully found the judge they wanted to render favorable rulings as to which docs/motions will be allowed.
I do not think Acorn is suing. The two fired employees are suing for emotional distress. I do no think they will get a penny though. Perhaps they should have sued Acorn because that is where the money is.
ACORN seems to have the same level of competency as to legal advice as they have in giving tax advise. Don't they realize that the Dems and the media are doing their besty best to bury the ACORN scandal and ACORN opens up a legal suit that will take years to resolve. Way to keep ACORN off the front page guys.
I live in Indiana, a single party consent state. Because of that I carry a digital voice recorder when I open carry my firearm as allowed by my Indiana license to carry. I consent to the recording so I'm within the law, so since Giles and O'Keefe both consent I would think that puts them within the law as well, furthermore, was there any real expectation of privacy in any of those videos?
Onward to discovery, this ought to be fun.
Shame? Such an unfamiliar emotion.
I posted the same thing. Thanks. They broke the law. There may be difficulty for them to reactivate. How will they serve papers?
This reminds me of the 'hoods that filed a police report because someone stole their crack cocaine.
The intensity of the intrigue gets better — this is the best sop area since Willie and his CIGAR
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
This will go nowhere. Believe me, there are good lawyers there who will subpoena ACORN's books somehow and ACORN will drop the case ASAP.
Believe me, ACORN DOES NOT want the investigation that would occur if a court case opened up. They're more afraid of the 15 other videos that are waiting to come out.
Next they will sue Acorn for not enough training.
I will donate to the legal defence fund the moment I have the information! These evil bastards can NOT be allowed to threaten OUR young patriots! This has by blood boiling!
ACORN should know that slavery is also illegal.
Any lawyers out there want to help us un-educated racists understand what comes next? I know everyone mentioned "discovery" but it would be nice to know – they will need a defense and a good one – oh Mark Levin where are you ….
http://www.landmarklegal.org/DesktopDefault.aspx
let's take it slow and clamly…. We may only get one chance at this…
Well, discovery can go into a LOT of areas that are not admissible in court. The only limitation is that any discovery request must *potentially* lead to admissible evidence. So, you can't go on a fishing expedition (though, in my experience, most depositions are exactly that). I think most states have some pretty tough laws against making anything public that is produced during discovery. Unless it is entered into evidence, and thus part of the public record, I don't know how much "gotcha" material would ever make it out.
the sinner,
Patrick
Boo! Hoo! Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ACORN is stupid beyond conprehension.
Let’s see here…..videotaping with audio without someones permission vs. helping a “pimp” and a “prostitute” establish a brothel with underage girls from El Salvador…PLUS helping them to skirt every tax law we have on the books.
Hmmm….i dont know, you tell ME which is worse……YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF MARYLAND!!
LEGAL FUND FOR JAMES AND HANNAH NOW!!
Sorry Bill, was being facetious……….
Oh, DISCOVERY! (evil grin!)
I wish they said if this is in federal or state i cant pull anything up on PACER or Maryland Judiciary. Anyone have a copy of the summons & complaint?
Link to legal defense fund, please. Every tax-paying American owes you guys big-time. Just let us know where to send the $upport.
Man! ACORN is sure desparate to keep their left wing shinanigans going, arent they?
OK, with the damages they're seeking that means there will likely be a jury, right? I'd like to know how many jurors would side with someone who experience emotional distress because they got caught giving "unethical" advice about how to do something illegal.
All ACORN is going to do here is force the Maryland statute that prohibits recordings of this nature into the State and Federal Supreme Courts, where it will be tossed. Very forward-thinking group! LOL!
What a bunch of maroons…..
-
Big Bertha \”Lyin\” Lewis certainly needs to be refamiliarized.
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Discovery: it has to be limited to areas that can *potentially* produce admissible evidence. Yes, this is usually construed very liberally, and can lead the requesting party(ies) acquiring some very interesting documentation. However, to what degree this discovery available for public perusal, I think, depends on the state. I'm pretty sure that here in CA you can't simply publish anything that you get in discovery. And, of course, if there are "business secrets" or "personal information," I have no doubt that Maryland has rules regarding the ability the responding party to request a seal or some sort of restraining order/protective order regarding the sharing of discovery responses with third parties.
In other words, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for something "juicy" to come out of the discovery process. Oh, and those pesky shredding machines are probably already hard at work.
the sinner,
Patrick
More legal ideas. If the fired workers felt emotional distress, they should sue ACORN who fired the,
Actually Bertha because she said how bad they were and slandered her own ex employees. If ACORN loses, then does ACORN have standing to ask Hanna and Brian for reimbursement? Under what law?
ACORN is litigious and used to courts to do a shakedown for blackmail moneys. that is a core source of their operating funds.
I'm not a lawyer either, but I'm thinking along the same lines as MStewart. I was under the impression the discovery was limited in scope to items/documents/facts strictly relevant to the case.
I'm no fan of ACORN and I'd love to see the organization removed from the face of the earth as much as anyone else here, but we have to look at this carefully. Aside from the emotional damages (rediculous) they are suing on the basis that supposedly in Maryland the conset of both parties is required for an audio recording. If that is true, and it is shown that the consent of the ACORN employees was not obtained, then they may be in a bit of trouble. Breaking the law is breaking the law.
We may find out that the law is a bit more complicated and the actions of O'keefe and Giles are somehow exempted from this requirement of consent.
Hell, the fact that ACORN even exists is causing me emotional distress…given the fact they are evil and corrupt and defrauding taxpayers.
Hey! I think I’ll sue!
Did a quick search on "Maryland wiretap law overhear" and an article talking about Linda Tripp summed it up quite nicely…
That is, an "interception" is not the same as a "recording" and an "interception" is clearly the "acquisition" of the communication and NOT the "recording" or "taping" of it.
James & Hannah did not "Intercept" the communication. The legally "acquired" it by BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION. Recording is just a preservation mechanism if you aren't "intercepting" the communication. But save that for the trial (if it ever gets that far). Go Go DISCOVERY!!!
How many tax dollars will they waste suing these two patriots for uncovering illegal activities by their group while subsidized by our by federal government?
Then the State of Maryland should be bringing charges. Until that issue is resolved, it would be hard to have a civil case.
"As the world turns"……..Cant wait till tomorrow to see the new updates
Will Barack be reprising his role as ACORN Defense Lawyer?
ACORN: Association of Criminals Obama Represented in the Nineties.
They probably have some good lawyers just waiting for something like this to be dropped on them.
Lawyers: the one thing ACORN uses even more than "the children".
I can't wait to see the details on this one…
http://firebreathingchristian.com
This is fantastic. AWESOME!
This is fantastic. AWESOME! The Discovery process should be outstanding….how stupid can they be.
I suffer severe, emotional distress when I look at my paystub and knows it helps pay Tanya and Shera's salary.
Any sentence that begins "Can ACORN really be so stupid…" can only be answered with "Obviously, yes."
Some MD liberal activist judge will limit discovery to the complaint which will cite MD privacy law, so the 40 yrs of ACORN corruption and communist ball-licking will be off the table.
LOL! Like the records aren't mysteriouosly missing.
So Barney Frank is going to have HEARINGS attacking Breitbart and OKeefe and Giles??? These will be public. Can BigGovernment PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE carry streaming video of these hearings??? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?
And tell me where to send some support money, through paypal if possible.
Try reading the first line of the article! It VERY clearly states that it IS ACORN, who IS doing the suing !
Bertha Lewis = Wiley E. Coyote, Super Genius. Good luck with the ACME lawsuit that is bound to blow up in your face.
5 million Americans have been fired due to obama. He promised 3 million new jobs. Who sues obama? He fired all the chrysler dealers. How is that lawsuit coming? They actually had millions in damages.
ACORN is accustomed to lawsuits. Companies pay to get rid of them.
This should be fun … Anybody have a handy copy of the First Amendment? You know, that little thing called freedom of the press, that Hugo Chavez likes so much?
I think this has been done before with disastrous results.
If Hannah and James pay taxes then they have an interest in what goes on in these snake pits, not just as reporters.
Distraction, deflection and defamation – ACORN's stock-in-trade… These people are so arrogant and feel so superior with their "Organizer-in-Chief" in the Oval Office, they just don't realize that the first rule of politics is self-preservation and their "savior" and his cronies will abandon them like rats from a sinking ship!
ACORN has been " BREITBARTED"….
Bring on the lawsuit! I welcome it! If it actually comes to jail time for them, then they will go down as martyrs. On top of that, it means ACORN will have to further reveal their inner workings as well. I want to know everything as to how my tax dollars are being spent.
OH, but you KNOW that the MSM is gonna be FLOODING the airwaves with this! they still suck
and no one watches them hehee
here is the full complaint. Acorn AND each of the two women are suing.
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_complaint.h...
Ok now issue a discovery against ACORN for all the documents prior to 2002 up till the day of the video being done. Then when the court date arrives ask why they were still operating since their charter was pulled in 2006 per Maryland’s AG. ACORN was not to have a business in operation in Maryland and was not tax exempt from that time so, WHERE’S THE MONEY THEY GOT AND THE TAXES THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING???????
Here is the full complaint
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_complaint.h...
Does the Attorney General of Maryland realize that she let ACORN set up the so called President of the U.S. Because any good attorney is going to bring every possible sole into this case. Emanuel, Axlerod, Jarrett and OBAMA. Stupid is what stupid does.
ACORN (maybe i will rename them ACRAP) feels empowered because Obama and his left wing cronies are in control, and they feel they can do whatever they want.
But if they win, it will show just how corrupt not only ACORN is, but also this administration is too.
[...] ACORN Sues Hidden-Camera Filmmakers, Community activist group ACORN is suing the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute. [...]
someone got too start a fund to support these true american heros because our govt wont
Bring it on……….."Pack a Lunch"
here is the complaint
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_complaint.h...
Umm, weren't they fired? Why is ACORN suing on behalf of FORMER employees?
They'll likely move for protective order on all discovery. Instead of a legal defense fund, there should be a general fund to pay for the fines the parties will incur so that they can publish all the discovery anyway! I would LOVE to sit in on those depositions.
Maryland requires two party consent. James and Hannah gave their consent. End of story, yes?
I don't know Maryland law, but since Hannah and James simply entered these ACORN offices off the street and engaged in a spontaneous meeting with them, why couldn't they claim that whatever happened in that meeting was "public" so not subject to rights of privacy. Anyone who had entered the office with them would have heard what was said there. The tape recording is essentially of a "public meeting" since the meeting was not pre-arranged or limited to known private (i.e. non-public) individuals. I wouldn't think there would be any validity to an expectation of privacy.
What the left knows how to do – file lawsuits – look what they did to Sarah Palin!!
Acorn is the gift that keeps on giving
Can we get a class action lawsuit going against Acorn for abusing our tax money?
********update*****
someone help me out. Big Bad bertha claimed she FIRED them. Yesterday or Monday I read that it was not true but put the workers on leave of abscence so she could investigate and she lied about actually firing them.
Haha, I'd love to be at those depositions!
I agree on the legal fund…BigGov, can you set up a Paypal donation button so we can help out.
It was my understanding that they didn't have a business license to operate in MD so doesn't the one cancel the other out? But lets take a look at their tactic they get breached and the world is shown how shady this organization is and what do they do. They play the victim and instead of massive investigation on their desire to enable bad behavior a witch hunt is started at those who exposed them!
Typical action, redirect the issue and go after the "accuser" or should I say individuals exposing a bad org and make them out to be the bad guys. I tell you folks "we the people" have to be the investigators as org's like ACORN will not expect it just as James and Hanna did. They know it will come from law enforcement and DOJ entities. Time to start outsmarting these special interest groups, corrupt politicians and bias fringe media and give them a dose of their own medicine… a "lethal" dose through savingtherepublic.com
lol this will be a nail in the coffin for them. OK how do I donate to the legal fund? I'm in for $100.
I sense a new Christmas Carol coming on….,.
ACORNs roasting on an open fire…..
Ah, such a lovely aroma!
The Census Bureau severed its ties with ACORN. Here is an interesting tidbit of Americana. I thought about posting it here, but everything is relevant. It appears that out in the sticks, "Feds" are frowned upon……….
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM...
What are the courts going to say about that particular ACORN office being run illegally since 2006? Is ACORN taking this into account?
It is relevant-
http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=4786
Please let us know how we can contribute to their Legal Defense Fund. I am so eager to join them on a voyage of Discovery … into the inner workings of the ACORN conglomerate.
First motion. We want all of your financial records, including donor list and employees with salary listed, from the day you submitted the phony 501 tax exemption request.
Indeed. Wasn't the emotional distressed caused by their sudden unemployment? Shouldn't ACORN be sued by them for wrongful termination, if that's actually what they're claiming?
Where can I donate to your defense fund? Who will represent you?
Isn't there a law (federal or state-by-state) that denies the ability to profit from crimes? There are serial killers in jail who are not allowed to make money by selling their stories to the movies or selling books about their crimes. I would think that the Baltimore ACORN workers' conspiracy to commit multiple frauds, then filing a multimillion dollar lawsuit would constitute "profiting from their crimes."
I am not a lawyer in any sense, just using some logical thinking here.
It is ACORN that broke the law again. If the department of labor investigates the termination, they can only investigate the employer.
As the employer, they were not given warning, notice and written up for the file. THE SEIU wouldn't allow this. Why isn't the SEIU organizing Union workers at ACORN?
On the Brian and Hannah side. They never once suggested termination of workers. Even if they had, ACORN did not have to fire them.
I understand they are not fired but were actually placed on leave.
I would like to see ACORN fined for illegally operating in Maryland.
So what are the damages? Exposing a RICO enterprise and causing govt funding to be cut off lol…I'd like to see them agrue that these are the damages. Otherwise there doesnt seem to be any…Besides…then Breitbart's counsel gets to supoena doucments, take depositions…and the public testimony on court Tv will be priceless…Acron is simply to arrogant to realize they are acting stupidly.
I can't wait to see the discovery documents. Like so many people here, I have the buttered popcorn ready and waiting. What I'd like to know is why Maryland's AG hasn't opened an investigation because they were running a business without a license since 2006?
I think it is just a way for ACORN to get some of the pressure off of them and onto Hanna, James and Andrew. You have to remember Acorn has full time lawyers already so a lawsuit will not cost them too much, and it isn't their money anyway.
Yes, start a defence fund…I will gladly contribute.
Gosh, I wonder what the trial videos would be like….lol
UNBELIEVABLE!
But as already stated it is standard operating procedure. Once again they are probably counting on their political contacts to come to their rescue.
THIS exemplifies what is wrong with our country!
Actually, yes, the citizens of the USofA 'can' sue them. They are defrauding the money given by the taxpayers and NOW they are filing a lawsuit using WHOSE money?
oh. yeah. OURS.
Tell me where to send a check towards the defense fund.
They can raise money by selling videos titled "ACORN Cracked: Nut in Mouth, Revenge of the Tea Baggers."
Sorry for the crude humor. Was doing a play on words like Foot in Mouth.
AWESOME!!! Document requests and depositions…STAT! Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly….
This should really be fun. Get him a great lawyer, pro bono of course. Here young law student should offer their services. Sure a legal defence fund.
Man, I love this stuff! Go James! BigGovernment is awesome!
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New technology:
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Another note that I’ll support you if a defense fund becomes necessary. Just imagine the additional news stories that could come out of the discovery process. Go! Go! Go!
I see this as the BEST way to invest in gold:
http://www.GoldETN.com
awesome dude! This is the best news I have heard in many years……..bring it on!
I can see 100's of great leagl lawyers asking for depositions ansd dicscoevry required to fight such a lawsuit….such as all bank statements from all 1200 Acorn offices and also the 1,000's of affiliates…also intense depositions of 100's of Acorns employees under scurtiny of detailed and in depth interreogation…..I mean we need to completely understand where the money flows…right??? who gets the money?? where does the money go??? the IRS and the lawyers must check all the bank account statements?? who signs all the checks???? and who authorizes where the money goes??? very, very , very comingled funds…..believe me it's a house of cards waiting to fall…….
It seems to me that the real intent of this suit is to create a chilling effect to discourage any potential “copycat” investigations.
START A LEGAL DEFENSE FUND!!!!I WILL GLADLY CONTRIBUTE TO IT!
Better than the ACORN story:
http://www.LookSome.com
Best pray that we get to have those elections…
Understand that Acorn will be easier to take down than you think. Congress will have no problem defunding Acorn, because Acorn is dispensable. If there is any chance of corruption linking Obama, you can bet that it will be thrown under the bus. The real story here is how every association that Obama has is corrupt. This is the story that the media and senate tries desperately to stay away from.
Cheap vacations:
http://www.BeachMarket.com
[...] They are no longer the filters as to what we get to see or read about, as Breitbart and his Big Government/ Big Hollywood sites have proven. Bring it [...]
Cool, Get the defense fund up $$$$, I am ready. ACORN is going to ripped apart like a cat on a mouse.
May have been asked, but if ACORN doesn't legally have permission to operate in Maryland, how can they sue when they were operating illegally? Surely we have an atty. posting.
Where do I send my contribution for the legal defense fund???
As a tax paying citizen I want to make sure my money is not spent on an investigation into these journalist. I assume ACORN will not be using our tax dollars to pay the attorney's?
Hang tough Hannah, James and Briebart. Such over the top means to try and intimidate only keep the ever expanding scandal in the public's mind. ACORN is shooting itself, Dems and Obama in the foot with this. Please continue doing so ACORN! Nothing like keeping the spotlight on the long and corrup relationship between Barry and ACORN.
Some popele don't have the sense God gave a dumb goose to take their loses while they can. Instead, they make a bad situation for themselves even worse. Woohooo! Can't wait to see the slow bloddletting ACORN is doing to themselves
As a tax paying citizen I want to make sure my money is not spent on an investigation into these journalist. I assume ACORN will not be using our tax dollars to pay the attorney's?
[...] ACORN has filed a lawsuit in Maryland against James O’Keefe, Hannah Giles and the Web site Breitbart.com for secretly videotaping the organization’s employees at its Baltimore [...]
Those saying "ya sue those 2 young adults, bring it on" need to really learn before talking.
For one acorn with the obama gang can do more harm if legal or not and the main purpose of the suit is to place a gag order onto these 2 as acorn thinks or knows these 2 have more video and by putting them on gag order and forcing them to release private info the 2 brave soles will be eaten up by the whole scheme of obama and all those wanting to take over our country.
Of course Bertha is a liar.
She’s heading a criminal enterprise.
Legal defense fund, yes, for actual costs of depositions, other court costs, and incidentals? . But also where are experienced litigators that would take this on for no fee — surely you are out there? If you are a conserative, or even if not, believe in the Constitution, now is the time for you to stand up.
Interrogatories, Requests for Production, Requests for Admissions and depositions should be very very interesting. For no fee, if the legal defense fund paid costs, you experienced litigators should stand up and take this over, hopefully for all the right reasons, but if you must, for the publicity — whatever your motives (and I hope it is the former, not the latter), do the right thing here for these people and our Country,
And Breitbart, release all the other tapes NOW, FAST, as they will almost surely immediately move to stop you from releasing the rest during the course of the litigation. NOW, FAST, before that happens.
So…Breitbart has videos of a corrupt ACORN in multiple cities including New York and Washington. HE CHOOSES this state, MD and effectively this set of state laws. He knows MD is a 'progressive' state.
Breaking today is news that Barny Frank is running from ACORN. Bertha Lewis is on tape praising the very people she's suing. Beck & Redstate are having a field day with Bertha's rolodex. Nothing like linking the leader of an organization willing to support illegal imigration and sex slavery for children, to 3000 of your closest Democrat friends in government. Even the Republican leadership is growing anatomical parts missing for years (endearing them to Barney Frank no doubt) and with all this going on ACORN sues.
As they say at Hot Air, Hmmmmmmm….
Smells like panic at ACORN. Nothing better than watching a good take-down of a corrupt liberal, vote-stealing, tax-cheating, liberty-stealing thug operation. Time for popcorn to watch the fun & electronic check cards to donate to the defense fund…
Ditto!! Where do I send my contribution?
Can you say 'tort reform'
I think Fox News will take on this one. They have a ton of lawyers on their staff who would be happy to cause more distress to Acorn, Obama, Shera and Tonya. For some reason everyone on Capital Hill feels pretty confident that those on the right don't need to be addressed just sued. I wonder why?
Sue-eee! Sue-eee!
I saw the official complaint pdf file filed by ACORN's attorneys on Politico. I haven't read a lot of these types of documents, so I don't know if it is standard procedure to list the addresses of the defendants in them. Hopefully ACORN did not put their personal addresses on there as another way of "getting back" at them.
I've got money burning a hole in my pocket waiting to donate to the defense of these fine young Americans! Get that legal fund started PDQ!
Acorn has something up their sleeve, they are not going to lie down as it would be an admission of guilt…just a smokescreen to emphasize it was just a few bad apples in the barrel. It would be just as much of a crime if the two complaintants in this lawsuit walked away with half a mil each and two University kids, who have stayed in school, the plea of the “Messiah” not just a couple of weeks ago, will be villified and forced to shell out an enormous amounts of money. This is a, how not to encourage industrious and intelligent young people across America. No, lets reward the bottom feeders.
Willing to make a donation to the defense. Please advise PayPal email address.
Does anyone see YouTube in a hurry to pull down anything that might have been recorded in Maryland until they have proof of authorization for the audio from all parties? I think not!
Bogus crap "They have no money!" retaliatory lawsuit, and nothing else.
Now that ACORN has declared war, I can't wait to see the videos Breitbart is holding back.
Never assume with THIS government. They aren't even defunding this organization – except on paper in Congress. How quick were they to jump in and say no more money?!! Whenever a liberal does that with only the prodding they received from lackluster media coverage on something this huge, everyone had better look for a back door where money can be shoveled in by the truckload.
Communication requires a CONVEYOR and a RECEIVER.
INTERCEPTION of a communication requires the action of a third party.
There was no third party. Giles and O-Keefe were the intended recipients of ACORN's communication.
They have every right to create a record of the communication.
Case closed. Next.
They SHOULD have emotional distress. Stupidity can be emotional.
[...] [...]
This is no surprise. The City of Baltimore's State Attorney is Patricia Jessamy, African American, who also sits on the board of ACORN!! I hope these kids have some very good Pro Bono Attorney's and if not, I will contribute to their defense fund!
Join our Live Chat discussion about Acorn
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[...] Big Government BALTIMORE (AP) – Community activist group ACORN is suing the makers of a hidden-camera video that [...]
Getting caught encouraging crimes does not cause unreasonable or unforeseeable emotional distress. The plaintiffs don't have a case; but they do have greedy, publicity hungry lawyers.
Obama is out telling the world to be careful about what you say because there are consequences. But only in Obamaland does one still get to talk out of both sides of their mouth. Obots get to plot against United States laws and then cry foul when caught. What part of cognitive dissonance do these people not understand?
Be sure to see Tucker Carslon interviewed by Greta on Fox News confessing he heard the whisper campaign that the Clintons were "racists" during the primaries from the Obama people, which then the media beat Hillary to death with which cascaded into the Kennedy defection. But it is now finally revealed the only people being racists were the ones screaming it the loudest: the Obama people. Be sure to see the interview. This is Obamaland.
Alice had to go down a rabbit hole to reach Wonderland. We are getting sucked down a rat hole to see Obamaland. Obamaland needs to be NeverAgainLand.
pimp + prostitute = two-party consent
Getting caught encouraging crimes does not cause unreasonable or unforeseeable emotional distress. The plaintiffs don't have a case; but they do have greedy, publicity hungry lawyers.
Obama is out telling the world to be careful about what you say because there are consequences. But only in Obamaland does one still get to talk out of both sides of their mouth. Obots get to plot against United States laws and then cry foul when caught. What part of cognitive dissonance do these people not understand?
Be sure to see Tucker Carslon interviewed by Greta on Fox News confessing he heard the whisper campaign that the Clintons were "racists" during the primaries from the Obama people, which then the media beat Hillary to death with which cascaded into the Kennedy defection. But it is now finally revealed the only people being racists were the ones screaming it the loudest: the Obama people. Be sure to see the interview. This is Obamaland.
Alice had to go down a rabbit hole to reach Wonderland. We are getting sucked down a rat hole to visit Obamaland. Obamaland needs to be NeverAgainLand.
Whats the difference between a human witness and a video/audio witness?
If James and Hannah had brought a friend along to witness with them what happened at the offices….wouldnt that be the same thing?
When you’re in public, there is no privacy. Thats why its called..PUBLIC.
What a bunch of idiots. The discovery should be AWESOME. Sucks for Breitbert and gang, but it will keep this story in the news for a little longer and I am sure what we saw on film is just the tip of the iceberg.
This is not an advertisement but a link to a text outlining the scope of proof required to prove "emotional distress":
http://www.medleague.com/webstore/lawyersandjudge...
Interesting case. I have not seen the complaint, but it was apparently filed in a Baltimore (MD) circuit court.
This raises interesting issues as to jurisdiction. I would have thought that the case would have been brought in the Federal District Court.
Second interesting issue is the claim. From reports, it is being brought under the MD wiretapping law. I looked at it and it seems to require "interception." I don't think this rises to that level.
Third interesting point. If it, in fact, is brought under the wiretapping statute I don't believe that it can be brought by ACORN. The proper persons would be the "injured" parties.
Fourth interesting point. If the case is real, discovery should be limited to those facts pertinent to the lawsuit. Anyone who thinks they're going to get a full review of ACORN's books in this matter is wrong. Discovery latitude is broad, but not that broad.
Fifth interesting point. Folks should understand that there is probably no "actionable wrongdoing" by the ACORN employees. I do not see that there is any act "in furtherance of" a conspiracy, so all the folks trying to tell you that "RICO" is in play are wrong.
I may be wrong, but this looks to be a lot of hot air.
I'm amazed that ACORN would have brought it.
I was thinking today about Bob Woodward and the Watergate break in. Woodward became a hero. Fast forward to today and we are talking about setting up a legal defense fund. Something is very wrong here, America. Very wrong.
I guess I just wonder if the discovery process is going to be as beneficial to our friends as we might like to think…. I worry.
I've been doing some reading:
"Maryland Rule 2-402 Scope of Discovery
Unless otherwise limited by order of the court in accordance with these rules, the scope of discovery is as follows:
[]Generally.- A party may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not privileged, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any documents or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of any discoverable matter, if the matter sought is relevant to the subject matter involved in the action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or to the claim or defense of any other party. It is not ground for objection that the information sought is already known to or otherwise obtainable by the party seeking discovery or that the information will be inadmissible at the trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence. An interrogatory or deposition question otherwise proper is not objectionable merely because the response involves an opinion or contention that relates to fact or the application of law to fact." http://www.millerandzois.com/Maryland-Scope-of-Di...
Additionally, it’s not easy to define what information 'reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.' http://www.lectlaw.com/def/d058.htm
I hope our representatives in Congress will not be able to make a spineless and easy choice – ignore the corruption/ fail to seek a full investigation of this shady organization – in the wake of a (I hope it does not happen, of course.) finding that Andrew, Hannah or James are indeed at fault.
It figures, instead of explaining why they are so corrupt they must attack those who exposed them. A recent piece in the Washington Post attacked the film-makers rather than address the criminality of ACORN.
Check out the Maryland law as it was discussed in the Linda Tripp vs. "Hot Pants Bill" Clinton case involving "the mystery of the semen stain on the red dress." Maryland law forbids "interception" of "communication" — period. The Acorn Sting involved no interception at all.
As for a civil law suit: Its a gonna be a lot of fun. Cause Acorn is gonna get sopeanoed to death — and there are tons of witnesses who will testify on their systemic corruptopn and their expoloitation of low pay employees.
Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.
Problem: Discovery will be limited to matters that have to have a least some connection to the actual suit (i.e. the recording). The Judge probably won't let you go on a fishing expedition through financial records and such.
Solution: Counter sue saying that you are trying to be silenced to hide a criminal enterprise by being slandered. Add Barney Frank and Harry Reid to your suit. Why not. If the suit gets accepted, then discovery will be fun, fun, fun.
I'm ready to donate to legal defense fund.
The emotional distress was caused by their sudden unemployment, but they would have been unemployed anyway when Maryland discovered that acorn was operating illegally.
You get 'em Andrew!! Where's the pay pal button for donations to your legal defense fund? We're all behind you and James and Hannah!!!
So they want damages for contributing to thier own embarrasment. Sounds like contributory negligence to me. If they had given legal advice they wouldnt have suffered extreme embarresment as supporting child prostitution.
I say they get nothing.
I have read a few legal articles on Marylands law. The law is against intercepting communications, not recording them. If you are Involved in a communication with someone and they know that you are, then you are not intercepting the communication. Recording communication that you are a party to is a different subject.
I don't think that this will go anywhere.
Just a 2L, but I agree with you Patrick. However, if the information discovered is on ACORN and it relates to its public funding, and not the two individuals, it can be made public provided the information satisfies a significant/compelling state interest. yes?
I LOVE THIS!!! How better to drain this organization of millions of dollars?
Hey ACORN: There are MILLIONS of us. And those of us that don't have jobs, are retired and/or rich. Oh – and, in case you hadn't noticed, we're cutting the rest of your government funding.
"If your enemy is determined to hang himself, find him a rope."
ACORN will eventually change their name an start a NEW corrupt enterprise. Let's not loose sight of the other players in this corrupt pyramid scheme!
The Tides Foundation, SEIU and of course The Apollo Alliance (the folks who brought us the Stimulus Package). Did you know the Tides foundation financed and produced this film shown to our children and grand children …. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8&fe...
The discovery AND the counter-claims will be the end of ACORN. This is what the civil provisions of RICO are for.
Let's get it on! Set up your legal defense fund and know this…if Joe Wilson can raise a million dollars in 48 hours for calling The Imitation Christ a liar you can damn well bet you will see double that in the same time frame! I have been saving to give to Rubio's campaign in Florida to beat out that liberal Republican Crist but I will give it all to you guys if you need it. This is the biggested SCANDAL of the year with a CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE that should have been investigated by the oldstream media during the Won's campaign but NO they are as liberal as he so they would not do their JOBS. WE Conservatives out here will show our appreciation for the hard work you have done on our behalf and I thank you from the very depths of my soul for your hard work!
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_complaint.h...
I think the Mafia should do this. They set up false businesses all the time. When they get busted by journalist sting operations, they should sue the journalists. See what happens then. "Well, yes, it was an illegal business with employees who were videoed engaged in illegal activities. But they've been emotionally damaged by the video release! They're the victims, I tells ya! And this has smeared the good name of the Mafia. Gimme a million dollars or Guido will knock some knees, if you knows what I mean."
i bet the NYT and ABC etc. cover this lawsuit story. Too bad they missed the videos stories.
Wishes do come true! Bring it on!
I'm no lawyer at all, so here's a stupid question. Can the citizens of the United States file a class action suit against ACORN on the grounds that they are misusing our tax dollars?
How does ACORN even have standing to sue on behalf of its employees? Aren't the proper plaintiffs the two individual employees?
But it IS ACORN, who has brought this law suit !
The whole thing, by ACORN, is patently ridiculous; however, they are too stupid to understand that.
The ONLY foreseeable problem, as I see it, is if this goes to trail in Baltimore and the jury is rigged. But should that happen, I'd LOVE to see the cased brought all the way up to the SCOTUS.
It will be interesting to see if the defendants file an anti-SLAPP motion. Essentially, that's a motion to dismiss the lawsuit when the claim is based upon the exercise of free speech. I don't know if Maryland's anti-SLAPP law (or any other state's anti-SLAPP law) has been interpreted to protect an undercover investigation such as this one.
In California, you can do whatever you want with materials received in discovery, unless a court order provides otherwise.
OPEN THE BOOKS ACORN, these two emotionally distressed child exploiters need the money fast to get out of sight, fearing acorn needs to silence them, they know to much like the suspicious suicide of the guy who knew to much about Blagoblahblahovich and the U.S. attorney general, I'm smelling impeachment before 2010
People who expose corruption should NEVER be demonized.
Otherwise, we have a dictatorship where people are afraid to speak out.
Thats not what this country is about…..Shame on you Maryland!!!
Nothing is going to happen to the women. LIke Acorn has said, and Lord help us it is true, they were only giving advise. They didn't break the law.
tmz should start following, I'd love seeing these lowlifes running, screaming, at tmz what entertainment !
I believe I heard a news commentator mention that Acorn wasn't legally working in Maryland.
Yes, let's file a class action suit against acorn for misusing our tax dollars they have received! Make them pay us back! I too will gladly donate to a defence fund for you three as well!
Just let us know how we can help Andrew!
This is great news think about the discovery phase of this and where it might lead.
God I love this stuff.
Just two good Americans and we may be able to jail a bunch of communists/errrrrrrrr Democrats.
This leftwing filth will go one way or another.
There are 7 Senators all Communists/errrrrrrrr Democrats
There are 75 Representatives all Communists/ererrerrrrr Democrats
OPEN THE BOOKS ACORN, maybe tmz will follow them and film them being snuffed for their silence, of course please make sure its not in maryland
I think this trial should be pretty quick.
Question: Did you get these folks permission before making the tape?
Answer: Well no………….but i had a really good reason!
Verdict: Guilty
All of the other issues have no bearing as far as the law goes on this question.
ACORN has no rights to privacy as long as they were funded by any Federal money.
Therefore we the taxpayers have the rights, we own them, we are their employers, and they are a public govt business. Recordings are allowed in public.
Under RICO, yes…and it awards treble damages…
We get our money back, plus the "donations" from NEA, (teachers, not artists), other useful idiots, etc…
I would hope that no tax payer dollars will be used in this endeavor by ACORN. They shouldn't have trouble finding an attorney to take this on for them. It should be good training for the presidency.
The best part of this reality show is Barney Frank lol. He is now wanting to investigate the two Americans that showed America about Underage prostitution lol.
I guess thats why the pervert Barney Frank you know the one that was running male hookers out of his apartment.
God this is great!!!!!
Paragraph 7 of the ACORN complaint under the heading FACTS RELEVANT TO ALL CLAIMS, reads:
"7. As one of its activites, ACORN does initial intake for people wth home ownership and mortgage problems are refers qualified applicants to ACORN Housing Inc., which helps homeowners in need of mortgage asistance."
I'm sure a sharp lawyer can come up with a couple document requests along the lines of :
"Provide all documents related ACORN's intake system, including but not limited to, employee training materials, guidelines, policies, manuals, intake system development, planning, and implementation materials and any an all records of any complaints filed, lodged or noticed by any person or entity regarding ACORN's intake system and all documents related to the investigation and resolution of those complaints."
Then there could be a nice doc request/interrogatory on what assistance ACORN has provided to all those applicants.
I just read the Complaint someone posted here on the third page of comments and there are a host of interesting issues here. ACORN is going to regret bringing this lawsuit. The essential thrust of the Complaint is emotional distress and loss of reputation. Putting aside the frivolity of these claims as to the two individual plaintiffs, it's much more interesting to focus on ACORN as the plaintiff claiming a loss to its reputation as a result of the defendants' actions in recording and airing the discussions about mortgages. This is no different than suing for LIBEL, where one is claiming damage to one's reputation that one suffers by a false defamatory statement. Libel plaintiffs often regret bringing their claims because by alleging a loss of reputation, they bring their reputation into issue and EVERYTHING is up for grabs in discovery in a libel lawsuit. This means that everything about the plaintiff ACORN is at issue–every complaint and investigation of it now or ever before written about or broadcast is open to discovery. That includes the embezzlement of all the funds by Rathke, its former head. That includes the coverup of the embezzlement by the folks in charge of ACORN. That includes all the failure on the part of ACORN to follow the laws of the states in which it is located and the federal laws governing its receipt of federal funds. That includes all of the claims of voter registration fraud. That includes everything the New York Times started to investigate but DROPPED because, as its employee stated to the ACORN whistleblower, it was a "gamechanger" in the 2008 election campaign. That includes all ties between ACORN and the Obama Administration. I could go on and on but readers here obviously get the point. The entire corporate structure of ACORN is open to discovery. The plaintiff itself alleges it is an Arkansas corporation with a principal office in Louisiana and with "chapters" across the nation and members nationwide–so at a minimum, the defendants James, Hannah and Breitbart's LLC are going to be able to inquire about the whole corporate setup of this organization, and that includes not only its Department of State filings in Arkansas and Louisiana but also in Maryland and everywhere else. Their failure to follow laws is completely in play now, thanks to ACORN being a plaintiff. This is going to be the biggest disaster for Obama and the Democratic supporters of ACORN. It's important in the meantime that the defendants think long and hard about getting into the appropriate federal court where there's at least a HOPE to get a fair application of discovery rules. Being in a Baltimore state court would be like being in a kangaroo court with these plaintiffs. Another point to focus in on is the allegation by the plaintiffs that conversations in an ACORN office are PRIVATE conversations with expectations of privacy surrounding them. This is ludicrous. People working for ACORN, getting federal funds, have absolutely no expectation of privacy concerning the conversations they have with applicants from the public coming in seeking mortgage and housing assistance, all of which assistance is funded by the federal government. That will also come into play in this lawsuit.
Well he is an expert pervert!!!
Absolutely hilarious
As to the counter point that the two journalists gave consent. It doesn't hold up because in the tape they never talked to EACH OTHER!
same verdict
Guilty
OMG – The Imitation Christ…that's great….I'm going to shamelessly steal that one, my man, it's too good to keep under wraps….Well Done!
I’m so in on this as well. DEFENSE FUND – STAT. If you think Congressman Wilson raised funds fast wait to you see what a call to support you folks will bring in… My guess is $2.5 million in the first 72 hours.
James and Hannah, whether you had any idea what your project might result in or not, I thank God for what you did every day. I cannot imagine that you don’t have legal counsel yet, but if not, call someone tomorrow! Fox News’ Greta Van Sustern’s husband helped Sarah Palin set up her legal defense fund, and perhaps he would be primed to help you both as well.
Then make the next video you provide to BigGovernment.com an explanation of how you’re going to fight, with details on where I can send money to help with your costs. Next, would one of you please move to Ohio Congressional District 15 so I can support you for Congress?
First: In order to claim civil damages, ACORN must prove that O'Keefe and Giles KNEW it was illegal to tape the conversation.
Second: Maryland courts have held that conversations are protected only when the parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy – I think that's going to be hard for ACORN to prove – there were obviously several people around.
So – who’s starting the defense fund, got my check book out ! ACORN wants a fight – Lets give it to them, about damn time !
What is particularly galling about this is that the American taxpayer will be paying for ACORN to bring this suit against O'keefe and Giles. ACORN takes in millions of dollars every year from the American taxpayer. That's how they'll fund this lawsuit.
All the rats are jumping off the sinking ship, but before she slips beneth the waves fires off one last shot…so is the end of ACORN. Lord Tennyson, eat your heart out.
In no way do I want one red cent of my taxpayer money going to ACORN, especially after hearing this news. Now I'm really going on a campaign to run every politician out of office who is supporting ACORN. These people have serious issues to sue for emotional distress when they were offering advice on how to start a brothel with children. I think everybody should look into pursuing a class action lawsuit against ACORN. I don't want any of my income tax money going there. We, the taxpayers of America, should start a class action lawsuit!
Acorn most probably condoned the behavior and attitude of the two employees. But when they got caught, ACORN threw the the two employees under the bus. ACORN is a scandalous organization on every possible level.
I suspect the document shredder at ACORN's Baltimore office is working overtime.
Part of the case hinges on the interpretation of whether this is an "intercept" or not…
Reasonable says not, because it makes taping burglaries and robberies inadmissible, and they really don't want that…time for an amicus filing from the law enforcement people…
Also, that illegal operation of ACORN as a corporation is a pain; as they are not a legal entity, and have no protections as such, like filing a suit, (should get tossed fast, we'll see)…
I'd go after the training and supervisory angles myself; they are real weak on those, and there is ample evidence of that process being awry…
Looks like the door was open and anyone could come in, makes that "public" to me…
And asking for money at the end? Goods and services, people. Defunct corporation asking for money to do taxes?
The cop posing as a hooker doesn't have to have sex to make the case. When a price is reached, they are in conspiracy; no ambiguity there…
After he's done chairing at the UN maybe Eddie Haskell can start prepping their case for them.
"The Nutcracker… Sweet!"
Guilty of what?
Question for all of you attorneys out there. I would assume that Acorn's lawyer has already checked into this (but judging by the IQ of the people I have seen presenting Acorn on TV as of late, I admit that this is a big assumption), but is it illegal to tape someone's conversation IN A PUBLIC PLACE? If I have my video camera or tape recorder out and am recording something in Baltimore in a public place (you name it – at a ball game, out on the street, in a store, etc. and I pick up audio from someone who does not know that I'm recording them – I am breaking the law????). Better yet, am I still breaking the law if I I end up recording someone else who is breaking the law?
You might want to get a copy of the law in Maryland and check out how it has been applied in the past.
Where do I donate to the defense fund.
Every American should sue acorn for stealing money out of our pockets. I want my tax dollars back from them and their corrupt subsidiaries. Also lets think about this Acorn is sueing for employees that broke the law and got cought. I say acorn is fire from this country lets jail every corrupt employee they have. If theres any law abidding employees there they need to turn in the others or go down with the ship!!!!!!!
Lee1861, since when does a civil court render a verdict of "guilty".
After reading the filings, I suspect this will never make it to trial. Summary judgment for the defendants.
What did you expect. The left is notorious for giving people stuff they don't deserve.
my thoughts exactly….
Possible defense – Maryland's SLAPP statute (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) which provides a defense against lawsuits that are designed to chill public comment or dissuade one from petitioning government for redress. Acorn's two party consent claim is clearly a pretext for stopping public criticism.
Best part – SLAPP statutes usually provide for punative damages. Wouldn't that be sweet.
[...] Big Government » Blog Archive » **BREAKING** ACORN Sues Hidden-Camera Filmmakers, Breitbart.com [...]
YES YES YES !! Try & sue them ! Then they can make them open the books & we can get the real goodies.. Even as far back as Obama's involvement in all of this shit !
please post the information about the legal defense fund as soon as you set it up.
How much more pathetic can ACORN be?
Is there an *Obama* somewhere at the end of this daisey chain?
Bring it on! Now the mainstream media can cover this story.
LOL…I wish too, but it'll never happen.
I don't really give a damn what these women suffered. They deserve criminal charges on top of extreme emotional distress. They are the Benedict Arnolds of our time… without the previous battlefield heroics that is. They should be prosecuted for treason.
Didn't news of Maryland's wiretap law get plastered all over Drudge Report where Breitbart was editor after Linda Tripp recorded her calls with Monica Lewinsky?
Could it be that our biggovernment.com friends were quite aware of the wiretap laws in MD, DC, NY and CA going into this little adventure and were sort of hoping that a lawsuit would ensue?
What is in the videos, which is rampant corruption and illegal activity, is more important than HOW they were made.
Face it ACORN, you got caught RED HANDED!
They asked for a jury trial in the complaint.
I will help with a defense fund and I am unemployed! Unbelievable that criminals complain and given a forum when they are caught instead of being held accountable. Can you believe we are living in times like these? Black is white, right is wrong, good is bad. I am of the belief that we are experiencing God's judgment on our country. We need to pray for mercy!
YES, please sue them! We would love to see ALL of the ACORN dirt out in the open. You are only pulling the noose tighter by filing suit, ACORN. I do want to thank you for the entertainment though. It's always fun to watch people make fools out of themselves and in this case, an entire organization.
Keep up the good work as you are single handedly bringing down our president. Bravo!
On another site, someone suggested that James and Hannah would be covered under federal whistle-blower laws.
James and Hannah, thanks for all you have done and my guess is you will win all that is thrown at you from this slime ACORN.
Acorn must prove they knew this law…
Violations of the law are felonies punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years and a fine of not more than $10,000. Civil liability for violations can include the greater of actual damages, $100 a day for each day of violation or $1,000, along with punitive damages, attorney fees and litigation costs. To recover civil damages, however, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant knew it was illegal to tape the communication without consent from all participants. MD. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-410.
Whistleblower laws are specific to employment and they are not employed by ACORN.
Discovery should be quite enlightening!!!!!!!!!__Go BREITBART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These people are a bunch of idiots. I would suspect there are some good lawyers out there that will defend those courageous journalists/patriots pro bono. But I'll probably chip in if it comes to that.
God Bless O'Keefe and Giles. And God Bless America.
Acorn must prove knowledge of taping law by filmmaker…DOH!
Violations of the law are felonies punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years and a fine of not more than $10,000. Civil liability for violations can include the greater of actual damages, $100 a day for each day of violation or $1,000, along with punitive damages, attorney fees and litigation costs. To recover civil damages, however, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant knew it was illegal to tape the communication without consent from all participants. MD. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-410.
How can they sue on behalf of fired employees?
I think we have two choices here. Either ACORN is stupid or they are idiots.
If it is not illegal for law enforcement agencies to video tape and record illegal activity, then how can it be for anyone else? This just doesn't make any sense legally, and I'm not a lawyer.
We as a people, Americans! Americans…, if we permit this type of reprisal against the righteous, what will we do in similar situations? Are YOU, the person reading this comment, willing to be held accountable for calling immoral, illegal, criminal activity as such and then being judged for your testimony? If not, then don't bother posting a comment.
If we as a nation keep turning our backs to outrageous behavior such as this, then we deserve to lose our freedom and our county!
Breitbart, post a link if a legal defense fund is needed for O'Keefe and Giles. I'll donate and so will others. I would expect pro bono representation but maybe a fund for costs.
Can we get the ACLU to fund the defense? ACLU vs ACORN … that's one I'd almost pay to see.
Get Mark Levin and his firm,for these two kids. Acorn will not like it if Levin gets any of them on the stand under oath.They more than likely will run for the hills.
Maybe they can tell a little more that they have done to show that was the only thing.
They are opening the door.
Does the first amendment not apply in Maryland?
ACORN is toast. First thing is to file a countersuit and then introduce them to the wonders of DISCOVERY–that wonderful thing that makes all of the EVIDENCE public record. It was really stupid of ACORN to sue and with any luck these great kids will clean ACORN's clock!
Teri Davis Newman
Send me to Congress to fight for you!
http://www.voteforteri2010.com
I'm not sure being sued could really ever be seen as a gift, but if it is possible for a lawsuit against one to be a gift, this case may very well be the singular exception. As countless sharp commenters have pointed out in this thread, the very deep and very broad discovery process in a case like this could yield a factual bonanza of evidence of illegal activities by ACORN.
So, I have a PayPal account: How do I contribute to the defense?
Im watching Greta & she says that ACORN & big Bertha took the bait. When they sued Hannah & James they opened themselves up for discovery. Them nuts been cracked & a roasting.ar
Here's a great YouTube video by DarcPrynce: Obama, Acorn, And Election Fraud.
"A video compilation of various news clips regarding Barack Obama, the left-wing activist organization ACORN that he used to work for, and the massive voter registration fraud they've perpetrated over the years."
Its funny to read comments about how "stupid" this suit is. Maybe if you all cut back on Mcdonald's you can all raise a couple of thousand dollars to cover a few hours of lawyers fees. What a bunch of ignoramuses. These "kids" were breaking the law according to Maryland law. It's pretty cut and dry. There will be a settlement as you right wing nutjobs froth over yourselves in pure hatred and anger. Acorn gets 3-4 million a year and registered less than a million people in a election that had over 100 million votes cast. Yet religious organizations and corporations are neck deep spending tens of million corrupting the process. But Clear channel radio has you dummies yelling Acorn in your sleep. What a stupid party.
Most states if your company is not appropriatly registered you can not bring a lawsuit as you DO NOT EXIST. Is ACORN different?
What the AP story fails to mention is the fact that – under the relevant Maryland law – a party which has not consented to being recorded by another must show that he, she or they had “a reasonable expectation of privacy” at the time the recording was made for it to be considered unlawful by the courts.
According to the Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press:
"State courts have interpreted the laws to protect communications only when the parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and thus, where a person in a private apartment was speaking so loudly that residents of an adjoining apartment could hear without any sound enhancing device, recording without the speaker’s consent did not violate the wiretapping law. Malpas v. Maryland, 695 A.2d 588 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1997); see also Benford v. American Broadcasting Co., 649 F. Supp. 9 (D. Md. 1986) (salesman’s presentation in stranger’s home not assumed to carry expectation of privacy)."
For Complete Text Concerning The Relevant Maryland Law. visit the website of the Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press at http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states/maryland.html
ACORN is a public organization, funded with taxpayer dollars and it is, therefor, difficult to understand how its employees can rightly claim that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy while serving in their capacity as paid community activists in a building open to the general public.
Furthermore, it is unclear how strictly the law applies to audio-inclusive videotape recordings, which may be treated differently than stand-alone audio recordings by the courts.
brilliant.
Two words…COUNTER SUIT!!! Maybe Oliver Stone will keep insisting "open the files"
I like the part about damaging ACORN's reputation. As if they ever had a good reputation.
Either way, once ACORN finds out how OWNED they are bout to get, they'll drop the suit. But if they don't, I'm donating to the defense.
Does this case hold water? It is my understanding that the two-party consent applies when there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. This was an office, open to the public, at least four people were on the tape, doors were wide open andt this is a federally funded org. I do not buy that there was an expectation of privacy.
So in Maryland the press cannot use anything you say unless you consented to it? Don't they have the same Constitution to live by – something about the First Amendment? So if you are essentially a "whistle blower" and turn up crime and corruption in a taxpayer funded, tax exempt organization shouldn't that be exempt from this inane "privacy" law? And it will be very interesting to see what comes up via Discovery in the case – I sure hope the judge does not issue any gag orders – we are entitled to know all of this dirt! I think ACORN needs to just go away – they don't seem to be liked by anyone except Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi – even President Obama has asked for an investigation/audit of ACORN.
Spam sucks. Go get a job at acorn
ACORN as an entity can’t sue those film-makers because there was “no harm” done to them as an individual. Agencies can’t suffer “emotional distress”. The women who ACORN is getting to sue can but they look stupid doing that because the two kids didn’t fire them and cause their distress from losing their jobs. They should sue ACORN instead. Even taking the kids to court over the taping without telling them will be a slam-dunk for the kids. I don’t know what the level of “crime” it’s supposed to be but I suspect it is a misdemeanor and they’ll walk with a warning. In short, ACORN is really messing up here.
Where can we send money to contribute to the defense fund for the two awsome people who went undercover?
As I stated in another post on this subject acorn is already getting what they want by putting a gag order on all those they are suing and are even preventing any other videos that could have been played by an injunction.
Unless we see action to protect the 2 who did the video you will see acorn not only back in full business but stronger then ever so instead of people yacking on here they did to flood cyberspace with a demand of non bias investigation of not just acorn and their other groups but also throw obama and his gang out of office
——————–
The acorn lawsuit seeks an injunction preventing the further distribution of the videos.
The recordings represented "clear violations of Maryland law that were intended to inflict maximum damage to the reputation of ACORN," the community organizer's attorney, Arthur Schwartz, said. "Unfortunately, they succeeded."
Breitbart.com, registered to Washington Times conservative commentator Andrew Breitbart, is a co-defendant in the lawsuit. Contacted by CNN, Breitbart had no comment on the suit. O'Keefe and Giles did not respond to requests for comment.
I will donate the website used for donating for the defence fund!
MStewart
Greta is a lawyer & she says that Acorn took the bait & opened the doors for discovery.
I think that there are dumb lawyers in this world, & that Acorn lawyers gave them dumb advice.
Doesn't an organization have to lawfully exist in a state to be allowed access to its courts?
I have looked at the Maryland laws. Though not an attorney, I work with them daily, performing also paralegal duties, researching and evaluating laws. Here is what I suggest:
The poster who presented this presents a valid case. If in a separate office, no other parties present, there would be reasonable expectation of privacy.
"State courts have interpreted the laws to protect communications only when the parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and thus, where a person in a private apartment was speaking so loudly that residents of an adjoining apartment could hear without any sound enhancing device, recording without the speaker’s consent did not violate the wiretapping law. Malpas v. Maryland, 695 A.2d 588 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1997); see also Benford v. American Broadcasting Co., 649 F. Supp. 9 (D. Md. 1986)
Additionally,
Under Maryland's Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act, it is unlawful to tape record a conversation without the permission of all the parties. See Bodoy v. North Arundel Hosp., 945 F.Supp. 890 (D. Md. 1996). Additionally, recording with criminal or tortuous purpose is illegal, regardless of consent. Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402.
This would suggest no issue with filing charges.
As to the fact that ACORN is no longer licensed for Maryland, that is immaterial.
Now, as to discovery, though civil court offers more advantages, there still has to be relevance to the request in discovery. One cannot simply demand everything. A court would deny that, and rightly so.
See Jim McDermott
Charlie who?
I have sent email to the contact of this site requesting that they set up a legal defense fund for Hannah & James. There have been many folks on the internet wanting to donate. Hopefully a fund will be set up soon.
ACORN in Maryland can't sue anyone, It doesn't exist as a corporation in Maryland.. How soon they forget… The national headquarters will have had to file the suit, which will open up their national headquarter's books to discovery, not only Maryland's… a Corporation which does not exist cannot take legal action.
Who saw the Bertha Lewis interview on Fox News Sunday? I felt so embarrassed for her…she is so far over her head…As a CEO myself….I wouldn't hire her for a $10/hr job…only a liberal organization could get away with this kind of behavior.
ACORN in Maryland can't sue anyone, It doesn't exist as a corporation in Maryland.. How soon they forget… The national headquarters will have had to file the suit, which will open up their national headquarter's books to discovery, not only Maryland's… a Corporation which does not exist cannot take legal action.
Remember, ACORN Maryland let their corporate charter expire in 2007..
Reid will not call for senate hearing on ACORN because he doesn't want to distract from the health reform but, it doesn't distract for Barney Franks to call for an investigation of the film makers..
How ridiciously hyocritical. The left are just their own god's. We have to get rid of all of them and the right.
We need all new blood in DC.
By the way I read on the net the other day that Huckabee is the front runner for president for the repubs. How low do we go. He was my Gov. and he is a Democrat in sheep's clothing. Do we want another Baptist minister in the WH. God help us. He says he just wants to help the country. If this were true then he would run against Blanche Lincoln for the senate if he is so popular and needed. The truth is this state will not elected him against Blanche as bad as we want to send her home. We know what the rest of the country doesn't know about Huckabee. If he cared so much about this country he could have been sitting in the congress until the big one.
He raised taxes so much here, he left this state with a 700million surplus that was and never has been returned to the people. It is illegal for a state to make a profit. When Davis was recalled, Arkansas residents started petitions. He didn't run again because he knew his number was up and he didn't want this on his record. He announced quickly when the petitions appeared for recall to not run again.
Get the picture.
LET'S ROLL!
Almost like the Coyote in the Warner Bros. cartoons, I see it coming, you see it coming, EVERYONE sees it coming except the hapless (and arrogant) dolts. One 2-ton ACME anvil is about to drop on ACORN's head. Say it with me, D-I-S-C-O-V-E-R-Y! duh!
I thought it peculiar that in an interview with Bill O'Reilley that Barney Frank sidestepped the question Bill posed to him about the two Heroes in this uncovering of ACORN. All Bill wanted to know is if Barney thought of these two as Heroes and if he admired them for their patriotism. He said it was too difficult to answer because there was much more to it and he needed to sort it all out. What a buffoon! Something tells me he was counting on them for something and now that won't happen. What a tangled web………..I agree with an earlier statement, this is going to be entertaining at the very least!!
Funny how conservatives drone on and on about people "treading on them" and "ripping away their rights and liberty", and yet when 2 conservative filmmakers make an illegal audio recording which not only breaks the law but violates another citizens right not to be recorded without consent, it's totally OK. I guess treading on you only applies to the Government does it?
Breitbart is in the briar patch…
Bring on the DISCOVERY! And while they’re at it, hope they DISCOVER ALL THE ELECTION FRAUD THAT PUT THAT O-FRAUD IN OUR OVAL OFFICE!
Well illegal evidence is illegal no matter how you but it. we live in America a nation followed not by people but by laws and if we ourselves cant understand that then we should not be talking.
How does ACORN sue on behalf of two workers they supposedly fired for misconduct?
James and Hannah are heroes………NOT criminals
Shame on you, Maryland
YOUR FUCKEN STUPID
"Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams, suffered “extreme emotional distress"
…and a severe case of poopy panties when they were caught.
This is despicable, but also SO stupid, as to be hilarious!
Unfortunately they did break the law by recording the conversations. The law says that both parties have to consent to the taping. This of course came to be because of the Monika Lewisnksy (sp?) thing where the phone call was taped without her knowledge. Democrats changed the law after the fact to prevent any more "gotcha' moments.
I was hoping ACORN would sue. Once discovery starts and ACORN is forced to hand over their records, they'll be shown for what they truly are, a corrupt organization. Even the MSM won't be able to ignore or spin it in a positive light.
lovin every minute of it!!! party on Breitbart, Giles & O'keefe, may the force be with you.
BTW, Giles & O'Keefe sounds like a soft rock 70's band.
Linda Tripp copied a phone conversation.
What James and Hannah did was in person and NOT on a phone!
And for those talking about "discovery" not applying to anything and everything that Hannah's, James' and Breitbart's lawyers want handed over, they are dead wrong. Anything that the defendants' lawyers deem to be relevant, can be asked for and gotten, along with deposing anyone, including Bertha Lewis, who is supposedly the titular head of ACORN, but isn't. That would be Rathke and they can go after him as well.
sounds like the nuts and our president support child trafficking, prostitution, tax fraud, racketeering…………..what a big steamy pile……….
Haha. Not sure this is the best move by Acorn lol. I guess having them being exposed more can only hurt them more. Sounds good to me.
It's a shame that honest journalist these days can't even do anything without corrupt people like ACORN suing.
Truth will win in the end. ACORN will go down in flames along with their backed Obama administration.
i agree! I feel that Obama is not innocent here. Something tells me that he heard ACORN was in trouble and now is changing his tune to be in sync. with what should be done. I bet he not only rolls over in bed and asks Brian Williams a question or two but probably rolls the other way and asks ACORN too
We the People need to file a class action suit against Acorn and all splinter groups. They are stealing from us, we could tie them up in the court for years. We can't sue our elected officials so this is the next best thing.
Any lawyers out there know if this is even possible and if so wanna get the ball rolling?
[...] to sue O’Keefe and Giles Suing is the stupidest thing ACORN could possibly do right now. I honestly thought that would keep them [...]
ACORN should go down in flames!!! I also will gladly contribute to the legal defense fund.
Hey Tanja?… "Extreme emotional distress"…Do you think being sold into sex slavery at age 13 would give you that?
Face it girls, the distress you are feeling is shame. Shame that you earned, deserve.
Per the “expectation of privacy” argument, let me illuminate this from a financial industry Fortune 500 GRC (governance, risk & compliance) professional’s perspective.
In our workplace, we handle PII (personally identifiable information) and financial data – things like your credit card number, checking account number, social security number, tax return, etc. In our employee policy, we mention that employees have no reasonable expectation of privacy because we may (and do) employ controls that supervise the protection of that PII. For instance, where actual credit cards are handled, there are cameras galore, plus a bunch of other controls that would freak most people out. We also have controls around email messages, instant messages, computer usage and a variety of other information technology supervision mechanisms. While this may seem extreme, when you all read about how Heartland Payments had a few hundred thousand records breached, you’ll appreciate that the time for such an event to occur can be mere seconds in the IT world, and can result from simple things like employees attaching an inappropriate file and emailing it.
Subsequently, there is no expectation of privacy in our workplace, or for that matter, a bank, an IRS office, an H&R Block office, or really any location that handles PII. The company has the inherent right to supervise employee conduct through various surveillance controls in order to protect that information.
That ACORN handles PII through their mortgage application program, as well as their tax filing assistance program, creates a clear expectation that such controls would be likely and no expectation of privacy given. If I were defense counsel in this case, I’d look to industry practices to guide me through this expectation argument (look at standards like PCI-DSS, or any of the IRS’s requirements on privacy) as my initial review of ACORN’s employee manual resulted in absolute horror and dismay. Let’s just say, if I had planned on using their services and saw how they fail to specify how PII is to be protected with their employees, I’d be running the other direction as fast as I could from that operation. Anyone up for dumpster diving behind an ACORN office is probably likely to find a wealth of PII and other damaging information, given the practices illuminated through their inept policy. I’m curious how the IRS would handle discovery of how Acorn offices are handling and disposing of PII (not to mention VISA and others in the financial industry).
Good luck with the litigation.
That's not how it works.
They want to stop distribution of the video! I didn't think that was possible on the internet…
"
ACORN: Association of Criminals Obama Represented in the Nineties. "
I love it! Thx for the laugh!!!!
That's true, kossuth lajos, the freedom fighter.
Ohhhh BOO HOO HOO!! Those employees suffered extreme emotional distress..I don't feel one bit of sorrow for those 2 that broke the law. They would have aided in bringing underage girls into this country..Did they think what kind of Extreme Emotional Distress those 13 girls would have suffered if this were true. No concern for them at all, they all could have been one big,happy family of performance artists.. I say this is just what is needed to open up the books of ACORN in the so called Discovery. Ohhh and get your own lawyers ACORN and don't use any federal money to pay for them which is my hard earned tax dollars!!
That's the best metaphor for how the Left defends themselves that I've ever heard.
SLAPP
OMGOSH, BREITBART & THE FILMMAKER JUST HIT THE JACKPOT!!
GET A TEAM OF LAWYERS THAT WILL GO THRU ACORN W/ A FINE TOOTH COMB.
ah yes,,, the nut-job is beginning to asphyxiate on its own vomit… can you spell d-i-s-c-o-v-e-r-y
i'm no lawyer,,, but i have slept at a holiday inn.
not islamophobic
Christopher, it is ACORN itself suing the people in civil court. I think ACORN's incorporation status only effects what the state of Maryland would be willing to do on its behalf. Unincorporated associations can still sue and be sued, and hopefully we will see ACORN get sued.
You might start by learning how to construct a sentence using proper English grammar consisting of the appropriate verbs, prepositions, and tenses. Until you can, I suggest YOU should not be drooling down your shirtfront, you illiterate imbecile.
I don’t see how this case is really any different from all of those old investigative journalism stories 60 Minutes used to do about crooked nursing homes and dastardly baby food manufacturers.
Here we have a case where a couple of folx with a withered moral (and legal) compass acted in a truly corrupt manner and these nuts dare to call it “entrapment”. The mind boggles.
(I don’t suppose the ACLU or the various MSM outlets would be willing to file briefs in support of the filmmakers here. I know, fat chance, right? But you would think that they would stand up for first amendment rights in defending whistle blowers against a corrupt organization.)
You would also think that ACORN wouldn’t want closer scrutiny of this issue. Shouldn’t the DA’s of the respective states be looking into “Conspiracy to commit…” types of charges (multiple frauds, tax evasion, etc.) against the former ACORNites? Not to mention other RICO type troubles relating to advising people to set up a front business that can launder money from a sexual slavery operation.
Really interesting and well written article.
How stupid can they be? It's called discovery and it will ruin them.
By the way, they are seeking restraining orders as well as (from what I understand) the following:
$500,000 for each employee, and $1 million for ACORN plus attorney's fees plus punitive damages. Breitbart, Giles, and O'Keefe should countersue for libel.
Perhaps one of the attorneys posting here can enlighten me on the following scenario:
ACORN is claiming an expectation of privacy that prohibits anyone from recording their actions without their consent and base one the key tenets of their case on this point. Well, does Maryland law allow retail store owners the use video surveillance cameras to record the goings on in their places of business to use as evidence in criminal trials against perpetrators who rob and/or assualt them? If Maryland does, then how can ACORN even claim an expectation of privacy. All James and Hannah did was put themselves in the place of the business owner who uses the camera to record criminal activity. Since ACORN is using Federal tax dollars to fund their operation, then James and Hannah, as tax paying American citizens, actually can claim some degree of ownership of ACORN and have every right to record any nefarious activity in any ACORN office, anywhere.
Nothing not expected here. I would liken this to a burglar who breaks into a house to commit a theft, gets hurt in the process, then sues the homeowner for not making the home more burglar friendly. This is the way it is with the leftist kooks of the world. Everything is always someone else's fault.
Here is a good resource on the law. http://www.rcfp.org/taping/index.html
Stupid? Well, if Acorn's actual intention was to procede with this suit, then it would be. But the real goals are otherwise. The first to intimidate any further scrutiny of the organisation's activities. The second is to raise cash from supporters, which is what the poverty pimps have always been about.
Part of the case hinges on the interpretation of whether this is an "intercept" or not…
Reasonable says not, because it makes taping burglaries and robberies inadmissible, and they really don't want that…time for an amicus filing from the law enforcement people…
Also, that illegal operation of ACORN as a corporation is a pain; as they are not a legal entity, and have no protections as such, like filing a suit, (should get tossed fast, we'll see)…
I'd go after the training and supervisory angles myself on discovery; they are real weak on those, and there is ample evidence of that process being awry, and the money spent to train that into people…
Looks like the door was open and anyone could come in, no barrier, makes that "public" to me…
And asking for money at the end? Goods and services, people. Defunct corporation asking for money to do taxes?
The cop posing as a hooker doesn't have to have sex to make the case. When a price is reached, they are in conspiracy; no ambiguity there…
Can an organization that is operating illegally (without the proper biz license) sue someone for illegally video taping them while they where operating illegally?
Any chance Baltimore's State Attorney, Patricia Jessamy gets disbarred for bringing this lawsuit? If not there should be a stupidity clause that allows it.
ACORN suing, that's great. It's our tax stimulus dollar at work. Perhaps signs can be made to show how our money is at work.
Good!!! Post the web site to make legal donation for the film makers. Let's do our part and contribute to their defense and help expose all the dirty ACORN laundry. Let's ensure it gets to court and on the news quickly.
Thanks for that. I haven't read the complaint, and I'm honestly curious how this will work out for them. I've seen juries do some strange things. I can't find it in me to be as hopeful as some others on here. There's just too much corruption, and I'm a born pessimist, I think. However, I have to imagine that Mr. Breitbart anticipated this. So I'm wondering about the reasoning on both sides of the issue. At any rate, I hope this does help bring ACORN down.
What the AP story fails to mention is the fact that – under the relevant Maryland law – a party which has not consented to being recorded by another must show that he, she or they had “a reasonable expectation of privacy” at the time the recording was made for it to be considered unlawful by the courts.
According to the Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press:
"State courts have interpreted the laws to protect communications only when the parties have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and thus, where a person in a private apartment was speaking so loudly that residents of an adjoining apartment could hear without any sound enhancing device, recording without the speaker’s consent did not violate the wiretapping law. Malpas v. Maryland, 695 A.2d 588 (Md. Ct. Spec. App. 1997); see also Benford v. American Broadcasting Co., 649 F. Supp. 9 (D. Md. 1986) (salesman’s presentation in stranger’s home not assumed to carry expectation of privacy)."
For complete text concerning the relevant Maryland law. visit the website of the Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press at <a href="http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states/maryland.html” target=”_blank”>http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states/maryland.html
ACORN is a public organization, funded with taxpayer dollars and it is, therefor, difficult to understand how its employees can rightly claim that they have a reasonable expectation of privacy while serving in their capacity as paid community activists in a building open to the general public.
Furthermore, it is unclear how strictly the law applies to audio-inclusive videotape recordings, which may be treated differently than stand-alone audio recordings by the courts.
Do we have a web site to donate to the legal fund?
Please correct me, If I'm wrong!
Was Everything and Anything – ACORN, INC. Operating Illegally in Baltimore?
Didn't they forfeited that right to operate back in 2006? Because they were "Not in Good Standing"
I do remember Reading a Certificate, From the State of Maryland, Department of Assessments and Taxation.
I do not Remember Seeing, Hearing, Reading or Finding anything to Debunk that?
So,
Operating illegally in the State of Maryland?, Assisted Help to File Fraudulent Tax Forms?, Assisted Help to Open, Operate, and Cover up "Make it-Legal" an illegally prostitution Ring A.K.A. "Performance Artist"?, Assisted Help in illegal Child prostitution?, Assisted Help in illegal Trafficking Human "Children" Into the United States?
Did I forget something????????
That is Okay! But "OMG" You didn't get their consent to record this on tape!!!
What were they I thinking!!!!
What do I know, I'm Reported to be a Racist quote"Now, Two X-Presidents", because I question, My Presidents actions and comments!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!!
PLEASE WAKE UP AMERICA!
I need a lawyer. As an American Taxpayer, I have standing to sue ACORN to recover MY money that was provided to them via the Federal Government. I'm thinking of all the Federal and State dollars provided since day 1 plus triple damages for punitative cause. Any lawyers out there care to help out?
Aught to be an interesting day today. Go Hannah and James! Pass the popcorn.
I can hear the acorn paper shredders as we type…
I'll donate to a legal defense fund if someone sets one up!
From my reading it is my understanding that the plaintiff must also prove that the defendant knew ahead of time that the act of recording was in fact illegal. That seems like a tall order. Then again I figured OJ would go to jail for sure. Even the folks that rooted for him to get away with it admit they think he did it.
By listening to the way they offered up tax advice, they could be subject to a preparer's audit. All tax returns done by them in the past 3 years could be subject to a mass audit. Let's see how many people received the Child Tax Credit (a giveaway program) to people who did not qualify.
Yeah… this will go on and on… there were suposed to be more tapes. Will this cause the other tapes to come out? I sure hope so. This was better entertainment than prime time tv. I can't wait for the movie to come out. ACORN just shot off their foot, knee, leg…. keep it coming!
I think they are feeling emboldened by the recent backtracking of the congress. Some saying that they would still fund ACORN and also the President saying it isnt a big issue. I think they feel that the corrupt system is on their side and it will slip under the wire.
There were also children running around in the building. Can't imagine they thought they were in a Private setting.
I am not sure if this would pass muster but, O'keefe and Giles are separate parties. The ACORN employee's are third and forth parties. Has the two party rule been fulfilled?
Ok, so in Maryland, the press should not be able to record any conversation without first asking the persons permission. Every interview, every discussion and even people who were involutarily recorded in the background would need permission to have their voice recorded? Is that what we are saying here. How about the states that don't have that law. What will ACORN do about that?
Full Discovery! Bring. It.
I don't see how this particular lawsuit opens ACORN to very much discovery.
Are you serious! We pay hard earned taxpayer dollars to these people. Don't we have a right to know how our tax dollars are spent. If the government isnt going to do the job, then we should be happy that someone finally did. It is only then that the govenment will stop treading on us as taxpayers. I guess your right, the assistance givin to those two that would have enabled them to bring in underage sex slaves is ok, as long as no one knows about it. It's not really a crime if it doesnt get detected. Really! thats the game you want to play. With the protection this group was getting from the government, how do you think this was ever going to be discovered. They were blatant! They didnt think anything would ever happen to them. Why else would they be so at ease about the discussions they had. Someone has been covering up for them for a really long time and they know it.
Bring it on, Odumbo!
Sorry, WE do not get to "unelect" these two boobs. They don't work for US. They work for the liberal ninnies in their districts. They only go away if their own constituents find other boobs for foist upon us. It would appear that Reid could be on the bubble (it happened to Tom Dashel), but we are probably stuck with Frank.
I will bet that a ruling will come down that ACORN does not have legal standing to sue on behalf of the former employees. They will then sue for trespassing, but that too will be thrown out, as it can only be a minor criminal case. However, they can, in the meantime, cause our intrepid investigators to spend a lot of money on lawyers. That's how many manure cases result in "settlements," as a payoff (with a non-disclosure requirement) is generally cheaper than a few days in court. The legal system does not protect the innocent; it only regulates the fight, and not very well. The party most willing to break the rules has the upper hand and almost always gets away with it if an out-of-court settlement is extorted.
"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it."
Frederic Bastiat
Well done, Maryland!
I believe the lawsuit is seeking monetary judgement, as it is a civil matter. If the state decides to file criminal charges, then The may be facing fines (I think only up to $10,000.00) and possible jail time.
I wonder if ACORN realizes that really they are digging themselves a deeper hole. Also, since they are filing the lawsuit along with the two people they fired, my guess would be that they still support them and fired them for appearances sake only. I bet ACORN is picking up the cost of the lawsuit.
Usually not. Most discovery cannot be revealed unless it is entered as evidence in a public trial. To reveal it in any other way would trigger an almost automatic additional lawsuit, and this one ACORN would win. Black letter law.
If Maryland is a "two party" consent state wouldn't it be reasonable to say that "two parties" involved in that conversation knew and consented to the taping? It doesn't specify which two people had to know. I agree discovery would be interesting. It's a bit odd though that they site the extreme emotional distress of two fired workers. Were they distressed over the video or over getting fired? Whose to blame for their distress? To me it would seem ACORN is to blame for that distress.. Bertha Lewis is definitely not CEO material. She's taken a very bad approach to the whole thing and has become a liability to the organization. I hope they keep her..
As for the 2 clowns who are suffering from extreme emotional distress…..that ususally happens when you are exposed nationally for doing illegal things and then you loose your job. These two young Americans are heros to the weary hard working taxpayers of this country and should be given a medal . Not a lawsuit.
Not to be picky, but wasn’t ACORN in Maryland illegally? Hadn’t their corporate license been suspended as they weren’t in “good standing” with the State of Maryland?
Given that, should be a very interesting lawsuit.
The issue here is a criminal enterprise(acorn) ripping off the American public. That overrides the taping issue from a public policy standpoint.
If these video journalist do not have a legal fund I will gladly contribute.
Sorry, folks. It works on TV, but in reality discovery just does not work that way (see my previous posts). I am not a lawyer but have some first-hand experience, and a rather extensive list of lawyer friends. You can demand all the discovery you want, and if denied, you issue a "motion to compel." (To real lawyers, sorry if it is a little different in your state.) Sometimes your discovery submissions are given to your own lawyers, but they will hold it until the last minute. Usually by then a "settlement" is extorted out of you, due to the costs you are incurring. If they do not do as they are supposed to, they hold the upper hand unless you go all the way to trial. Then they might give it up. But remember that juries are made up of the same kinds of twits that elect Harry Reid and Barbie Frank. Forensic accountants are expensive, and nation-wide organizations have deliberately complex finances. Good luck.
ACORN is just ginning up fundraising. They will be ruled to have no standing to sue. Case dismissed, everybody pay your own darn lawyers. Rats!
Yes Ron…….ACORN let it's corporation standing lapse in maryland. They are OUT OF LUCK. They have to file their corporate annual reports to remain in good standing. They did not do so. A company that no longer exists can't experience damage.
Usually during the discovery process, the side being discovered will give everything, and sometimes it winds up being truckloads of paper (extreme cases). It is for the other side to discover that is relevant, and what is not. The whole idea is to overwhelm the opposition, both in cost and looking for the 'needle in the haystack' und often (always?), a judge will put a gag order on the process, so the secrets do not come out, except in open court.
Of course, the entity being discovered (is that the correct term?) doesn't have the ability to discern what is important to the other side, and what is not. It would be like the fox watching the henhouse.
Essentially, if one side gets to comb through their records to bring stuff to the fight, then so does the other.
Oh yeah, the unedited tapes from O'keef and Giles would be subpoenaed as well, as will be the number of places they went (which is what I am curious about… was this all of the ACORN offices they went to, or were they thrown out of any?) . If the number of ACORN offices is >70% that gave them advice, one would have to assume they are done for.
BTW, I'm no lawyer, either. I welcome corrections to my assumptions.
Good info, thanks!
Remember that Maryland is the home of many credit card businesses, and other related enterprises. They probably have pretty stiff rules on revealing business information not produced as evidence in open court.
I'd be happy to contribute what I can to your legal fund… you guys are American Hero's in my book!
Thanks!
ACORN: Assisting Call-girls, Obama, Reid and Nancy
LOL. Crude but effective.
Same here. I will write a check right now (or swipe a card).
Right on target! They needed to be exposed and these two were sent to us to help. How could anyone possibly ignore the heroics they presented and condemn them for their efforts. They should get a medal for this.(I thank God for them) But they won't, and why? You can see for yourself. Corrupt gov't, corrupt organizations make good bed fellows. Makes you wonder how many other organizations operate with this sort of "everything anyone wants is ok" attitude.
The two employees seen in the video were fired after it was posted online. The lawsuit says the employees, Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams, suffered “extreme emotional distress.”
Good – they should – then they should face criminal charges.
The real issue is that ACORN is a taxpayer funded political action committee for Obama. Obama has already moved to put the census directly under the executive branch. ACORN was suppose to help conduct the census and to receive several billion dollars more in taxpayer money. The goal was to control the census to help in gerrymandering the districts to assure/rigg the next election. (Note ACORN has lots of experience in Voter Fraud)
This is Chicago corruption at its best and Obama is pulling the strings behind all of it!
Thank God for those kids!!!
What's going to be most fascinating is that the plaintiffs have, just by their contention in the suit of emotion distress, put their entire mental health open to discovery!
ACORN has had a couple weeks in which to destroy, hide and otherwise dispose of records. I'm sure they would not have done this if they expected discovery to give O'Keefe and Giles help. Let me know where to send my contribution.
From the ACORN lawsuit, here is the Attorney for ACORN. Perhaps if his phone rang off the wall, or if his email box got jammed……….
Arthur Z. Schwartz
Schwartz, Lichten & Bright, PC
275 Seventh Avenue, 17th Floor
New York, New York 10001
Telephone (212) 228 6320
Facsimilie (212) 358 1353
E-mail: general.counsel@acornmail.net
While we’re at it, perhaps we can also set up a Legal Defense Fund to sue ACORN on behalf of Tonja Thompson and Shera Williams. Extreme emotional distress, termination without cause, defamation …
Why not? It would make as much sense as ACORN’s suit.
[...] This is surprising: Community activist group ACORN is suing the makers of a hidden-camera video that showed employees of its Baltimore office giving tax advice to a man posing as a pimp and a woman posing as a prostitute. [...]
Ain't that a b***h? The networks only covered the story because they were forced to by Fox News simply doing its job. But they're real quick to come to the aid of any liberal group. Ignore the real news and jump easily into advocacy. How do they look themselves in the mirror?
Ain't that a b***h? The networks only covered the story because they were forced to by Fox News simply doing its job. But they're real quick to come to the aid of any liberal group. Ignore the real news and jump easily into advocacy. How do they look themselves in the mirror?
[...] ACORN is suing Andrew Breitbart, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles. [...]
When you get into discovery, check out ACORN's connections with prison populations. What does that network look like? How does it tie in with ACORN's Cloward-Piven strategy? Are there international connections too?
When the public school system in America keeps pushing through flunkies, where do you think these people will gain employment? Community Activists dont need a resume or previous job, or a conscience.
Can't wait to see the discovery and I will gladly contribute to a legal defense fund for our American heroes. Jam em up kids! Get em again, we're all behind you : )
So, Acorns first defense was "we didn't do it"
Then, "tapes were edited"
then"you guys are racist"
then "its a witch hunt"
then, "we fired the few offenders"
then, "many of our offices turned them away" [actually only 3 out of 7]
now "you invaded the privacy of our office" [where, by extension, they think they should get away with breaking the law?]
What about a change of venue??
Is there a defense fund yet?
If there is a trial, the defense should depose Bertha Lewis and the Rathke brothers. However, I suppose lying under oath we be nobig deal to those uber-Libs.
this is typical of our victim culture. the employees acted unethically suffered because they got caught. it's like someone robbing your house, getting injured and suing the home owner.
http://www.shakemyhead.typepad.com
If they are able to sue based on this maryland audio recording law, wouldn't that make all business including bank surveillance videos against the law?
What about police cruiser videos before a person is arrested for an alledged crime?
I'm sure there are more scenarios to this equation.
I think brare rabbit just got thrown into the briar patch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOL
This will backfire on ACORN big time. Now all of their dirty little schemes will be outed for all to hear and see. I'm also sure that many will donate to the legal defense fund of the young video makers.
Of course they are going to try to sue, isn't that what a fraudulant organization does when they get caught. If there is a defense fund for James and Hannah, I would be proud to contribute to it.
Set up a legal defense fund… please? I want to see a DREAM TEAM of lawyers who bury the court in 10 feet of legal papers until ACORN cries UNCLE! O’Keif and Hanna, you are our HEROS! I am a Veteran, and I have been watching our country spiral into the pits of Hell. You have put us back on course for freedom and liberty! I salute you both and would nominate you both for the Congressional medal of honor!
Can this site setup a fund to help them with their legal fees? I along with millions of others will be happy to pitch in a few bucks to help them hire a team of lawyers so not only can they win this lawsuit but also have Acorn's books fully uncovered so we can get to the bottom of this organization once and for all.
I'm sure that thousands of people, including me, will be willing to contribute to a defense fund. No doubt some high power defense lawyers will be needed.
OK so let me get this straight. ACORN fired these two “ladies” thus putting them into emotional distress. Now the very entity that caused the distress is suing because the “ladies” are distressed? Huh? If ACORN is so innocent then why did they fire these two in the first place? So Bawney Fwank and ACORN are shooting the messenger eh? I predict EPIC FAILURE. I cannot wait to see what discovery yields.
Please see up a legal defense fund for Giles, O’Keefe, Breitbart. I will be happy to contribute.
[...] Sue James O’Keefe, Hannah Giles & Andrew Breitbart? These people should be given an award for stomping out corruption at the tax payers expense. [...]
Well folks………….if BIG BIRTHA had any skills, talent or knowledge, she'd not been scamming the Federal Government for 20 years. This just shows show damn dumb she and her posse really are……!!
Might as well checkout ACORNs alliance with Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam and The New Black Panther Party. It would be interesting to know exactly how many jihadists are woven in the ACORN web………..
Finding a compliant judge here in the People's Republic of Maryland is actually rather trivial. We've only had one moderate Republican as governor in the 20+ years I've lived here. The Dems have made essentially all of the appointments. Figure 0 chance of changing venue to anywhere more favorable for the trial. It essentially has to be held in Maryland, and the only places that might be favorable are the Eastern Shore and Western MD. Both would be deemed to expensive to move to, and lacking in the necessary "expertise" required for the trial. I also doubt the fact that ACORN MD should not exist will be a substantial impediment to the law.
What will be interesting will not be the trial, but if there is a conviction, the appeal afterward. I expect the constitutionality of the Maryland law prohibiting the recording of conversations to be challenged. I think it interferes with both free press and self defense rights, and although it might have been well intentioned to prevent entrapment and blackmail cases, such laws are typically required to be narrowly tailored so as not to interfere with rights that have previously been established as constitutionally protected rights. This law isn't.
The_Gadfly
found on http://www.redstate.com
Oh, I doubt they are after O'Keefe's and Giles's money. Them they just want to put the fear of protected agents of statist governments. The money they are after are Breibart and Fox. I expect the Fox amendment to come later. I also expect they'll be a bit better defended than either ACORN or the Big 0 anticipate.
The_Gadfly
found on http://www.redstate.com
If one follows ACORN's interpretation of the Maryland's legal statute, then all video camera use must be illegal in Maryland. Here is an excellent analysis:
http://macsmind.blogspot.com/2009/09/acorn-takes-...
I can't understand why criminal charges haven't come forth on the Acorn people in these videos.. How many more would have been caught if the two kids had went to more offices around the country. Glen Beck has done the country good showing the videos and bringing up all the czars. How does he find all of the stuff and Washington has passed over it ? I think people do have to get new people in Washington.. We need God in our souls..
The judge must give ACORN's complaint the title of the most moronic complaint ever and it should go down into legal textbooks as such — read this "work of art" in full: http://www.politico.com/static/PPM116_complaint.h...
Don't expect the left wing media to report on the discovery process.
Couple of points. 1) The law in Maryland does require two party consent, but there is an out. You have to have a reasonable expectation to privacy. In other words, if you are having a conversation in an open public area and there other people around, you would not have an expectation of privacy and you can be recorded. The question in the suit will be where was the meeting held in the ACORN office? If it was in a common area of the office instead of a closed office, there may not have been that expectation of privacy and thus no violation of the law. 2) Discovery will be brutal in this matter. The Defendants will be able to request documentation etc, take depositions, and really probe the background, training of the plaintiffs and the structure of ACORN. If I was the defendants, I would video the depositions which is their right and then post all the fun things online! I would also file a counter-suit so that when ACORN realizes this is a bad idea, they can't dismiss the action and I can continue with my discovery!
You are incorrect. Does the name Linda Tripp ring any bells in the BJ Clinton/Monica Lewinsky case? Linda Tripp had recorded phone conversations in Maryland and was prosecuted but never convicted on the charge of illegally taping private phone conversations.
An old Jewish story summarizes this well: A woman accuses a neighbor of stealing her new pot. The neighbor's defense: 1st, I didn't steal it; 2nd, it was old and dirty; 3rd, it had a hole in it.
Haahaaaa. Laughing…. "requires two-party consent to create sound recordings" is that the best they can come up with in defense of supporting a prostituion and human trafficing ring?
Why doesn't the government act to recoup the money that was invested into ACORN since they have already been exposed as a corrupt organization?
Does ACORN really think that suing someone after being exposed will diminish the facts that were on those tapes?? I can hear them thinking now, "If we can win a lawsuit against those that videoed us, then the stuff they videoed will no longer be true." Only liberal logic can assume that.
This reminds me of the left attacking "Joe the Plumber" on his occupation, etc. when that wasn't even the case! What was the case is the answer to his simple question that the President gave!!!
Nevermind the man behind the curtain.
It will be very difficult for the filmmakers and Breitbart to get a fair jury trial in Baltimore City.
I would guess since ACORN is now being defunded by the govt, they got to get their meal ticket somewhere.
I beg to disagree. Fox News is different from the other nets by not getting involved in the news, just reporting it. Unless they get sued (notice after the initial threats they have not been named?) they will report, not litigate.
ACORN and their hundreds of offshoots will sue and sue til their targets are broke defending. This is also a tactic of the Left as Palin found out in Alaska.
SOP unless they can demonstrate a grave risk, and until you are sued how do you go to court to block release of your address? I predict they will move. Anybody want to set up a moving fund?
Not the way it works. Dang.
The part I am referring to is the Frank & Reid connection. Counter-suing is a common tactic in civil court.
2 points:
I think Breitbart had a big bottle of champagne just waiting for Acorn to sue. He is one smart guy and will know exactly how to leverage this into something that brings Acorn down once and for all, and who knows what or who along with it.
But secondly, I wonder if Acorn is taking the bullet here to divert attention from whatever is going on at the White House? Rathke knew they were done when he moved on to his "international" organization; others have been slowly divesting themselves of Acorn chains. Progressives have no problem dumping no-longer-useful allies in the most profitable (to them) way possible. Letting the news focus on Acorn (and remember, this story was broken by the MSM for once) might let them pass the legislation everyone has been fighting while we are watching the slow-motion train wreck.
Investigate the links between Acorn and Obama!
If these creeps can find ways to do end runs around the law vis a vis spinning it in their favor, why can't we? After all, THEY are the ones who have set the precedent with the approval of their "masters."
One guess what party the idiot that sponsored such a heinous law belongs to. Two party consent to record a persons voice? How asinine is that? No doubt the writers of this law left the government (i.e.. politicians) and law enforcement officials a back door. Meanwhile the citizenry is left in a lurch trying to defend themselves from all forms of harassment and blackmail thanks to laws that are so clearly geared towards disarming the public.
Sign me up to contribute. We should be honoring these two people, suing them. What does that tell us about ACORN. On BAD NUT!!
I sincerely hope the defense calls me as a witness as to Acorns illegal activities. id love to help nail them to a wall. But keep one thing in mind and that is Acorn is well protected by HUD and the United States Attorney. Trust me nothing here that been said that they already don't already know. It is all a fraud and if the trust came out Obama would be forced out of office
The entire ACORN network needs to dragged into the fray during the discovery phase of this proceeding…and then watch the rats head for the gunnels and the portholes!!! Look at the news, Barney Frank has already began scurrying and looking for a dark corner to hide in!!! Perhaps Mr Murdoch should buy up NBC and get the SNL crew (including Will Farrell) to perform political skits anathema to thier social ilk but fitting and proper to our nation's dilemma!!! Farrell would make a great Barney Frank, wouldn't he? Or perhaps a Baucus?
Maryland’s Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Act.
See Bodoy v. North Arundel Hosp., 945 F.Supp. 890 (D. Md. 1996).
Recording with criminal or tortuous purpose is illegal, regardless of consent. Md. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-402.
>> To recover civil damages a plaintiff must prove that the defendant knew it was illegal to tape the communication without consent from all participants. MD. Code Ann., Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 10-410."
http://www.rcfp.org/taping/states/maryland.html
So Hannah and James did not know, prior to filming, that it was illegal to tape without consent from all participants.
"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it."
Case closed.
If a Legal Defense Fund is set up, let me know!!!! Got a ton of people who will contribute
Wolfe over at RedState.com seems to have already researched their claim of having 'private' conversation taped…Maryland case law has set some interesting precedents on what is called private conversation and what is called public conversation. It's an interesting article.
I would hope their defense would include the natural law right of self defense not only for individuals but also for individuals within a society under attack and ACORN is definetely attacking us, they're actively promoting a hostile criminal foreign invasion and a hostile criminal ideology (socialism) completely uncompatible with the US constitution.
Every entity promoting Socialism or criminal invasion should have their "non-profit" status revoked and be taxed just like any other business.
Andrew Breitbart or FOX, please set up a legal defense fund so I can see some of my hard earned dollars actually going to a worthy cause rather than send it down a rat hole to the IRS.
Here's the link:
http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2009/09/23/wa...
uhh, ACORN budget is only 3% government funded, uhh. if the government stop giving them the money
they would still be able to be scammers.
lies.
I bet they get way more than 3% once you add up all the ways they channel funds from here and there…
The government partnerships, grants, contracts and political access has given them the cover of legitimacy. Once you strip that away, they will lose their power and influence and other groups will not donate. Some of their funding comes from shakedowns of banks and other businesses. Who would write a check to them now?
I am with you. I have three kids and can't contribute much, but every penny I can will be well worth it to me. Thanks James and Hannah! Keep doing what you're doing!
DISCOVERY will crush ACORN once and or all.
BRING IT!!
If only we could sue Congress on the same grounds…
im sticking to your story also
if acorn was recieving taxpayer funds wouldnt that make any acorn location "public" property
This is true. These laws are to render the public incapable of exposing crime themselves. Only the ones in power are allowed to use whatever means to catch what they determine to be criminal conduct. We need to call it what it is…Fascism!
You're wrong.
Many lawyers, on other sites, as well as on T.V. (FOX ), say otherwise.
ACORN is ILLEGALLY operating in Baltimore, so that part of the case may, MAY, be thrown out. And I've read the Maryland law that portains to this part of the suit,.which james and Hannah did NOT, in any way, break.
As far as the two fired/not fired/who knows ACORN workers on the film, they don't have a leg to stand on. They worked for an ILLEGALLY operating company, gave out CRIMINAL advice. and IF they were fired, they have a claim against ACORN, but NOT James or Hannah or Breitbart.
As far as ACORN'S fund raising goes, they won't be getting any more from the Catholic church, which cut them off last years, nor local, state, or Fed money. TIDES may still be shoveling money down the rat hole at them, but aside from the regular MARXIST funders, ACORN's well has been wrung dry.
if we can sign me up
[...] ** Big Government responds here. [...]
were any of the "to catch a predator" shows filmed in Maryland ??? They were never sued by tyhe state if so. Selective prosecution ?????
no, thet wouldn't do that. wink wink
very good point jake. the IRS shoukld do the audit, as they were the one's defrauded
here is the acorn lawyers email address. he might like to hear from us (all at once). I've alraedy sent mine 5 minutes ago. have fun and enjoy
You can count on me to add to the fund!
go to hannah.com. it is set up. she has a lawyer
Can someone please post the website for Hannah Giles defense fund. I've been unable to find it. Her lawyer must of misquoted the address.
I have money screaming to get donated:)~
Thank you Breitbart for the truth!
I found the website for Hannah Giles defense fund.
http://www.2dialog.com/freemarket/main.php/micro_...
I can't wait to see what discovery will look like coming from Acorn.
Ahh you beat me to it. I was just going to express this same point. The fact that ACORN chose this location for the basis of their suit is laughable. If you know that you are already operating illegally and you get busted for further illegal activity how can you have the audacity to file suit against those busting you. I know it's primarily because of the Maryland law(loophole for criminals) regarding uninformed consent to the video. Can ACORN really be this pathetically ignorant? *rhetorical ? obviously lol* up is down, left is right, and the moon is made of blue cheese i guess.
I'm not so worried about this court case, as it's so ridiculous. But I really hope they have good body guards. People will be out to get them, and I doubt they'll be able to do that in the courts.
Acorn …first !!! and then lets move on to ALL the tides groups!!! NO ONE ever said STUPID greedy people were smart only now… does the FUN begin
Like the entire raw footage.
Actually, ACORN's defense fund comes from private donations and isn't subsidized with revenue earned from government grants.
I bet Republican.
Smitty, please get off the socialist-built roads then, and vacate your built-to-community standards living quarters.
[...] Night Link Dump: America vs. ACORN filbert Friday, September 25 2009 @ 05:30 PM CDT Views: 0 **BREAKING** ACORN Sues Hidden-Camera Filmmakers, Breitbart.com Two Cheers for Andrew Breitbart ACORN lawsuit: DOA Breitbart [...]
[...] heat on James O’Keefe and Giles has been such that now ACORN is targeting them for allegedly violating the state’s two-party consent laws in regard to recorded [...]
[...] heat on James O’Keefe and Giles has been such that now ACORN is targeting them for allegedly violating the state’s two-party consent laws in regard to recorded conversation; [...]
I certainly hope they suffer. They were both prepared to help someone with a business that would bring SLAVES into our country. And dont be mistaken these underage girls would have been Sex SLAVES. And both of these women who were offering advice are black. Maybe to them it is allright to inslave girls who are from elsalador because they are not BLACK and everyone Knows slavery is only bad if black people are the slaves. And for ACORN leaders and polititions to describe their behavior as "UNACCEPTABLE" is rediculous, This behavior is way beyond unaxceptable. It is Criminal at the very least.
I just love the way ACORN Leaders and Polititions are throwing around the words "Unaceptable Bahavior" I dont know about anyone else but in book things like my Son not turning in his homework or my Daughter not doing her chores si "Unexceptable Bahavior" …. Things Like teaching some how to "Lie on there taxes, and advice on How operate a whore house with underage Sex Slaves" is WAAYYYYY!!! beyond Uneceptable
They certainly can be that stupid.
I THINK THAT IF THE STATE OF MARYLAND FIND’S HANNAH & JAMES & ANDREW GUILTY THEN WE THE TAX PAYER’S SHOULD SUE THE STATE OF MARYLAND FOR AIDING AND ABEDDING ORGINIZED CRIMINAL’S AND I THINK THAT THE APROPREATE AMOUNT SHOULD BE ABOUT 8 BILLION 1 HUNDRED AND 53 MILLION. THAT WOULD BE A START ON PAYING THE TAX PAYER’S BACK FOR WHAT ACORN AND SEIU AND AFLCIO AND ACLU HAVE STOLEN FROM US OVER THE YEAR’S AND ALL OF THESE STATES THAT ALLOWED THESE ORGINIZATION’S TO OPERATE WITHOUT A LICENS SHOULD ALSO BE HELD ACOUNTABLE BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THIS WAS GOING ON IN THEIR STATE’S AND MOST OF ALL WASHINGTON SHOULD BE HELD ACOUNTABLE BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY KNEW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT THEY DON’T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD THEY COVER IT UP AND ALL OF THE NEWS MEDIA IS HELPING TO COVER IT UP AND THEN EVERYTHING IS EXPOSED THEY JUST WANT TO JOKE ABOUT IT LIKE IT’S FUNNY I TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY AND I FIND THEIR ACTION’S OFFINSIVE ALL OF THEM ARE BEING PAID OFF TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND NOT SAY ANYTHING JUST LIKE THE POLITITION’S ARE BEING PAID OFF.
[...] PDRTJS_settings_411583_post_250 = { "id" : "411583", "unique_id" : "wp-post-250", "title" : "acorn+sues+hidden+camera+filmmakers", "item_id" : "_post_250", "permalink" : "http%3A%2F%2Fthebadernation.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F10%2F02%2Facorn-sues-hidden-camera-filmmakers%2F" } acorn sues hidden camera filmmakers: [...]
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