Tag Archives: washington dc

Government Accountability

DC Metro Station Inspectors Plagiarized Reports While Concrete Was Falling From The Ceiling

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(DCNF) For three years, inspectors apparently copied and pasted inspection reports for an underground metro station in Washington, D.C., then a metal beam fell from the ceiling.

No one was hurt in that incident, which occurred in the fall of 2016, but it was a wake up call for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to find out what went wrong.

A report from the inspector general released Thursday reveals critical weaknesses in the inspection protocols for the primary public transportation system for the nation’s capitol.

On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 2016, corroded bolts caused pieces of concrete, lighting fixtures and a large steel beam fell from the ceiling of the Rhode Island Avenue metro station, forcing the station to close for a few days. That could have been prevented if it had procedures to inspect certain hard-to-see areas and ensured that inspection reports were actually conducted. (RELATED: There’s So Much Human Hair In DC’s Metro It’s Now A Fire Hazard)

Over a three-year period, a total of 49 inspection reports contained identical language, leading the inspector general to conclude that “remarks are being copied and pasted from year to year, which makes it difficult to verify a new inspection was done.”

After the falling ceiling incident, the initial inspectors reports found the bolts holding up a large steel brace, 16 feet from the floor, had rusted and apparently no one had noticed.

One inspection in 2015 noted that there was a crack in the concrete where the metal brace and concrete pieces fell, but the 2016 follow-up report didn’t list any issues with that area. And, inspectors weren’t required to look at hard-to-see or inaccessible places.

“There are no policies and procedures to inspect non-visual and hard-to-reach areas,” and “the inspection area where the incident occurred was unassigned,” the new report claims.

The Rhode Island metro station will be closed for 45 days starting July 21 for repairs of the damaged area — which since the fall of 2016 have been patched with temporary wooden braces and a safety netting that was still in place when inspectors visited in January.

As for addressing inspection weaknesses in the future, WMATA said it would work to improve inspection protocols.

“This level of inspection may not have been required when Metro’s infrastructure was younger. However, as OIG noted, ‘as the infrastructure ages, additional inspection techniques need to be deployed,’” Metro spokesman Dan Stessel told The Washington Post. “We concur.”

 

Written by Thomas Phippen: Follow Thomas Phippen on Twitter

 

This article was republished with permission from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Featured, Police Accountability, US

Two Dozen Guns Somehow Walked Out Of A DC Police Evidence Locker, Half To Be Used In Other Crimes

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By Steve Birr and Josh Fatzick – More than two dozen firearms that were supposed to be in the custody of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) somehow made their way back to the streets and were used in other crimes, documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation appear to show.

An internal memo from the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) reveals 24 guns police confiscated between 2005 and 2012 vanished from the MPD evidence locker and were later confiscated yet again in other crimes. One of the weapons reappeared in a murder, while several others were used to commit violent crimes

The issue with missing guns rose to the surface after a reporter requested information regarding the firearms recovered during homicides that occurred in 2014.

The information request from Amelia Rufer, a reporter with the website Homicide Watch, was limited to cases from 2014, but an employee at DFS conducted a more thorough review of guns that came through the crime lab and found the discrepancies. The subsequent DFS memo documenting the investigation was provided to TheDCNF by an employee of the department.

The documents, dated Jan. 9, 2015, show D.C. police logged 24 guns into their evidence database between 2005 and 2012. Those guns somehow left police possession, were used in crimes and then returned to police possession, where they were re-logged into the police database.

The forensics agency keeps track of the serial number of each gun that comes into its possession and determined something was wrong when the serial numbers came back attached to two separate cases.

DFS reviewed the 24 matches and found half of them may have been the result of duplicated registrations. The MPD requires personal firearms be registered with the city. If the gun is later recovered during an investigation, the serial number will be re-registered in their systems, potentially creating a duplicate.

These cases are designated as “yellow flags” in the memo, because while there is evidence the firearm entries may be the result of previous registration, confirmation requires further investigation.

The other 12 matches, which contained no significant connections with investigations or possible duplicated entries, were deemed “red flags.”

In one of the cases, from 2008, U.S. Parks Police confiscated a gun and sent it to the MPD Firearms and Toolmark Examination Unit (FEU) to be test-fired. Police have no record indicating the final destination of the .357 revolver, but the same gun was later recovered as evidence at the scene of a homicide in 2009.

The “red flag” cases included one instance, in 2011, where a Taurus .38 Special revolver was submitted to the MPD FEU for test firing after police recovered it from its owner. Police evidence records indicated the gun was located at the MPD First District headquarters as of Dec. 30, 2011.

Fast forward to 2014, the same gun came back into the possession of police, and was described as a “Police officer’s firearm, ”after it was submitted as evidence in an assault on a police officer. As of Jan. 9, 2015, the gunwas being held for “safekeeping” by the DFS.

Delonte Yate, the victim in the assault, is described as a special police officer. In Washington, D.C., special police officers are basically security guards who carry guns and are eligible to make arrests. They are licensed by the MPD. It is unknown whether the .38 Special labeled a “Police officer’s firearm” in the memo was in the possession of Yate or belonged to another party involved.

“Without any additional records from 2011, it is unclear how the Taurus .38 Special left MPD custody at the 1st District Property to become a ‘Police officer’s firearm’ in the 2014 [assault on a police officer]. This requires further investigation,” the DFS memo reads.

Another case, from 2009, also involved a special police officer in possession of a gun supposed to be in a police evidence locker.

In 2009, police took possession of another .38 special from Duane Young, a defendant charged with carrying a pistol without a license. The evidence log for the firearm was left blank, but a second entry accompanying thegun showed six .38 caliber bullets in police possession.

Later, in 2012, a police investigation involving the same weapon found it in the possession of Teron Bridgett, a special police officer with Tri-Sec Investigative Service. Notes accompanying the investigation list the actual owner of the gun, and Tri-Sec Investigative Service, as a man named Maurice Lynch. Further, the notes indicate the gun was kept in police custody to be returned to Lynch once he could pass a “Fitness for Duty” test.

“Due to the lack of records from the 2009 [carrying a pistol without a license] case, it is unclear how the Taurus .38 Special left MPD custody to end up in the possession of Maurice Lynch in 2012. This requires further investigation,” according to the DFS memo.

TheDCNF contacted DFS Director of Communications LaShon Beamon for additional information regarding the internal memo. Beamon explained that since the events took place while the forensics lab was still under the control of MPD, she could not provide any additional information.

The District took control of the MPD forensics lab in 2012, combining it with the D.C. Public Health Laboratory and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL) has since operated under the DFS.

Beamon directed TheDCNF to contact Lt. Sean Conboy, spokesperson for the MPD. Conboy failed to respond to repeated requests for comment from TheDCNF.

Read the entire memo here:

DFS Memo

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Election, Politics

DC City Council Considers Bill to Allow Non-Citizen Residents to Vote in City Elections

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The Council of the District of Columbia held hearings last week to consider the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2015, a bill that would “expand the definition of ‘qualified elector’ to include [non-citizen] permanent residents for the purpose of local elections.”

In a January statement on the bill, its author, Councilmember-At-Large David Grosso, said, “‘All politics is local’ is a common phrase in the US political system and what most District residents care about are the tangible things that affect their day-to-day lives like potholes, playgrounds, taxes, snow removal, trash collection, red light cameras and more. All of these issues are important to voters in DC. Unfortunately, not all of our residents have a say in choosing the officials who make these decisions. In my opinion, that is unjust.”

DC Board of Elections executive director Clifford Tatum told WAMU, “Allowing non-citizens to vote requires the creation and maintenance of two separate voter registration rolls, as well as a system for converting voters from the non-citizen roll to the citizen roll as they become naturalized citizens. We would also be required to conduct a separate voter registration roll maintenance process.”

Councilmember Brianne Nadeau argued that the bill should be considered despite the additional costs and complications and said, “We always have to be careful in government and to lead when we see obstacles and when we see bureaucratic hurdles, to make sure they are not what stands between us and doing the right thing for our residents.”

Local Washington DC activist Dorothy Brizill, an opponent of the bill, said that the legislation “is particularly sensitive and of concern to those individuals, both black and white, who are aware of the long historical struggle to secure the right to vote for all American citizens. For many, the right to vote is the essence of citizenship.”

Grosso’s statement on the bill asserted, “According to the US Census Bureau (2012), approximately 53,975 residents in the District are foreign born, but not naturalized US citizens. Over 90% of that population is 18 years of age or older. These are taxpayers who should have the opportunity to have their voices heard in local elections.” Daily Caller notes that Grosso clarified that those who would be granted voting rights under the bill “are residents who are well on their paths to citizenship.”

National Legal and Policy Center chairman Ken Boehm told National Journal that the move would be a “slippery slope” that risks “diluting the value” of US citizenship. He added, “The people who advocate this clearly think they would get the votes of the non-citizens.”

Richard Winger of Ballot Access News pointed out the fact that, if the bill were to pass, the US Congress has the authority to override it.

Non-citizen residents are currently authorized to vote in 7 US jurisdictions, 6 of which are municipalities in neighboring Maryland.

According to The Washington Post, a 2014 law passed by the Council of the District of Columbia allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.

Drug War, Featured, Marijuana Prohibition, Police State, Politics, US

DC Mayor Announces New Hands-Off Policy on Low-Level Drug Dealers, Crackdown on Suppliers

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On Monday, Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser held a press conference to announce what officials in her office are calling a new “comprehensive drug enforcement strategy” involving a shift in law enforcement priority away from the targeting of low-level drug dealers in order to free up resources for a focus on major suppliers.

According to The Daily Caller, Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier also participated in the news conference and said, “We will shift away from outdated tactics focused on low-level users and target the suppliers who feed dangerous narcotics into the communities. This new drug enforcement strategy gives law enforcement and regulatory agencies the ability to crack down on the very suppliers that are responsible for these troubling proliferations.”

Mayor Bowser said at the conference, “Far too many of our residents are still impacted by drug usage – whether because of drug sales occurring near their homes or because they or their family members suffer from drug addiction. It is my duty to provide the safest and healthiest environment for our residents and visitors. We will do that by innovating and adapting, and providing our public safety officials with the tools they need to get the job done. We will also make sure healthcare professionals have the resources to help people get the treatment they need to fight and recover from drug usage.”

A statement from Mayor Bowser’s office noted that DC’s Metropolitan Police Department will be consolidating its seven vice units into two components, a “citywide drug unit under the MPD Narcotics and Special Investigations Division” and a new Criminal Interdiction Unit.

At the conference, Mayor Bowser also announced another plan to submit emergency legislation to the Council of the District of Columbia that would crack down on synthetic drugs like “K2, Scooby Snax, Bizzaro and Spice.” The bill, called the Sale of Synthetic Drugs Emergency Amendment Act of 2015, would stiffen penalties on businesses caught selling synthetic marijuana alternatives, which Bowser’s office characterized as forms of a “potent and dangerous hallucinogen that can lead to death.“

Drug War, Marijuana Prohibition

Congress Still Doesn’t Want DC To Regulate Marijuana Sales

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By Josh Fatzick

In a draft congressional spending bill released Wednesday, the House Committee on Appropriations is again blocking the District of Columbia from regulating marijuana sales in the city.

The legislation maintains provisions from last year that forbid D.C. from using any federal or local funds to further its marijuana legalization efforts.

In February, the city legalized the possession of up to two ounces of marijuana and gave residents over the age of 21 the ability to grow as many as six plants, though only three can be mature at any one time.

It is legal to give one ounce or less of marijuana to another person, so long as there is no exchange of money or any kind of trade. But since Congress forbade the city from setting up regulatory framework, sale of marijuana is still illegal.

Republicans in Congress have been duking it out with the city ever since the legalization took effect, promising to find ways to defund other city programs.

Rep. Andy Harris said he and other Republicans would “find some areas where we perhaps have been very generous with citizens of the District.”

Prior to the law taking effect, two Republican congressmen threatened to throw D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in jail if she went through with the legalization, though she called their bluff and they eventually backed down.

If the language in the bill isn’t changed, D.C. will not be able to enact any type of legislation pertaining to legalization or regulation of marijuana until September, 2017.

The bill also prohibited D.C. from funding abortions or setting up a needle exchange program.

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Civil Liberties, Gun Rights, Politics, US

Federal Judge Rules Against Washington DC’s “Good Reason” Gun Licensing Requirement

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Part of a Washington DC law that requires handgun carry permit applicants to prove that they need a gun due to imminent threats or dangerous workplace conditions has been halted by US District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr, who said on Monday that the requirement infringes on citizens’ constitutional rights. Said Judge Scullin in his decision, published by Firearms Policy Coalition, “For all intents and purposes, this requirement makes it impossible for the overwhelming majority of law-abiding citizens to obtain licenses to carry handguns in public for self-defense, thereby depriving them of their Second Amendment right to bear arms.”

The case, brought by Brian Wrenn, Joshua Akery, Tyler Whidby, and Second Amendment Foundation, Inc., sought a preliminary injunction against the requirement. In 2014, Judge Scullin also overturned a DC ban on the carrying of handguns in public.

The Associated Press is reporting that, following Judge Scullin’s ruling, Washington DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier is no longer enforcing the requirement. DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine called the requirement “constitutionally valid” but has not yet indicated whether the District of Columbia will appeal the decision.

Second Amendment Foundation attorney Alan Gura told The Associated Press that he expects that the city will appeal and ask that the rule be reinstated.

When arguing in favor of the law last year, Democratic DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said, “There’s no question that states have the right to substantially limit the ability of citizens to carry, and the District’s unique status as host to federal officials and the diplomatic corps makes the issue of carrying a fundamental safety concern.”

The Washington Post notes that, following the injunction, handgun carry permit applicants in DC still must pass a background check and a training course.

“The issue here is not whether the . . . requirement is a reasonable or wise policy choice. Rather, the issue is whether this requirement, no matter how well intended, violates the Second Amendment,” said Judge Scullin in his ruling.

Featured, US

Media Ignores Tens of Thousands of People Marching Against Police Brutality

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On Saturday tens of thousands of people across the United States participated in marches and rallies against police brutality. The corporate media largely ignored the protests as they continued into the evening in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, Ferguson, Missouri, Washington D.C. and several others.

The protests are calling attention to police violence after several recent high profile killings in Ferguson, Cleveland, and New York. Family members of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Akai Gurley, and John Crawford – all killed at the hands of the police – attend the “Justice for All” rally in Washington D.C.

In New York Luke Rudkowski of We Are Change reported an estimated 50,000 people.

NYPD says there’s 50,000 to 60,000 protestors RIGHT NOW in NYC

In Washington D.C. protesters also numbered in the thousands.

Arrests in Chicago.

The scene in Boston.

In Houston several arrests were made after protesters attempted to slow or stop traffic near the busy Galleria mall.

houstonprotest

The Christian Science Monitor also reports that activists have been “protesting” heavily online as well.

The activist organization Change.org reports that so far this year, 622 online petitions have been started about police violence, which have attracted a total of 1.1 million signatures – considerably more than the 217 petitions in 2013.

These petitions have included support for federal funding for body cameras; a call for NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, the man who choked Eric Garner to death, to be fired; and a petition called for an end of the militarization of the police.

As the daylight faded New York protesters marched down the Brooklyn Bridge temporarily halting traffic.

As protests continued in Oakland, the mother of murdered Oscar Grant told protesters: “We want officers to be held accountable for their actions… [to] feel that pain just as we have to feel it.”

Featured, Marijuana Prohibition, Politics, US

Fine Print in Congressional Budget Deal Set to Overturn DC’s Marijuana Legalization Referendum

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In November, a strong majority of voters in Washington DC approved a referendum that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. However, federal lawmakers, in a rush to find consensus on a budget in an effort to avoid a government shutdown, may have just taken the first steps to override the will of DC voters on that issue. According to The Washington Post, the Republican House and Democratic Senate have reached an agreement on a $1.1 trillion budget to fund the government until next September, and it includes among its 1600 pages a provision that would de-fund the implementation of DC’s marijuana legalization referendum.

While local officials run most of the day-to-day business of government in Washington DC, Congress retains the authority to overrule their decisions. A summary of provisions in the newly agreed-upon spending bill, published by the House Appropriations Committee and cited by Christian Science Monitor, notes that the bill “prohibits both federal and local funds from being used to implement a referendum legalizing recreational marijuana use in the District.” However, the legislation sends mixed messages in that it would also order the Drug Enforcement Administration to stop busting farmers for hemp in states that have legalized it and require the Department of Justice to take a hands-off approach to states that have legalized medical marijuana.

Voters, elected officials, and activists in the nation’s capital are outraged at the notion that a referendum approved by voters would be overturned by federal lawmakers. DC’s non-voting congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton bashed Democrats for supporting the provision overturning her city’s marijuana legalization referendum, saying, in comments to The Washington Post, “I certainly don’t know why Democrats would agree to block legalization while we still control the White House, we still control the Senate — and who knows, they may even need Democratic votes to pass this.”

DC Councilman David Grosso said, taking a shot at the GOP-led house, “It is disheartening and frustrating to learn that once again the District of Columbia is being used as a political pawn by the Congress… To undermine the vote of the people — taxpayers — does not foster or promote the ‘limited government’ stance House Republicans claim they stand for; it’s uninformed paternalistic meddling.”

The Huffington Post quoted Maryland Republican Congressman Andy Harris, a supporter of the provision, as saying, “I am glad Congress is going to, in a bipartisan way, uphold federal law to protect our youth by preventing legalization in Washington, DC.”

Adam Eidinger, a DC-area pro-legalization activist who gathered signatures for the referendum, told The Washington Post, “I’m ready for some civil disobedience. If you’re going to overturn an election, you might as well say something before it’s done.” Eidinger says that local activists are organizing a protest march on Wednesday night that will run from the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice building to Capitol Hill and that some attendees may be willing to face arrest.

The budget bill, which was revealed last night, is expected to pass before the end of the week. Though President Obama has yet to signal whether or not he will sign the legislation, McClatchy DC notes that White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest praised the bill on the President’s behalf.

On the subject of the federal government’s mixed messages on marijuana, Ben Swann released a report in September on the fact that the federal government refuses to classify cannabis as medicine while at the same time holding the patent on cannabis as medicine.

Watch the video below:

Politics, US

Tea Party lawsuits against the IRS thrown out of court

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The courts have ruled in favor of the IRS Thursday after federal courts in DC threw-out lawsuits being brought against the agency by more than 40 conservative groups seeking compensation for the delays and scrutiny of their tax-exempt forms and applications.

Two cases involving the groups True the Vote and Linchpins of Liberty were deemed moot by Judge Reggie Walton of the US District Court of the District of Columbia, after it was made clear the IRS had granted the groups their desired tax-exempt status.  The case involving Linchpins of Liberty also involved the other 40 conservative groups who had banded together and polled their efforts for the case.

“After the plaintiff initiated this case, its application to the IRS for tax-exempt status was approved by the IRS,” said Judge Walton, according to Politico.  “The allegedly unconstitutional governmental conduct, which delayed the processing of the plaintiff’s tax exempt application and brought about this litigation, is no longer impacting the plaintiff.”

True the Vote founder, Catherine Engelbrecht, said she was very upset by the decision and feels the targeting and her and her group’s political views is a “reprehensible” act.  “The court acknowledges in its opinion that the IRS did in fact target True the Vote for our perceived political beliefs, but then it holds that neither the agency nor the individual IRS agents or officers are responsible for this unconstitutional conduct,” said Engelbrecht. 

“It’s a disappointing ruling,” Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Signal.  “It basically leaves targets of bad behavior by the IRS without a remedy.”

The IRS has admitted it used inappropriate measures and criteria to single-out conservative groups, starting in 2010, in order to slow the process of holding the status of tax-exempt groups.  Two House committees are still carrying out their own investigations into the IRS on these claims, according to the Washington Times, and many top IRS officials, such as Louis Lerner, have already resigned from their positions.

Featured, Politics, US

As Scottish vote for independence, more Americans think of secession

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As the Scottish vote to secede from the UK failed, the idea of secession has been picked up by almost a quarter of Americans who say they would be open to the idea of their respective state leaving the Union.

A new Reuters poll, which took place between Aug. 23 and Sept. 16, found 23.9 percent of Americans strongly support the notion of their state breaking away from the larger US.  However, on the other side of this argument, of those polled, 53.3 percent strongly opposed the idea.

The idea to secede seems to be split down party lines too, as more Republicans, 29.7 percent of those polled, support their state standing on its own, while 21 percent of Democrats who were polled supported the idea for their state.

Many Republicans cited their dissatisfaction with the way the Obama administration has handled various issues as to why they liked the idea of secession.  These issues range from the current administration’s handling of ISIS in the Middle East, to the healthcare reforms put in place recently.

Others said they don’t believe Washington gets anything done, and they feel if their state would break away, things would be better off.  Roy Gustafson, 61, of South Carolina, told the Sun Sentinel, “I don’t think it makes a whole lot of difference anymore which political party is running things. Nothing gets done… The state would better off handling things on its own.”

One state that has taken the idea of secession seriously is Texas, where a group known as the Texas Nationalist Movement has been looking into ways to leave the US behind in hopes of establishing their own nation.

Daniel Miller is the director for the TNM who was excited for the Scottish vote to breakaway from the UK.  Miller said, according to USA Today, “We’re excited that they are able to have a voice, to be able to go to the polls and voice their political will on the issue of self-determination…”

Interviews, Politics, US

EXCLUSIVE: Adam Kokesh Talks Life Post-Jail, Future Activism Plans

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In a sea of establishment Republican types, I have to admit I was shocked to see libertarian activist Adam Kokesh at last weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

Kokesh was released from prison on November 6th, after putting a video online of himself loading a shotgun in D.C.’s Freedom Plaza. D.C. gun laws are some of the strictest in the U.S.–just being in the District with a loaded firearm, even if it is legally registered, is a violation of the law. On July 9, not even a week after producing and uploading his video, Kokesh’s home was raided by a SWAT team. He spent over 120 days in jail with no bond, no bail, and no trial. 57 of those days were spent in solitary confinement.

Now Kokesh has his freedom back… Temporarily, at least. Earlier this year, he received a 20 month suspended sentence plus two years of subsequent probation. He was also banned from Washington, D.C.

Kokesh, who is surprisingly kind and gracious for a guy who’s spent 57 days in solitary confinement, sat down with me at CPAC and filled me in on his situation.

Honestly, your’re one of the last people I would expect to see at CPAC. What made you want to come here?

Well there are certainly a lot of people here who represent the establishment. And I don’t just mean the American Conservative Union that is behind this event. But also the politicians, the special interest representatives, and the various Super PAC people. But I bet the ACU would tell you that this is the grass roots. There are people here who have the exact same ideological perspective that I do. I mean, anarcho-capitalism; pure libertarianism.

I know there are a lot of conservatives who are fans of my gun activism. And there are a lot of liberals who are fans of my prohibition activism. I think it’s great that people can be fans of someone’s specific work and not necessarily judge them as a whole. I love that. I love my fans who disagree with me–they’re the best ones. They say, “I’m not on board, I don’t get your philosophy, but I love your work.” I support people who are doing things who aren’t in my ideology.

There seem to be a lot of libertarians here. Have lots of fans been approaching you? 

I mean, if I stand in the main entrance, I have people coming up to me saying “hi” and telling me that they love my work.

It’s kind of funny. CPAC is going to have to give me a speaking slot next year if I have more fans than some of the guys who are currently on the speaking schedule. It’s a fun environment because there are a lot of people who are passionate about what they believe in here. Sure, there are plenty of bad ideas but most of the people here are activists or they’re really eager to learn. And I think that’s great.

So how’s life been since you were released from jail? What are you up to these days?

When I got out of jail, I had to really lay low and be careful not to give the prosecutor any excuse to say, “He hasn’t learned his lesson! So you need to send him back to jail, because we need to correct him!”

I’m finishing a book that I started writing in jail, it’s coming along really well. We sent a draft of it to people internationally to make sure it’s square with their experiences in other governments. It’s global in scope. I’ve also been working on rebuilding my organization and getting my live show set back up. I definitely learned my lesson–before going to jail, I hired a lot of people I shouldn’t have who stole from me while I was locked up. All of my legal defense funds were stolen and my entire operation was sabotaged. When I came out, I didn’t come home to a mess–I was homeless because I had been evicted while I was in jail. The one thing they didn’t do with the stolen money was pay the rent. They were trying to keep me in jail so they could keep living off my business. And that’s really sick and disturbing. When you’re in jail you feel kind of helpless in a lot of ways. My communications were limited, so it was hard to find out from other people what was going on.

Are you going to continue doing activist stunts and protests, or are you more hesitant now? 

This has not slowed me down. I’m absolutely going forward with activism. The thing that it has limited for the next two years is civil disobedience, given the suspended sentence that I received. So if I get arrested for something else right now, I could go straight back to jail for another 16 months in D.C. It’s kind of ironic: if they bring me back to D.C., then I’m allowed there.

If you could go back in time, would you make that infamous video again? 

I think so. I can say that I should have been better prepared. I don’t like to look back and say, “Would I or would I have not?” I can say that I’ve made some mistakes as an activist. But then again, there’s no such thing as perfect activism.

 Follow Kristin Tate on Facebook and Twitter. 

Politics, US

Obama Admin Replaces Barricades At WWII Memorial Today

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It really is stranger than fiction. After Ben Swann reported yesterday with exclusive images and video of the weekend’s veteran protest in DC, the Obama administration re-barricaded the WWII memorial today. Protesters had removed the gates and placed them in front of the White House.

Charlie Spiering with the Washington Examiner tweeted the below picture of freshly placed gates surrounding the WWII memorial.

Memor

The Obama administration continues to play theatrics, which is, in fact, costing the tax-payers money. For those who have never been to Washington, these memorials have no staff or gates. They are open air memorials, which are accessible 24 hours a day- 7 days a week. The only time the memorials are not accessible is when money is spent to hire workers and rent equipment to wall them off.

Politics, US

The Justified Complaints Behind the Truckers Protest

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Obama’s “corruption against the Constitution” will be challenged by a massive group of truckers in Washington, D.C. this Friday.

The description on the “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” Facebook page says, “The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!”

1376411_428070913970777_637130798_n

It all sounds exciting and meaningful, but what, specifically, are the truckers protesting? What exactly is the “corruption that is destroying America?”

A simple online search of “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” brings up dozens of write-ups about the protest, but almost none of them go into detail about trucker-specific grievances that protestors plan to bring to the attention of D.C.

Predictably, the vagueness of the event and its purpose has prompted knee-jerk assumptions and spin from the right and the left.

Leftist media outlets continue to put out negative headlines like, “Right-Wing Truckers Plan To Jam DC’s Major Commuter Highway, Arrest Members Of Congress.” (Ben Pam, an organizer for the protest, has since said there are no plans to arrest members of Congress.) Similarly, right-leaning media are pushing sensational headlines like, “Patriotic American truckers and consumers to strike against corrupt government.”

After reading multiple articles about the protest, it is still unclear what, specifically, the truckers are angry about.

We spoke with Zeeda Andrews, one of the protest’s organizers. She shed some light on the complaints behind “Truckers Ride For The Constitution.”

“Truckers are concerned about their livelihood,” said Andrews.

According to Andrews, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently pushing a law that would require every trucker to have a tracking device in his or her vehicle. This device keeps track of mandatory breaks, idling time, and driving speed. “This is a privacy issue,” insisted Andrews. “[The Feds] can see and hear everything. They can even control how fast the truckers are driving at all times. It’s the trucking nanny.”

Many independent truckers like to keep their records by hand. This government-imposed tracking device merely limits truckers’ choice to keep hand-written records while stripping them of privacy.

The DOT is also trying to enforce idling laws, which prohibit truckers from idling unless they keep a pet inside their vehicle. These laws can be enforced using the tracking devices mentioned above. Andrews points out that idling restrictions become a health hazard when it’s 10 below zero out, and truckers need to warm up their cabs before hitting the road.

Obamacare is also having a drastic negative impact on truckers, according to Andrews. Many trucking companies are reducing workers’ hours to under 30 per week because they cannot afford to provide full health coverage (which, under Obamacare, will be mandatory for all full time employees). In the case of the trucking industry, this part of the new healthcare law hurts the trucker by limiting the hours he can work, and subsequently, lowering his pay. It also hurts employers by forcing them to either hire more part time employees (which is inefficient in the trucking industry), or provide expensive, full health coverage for all full time employees.

It’s a lose-lose situation.

These issues detailed by Andrews are just a few of the ways that truckers feel there is “corruption against the Constitution.” But you won’t read about them in the mainstream press.

Too often, the left/right paradigm limits information put out by media.

It is doubtful that the media will start focusing on the real causes of the protest anytime soon. Let’s face it — it’s just so much more fun to discuss impeachment and corruption than it is to talk about idling laws or healthcare mandates. Not to mention, it is easier to push political agendas when stories are wrapped around partisan headlines.

The media often does not care about giving us substantial information, so long as we click on their sensational headlines and make them more ad revenue.

Ironically, the same left/right paradigm may also have had an influence in shaping the truckers’ protest itself, which was initially spurred by seemingly justified complaints. The group’s initial Facebook page was banned from the web because part of its description said, “No amnesty, remove all Muslims in our government that do not uphold the Constitution.”

Some Facebook users were offended by the sentence about Muslims. To them, it seemed like the truckers were singling out Muslims. Why remove only Muslims who violate the Constitution? Why not remove everyone, regardless of faith, who violates the Constitution?

It is easy to surmise, given the initial event description, that “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” could have been influenced by the left/right paradigm when it included that sentence into their general description.

We have seen several marches of this kind over recent years by different groups in Washington, D.C. Even if the march reached the million-man mark, or even if it slowed down traffic in D.C. for a day, is the protest likely to bring any real reform if those involved are not focused on the substantial, justified complaints that brought on the truckers’ protest in the first place?

Politics, US

Twitter Bans “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” – Is Social Media Unfairly Targeting The Group?

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This Friday, a large group of truckers intend to shut down the nation’s capital.

The truckers will be in DC for three days to challenge Obama’s “corruption against the Constitution.”

The “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” Facebook page says, “The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!”

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The Ben Swann team reported on this event in September and conducted an exclusive interview with one of the protest’s organizers, Zeeda Andrews. Since that writeup, the event has gained a great deal of attention, especially after U.S. News & World Report covered “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” on Monday morning in a detailed report. That article was also linked to on the Drudge Report, giving it even more publicity.

On Monday, just as the event was picking up immense steam, Twitter unexpectedly shut down the truckers’ account.

At this time it is unclear why Twitter did this. The account was pulled down almost immediately after the U.S. News & World Report article was published.

As reported by InfoWars, “Twitter’s targeting of ‘Truckers for the Constitution’ is yet another reminder that the social media giants have total contempt for the First Amendment and any form of political activism that is anti-Obama.

Despite the fact that Twitter routinely fails to shut down accounts that directly threaten violence, and is even slow in removing accounts belonging to terrorist groups (it took 5 days for them to shut down an Al-Qaeda account), its targeting of Truckers for the Constitution is ruthless in comparison.”

The InfoWars article accurately points out that Twitter banned the trucker’s page within hours of the U.S. News & World Report article hitting the web, but took five entire days to ban the Al-Qaeda page.

It seems possible, then, that Twitter could be infringing on the truckers’ First Amendment rights by pulling down their account in a seemingly partisan move. However, more information is needed  to make such assumptions.

For instance, the group’s original Facebook page was also shut down — but after some further investigation, it was revealed that the page was pulled for an arguably legitimate reason.

The description of the event on the original Facebook page (the one that got banned) said:

“It does not matter if a million or 50 roll through DC in this effort. Congress will listen to We the People. Which is remove Obama from office for crimes of treason and misdemeanors. We want Congressional hearing on Benghazi and Seal Team 6. Louis Learner [sic] put in jail. No amnesty, remove all Muslims in our government that do not uphold the Constitution. [Emphasis added] Remove Eric Holder from office for crimes against the people and the Constitution. Last but not least is Fuel prices.”

Some Facebook users were offended by the sentence about Muslims. To them, it seemed like the truckers were singling out Muslims. Why remove only Muslims who violate the Constitution? What about Catholics who violate the Constitution? How about Atheists? Buddhists?

Facebook’s Community Standards is a self-policing system; when people see something on the site they object to, they can “report” it. If enough people do this, Facebook responds by shutting down the page. According to Andrews, substantial numbers of people reported the page, ensuring that it was shut down.

The truckers’ new Facebook page was created shortly thereafter, where Andrews and her partners are currently recouping the followers they lost when the first page was shut down.

Whatever the case, with or without a strong social media presence, the truckers plan on being in DC on Friday to carry out their plans.

“If anyone can help save the country, it’s truckers,” said Andrews. “Just like the truckers, Americans are sick and tired of what’s going on in this country. It’s time to get up there and make a change. If something happens, it’s because we all let it. We have a right to address these issues and bring them to Washington, D.C. in a peaceful manner.”

Interviews, Politics, US

EXCLUSIVE: Organizers Of Truckers’ March Reveal Plans For Massive Protest In DC

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On October 11, the very people who keep America moving will use the day to stop traffic in the nation’s capital.

If one group of laborers in America is too often overlooked, it may be truckers.

Many Americans think they rarely come in contact with truckers. But when is the last time you bought a soda? How about a gallon of milk? A tank of gas?

We have truckers to thank for those conveniences.

Given that truckers are an essential part of the American infrastructure, yet are so easily forgotten, it is no surprise that they would be bringing their own grievances to the attention of Washington, D.C.

A large group of truckers is planning a protest in Washington on October 11 for three days, to challenge Obama’s “corruption against the Constitution.”

The “Truckers Ride For The Constitution” Facebook page says, “The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!”

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It all sounds exciting and important, but what specifically do the organizers mean by “corruption that is destroying America?”

Predictably, the vagueness of the event and its purpose has prompted knee-jerk assumptions and spin from the right and the left.

In an effort to cut through the right/left paradigm, I spoke with Zeeda Andrews, one of the protests’ chief organizers, to learn what “Ride For The Constitution” is really about.

Andrews helped put together the initial Facebook page to support truckers and draw attention to “regulations that are unconstitutional.”

“Truckers are concerned about their livelihood,” said Andrews. She mentioned multiple ways in which truck drivers feel their rights are being infringed upon.

According to Andrews, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently pushing a law that would require every trucker to have a tracking device in his or her vehicle. This device keeps track of mandatory breaks, idling time, and driving speed. “This is a privacy issue,” insisted Andrews. “[The Feds] can see and hear everything. They can even control how fast the truckers are driving at all times. It’s the trucking nanny.”

The DOT is also trying to enforce idling laws, which prohibit truckers from idling unless they keep a pet inside their vehicle. These laws can be enforced using the tracking devices mentioned above. Andrews points out that idling restrictions become a health hazard when it’s 10 below zero out, and truckers need to warm up their cabs before hitting the road.

Obamacare is also having a drastic negative impact on truckers, according to Andrews. Many trucking companies are reducing workers’ hours to under 30 per week because they cannot afford to provide full health coverage (which, under Obamacare, will be mandatory for all full time employees). In the case of the trucking industry, this part of the new healthcare law hurts both the worker and the employer.

These are just a few of the ways that truckers feel there is “corruption against the Constitution.”

Shortly after Andrews and her colleagues launched the initial Facebook page, it went viral, receiving over 86,000 “likes.”

Although the initial protest concept was specific to truckers’ needs, Andrews says these are issues that the entire country can gather around and support. In Andrew’s view, Americans have grown exceedingly tired of their rights being trampled on by politicians.

“If anyone can help save the country, it’s truckers,” said Andrews. “Just like the truckers, Americans are sick and tired of what’s going on in this country. It’s time to get up there and make a change. If something happens, it’s because we all let it. We have a right to address these issues and bring them to Washington, D.C. in a peaceful manner.”

It is easy to imagine why the page when viral so rapidly.

Just as the movement was picking up steam online, Facebook unexpectedly shut the page down. Under Facebook’s “Community Standards” policies, “political enemies” were able to target the truckers’ page.

The original description of the event, which mentioned Muslims, did not sit well with some people. It said:

“It does not matter if a million or 50 roll through DC in this effort. Congress will listen to We the People. Which is remove Obama from office for crimes of treason and misdemeanors. We want Congressional hearing on Benghazi and Seal Team 6. Louis Learner [sic] put in jail. No amnesty, remove all Muslims in our government that do not uphold the Constitution. [Emphasis added] Remove Eric Holder from office for crimes against the people and the Constitution. Last but not least is Fuel prices.”

Political opponents of the truckers fixated on the sentence about Muslims and used it as a basis to shut down the Facebook page. Even though the truckers were genuinely angry about violations to the Constitution, and the event has nothing to do with race, opponents used the Muslim sentence to “spin” the protest into a “racist” rally.

Facebook’s Community Standards is a self-policing system; when people see something on the site they object to, they can “report” it. If enough people do this, Facebook responds by shutting down the page. According to Andrews, substantial numbers of opponents to the truckers reported the page, ensuring that it was shut down.

As a result of being banned from Facebook, the truckers started their own website called RideForTheConstitution.org to promote the event. A new Facebook page was created shortly thereafter, where Andrews and her partners are currently recouping the followers they lost when the first page was shut down.

For the most part, people have received the protest positively, Andrews said.

“Most Americans are 100 percent on board with this,” she said. “It takes everyone coming together to say: ‘No I do not consent to this lawlessness. I don’t support your taking away my rights.'”

The protest encourages people from “coast to coast” to show their support by taking the day off from work, or simply choosing to not spend money that weekend.

While the truckers certainly have articulated reasonable grievances, what is the likely outcome of a march? We have seen several marches of this kind over recent years by different groups in Washington, D.C. Even if the march reached the million-man mark, or even if it slowed down traffic in D.C. for a day, is the march likely to bring any real reform without its coinciding with a well-organized lobbying effort to influence legislation?

Will anything really get done?

*Special thanks to Peter Santilli for information and insight regarding this event. 

Politics, US

Truckers Shutting Down DC To Protest The Federal Government And Its “Bulls**t”

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A group of truckers plans to shut down DC to protest the government and its “bulls**t.” The rally, happening on October 11 for three days, will question the Obama administration’s “corruption against the Constitution.”

The truckers were initially gathering attention using social media, primarily Facebook.

But now the group’s Facebook page, “Truckers to Shut Down America,” has been pulled off the web. The page’s admins were banned for using “God Bless America.”

The group’s Facebook page used to say, “The American people are sick and tired of the corruption that is destroying America! We therefore declare a GENERAL STRIKE on the weekend of October 11-13, 2013! Truck drivers will not haul freight! Americans can strike in solidarity with truck drivers!”

As a result of being banned from Facebook, the truckers started their own website called RideForTheConstitution.org to promote the event.

Freedom Outpost pointed out that Facebook allows pages promoting jihad, but “will pull pages like Truckers to Shut Down America and Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children for promoting conservative and/or Christian beliefs. That makes sense when the owners and admins of Facebook are in cahoots with government and in bed with big money men.

With the social networking page nowhere to be found, it is now up to the old-fashioned, hit the pavement, door to door grassroots effort.”

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Here is more information on the protest from the group’s Facebook original page (the one that got pulled from the web):

“My fellow patriot this effort is to support the truckers in a major shut down of America ion [sic] a 3 day strike October 11th thru 13th. Obamacare will be in effect and most people will be ready to take action. No commerce on those days stock up on items that you will need. No banking no shopping no money transactions.

It does not matter if a million or 50 roll through DC in this effort. Congress will listen to We the People. Which is remove Obama from office for crimes of treason and misdemeanors. We want Congressional hearing on Benghazi and Seal Team 6. Louis Learner [sic] put in jail. No amnesty, remove all Muslims in our government that do not uphold the Constitution. Remove Eric Holder from office for crimes against the people and the Constitution. Last but not least is Fuel prices.”

Do you support these truckers? Also, do you think Facebook had a partisan motivation from pulling down the group’s page? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Opinion

Muslims or Bikers, We All Have The Right To Free Speech

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Wednesday hundreds of thousands converged on Washington D.C. for marches relating to the anniversary of 9/11. The first march was the Million Muslim March, which later changed its name to “Million American March Against Fear”. The group was able to get a permit for their march from the US National Park Service. Though in actuality, only a few hundred people actually turned out and many of those may not have been Muslims at all.

Muslims Washington DC

Simultaneously, as our Kristin Tate reported, another group was denied a permit request by the NPS. That group called ” 2 Million Bikers” wanted to ride through Washington, DC on September 11th. They wanted to do this to honor all of the victims killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks. They did arrive in D.C. and as you can see from the photos, the turnout was very large.

Bikers Washington DC

Throughout the day yesterday and into today headlines are pitting the bikers against the Muslims. Why would NPS discriminate against the bikers but support the Muslims? Why would Muslims be so insensitive to march in D.C. on September 11th?

This is the left/right game. Don’t fall for it!

The reality here is that both of these groups have every right to march on Washington. Media on the right and left are working very hard today to pit these groups against each other. It is shameful. The reality is that American Muslims have every right to march on Washington for whatever message they want to express. Similarly, the bikers have a right to do the same.

The problem between these groups is not that they both want to march on Washington, the problem is that the National Park Service believes they have the power to decide who can march and who cannot.

The First amendment protects our right to speech and our right to peaceably assemble. The Bill of Rights does not state that your right to do so can be suspended because of traffic concerns or because an area might become too crowded.

When a right can be taken away simply because the National Park Service believes that it can or because local, state or federal lawmakers believe that it can, then it wasn’t a right to begin with. It is a privilege.

The right to assemble and the right to air our grievances is not a privilege. But that is the game we find ourselves playing when one group of citizens begins to argue that another group has been given “privilege”.

Under the Constitution, the American Muslims who marched on Washington D.C. need no permit and no “privilege” to make their voice heard. Under the Constitution the American bikers who rolled into D.C. do not need that privilege either.

The reality of what happened in D.C. yesterday is that both groups suffered a violation of their Constitutional rights. Both have an equal right under rule of law. By making one group (Muslims) obtain a permit and by denying a permit to the other (bikers), every one of those Americans had their First Amendment rights trampled.

Opinion, Politics, US

Defying Government’s Favoritism Of Muslim Rally, Thousands Of Patriotic Bikers Roll Into DC On 9/11

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The US National Park Service (NPS) gave a permit to Muslims to march on the National Mall on September 11th.

The Muslim group originally called the event the “Million Muslim March,” but later changed the name to “Million American March Against Fear” after receiving criticism. On the group’s website, it claims the mission of the rally was to establish “Humanity and Justice through a Civil Rights Movement.”

MAMAF Logo

Many Americans were outraged that a large group of Muslims would hold a seemingly self-righteous rally on a day like September 11.

But this is America, and we all have the right to free speech… Right?

Well, apparently it is not that simple.

NPS denied a permit request from a  group of bikers who wanted to ride through Washington, DC on September 11th. They wanted to do this to honor all of the victims killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Why would the Muslims be granted a permit, but not the bikers?

NPS claimed they denied the bikers’ permit request for technical reasons.

A spokeswoman for the NPS, Carol Johnson, said, “They looked at [the permit application] and decided it would cause a severe service disruption of traffic both inside and outside the area around the mall. The size of the event, we can’t manage. We couldn’t provide adequate park police services and park police escorts and it would require a lot of road closures so it was denied.”

She jokingly said, “[I] wish the bikers would leave me alone.”

Although the NPS denied the bikers a permit, they roared into DC anyway. The group wrote on their Facebook page, “We have our constitutional rights and we shall ride!”

Still, the bikers made it clear they had no intentions of confronting the Muslims (and they didn’t). “We’re here for 9-11. We are going to have a peaceful ride,” said Belinda Bee, the national ride coordinator.

And that’s exactly what they did.

Here are some photos from the event:

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While the NPS was not explicitly denying the bikers’ a right to free speech in this case, their reason for denying the group a permit is certainly suspicious. The federal government seems to make it more difficult for non-liberal groups. Mere months ago, it was revealed that the IRS purposefully targeted conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.

Do you think the Muslim group was given favoritism by the NPS?  Let us know in the comments section below.

Politics, US

Armed Agents Evict Elderly Veteran With Dementia For Forgetting $134 Property Tax Bill

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Image Credit: WP Marine Corps Veteran, Sergeant Coleman (Retired)
Image Credit: WP
Marine Corps Veteran, Sergeant Coleman (Retired)

After we broke our exclusive interview yesterday with Robert Fernandes, the man who paid more than $7k in property taxes in single dollars bills to protest the tax, a heart-breaking study emerged from the Washington Post. 

Bennie Coleman, US Marine Corps Sergeant (retired), watched from a lawn chair across the street as armed federal US Marshals stormed his house, stole his possessions and put his house up for sale, which he paid in full with cash more than 20 years ago. If that wasn’t enough- the agents also took his dignity. They took his photographs of his late wife and his medals from his career as a US Marine Corps Sergeant.

A controversial program is at fault. In Washington D.C. tax liens are placed on property owners. If not paid, the lien is sold to a private group who inflates the original debt to astronomical figures. Sergeant Coleman owed $134 to the government. Rather than continue to try and work with the honored Marine Sergeant and widower, his government, which he served for years sold him out.

Sergeant Coleman’s tax bill ballooned to $4,999. He lost his $197,000 home and all equity that it had built over the past two decades. The program entitles the private “investors” to everything. The investors’ entitlements even trump the mortgage companies.

According to a 10 month investigation from the Washington Post:

“Tax lien purchasers have foreclosed on nearly 200 houses since 2005 and are now pressing to take 1,200 more, many owned free and clear by families for generations.Investors also took storefronts, parking lots and vacant land — about 500 properties in all, or an average of one a week. In dozens of cases, the liens were less than $500.“

Property owners have 6 months to pay their lien before the “investor” can foreclose on their property and have them evicted by armed federal agents. So then, pay your taxes, or you can be greeted by a gun in your face at the door in 6 months. Never-mind that you “own”  the property.  

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below-

Opinion, Politics, US

DC Bureaucrats’ Latest Assault On Freedom: Mandatory 24-Hour “Waiting Period” For Tattoos

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The United States is nearly 17 trillion dollars in debt, the national unemployment rate is more than 7%, and one in seven Americans is on food stamps. But fixing those problems is just so darn hard! So several politicians in Washington DC have decided to spend their time creating tattoo regulations.

DC’s Health Department is aggressively pushing to instate a mandatory 24-hour waiting period for all individuals looking to get a tattoo in the District. The waiting period would mandate that “no tattoo artist applies any tattoo to a customer until after twenty-four hours have passed since the customer first requested the tattoo.”

Officials from the Department say the regulation would prevent “serious health risks.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health, Najma Roberts, thinks that the new rules would prevent individuals from making stupid decisions while they are intoxicated.

She said, “They can’t be responsible for themselves, as well as the person doing the work on them. We’re making sure when that decision is made that you’re in the right frame of mind, and you don’t wake up in the morning . . . saying, ‘Oh my God, what happened?’”

Tattoo shop owners, however, say the proposed regulations unfairly target their industry and would hurt business.

Paul Roe, a tattoo parlor owner in DC, said “Why not 24 hours’ waiting time before shaving your head?” The new rules are “honestly ridiculous” he claimed.

Gilda Acosta, a tattoo artist, said, “It would definitely be a direct hit to my income if I couldn’t tattoo people who come in and want work done on the same day.”

Good grief.

America is supposed to be the Land of the Free. If people want to make poor choices regarding their own bodies, they should be allowed to. In a free country, government cannot dictate lifestyle choices, nor can it become the overprotective mommy and daddy of its citizens. Freedom means having the right to make bad choices and then deal with the consequences ourselves.