Patterico's Pontifications

7/12/2012

The Kimberlin Story: The Short Version

Filed under: Brad Friedman,Brett Kimberlin,General,Neal Rauhauser — Patterico @ 12:01 am



Many people have asked for a basic and relatively brief summary of the events surrounding Brett Kimberlin, Neal Rauhauser, and Ron Brynaert — who have gone after critics with over-the-top harassment. I provided the long version of the story, with much of the supporting evidence, here. This is the shorter version. If you have been struggling to understand this story, and you feel like you don’t have the time to follow it all, this is the post for you.

I speak of myself in the third person in this post, so that this can be distributed to non-readers of this blog without confusion.

THE PEOPLE

Brett Kimberlin

  • Convicted bomber and perjurer
  • After release became leftist activist

Brett Kimberlin is the “Speedway Bomber,” who set off 8 bombs in Speedway, Indiana in 1978. He was convicted and received a 50-year prison sentence but was paroled after 14 years. In addition to the bombing convictions, he has been convicted of perjury, drug smuggling, and other offenses. One of his bombs blew off the leg of Vietnam veteran Carl DeLong, who later committed suicide as a result of his injuries. DeLong’s widow won a $1.61 million dollar judgment against Kimberlin for DeLong’s wrongful death, as well as damages relating to her own injuries from the bombing that had maimed her husband. Kimberlin was returned to prison for refusing to pay the judgment in violation of his parole. He has never paid the judgment. He claims innocence and falsely claims to have been exonerated by a secret settlement with the Justice Department. He currently runs two non-profits in Maryland: Justice Through Music and Velvet Revolution, which are generously funded through large grants from donors such as the Tides Foundation and Barbra Streisand.

Neal Rauhauser

  • Tech-savvy dirty tricks leftist operative
  • Associate of Kimberlin

Neal Rauhauser is a far-left activist who has engaged in violent rhetoric, contacts members from the hacking group Anonymous, and is an admitted associate of Brett Kimberlin’s. He has written how-to guides regarding methods to use phony identities and hide one’s Internet activities from law enforcement.

Kimberlin has described Rauhauser in open court as his “associate.” Rauhauser has written of working with Kimberlin and meeting with him personally. Rauhauser has appeared at numerous court hearings with Kimberlin. He has sat at counsel table with Kimberlin and passed him court documents. He has helped push Kimberlin’s false narrative that Kimberlin was exonerated, as well as the blatantly false claim that the judge in the DeLongs’ wrongful death suit against Kimberlin was imprisoned for extorting Kimberlin. Rauhauser has spoken of working with Kimberlin’s Velvet Revolution organization on Occupy events. In 2011, Rauhauser talked of a new job that he had, and of moving to Maryland — the state that is home to Brett Kimberlin and his “Velvet Revolution” nonprofit.

Rauhauser has supported the idea of using litigation for the express purpose of costing his political opponents both time and money. He appears to have found a kindred spirit in his associate, the serial litigant Brett Kimberlin, who has filed over 100 lawsuits, including lawsuits for insufficiently provocative pornography, and for the right to play electric guitars in federal prison.

Ron Brynaert

  • Former Raw Story editor, obsessed with Weiner and Kimberlin stories
  • Audio expert says his voice probably the SWATter’s voice

Ron Brynaert has been a guest blogger at a blog run by Brad Friedman, a partner in Brett Kimberlin’s nonprofit “Velvet Revolution.” Brynaert is a former editor of Raw Story, a publication that has formed loose partnerships and coalitions with Friedman, Friedman’s radio show, and Velvet Revolution. Brynaert was on the phone with Patrick Frey when Frey’s SWATting occurred, and an audio expert has said the voice of Stack’s and Frey’s SWATter is probably Brynaert’s. In 2011 Brynaert regularly published details of Kimberlin’s litigation on his Twitter feed and republished emails from Rauhauser. Brynaert sent Frey numerous tweets threatening to punch Frey for ignoring what Brynaert considered to be evidence of Kimberlin’s innocence in the bombings.

THE HARASSMENT

Even if no SWATtings had ever occurred, it would still be the case that Brett Kimberlin, Neal Rauhauser, and Ron Brynaert have each engaged in intimidation tactics — much of it directed at critics of Brett Kimberlin. In most cases, the tactics appear to be used as a form of “brass knuckles reputation management” — Kimberlin personally attacks and harasses anyone who dares mention his criminal history. They may disagree with what you say, but they will harass you to the ends of the earth for exercising your right to say it.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of tactics that these men have used:

  • Harassment of wives and family members
  • Publication of home addresses and pictures of people’s homes
  • Workplace complaints
  • The filing or threatening of frivolous lawsuits, often supported by false statements under oath
  • Frivolous applications for restraining orders
  • Outing people’s identities
  • Whisper campaigns
  • Frivolous claims and reports to law enforcement of criminal wrongdoing
  • Frivolous State Bar complaints or threats to file State Bar complaints
  • Publication of a photo of a nude man that was falsely claimed to be a photo of the victim
  • Defamation
  • Daily abusive name-calling, mocking, and profanity on Twitter
  • Threatening emails, tweets, or notes
  • Discussion of a victim’s personal history and past traumatic events in a disparaging manner

Each man has participated in at least some of the above tactics, often against the same victims.

THE SWATTINGS

During the same time period, there have been four SWATtings. A “SWATting” is a false claim that there has been a shooting at an innocent victim’s residence, causing the police to come to the victim’s home expecting to find a violent and armed man, when the victim has no idea what is going on. In Patrick Frey’s case, police pointed loaded firearms at him as he opened his front door. SWATting is a dangerous crime that could result in the death of innocent victims and police. The SWATtings at issue include the following victims and dates:

  • Mike Stack, June 23, 2011
  • Patrick Frey, July 1, 2011
  • Erick Erickson, May 27, 2012
  • Aaron Walker, June 25, 2012

It is not known who did the SWATtings. It has been claimed that Frey has “accused” one or more people of involvement, but this is false. However, Frey has presented evidence that could suggest circumstantial ties between these men and the SWATtings.

Animosity towards SWATting victims

Kimberlin and Brynaert both complained to Frey’s workplace, while Rauhauser has encouraged complaints against Frey, and stated that he wants to see Frey fired, prosecuted, disgraced, disbarred, imprisoned, sued, and bankrupted — all for purely political reasons.

Kimberlin and Brynaert both tried to “out” Aaron Walker’s identity when he used a pseudonym. Kimberlin succeeded. Rauhauser threatened that Kimberlin would do so.

Kimberlin’s site published Frey’s home address and pictures of his home; Kimberlin put Walker’s home address in court documents; Rauhauser published Frey’s home address.

Kimberlin, Rauhauser, and Brynaert have all made false and abusive criminal allegations against Walker and Frey.

Brynaert sent Frey numerous tweets relating to his wife, including one threatening to “shit” on his wife. Rauhauser asked his readers for pictures of Frey’s wife.

Kimberlin filed State Bar complaints against Frey and Walker. (Kimberlin’s complaint against Frey alleged, among other things, discrimination against the “disabled” — because Frey wrote about Kimberlin’s felonies, which “disable” him from voting.) Brynaert threatened State Bar complaints against Walker, Frey, and Frey’s wife; and Rauhauser has publicized Kimberlin’s State Bar complaint against Frey.

Kimberlin has threatened suit against Frey and Walker, as has Brynaert.

Walker, Erickson, and Frey have each written extensively about Kimberlin, while Stack has left a comment mocking Kimberlin.

Kimberlin unnecessarily included Walker’s home address in court documents, while a Velvet Revolution-run site published Frey’s home address.

Stack and Frey were each central figures in the Anthony Weiner story, and were both accused by Rauhauser, in documents sent to law enforcement, of somehow “setting up” Weiner.

Timing of SWATtings

The timing of certain SWATtings is also notable. Stack and Frey were SWATted while writing about the Anthony Weiner story after Weiner resigned, at a time when few were still following the story. Rauhauser is obsessed with “Weiner Trutherism” — the irrational belief that Anthony Weiner was hacked, despite Weiner’s admission that he wasn’t. Three days after Frey was SWATted — and months before Frey’s SWATting was publicly revealed — Rauhauser published a blog post titled “Patterico’s Penalization,” accusing him and a Kimberlin critic of possible involvement in cyberstalking Anthony Weiner. Later that month, again before Frey’s SWATting was publicly revealed, Rauhauser wrote a post titled “Weinergate Perps Pay Dearly” — about the two SWATting victims at that time: Mike Stack and Patrick Frey.

A Rauhauser Twitter associate named OccupyRebellion told Stack and Frey that they both have a “special place in [her] heart” and suggested that someone with “bigger balls” than her had made her enemies pay, and that she will take her secrets “to the grave.” She has insinuated that she has a close relationship with Anthony Weiner.

Erickson was SWATted two days after he first wrote and spoke publicly about Brett Kimberlin. Aaron Walker was SWATted hours after winning a well-publicized court case against Kimberlin.

Rauhauser uses same incorrect address as SWATter

Rauhauser wrote Stack a cease and desist letter addressed to Stack at the same incorrect home address used by Stack’s SWATter.

Voice comparison analysis

Presented with a sample of Ron Brynaert’s voice, the Stack and Frey SWATting calls, and a fourth anonymous caller to a BlogTalkRadio program, a voice expert stated: “it is my expert forensic examiner opinion that it is probable that all voice samples come from the same person.”

63 Responses to “The Kimberlin Story: The Short Version”

  1. DING.

    Patterico (feda6b)

  2. But the thing is … WHY? What exactly is motivating these people to do this? I can’t see what they have to gain from all of this. But then again, I am seeing a lot of people surrounding this that have self-destructive behaviors.

    crosspatch (6adcc9)

  3. My thoughts on this is that it all started with Rauhauser. He started it to simply shut up political rivals in the Weiner scandal.

    He then got hooked up with Kimberlin who is trying to shut people up from talking about him and ruining his gravy train, his non-profits.

    I suggest that the first 2 SWATings were done as retaliation about Weiner. At that time Rauhauser took an interest in Kimberlin who was mentioned by the people he was acting out against. Using the enemy of my enemy thinking he has combined forces with Kimberlin.

    As for Brynaert…he was an operative of Rauhausers. Rauhauser would point him at someone and let him loose.

    Brynaerts association is the most flimsy and hard to pin down. Patterico has made a good circumstantial case against him which is why I tie him in at all.

    I have nothing to back that up of course, but it seems as likely a scenario as any.

    Dustyn H (ebcd5e)

  4. Why indeed Crosspatch. It is a mystery.

    Perhaps they are people who will bend over backwards to feel persecuted and thereby justify their innate impulse to hurt people. Perhaps they are trying to divert attention away from something larger. Perhaps they just like seeing the world burn. Who knows?

    The bigger mystery, at least in my mind, is why they aren’t being investigated by the authorities.

    Chants (767cde)

  5. Kman has read this post in-depth, and is declaring it to be a case of “boys will be boys”.

    Icy (642c3c)

  6. I came across this story a few weeks ago from Michel Maulkins site. Since then I have been following daily. This is a truly bizzar and like stated dangerous.

    Joanne Van Fossen (c73f2a)

  7. Why this obsession with Kimberlin, Patterico? He’s a nobody who has paid his debt to society. I know you’re not telling the whole story, and I think you’d be better off not saying anything more about the subject.

    (I am now finished channeling Kman.)

    Chuck Bartowski (99415f)

  8. Lets not forget BK murdered a granny for beguiling, possessing and undoubtedly molesting her elementary-age grandchild, but sadly sole witness to the murder passed and no servant of the innocent took the case up.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  9. 9. Christopher Scarver needs an interview with BK, et al.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  10. The abridged version is excellent work! A good post to point those unfamiliar with the story toward, in order to get the basic understanding.

    CausticConservative (b29599)

  11. I seem to remember Ron tweeting Aaron’s real name before it was out elsewhere.

    Saturnian (62b020)

  12. Patrick,

    It would be helpful if you would include a link to this post at the beginning or end of any subsequent Kimmerlin/Rauhauser posts. To help new followers and readers directed from other sites get up to speed.

    aunursa (7014a8)

  13. Ron talked about how he wasn’t going to out Aaron based on court documents, and then almost immediately outed Aaron based on court documents.

    Missing from the summary, mostly, because it complicates matters for a summary, is Darrah Ford aka OccupyRebellion. But you see indications that she played a central role. For this post, that is enough.

    Patterico (399777)

  14. aunursa,

    That is the plan. Does it make sense? Anything unclear or omitted or overdone?

    Patterico (feda6b)

  15. Also missing is their other gal pal, identity known.

    Saturnian (62b020)

  16. Patterico, i found something interesting that you may be interested in. Regarding a blog a long time ago (I was reading intermitently and trying to follow this insanity) that either was about or included a woman who said she was a “cleaner”. You may not agree, but it gave me chills and reminded me of that instantly. Anyhow, can you DM me for a few? Can’t get it off my mind.

    pambrash form. Aubrey (df1cab)

  17. Someday this story will make a good screenplay.

    Scott E (5a8e4c)

  18. Lets not forget BK murdered a granny…

    Please be careful. This is speculation, not actually proven. That it does seem possible doesn’t make it any less speculative.

    Patrick has been careful to not overstate his case. IMHO, the rest of us should be equally precise.

    QuadGMoto (3eb042)

  19. __________________________________________

    It’s helpful to give a face to the various characters in this matter, if only to remind everyone that fanatics — and truly sickening human beings — come in all shapes and sizes, all age ranges.

    It would be interesting to observe the behavior of those on the reverse side of the far leftists. I imagine both extremes would be very similar in general, but I’d theorize the ultra-rightists at least wouldn’t be motivated — and crazily deluded — by the belief that they were on the side of the angels, or fighting the good fight, of the wonderful, generous, humane populist. That could be why ultra-liberals will more easily worm their way through a society, since more people will be gullible about the notion of “but he had such good intentions!” Hence, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

    Mark (fa03ef)

  20. I am amazed at how this story is being swept under the rug. I’m even more amazed at the inactivity of law enforcement. Daily I have been E-Mailing this story to media outlets in my area. One real journalist has touched on the subject. I now have a condensed, easy to understand, rendition of events. Thank you for giving me the ammo for the short attention span theater type journalist’s that rely on others to do their research.

    Brent Ebert (beb09d)

  21. Has anyone looked into getting Kimberlin’s ‘charity’ organizations de-authorized, or whatever it’s called? As long as they are accepted by the IRS as legitimate charities, money can flow freely in from many sources.

    Jake (a29940)

  22. The big picture is that these guys draw our best talent into an intense, separate, and personal fight in order to silence them.

    Keep in mind that Hitler won, if you realize that his primary objective was to murder most of the Jews.

    I’m not picking fault, not at all – just trying to clarify what I think is the big picture.

    Amphipolis (e01538)

  23. Please be careful. This is speculation, not actually proven.

    One has to be careful in stating the Neutral Objective Facts:

    Kimberlin … cannot withstand the kind of sustained scrutiny that would cause people to start asking questions about his unseemly interest in the pubescent granddaughter of Julia Scyphers. Mrs. Scyphers was murdered in July 1978 in what investigators at the time believed to be a contract killing carried out by a member of Kimberlin’s drug-smuggling gang.
    The 1978 murder of Julia Scyphers remains officially unsolved, and there is no statute of limitations on murder.

    Robert Stacy McCain (24d9d3)

  24. You’ll notice, by the way, that neither Joe Gelarden of the Indianapolis Star nor Mark Singer, author of Citizen K, has been sued by Kimberlin.

    Robert Stacy McCain (24d9d3)

  25. I order to silence them – and intimidate any others.

    If this is what we get for exposing Wiener, who else is hiding in the dark while Kimberlin the nobody holds the spotlight?

    Amphipolis (e01538)

  26. If this is what we get for exposing Wiener

    Usually, they lock you up for that.

    Icy (3615bd)

  27. This sounds EXACTLY like the kinds of things that the Scientology cult does against its critics.

    Paulette Cooper was attacked by the cult for writing a book about them. In addition to frivolous lawsuits and outright barratry, they attempted to frame her for a crime she did not commit. They sent an operative to live in her apartment complex and to befriend her. The operative got her to handle a few pieces of blank paper, creating fingerprints. One or more bomb threats were then typed up on these pages and sent out through the mail. Cooper was facing serious federal charges until the FBI raided several of the cult’s compounds and discovered evidence that the bomb threats were an orchestrated plot on the part of the cult. In the end several of the cult’s top members were sent to prison for this and other crimes.

    This is just one example of the kinds of things Scientology does, there are countless other cases that are well documented and easily found through google. The website Operation Clambake is another great place to look.

    The reason that the tactics of Scientology and leftists are so similar is because the mindset the behind them is also similar. Scientology is an evil predatory cult that destroys lives. Its doctrine casts its members as being the only people worthy of basic human rights. Everyone else is a “WOG” and “fair game.” It is the most concentrated form of evil I’ve ever had the misfortune of encountering.

    Hard leftists are likewise evil, and it can easily be argued that their commitment to the horrifically malignant ideology of Marxism, its analogues and synonyms, is akin to adherence to a cult. Where they differ is only in their level of centralized control and organization.

    The best way to deal with these leftists is to shine a very bright light upon them and keep it there. Katie Holmes escaped from this cult recently, and most importantly took her daughter with her. The cult, fearful of scrutiny from a public that is growing increasingly wise to their evil, has directed her ex-husband Tom Cruise not to fight her. The cult has also not perpetrated its usual dirty tricks against apostates. This represents probably the very first time that the cult has publicly retreated. This would not have happened had the cult not been dragged into the spotlight, its crimes documented, and the public made aware of them.

    Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

    Ironically, “anonymous,” or some sub-group within that amorphous entity, has done a lot to draw attention to Scientology and its crimes. Perhaps the people affiliated with Anonymous who have been backing Kimberlin and his co-conspirators should stop for a moment and look at who they are siding with.

    Lee Reynolds (2252ef)

  28. Comment by Robert Stacy McCain — 7/12/2012 @ 9:47 am

    You’ll notice, by the way, that neither Joe Gelarden of the Indianapolis Star nor Mark Singer, author of Citizen K, has been sued by Kimberlin.

    Mark Singer was sued. For supposedly breaking his contract or something – Singer was supposed to write a favorable book. But Kimberlin lost. Kimberlin did get royalty checks though.

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  29. So–when will Kman be by with a condensed version of the moonbat troll apologist litany for Kimberlin and his merry band of thugs?

    MSE (f1314f)

  30. RS McCain…the not sued part has already been corrected,

    There may also be more to the story with the Indy reporter, too.

    If you get the opportunity to talk to either, please do,

    Sarahw (b0e533)

  31. Rauhauser is obsessed with “Weiner Trutherism” — the irrational belief that Anthony Weiner was hacked, despite Weiner’s admission that he wasn’t.

    Weiner never said he wasn’t hacked. He said the picture was his and he sent the tweet – but he never explained how or why he had sent it (except that it was “part” of a joke – something nobody could make any sense of, but I have an explanation)

    Weiner probably doesn’t understand till this day how exactly that picture wound up as a tweet.

    Cannonfire, however, explained this last year.

    http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2011/06/weiner-affair-close-to-solution-but-i.html

    Just realize that Weiner himself could have done all the things the “hacker” might have. You also need to realize that “Dan Wolfe” told two lies that actually had the effect of making it look like somebody, probably Dan Wolfe himself, had caused the tweet to appear on Twitter. Those two lies were that “Dan Wolfe” had seen it accidentally, and that Weiner had deleted the tweet immediately (the second lie was told to hide how it happened because if it happened a more natural way Weiner indeed would have realized it right away. The first lie made it look like Dan Wolfe might be the hacker because it was such an implausible lie aandit would especially incredible for Dan Wolfe to have noticed it,or updated his browser in a very short interval – it actually wasn’t really so short. and maybe the tweets would remain even if deleted. But it did have the effect of casting suspicion on himself)

    The first SWATtings had to do with stopping people from exploring the socks and the plot against Weiner. The chances are great that Neal Rauhauser either was part of that plot, or, as Alicia Pain said, was called after the fact to clean up the mess. (The plot was never to issue a tweet. That just happened. And whenit did, Dan Wolfe didn’t think that would be THE END but just wanted to use it as part of his harassment against Weiner. he never wanted to be the center of attention or the source of a scandal – he wanted Breitbart (who in turn could be dis[araged) to be the person who broke the story, or Mike Stack @goatsred.

    And there is a mess. The socks were doing more than one thing and they don’t want their identities known, and they don’t want people to understand precisely what happened with Weiner.

    All along the main goal of the socks was never to be investigated themselves. You are already one half or one quarter of the way to the truth by then.

    The 2012 events, though look more like pure brass knuckles reputation management. That’s all about protecting Brett Kimberlin’s reputation, not the secrets of anything anybody did.

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  32. No mention yet of Kimberlin’s 1988 claim to have sold pot to Dan Quayle when Quayle was in law school. In 1988, Kimberlin was in federal prison and Quayle was George H.W. Bush’s running mate in the presidential election. The claim drew immediate attention but dissipated quickly.

    eteam (a538b2)

  33. Comment by Lee Reynolds — 7/12/2012 @ 10:34 am

    This sounds EXACTLY like the kinds of things that the Scientology cult does against its critics……The reason that the tactics of Scientology and leftists are so similar is because the mindset the behind them is also similar

    That’s probably because some of the same people, or their proteges, are involved.

    But some of the things Scientology did haven’t happened yet here (framing somebody for a major crime, although it did happen to somebody in New York who accused her boyfriend of rape, if I remember right. She was framed for armed robbery.)

    Katie Holmes escaped from this cult recently, and most importantly took her daughter with her.

    She escaped because of her daughter. Women often won’t protect themselves, or take any offense, but somehow get roused to protect their children.

    Ironically, “anonymous,” or some sub-group within that amorphous entity, has done a lot to draw attention to Scientology and its crimes. Perhaps the people affiliated with Anonymous who have been backing Kimberlin and his co-conspirators should stop for a moment and look at who they are siding with.

    They may not be the same people at all. Neal R likes to say Anonymous is doing things.

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  34. Comment by Patterico — 7/12/2012 @ 6:45 am

    Missing from the summary, mostly, because it complicates matters for a summary, is Darrah Ford aka OccupyRebellion.

    Also missing is Ron Brynaert claiming for years now to be independent of and even opposed to Brett Kimberlin. (except he doesn’t really act that way)

    This has to be mentioned because that is the first thing anybody looking into this, and contacting Ron Brynaert, will hear.

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  35. Excellent wrap up of a very sordid story.

    This is a complicted saga with a weird cast of
    characters. This is the left’s new weapon of intimidation to silence the right. Truth is the weapon they fear most. But it takes courage to exercise it.

    You published the Anita Bush/Pellicano expose and saw the the bad guy go to jail. And you survived. As you will with this one.

    Corky Boyd (c2186d)

  36. You also somehow left out the whole Dan Quayle story?

    The first national fame of Brett Kimberlin and the locus classicus of his political activities.

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  37. 16. Comment by pambrash form. Aubrey — 7/12/2012 @ 8:04 am

    Regarding a blog a long time ago (I was reading intermitently and trying to follow this insanity) that either was about or included a woman who said she was a “cleaner”.

    Janitor. Alicia Pain (actually also the name of a rock performer)

    https://patterico.com/2011/06/24/my-conversation-with-alicia-pain-the-person-who-threatened-me-last-night/

    ….I am sort of a janitor, I help fix and clean up my clients problems.
    b

    Sammy Finkelman (fd0eb9)

  38. Lee Stranahan’s blog has an interesting article concerning one of players in the Kimberlin saga not mentioned in Patterico’s abridged version. Since I have little faith in the veracity of anyone who leans to the left, particularly where the Kimberlin matter is concerned, I don’t know if Mr. Stranahan’s info is to be taken as mis-, dis-, non-, or other. Does anyone here have any insight?

    PPs43 (af65ec)

  39. “The Short Version”? Height-ist!

    L.N. Smithee (a35991)

  40. Also not mentioned is that, for a time in the days leading up to Weinergate and those shortly after (before Weiner’s resignation) that both Frey & Stack were, to various degrees, depending on the time, down a rabbit hole concerning fictional teen girls that Weiner was allegedly communicating with online and the fictional Dan Wolfe character, and the fictional family members of the fictional girls….and the question as to whether any or all of the 3 men mentioned as suspected culprits had anything to do with the creation of those fictional characters.

    If Stack and Frey are to be believed (and I do believe them, in general), then both were fooled to varying degrees over time by these “characters.” Ultimately Stack and Frey realized that they had been misled by the intricately crafted stories of “sock puppets.”

    In the days prior to Weinergate, Stack was involved with the fictional “Dan Wolfe” character who led the “Born Free Crew” in monitoring Weiner’s online activities, particularly public interactions with women. Stack was also pulled into a fake part of the Weinergate conspiracy involving fictional high school girls and trying to get the media to publish alleged DMs between Weiner, his friends, and these girls.

    In the days following the media explosion of Weinergate, Frey was involved in reporting on the part of the story surrounding the fictional teen girls. As time passed, Frey realized that these girls may not be real people, and let his readers know that.

    As it turns out, people with whom Frey had conflicts with in the past (well before Weinergate) may have been involved in the management of these online personae, perhaps targeting Frey in doing so, with revenge as a motive. But it remains hard to tell what actually happened.

    Venusian (b1153c)

  41. “The Short Version”? Height-ist!

    Comment by L.N. Smithee — 7/12/2012 @ 12:56 pm

    Beat me to it.

    When these clowns find that they cannot disgrace an already disgraced person who is on the road to redemption, they stir up the nascent distrust against that person and silence them in that way, creating a sideshow as they sit back and let fellow conservatives do their dirty work for them, encouraging the hatred via their socks and well placed comments and tweets, exacerbating the situation, causing confusion and attacks against one another, totally demoralizing a section of the conservative wing and distracting attention from Brett.

    Paul Lemmen (6cd503)

  42. “You also somehow left out the whole Dan Quayle story?”

    Sammy – It is good to point out missing parts of the story line you feel are important, but remember it is supposed to be a summary post and not one of your comments.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  43. For those who have been wondering what Tommy Xtopher has been up to lately, I can help!

    In an early morning radio hit on The Dale Jackson Show Tuesday, D.C.’s greatest self-publicist and Mediaite‘s White House Correspondent Tommy Christopher did the unthinkable and called The Daily Caller “a sewer.” The hit came after Christopher, always available for an interview no matter how small the outlet, and Huntsville, Ala. conservative radio host Dale Jackson got into a Twitter tiff over a column Christopher wrote making fat jokes about Rush Limbaugh. Christopher repeatedly called Jackson “dumb,” so Jackson did what any rational thinker would and invited him onto his show.

    Getting an occasional refresher course on the professional media in all its glory can be quite inspirational, no? Read all the rest of the details from Eddie Scarry over at yesterday’s Mediabistro Fishbowl DC. You are welcome.

    elissa (d64262)

  44. Elissa – Tommie Xtopher sure is a class act. Did he ever answer how he verified those young ladies during the WeinerTweeter thingie?

    JD (f4e1b6)

  45. 31. Sammy Finkelman:

    The “yfrog email hack” theory (as seen on The Rachel Maddow Show!) was proved false. Yfrog investigated, and found that their email interface was not compromised. They would have seen it in their mail logs if it had happened that way. The Twitter “posted by” client ID was also not consistent with a Yfrog hack. I believe it was posted via Weiner’s usual Twitter client, Tweetdeck.

    Joe (b9dd11)

  46. ==Tommie Xtopher sure is a class act. Did he ever answer how he verified those young ladies during the WeinerTweeter thingie?==

    JD–as far as I know, that particular discrepancy in Weinergate has never been explained. How and why Tommy was able to personally verify and authenticate the identities of two teen girls and a mom and vouch for them–right up to the moment all three were discovered to be completely fake personas–is a loose end.

    elissa (d64262)

  47. Tommie Xtopher is a credible JournoLister, Elissa. Much like Larry Reilly.

    JD (f4e1b6)

  48. Loose ends abound.

    Venusian (b1153c)

  49. Lee Stranahan’s blog has an interesting article concerning one of players in the Kimberlin saga not mentioned in Patterico’s abridged version. […] Does anyone here have any insight?

    The infighting sucks. IMO at least some of the infighting is related to Patterico’s more recent post about how law enforcement hasn’t done enough.

    Victims of smears put faith in law enforcement to do their job and solve what aspects of this were crimes, such as the swattings. If that had worked out with a prosecution, I think a lot of the infighting wouldn’t have occurred.

    Everyone needs to treat the victims and those conducting sincere investigations with respect. At least in public. It’s pretty understandable that there’s not a lot of trust to spare from many sides, but if people convey their concerns privately to each other, a lot of things can be resolved without burning bridges.

    Distrust is an environment that makes Neal’s ‘stir up drama’ mission easier, and I would love to see folks refuse to conduct any more infighting.

    As Paul Lemmen says, we’re seeing:

    confusion and attacks against one another, totally demoralizing a section of the conservative wing and distracting attention from Brett.

    It’s been over a year. Nobody’s handled everything perfectly, but there’s only a few players who are actively bad guys, and nothing else is really worth over a year of my attention.

    The truth is I feel that I do have some insight, but I also have learned not to engage in this side story stuff. It might feel like this is all one grand unified conspiracy where anyone who doesn’t handle everything well can be tugged on in a way that reveals the greater story, but it’s the exact opposite. Infighting does as Paul says… it demoralizes and distracts.

    I say this not intending disrespect for anybody (except Neal, Ron, and Brett, of course).

    Dustin (73fead)

  50. The socks sent faux id…. photocopied or scanned IIRC. There was a bogus school ID for a school one girl did not attend. Patricia Reidsock provided a bogus ID for herself as well.

    The Tommyfail drives me to distraction. He was waving his journo card but failed to vet these socks, the addresses or ID’s given, and it never seemed to occur to him how incredibly inappropriate the contact made was – with the Reidsocks but particularly the Marianela sock.

    It never seemed to occur to him the very high probability of fakery simply through a common sense filter. Loving protective parents would have pulled the plug on the kid’s internet, not attempted to explain or defend in the manner presented to Tommy.

    The statements were outlandish and (going to the issue of whether some competent professional was behind this foolery- completely unbelievable and suspiciously stilted.

    Tommy didn’t revisit or re-vett even when he caught the socks in a spectacular lie. (story wasn’t kept straight) and just accepted them as “honest” when there was confession and apology after the socks were flat busted. The “I’m grounded” post by Marianela was so inappropriate as to make any sensible person question just what the hell was going on.

    When the new google impage searches showed that the profiles of the girl-socks had been faked, it should have been all over.

    Tommy never really apologized for not showing his work, and flashing his J-card to defend that (how he verified their “existence”)

    And it’s not like he wasn’t warned.

    I don’t think he was in on it or conspired to fake anything. It’s just that he wasn’t really very careful and he hid his work, and it was all too good to check.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  51. Sarah, I think you’re right about Tommy. His work wasn’t just shoddy. It was unskeptical enough that it was carrying water for no apparent reason.

    I don’t think he was ‘in on it’, but I do think he was willing to overlook details and accuracy if the story would gain attention.

    That is the best case scenario.

    Dustin (73fead)

  52. Those socks fooled many. Tommy boy’s supposed “real reporter” credentials and his vouching for the socks made others, like Frey, believe for longer than they would have otherwise.

    The fact that Ron allegedly “discovered” that the socks were fake and told “real reporter” Preston is just another fish in this stinky kettle.

    Venusian (b1153c)

  53. Tommy believed in the ReidSocks because the ReidSocks stated their heartfelt adoration for the adored Rep Weiner…and because the salacious story was great fodder for his online rag.

    Frey believed in the ReidSocks for a time because Tommy, “the real reporter” vouched for them …and because their existence and fictional antics, if revealed, would make Weiner appear to be guilty of something really bad (flirting with teen girls online). Great story…lotta readers and pagehits.

    So both men “wanted” to believe the fake stories because it somehow confirmed their wishes.

    So the sockpuppetmaster, for a time, had both Tommy & Frey fooled about the same characters for opposite reasons. It’s pretty remarkable.

    As stated, Frey did snap out of it later and once those Reid DMs started to turn up he clearly disclaimed their authenticity.

    As for Stranahan, those socks deliberately pitted him against Frey over and over. That’s something that the socks have continued to do with others, including Stack & other bloggers for over a year.

    Venusian (b1153c)

  54. I was one of the people looking for a Reader’s Digest Version. The epic total story cannot be told without crazy diversions into minor characters and weird topics.

    This version tells the highlights. Good job, Pat.

    A word of suggestion to the bloggers knee deep in this: Don’t worry about your moments of disagreement with each other. Sometimes there are legitimate issues between writers about unrelated matters. With so many strong personalities and so many lawyers involved, that’s bound to be the case. (No insult to lawyers. You guys can pick nits with the best of them.) I’ll bet Kimby and Roughauser love that kinda stuff.

    Just cause you speak up for a blogger in distress, of course you are not endorsing everything he/she has written. Fact is, y’all know that if the good guys don’t win this thing, then porn, spam and popups will be the only things left on the intertubes.

    Oh, and since this story broke, I’ve been reading a lot more blogs, and learning a lot about the people behind them. (Even those who would prefer to be anonymous.) Ali Akbar really is a guy named Ali Akbar. Huh. So tell me, is Allahpundit a muslim from Iraq?

    ukuleledave (5f2a17)

  55. No mention yet of Kimberlin’s 1988 claim to have sold pot to Dan Quayle when Quayle was in law school. In 1988, Kimberlin was in federal prison and Quayle was George H.W. Bush’s running mate in the presidential election. The claim drew immediate attention but dissipated quickly.

    Comment by eteam — 7/12/2012 @ 11:09 am

    It was the canceling of an announced press conference at his federal lockup about his Quayle allegations that made Kimberlin a cause celebre. The warden suddenly put the kibosh on the presser, and Kimberlin was put into solitary confinement (ostensibly for security reasons) until after the 1988 election was over. This rankled many reporters ready and willing to put fresh poisonous stuff about Quayle into circulation, primary among them NPR hack Nina Totenberg.

    Mark Singer waded into the controversy by suggesting (with reasonable suspicion) that the Justice Department was running interference to keep Kimberlin away from MSM mics and cameras. He penned a New York Times op-ed titled “Quaylegate,” which bought him points with Kimberlin. That led to their later collaboration for Citizen K, during which Singer realized he made a mistake in putting his eggs in Kimberlin’s basket.

    After the election, Kimberlin was made available for interviews after G.H.W. Bush and Quayle were safely in the White House. But according to the Times, CBS News sent 60 Minutes reporter Morley Safer to investigate Kimberlin’s charges to see if there was any there there. The result: Kimberlin’s only corroborating witness melted down in tears under Safer’s questioning, admitting that his entire story was fabricated.

    L.N. Smithee (92c8c3)

  56. Venusian,

    I don’t think there was ever a time when Patterico “believed in” the Reids, although initially he was open to the possibility they might be real. Those are two very different things.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  57. DRJ,

    Early reporting on “the girls” was rooted in belief. That all blew up after Preston’s article.

    For example, read this and stories in the days surrounding it… https://patterico.com/2011/06/05/more-weiner-messages-to-young-girls-evidence-the-media-was-duped-into-dropping-the-investigation/

    “More Weiner Messages to Young Girls? Evidence the Media Was Duped into Dropping the Investigation” – by Patterico, June 5, 2011

    Venusian (b1153c)

  58. I’ll go one further, DRJ. P can speak for himself, but I believe he was quite aware of the attempted deception.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  59. Eary reporting on the girls rested as you said, a great deal on Tommy’s vouching. There were so many squirelly signs already. Evaluation of the twitter streams was hampered by intitially incomplete/spotty reconstructions. But it was immediately very peculiar that two kids active on twitter (with the free rein of adults) had no other presence in social media, that there was no sign of them at their (claimed) school, and so forth.

    So suspicious was high, and beaten back by Tommy, and his Van-helsing style waving of the Jcard and his declared certainty.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  60. I went back and read the articles. The gist of them was that there were underage girls among the online harem….and that the MSM wasn’t reporting on them.

    Only later did suspicion grow that the girls were fake…and later yet did we find out that pre-existing Patterico adversaries might be involved.

    Recall when suddenly “Hi Neal!” appears, written by Patterico, in his Weinergate reporting…in perhaps the 20th or 30th blog post, weeks into it?

    I’m all for Patterico in all of this, but I won’t pretend that he was wise to it all, all along. And it was a shocker to find that his old enemies might have set him up in this way.

    Venusian (b1153c)

  61. Venusian, again, based on Tommy’s vehement vouching. The mistake was trusting that.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  62. Well if you mean wise to the girls being fake at the get-go, of course not. It took time for that to become apparent – the evolution of the star child account was not immediately able to be assembled, and the oddness of finding no other trace, tommy was INSISTING.

    SarahW (b0e533)

  63. CROSSPATCH….Why? Very easy…he’s making a good living off of the donations to his “non-profits” and would see the gravy train dry up when his past is discovered.

    That’s probably happened already since his exposure this past spring so….now he’s trying to make money suing the guys who exposed him.

    I encourage all to read the long version, especially his activities prior to his conviction in the Speedway bombing case. This guy is a con man extrordinaire and will continue to be for the rest of his life. The other two clowns? Well Charlie Manson had his followers too. “Svengalis” always find them.

    ed (b5f65c)


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