We surpassed 20 million visits on SiteMeter today.

I try to note such milestones, but I neglected to note when we passed 30,000,000 page views. (A page view is every hit on the site; a “visit” is “a series of page views by one person with no more than 30 minutes in between page views.”) It appears that happened sometime in April.

We had over a million page views over the two-month period of May and June; in fact, I had my first bill for an overage at Rackspace, because I exceeded my monthly bandwidth. (That’s a good problem to have.)

It took over 6 1/2 years to get the first ten million visits, and less than three years to get the second ten million. Progress!

Anyway, as always, thanks for reading.

Houston:

A day care employee who police say ran a red light and crashed a van full of kids on Monday is in the country illegally and doesn’t even have a driver’s license, according to investigators, KHOU-TV (Channel 11) is reporting.

Glassock County, Texas:

The driver of a big rig dump truck that caused a fatal accident in Glasscock County is now facing two charges of involuntary manslaughter.

The wreck happened Tuesday evening when Ruben Garces ran a stop sign at FM 2401 and slammed into a pickup.

29-year-old Bryan McBride and 19-year-old Jacob Power were killed instantly.

We have learned from Glasscock County Sheriff that Garces does have a Class C Mexican license but doesn’t have an American one.

The Instapundit blogs a similar case in St. Paul, Minnesota:

IT’S ALL THE FAULT OF THAT EVIL SUV! “Scott wrote here about the appalling case of a 16-year-old St. Paul girl, Clarisse Grime, who was sitting in the grass at her high school, nowhere near the street, when she was struck and killed by a vehicle that careened out of control and bounced off a fire hydrant. The vehicle was driven by an illegal immigrant who has been in Minnesota for ten years without ever having a driver’s license. He was known to local authorities, having been convicted of drunk driving in 2001 and driving without a license just a few months ago. But the immigration laws are not enforced in St. Paul. So today, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported on Miss Grime’s funeral. This was the paper’s headline: ‘St. Paul teen killed by SUV remembered at her funeral.’ Killed by SUV? That doesn’t really seem to be the salient point.”

No, but focusing on it helps avoid the salient point. Which is, you know . . . the point.

It’s happening all over the country. You’ll see it if you look for it.

[For those new to the Kimberlin story, the Cliff’s Notes version is here.]

Via the Instapundit, the Senator is on the case:

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss strongly criticized the Department of Justice on Wednesday for its “notably silent” response to a string of anonymous pranks wherein authorities have been dispatched guns ablaze to the homes of conservative commentators after bogus shooting claims.

Chambliss’s letter is below. Note that he says Holder personally assured him that he would give special attention to this matter, but then sent a boilerplate response that was silent on whether federal law enforcement is looking into all the cases:

Sen. Chambliss demands further response from AG Holder over "SWAT-ting"

I was told my case was closed earlier this year, and that Mike Stack’s had been closed as well. After that, Erick Erickson and Aaron Walker were SWATted. Since that time, I have not been interviewed about the SWATtings by a single law enforcement official — except for a brief conversation with the cops who had just shown up at Aaron Walker’s door.

I don’t know what they’re doing — but if they haven’t even talked to one of the victims of the four SWATtings, after two new SWATtings have occurred, I suspect they’re not doing much.

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.”