Uh...$100,000 For Project ValHALla

Lawyer: Turner was on anti-terror payroll


Friday, November 20, 2009


TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE

By Mary E. O’Leary, Register Topics Editor

HARTFORD — Hal Turner, the intermittent blogger and Internet radio host, was back in Superior Court Thursday after more than four months in jail, with his New Jersey attorney predicting federal and state charges against him will be thrown out.

Turner is charged here with inciting his followers to injure state Rep. Michael Lawlor, D-East Haven, Sen. Andrew McDonald, D-Stamford, and a state worker.

In June, Turner on his Web site urged people to “take up arms” against the three men over a bill that would have given Roman Catholic lay members more control over parish finances and a lobbying issue.

He spent most of his jail time incarcerated in federal prison in Illinois, charged this summer with threatening to assault and murder three federal appeals court judges in Chicago in retaliation for a ruling upholding handgun bans.

The case here was pushed off to Dec. 17, while the federal charges have been transferred to federal District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., for Dec. 1 because of conflicts involving the federal judges in Illinois.

Turner’s main attorney, Michael Orozco of New Jersey, said after the brief court session that FBI documentation he has received details Turner’s alleged relationship as an informant for the FBI from 2003 through 2008.

Orozco said that, for now, he can only share the FBI documents with Connecticut prosecutors.

He said they include pay sheets showing the FBI budgeted $100,000 or more a year for Turner as part of its Joint Terrorism Task Force, as well as correspondence between then-U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Christopher Christie and the FBI detailing parameters of the project, dubbed “Vahalla.”

Christie was elected governor of New Jersey this month; he takes office Jan. 19.

Randall Sanborne, spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office for the northern district of Illinois, would not comment Thursday on Vahalla, Christie’s alleged memos or any aspect of the Turner case.

Orozco said the material substantiates Turner’s claims he was trained as to what was acceptable speech, and while he wasn’t in the employ of the FBI when he did his Internet posts on the judges and Connecticut lawmakers, he said he followed the same guidelines.

The attorney was asked why Turner continued to make what law enforcement officials took as threatening remarks after he was no longer on the FBI payroll.

“He is a shock jock, nothing else. He gave a heated, but protected opinion as to what these (Connecticut) legislators were doing and that’s all. He didn’t ask anyone to commit any act of violence,” Orozco said.

The federal court ordered Turner not to talk on the telephone, Internet or to the media until the case is adjudicated, Orozco said.

Mr. Turner’s show was funded by his listeners and this is what he did for a living. He wasn’t trying to do anything illegal and never had committed an illegal act,” Orozco said. His main defense is that Turner’s remarks are protected speech.

Orozco, a silent Turner at his side, said it was “outrageous” the FBI arrested Turner for a kind of behavior they allegedly taught him.

he attorney said Turner “wasn’t making any of that alleged vitriolic speech — before he was approached by the FBI.”

Orozco said documents show Turner was “tasked ... to use fiery rhetoric so as to flush-out crazies before they attacked.” He said it allegedly netted more than 100 federal subjects and averted 10 acts of violence. He said they described Turner as “irreplaceable” and “crucial ... to the prevention of domestic terrorism and lone wolf attacks in the United States.”

Orozco alleges state police issued a false fugitive arrest warrant for Turner when they asked New Jersey police to arrest him in June before he could post lawmakers’ addresses. He said he is looking into possible criminal or civil charges against them.

A spokesman for the chief state’s attorney’s office could not be reached for comment.

TENSION IN KENNETT

Located in the far Southeastern corner of Missouri, Kennett is home to about 11,000 people, a Wal Mart, and a lot of racial tension as the trial of Heather Ellis is underway.

The 24-year-old school teacher from Louisiana is accused of cutting in line at the Kennett Walmart in January 2007, then becoming belligerent and refusing to leave after store managers asked her to go.

Ellis could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted of assaulting officers, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.

The case has drawn interest both from civil rights groups and organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and protestors have taken to the streets of Kennett both in support and against her. The long awaited store surveillance tapes have finally been released to the public, but have proven to be pretty inconclusive in building a case that would warrant any felony conviction.



But, the racial tension and this story doesn't end there...



And...of course, this case has brought national attention to Heather and the town of Kennett...



Fifteen years is a pretty hefty sentence for anyone to be looking at for something of this nature. The town of Kennett is also going to be looking at a rather lengthy sentence as they, at their law-enforcement agency will be faced with the scrutiny that it probably deserves.

SHANE FOSTER IS NOW COMPETENT

I've been following this one for awhile so, I thought I would bring you the update.

TO ORIGINAL ARTICLE

COVINGTON, La. (AP) — An alleged Ku Klux Klan member has been found competent to stand trial in connection with the killing of an Oklahoma woman who reportedly tried to back out of a Klan initiation ceremony last year in St. Tammany Parish.


Dr. Michelle Garriga, who works in the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System's forensic division and was appointed by the court to examine 21-year-old Shane Foster, said Tuesday that Foster now understands legal procedures well enough to proceed. He faces a charge of obstruction of justice.


Foster is the son of Raymond "Chuck" Foster, the alleged imperial wizard of the Bogalusa Sons of Dixie Knights. Chuck Foster is charged with second-degree murder in the Nov. 9, 2008, shooting death of Klan recruit Cynthia Lynch. Authorities have said the slaying occurred after Lynch told him she wanted to go home.

EVANGELICALS THE EQUIVALENT OF THE TALIBAN???

FAIR & IMPARTIAL?

It still shocks us. We can't forget. We shouldn't forget. Remembering...all of us do. We know precisely where we were and precisely what we were doing on September 11, 2001.

While the pictures and the footage were horrendous - we couldn't take our eyes off of them. It's as if we had to watch to believe that it was really happening - to us...to America.

As the story began to unfold, we were outraged...angry...livid. We wanted revenge - an eye-for-an-eye. We demanded some sort of retaliation. And we mourned.

Now, all these years later, it would seem that America will fulfill part of its' pledge to bring some of the guilty to justice - and we intend to do so where it all took place, right in the heart of New York City. We intend to give those we believe took part in the attacks a "fair trial." Some say that's a lot more than what they deserve. Others say that it is fitting. Still others believe that it opens the door for more attacks while some wonder at the ability of a trial set in New York City to be fair and impartial. What do you think?

TEA-BAGGERS GET HAD...

Now, this is really pretty hilarious regardless of which side of the fence you are on. And...I knew these idiots would latch onto this whole immigration issue - they just need a reason for their existence. I agree with the writer...just wait.

FOR THE FULL STORY AND VIDEO

The teabaggers are getting ready for the next round of wingnuttery against the Obama administration. It sure looks like they lost on health-care reform, but they have already been organized for a long time around the issue of immigration, so they are ready and rarin' to go careening off the far-right cliff.



This weekend, the nativist right-wingers at the National Policy Institute organized a series of "Tea Parties Against Amnesty.


However, at the rally in Minneapolis, the demonstrators got punk'd by a young man who called himself "Robert Erickson".


"Erickson" got up and delivered a rant against European immigration. At first the crowd was whooping and hollering as he talked about the rights of "real Americans" -- but then it gradually tapered off as he went on and they realized they'd been had.


Here's the speech:


Hi, my name is Robert Erickson and I’m really excited to be here. Its people like all of you, and events like this that make our country great! Give yourselves a round of applause!


I just want to talk about a couple themes this afternoon because I love this country and I want to see America be the best place it can be.


Mr. Gutierrez is getting ready to propose an immigration bill in just a few short days, and we have to make sure he knows that we want a bill that's tough on immigration. Now is the time for us to stand up and make our voices heard!

In Minneapolis, where I’m from, we have a huge immigrant population that’s been causing a number of problems. With the economy in recession, and so many people getting laid off, and unable to find work, immigrants should not be competing for the few jobs that are out there. It's just not fair to the folks who have a claim to this land and the right to be here. All across America, they are contributing to the flooding of our job markets making it hard for Americans to find jobs. Well, I'm fed up, and it's time to let our politicians know that enough is enough, and we're not gonna take it any more!


We need to secure our borders to protect our country. We need to restore order and put an end to the anarchy that's sweeping the nation. We need tougher immigration laws to make sure that we send these people back where they came from. We need to protect the sovereignty of the real Americans. We need to hold our politicians accountable.


It's no secret that with an invasion of immigrants comes waves of crime. We see them involved in massive theft, in murder, and bringing diseases like smallpox, which is responsible for the death of millions of Americans. These aren't new problems, though -- they have been going on for hundreds of years, and continue to this day.


I say it's time for us to say enough is enough! Are you with me? Are you with me? Let's send these European immigrants back where they came from! I don't care if they are Polish, Irish, English, Italian, or Norwegian! European immigrants are responsible for the most violent and heinous crimes in the history of the world, including genocide and slavery! It's time to restore the sovereignty of people native to this land!


I want more workplace raids, starting with the big banks downtown. There are thousands of illegals working in those buildings, hiding in their offices, and taking Dakota jobs. Let's round them up and ship them out. Then we need to hit them at home where they sleep. I don’t care if we separate families, they should have known better when they came here illegally!


If we aren't able to stand up to these European immigrants, who can we stand up to? We need to send every one of them back home, right now.


Thank you very much, and we'll see you in the streets!


Columbus Go Home! Columbus Go Home! Columbus Go Home!


Not surprisingly, the organizers were pissed. Sally Jo Sorensen at BlueStemPrairie was there to watch, and she reported that some of the nativists started getting violent:


Most of the MINN-SIR supporters were slow to catch the satire, and so the cheering from that side of the crowd took a while to subside. As they realized they'd been punked, they stood in a cold, stunned silence, while the 30 or so counter-protesters urged Columbus to go home.


Unfortunately, some of the pro-MINN-SIR audience made up for what they lacked in humor through the use of violence. Both Danielson and I saw middle-aged men attack young protesters, knocking one off a bike before he started throwing punches at the young man.


Just as shocking was the reaction of the state police working the rally, who pushed back those being attacked, rather than those attacking the counter protesters.


Neither of us have ever witnessed violence at rallies and events we've attended in the past. The attacks formed a sharp counterpoint to Hendrycks' shrieked claims from the podium that MINN-SIR "patriots" had "respect" while the young protesters were rude.


I've been warning for awhile that there is a violent element already involved in the immigration debate, and when they become empowered by the "tea party" types, it's going to get ugly. Looks like the debate hasn't even started yet, and it already is.


If you thought the town-hall teabaggers went nuts over health-care reform, just wait.






[H/t Matt Ortega.]

IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL ON THE WAY...

For all those who have been screaming about immigration reform - it appears that legislation is just around the corner although it may not be precisely what you hoped for.


TO FULL STORY AND VIDEO

Dems’ immigration reform: Pay your taxes, learn the language, you can stay...

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has unveiled the Obama administration's plan to reform immigration. Key among the proposals are rules that would allow the current undocumented population to stay in the United States, provided they take a number of steps like learning English and paying back taxes, according to published reports.



"The hope is that when we get into the first part of 2010, that we will see legislation begin to move," Napolitano said, according to The Los Angeles Times.


"An immigration reform bill that includes citizenship for undocumented immigrants is expected to be filed in the House as early as next month by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he will file a bill in the Senate early next year," The San Antonio Express-News. "He favors a citizenship plan, but also wants increased border security measures."


Napolitano made the announcement during a Friday speech to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.


Under the administration's proposed rules, in order to become a citizen an undocumented person must register with the government, undergo a criminal background check, pay all back taxes and fees and learn to speak English.


The Homeland Security secretary called the process a "tough path" to becoming a U.S. citizen, but credited it as a system of immigration "that works." She added that President Obama had personally asked her to take point on this issue.


"[In] order to have fully effective law enforcement, we need Congress to create the legal foundation for bringing the millions of illegal immigrants in this country out of the shadows, require them to register and pay all taxes they owe, and enforce the penalties that they will have to pay as part of earning legal status," Napolitano added. "Let me emphasize this: we will never have fully effective law enforcement or national security as long as so many millions remain in the shadows."

The undocumented immigrant community is roughly 10 million strong in the United States, the Pew Hispanic Center estimates [PDF link]. The study found that while a vast majority of immigration from Mexico is illegal, Mexicans make up just 57 percent of the total undocumented population. Pew also noted that some 1.7 million of that population are under the age of 18.

According to a Los Angeles Times article...

Napolitano said the government's progress in shoring up the border with Mexico and enforcing laws at the workplace meant that more Americans and more lawmakers would support an overhaul of laws than during the last effort, in 2007.

Critics responded that immigration reform was code for a blanket amnesty, and that the strides Napolitano cited in enforcement were overstated.



They also said that economic turbulence, with 10.2% unemployment, meant the timing was bad for an effort to legalize undocumented workers.


"The substance of her case is divorced from the reality of America's economy today," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which opposes creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "The arguments against amnesty are far stronger today than they were in 2007. You have a much tighter job market."

Napolitano pointed to improved border security as the strongest argument for immigration reform's better chances. Since 2007, more than 600 miles of border fence have been built in the Southwest, and there are now more than 20,000 patrol officers guarding the nation's southern boundary, she said.