James O'Keefe Pays $100,000 To ACORN Employee He Smeared, page 1

Yep, through a final settlement, conservative rockstar James O'Keefe is now required to pay $100,000 to one of the victims of his ACORN stunt, Juan Carlos Vera, who was an ACORN staff member O'Keefe secretly filmed and portrayed as being an accomplice to a large prostitute smuggling ring.

It seems that the master of the cleverly edited—if highly deceptive—video reel is now being required to pay the sum of $100,000 to Juan Carlos Vera, a one time California employee of ACORN. Mr. Vera had been portrayed by O’Keefe as being a willing participant when O’Keefe and his accomplice, Hanna Giles, proposed smuggling young women into the United States to work as prostitutes.

While Mr. Vera had no idea he was being surreptitiously video taped—which is not surprising given that California law expressly bars the secret recording of one’s voice or image—there was also something Mr. O’Keefe did not know until after he released the damaging video of his conversation with Vera for broadcast.

As soon as O’Keefe and his partner-in-crime left the ACORN location, Mr. Vera called the police to report the entire incident.

www.forbes.com...

But hey? This probably doesn't hurt O'Keefe all that much, he has plenty of money to throw around. This probably doesn't change the attitudes of him and his supporters, as far as they are concerned, doing all of this, spreading lies, misinformation, and getting rid of the abomination, ACORN, was worth it in the end, right? To me the only person who appeared to gain anything from all this was O'Keefe himself. Now he has to pay some of that money he gained from all this back for his actions. Better there be some justice than none at all.

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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ACORN is a money laundering menace to civil society. Having said that, I don't excuse James O'Keefe for what he did in this particular situation, but he has done a lot of other good things. ACORN has swindled much more than $100,000 from the tax paying citizens of America (the few that actually remain)

reply to post by OptimusSubprime

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ACORN is a money laundering menace to civil society.

And what sources, aside from evidently biased websites, can you cite for this? Because this is another accusation I've heard against this organization, and quick search to the source of these accusations always end up on rightwing blogs and websites. "Suspicious activity" isn't absolute proof of guilt, sorry.

Originally posted by OptimusSubprime
reply to post by Southern Guardian

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ACORN is a money laundering menace to civil society. Having said that, I don't excuse James O'Keefe for what he did in this particular situation, but he has done a lot of other good things. ACORN has swindled much more than $100,000 from the tax paying citizens of America (the few that actually remain)

edit on 9-3-2013 by OptimusSubprime because: (no reason given)

You're so subtle... So nuanced in your point. What more can I possibly add?

Except I certainly agree. One of the more corrupt groups to work the inner cities in recent times, IMO.

reply to post by beezzer

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I guess that's why an investigation was done into O'Keefe's unedited footage, and his accusations, and no criminality was found, right?
oag.ca.gov...

If he had damning evidence then there was no reason for him to heavily edit and mislead people like he so evidently did with Mr Vera, right?

I love it, people putting aside the fact that O'Keefe mislead people by pointing to other accusations that really hold little substance behind them.

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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And what sources, aside from evidently biased websites, can you cite for this? Because this is another accusation I've heard against this organization, and quick search to the source of these accusations always end up on rightwing blogs and websites. "Suspicious activity" isn't absolute proof of guilt, sorry.

Does CNN work for ya?

OLITICS" target="_blank" class="postlink">Ex-ACORN worker: 'I paid the price' for voter registration fraud

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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From your source

“A few ACORN members exhibited terrible judgment and highly inappropriate behavior in videotapes obtained in the investigation,” Brown said. “But they didn’t commit prosecutable crimes in California.”

Didn't ACORN even go to Appellate Court to reverse the congressional decision to remove funding, and it was over-turned there as well?

Face it, there was dirty stuff going on. Deny all you want, that's your right. But it won't change the facts.

reply to post by seeker1963

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The source you linked me to is about voter registration fraud committed by Acorn employees in 2008. They have nothing to do with O'Keefe's pimp and prostitution smear of ACORN. You do know that we're not discussing voter fraud in the OP?

Try again.

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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My response was to your accusations of another persons claiming that ACORN is guilty of committing crimes, and your VERY biased and partisan response in claiming that it is all due to Right wing reporting!

Thus my post was very relevant to your biased opinion!

reply to post by beezzer

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What dirty stuff was going on Beezer, before O'keefe came along? Putting aside the voter fraud committed by individual employees. What dirty stuff Beezer? Let's have an honest debate and get down to honest sources here.

Was there any evidence of a prostitution ring of some sorts being run within the ACORN organization? Was there money laundering going on? Are there any court cases you can point to? I'm not interested in little blog posts on rightwing websites, I'm not interested in the comments of politicians, partisans. What's your evidence? Are you actually willing step outside that little partisan bubble of yours and provide us some solid sources? Because talk isn't enough.

Frankly ACORN being gone made little impact of anything in my opinion, I'm amused so many rightwingers thought they actually got something out of misleading people in this manner. The only person who gained from this was O'Keefe. He took you all for a ride, and you're still sitting here making excuses for him.

reply to post by seeker1963

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My response was to your accusations of another persons claiming that ACORN is guilty of committing crimes

And again, where in the OP did I mention voter fraud in 2008? This thread is about O'Keefe smearing ACORN, it is not about the voter fraud committed by individual acorn staff back in 2008, so stop derailing the thread.

If the only thing you can point negatively against ACORN is the 2008 voter fraud committed by individual staff members, then this once again demonstrates that alot of other accusations hold little to no substance.

Originally posted by Southern Guardian
reply to post by beezzer

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What dirty stuff was going on Beezer, before O'keefe came along? Putting aside the voter fraud committed by individual employees. What dirty stuff Beezer? Let's have an honest debate and get down to honest sources here.

Putting aside the voter fraud? Why not negate all corruption accusations as well?

Was there any evidence of a prostitution ring of some sorts being run within the ACORN organization? Was there money laundering going on? Are there any court cases you can point to? I'm not interested in little blog posts on rightwing websites, I'm not interested in the comments of politicians, partisans. What's your evidence? Are you actually willing step outside that little partisan bubble of yours and provide us some solid sources? Because talk isn't enough.

Rabid hyperbole'. There were people encouraging prostitution.

Frankly ACORN being gone made little impact of anything in my opinion, I'm amused so many rightwingers thought they actually got something out of misleading people in this manner. The only person who gained from this was O'Keefe. He took you all for a ride, and you're still sitting here making excuses for him.

Yet you decided to make a thread, ergo, feeling that it was important enough.



Fine.

I formally challenge you to a debate. In the debate forum. Title?

"Did O'Keefe's investigation have merit?"

Bring it.

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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And again, where in the OP did I mention voter fraud in 2008? This thread is about O'Keefe smearing ACORN, it is not about the voter fraud committed by individual acorn staff back in 2008, so stop derailing the thread.

If the only thing you can point negatively against ACORN is the 2008 voter fraud committed by individual staff members, then this once again demonstrates that alot of other accusations hold little to no substance.

Why the deflection OP? More importantly, why are you defending an organization who committed voting fraud? Do we not as a society have the attitude that once a criminal always a criminal? Better yet!! Would you defend a right wing organization who committed voter fraud and got CAUGHT?

But in this case, you are defending an organization that WAS proven in a court to be violating the law! You are so blinded by partisan politics that you can't even see your own nose in front of your face........

reply to post by seeker1963

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why are you defending an organization who committed voting fraud?

It doesn't matter whether voter fraud was committed by members of that organization in the past, it does not justify the lies and misleading accusations mounted against other staff members of the organization. Two wrongs don't make a right.

What will happen if you were to admit that O'keefe was wrong, would this make you a communist? a liberal? Why are you so scared?

Would you defend a right wing organization who committed voter fraud and got CAUGHT?

I'd defend any organization and their staff members against false and misleading information about them, it wouldn't matter to me whether individuals within their organization committed crimes before. Two wrongs don't make a right, a lie against one organization or an individual is never justified, even if the organization in question held a poor record. Are we any better than the members of the organization if we tolerate lies, misleading information? Are you any better than the members of ACORN for knowingly accepting misleading and false information? I don't think so.

reply to post by Southern Guardian

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Ummmmm, first off, I am not a right winger! GET IT? I am sure enough members of ATS can verify my stance on the two party system being nothing more than two wings on the same vulture! I voted for Gary Johnson in the last election, just because I am tired of people fighting over two parties who do nothing more than lie cheat and steal!

Secondly, if you go back to the first post in reply to your highly partisan biased opinion, you will plainly see that the person who replied ADMITTED that O'Keefe was wrong!

As you CLAIM, that Acorn is still good, so did the poster say that O'Keefe still did some good things! YOU!!! Just won't let it go!

So what's your agenda?

BTW, If you truely believe that your arguement has merit, I look forward to you and Beezer having the debate that he challenged you to!

reply to post by beezzer

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It's a shame that you're reduced to this now Beezer, seeking any little merits of O'Keefe's little smear job to negate the lies and misleading information that potentially destroyed the lives of innocent people. How low are you willing to go to make excuses for him huh?

Let's go back to your question, were there any merits O'Keefe's investigation? Considering the damage he's done with his lies, no. If there were any merits of the investigation, it benefitted O'Keefe and O'Keefe alone.

Originally posted by Southern Guardian
reply to post by beezzer

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It's a shame that you're reduced to this now Beezer, seeking any little merits of O'Keefe's little smear job to negate the lies and misleading information that potentially destroyed the lives of innocent people. How low are you willing to go to make excuses for him huh?

Let's go back to your question, were there any merits O'Keefe's investigation? Considering the damage he's done with his lies, no. If there were any merits of the investigation, it benefitted O'Keefe and O'Keefe alone.

Well, lets decide that in a formal debate. It would require me to provide proof and would ask yourself to defend your position.

Do two wrongs make a right Seeker? I'd like a response from you on this.

reply to post by seeker1963

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I am not a right winger!

I voted for Gary Johnson

Are you saying Gary Johnson is a liberal? Interesting.

you will plainly see that the person who replied ADMITTED that O'Keefe was wrong!

And then he proceeded to justify O'Keefe's little stunt and pulled out another accusation against the organization with nothing to show for it? But we're not debating him now, we're debating your sorry attempt to derail the OP.

As you CLAIM, that Acorn is still good,

where did I claim this?

reply to post by beezzer

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Well, lets decide that in a formal debate.

The debate on what again? That these merits you see in investigation somehow outweigh or justify the lies O'Keefe spread? Why would I want to debate this with you? Something like this isn't a matter of debate to me sorry.

I'd be really curious what merits you speak of from O'Keefes investigation.

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