WSJ reporter: No one will tell me how GOP source who tried to get Hillarys emails from Russia died

[sandensea]

Source: Raw Story

Shane Harris, the Wall Street Journal reporter who broke the bombshell story about Republican operative Peter Smith trying to obtain Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails from Russian hackers, made a startling revelation on Morning Joe Friday morning.

During the interview, Harris explained that Smith reached out to him to tell him his story shortly before he passed away on May 14 at the age of 81. MSNBC’s Elise Jordan then noted that Harris never mentioned Smith’s cause of death in his story about his role in trying to retrieve Clinton’s deleted State Department emails from Russian state hackers.

“How did Mr. Smith die?” she asked him.

“It’s a great question, and I should say we do not know how he died,” he said. “We made multiple attempts, both with family members and with associates of his, as well as government officials in the town where he lived, to try and determine his cause of death, and we were unsuccessful.”

Harris did note that Smith was 81 years old, and he had seen no evidence of any kind of foul play involved in his death.

Smith’s obituary, which appeared in the Chicago Tribune last month, similarly never mentioned the cause of his death.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/wsj-reporter-no-one-will-tell-me-how-gop-source-who-tried-to-get-hillarys-emails-from-russia-died/

---

The man who knew too much?

[Thinkingabout]

1. Maybe his age of 81 was not in his favor.

[regnaD kciN]

5. Still, even if you're like my parents...

...and pass away in your 90s, the death certificate always lists a cause of death, be it cancer, stroke, heart failure, respiratory failure, or whatever.

Furthermore, death certificates are public records. There should be no reason for a "cone of silence" of this sort.

[Not Ruth]

11. Death certificates can be cooked as can verdicts

Do most people believe that the main cause of Carrie Fisher's death was sleep apnea or that OJ is not a murderer?

Neither a death certificate or a verdict need be accepted as accurate.

[jberryhill]

14. They are not public records in all jurisdictions

In what state did he die?

Illinois:

http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/deaths/Pages/default.htm

Death records are not public records and are only available to those who have a personal or property right interest (“property right” is defined as something that it is owned, tangible such as a car title or a property deed) with the decedent. If you are not a relative of the deceased person, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the death certificate must accompany the request.

[HAB911]

42. Not in Florida

my brother just passed. As executor, it was my obligation to purchase as many as I thought would be needed. My options were "with or without cause". My attorney instructed me to use a "without cause" copy to be filed with the court for probate because it then became a public record.

don't know how it works in other states

[hlthe2b]

2. well, he was 81--perhaps he knew his time was short and decided he needed to "spill"...

Strange, though, that a cause of death can't be identified, given the weight of reporting resources from WSJ.

[UCmeNdc]

3. What does his death certificate say?

Surely that is a public record.

[oberliner]

9. Natural Causes

He was 81.

[RKP5637]

15. Same thoughts here. n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Is that what it says?

You know?

[jberryhill]

12. Not in all jurisdictions, no

Apparently he lived in Chicago...

http://www.idph.state.il.us/vitalrecords/deaths/Pages/default.htm

Death records are not public records and are only available to those who have a personal or property right interest (“property right” is defined as something that it is owned, tangible such as a car title or a property deed) with the decedent. If you are not a relative of the deceased person, a letter or document from the office or agency that needs the death certificate must accompany the request.

[FakeNoose]

43. Only family members can view the death certificate

It's not a matter of public record unless the family makes it public (by another means.)

I believe this is true in most states, or maybe all of them.

[Sneederbunk]

4. How do we know he is dead?

[oberliner]

8. He had a funeral

And there's an obituary.

[oberliner]

6. He was over 80

It's not exactly a mystery.

[pnwmom]

19. There is more than one option, even for an 81 year old. Suicide, for example.

And a Russia-style poisoning would be even easier with an older person than a younger.

I automatically assumed it was age-related, till his family clammed up and wouldn't speak to the same reporter he had volunteered an interview with. Now I'm wondering.

[Hekate]

31. Same here, pnwmom

[LanternWaste]

49. When we reach our first conclusion, all other possibilities are then denied...

When we reach our first conclusion, all other possibilities are then denied... humans not being as rational as we pretend (which is not a mystery as well).

[oberliner]

51. Great point

That is definitely something to keep in mind.

[brush]

7. Remember all the Russians connected to possible collusion who died in Russia and Europe?

Now trump's apparent indebtedness to Putin has bought these mysterious deaths to our shores.

And this guy was an American, not a Russian.

Russia is taking over a radio station in DC also.

We've become a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia.

Expect other deaths. That's how Putin rolls.

[sheshe2]

28. "We've become a wholly owned subsidiary of Russia."

We have thanks to *Rump and his ilk.

[jberryhill]

10. Obituaries, in general, don't state causes of death

It's not unheard of for 81 year old people to die. But it is typically not public information how most people die.

[bagelsforbreakfast]

13. Hannity, with a candlestick, in the ballroom n/m

[MontanaMama]

32. Yeah baby!!!

Made me laugh...

[Kathy M]

16. Keep in mind Peter Smith worked with David Brock ( yes the david brock of hillary's campaign)

"There is no evidence that Clinton’s private email server was ever hacked, despite Smith’s attempts to find and publicize emails stolen from it. Smith’s reported pursuit of these emails may have been a fool’s errand ― much like his conspiratorial pursuits in the 1990s. "

"Smith had long been part of the “vast right-wing conspiracy” through his work as a fundraiser for the conservative Heritage Foundation and as the chief fundraiser for Newt Gingrich’s political action committee in the 1980s and 1990s.

Beginning in 1992, Smith funded various research projects to publicize negative stories about President Bill Clinton. He paid Arkansas state troopers, allegedly to help with their finances in case they were retaliated against, and helped publicize the troopers’ claims that Clinton forced troopers to arrange his trysts with women and hide those relationships from his wife. Smith introduced these troopers to David Brock, then a conservative reporter with The American Spectator, who penned an article based on their statements. Brock later became an ardent Clinton defender and apologized for the article, claiming that the payments Smith made to the troopers tainted their version of events. Smith also paid Brock $5,000 for another research project that never came to fruition.

Brock’s article was, however, the first to introduce a woman named “Paula” ― that is, Paula Jones ― to a national audience. Jones’ lawsuit against the president over sexual harassment ultimately led to his testimony regarding Monica Lewinsky, "

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/peter-smith-anti-clinton-conspiracies_us_59558460e4b05c37bb7d2dff

Are all these russia stories true ?

[.99center]

18. Are all these russia stories true ?

It's all a massive conspiracy by David Brook and Hillary.

[emulatorloo]

52. Brock had a revelation that being a PR hack for the GOP was dishonest

Peter Smith was a proud GOP operative until his last breath.

So

1. A ridiculously implausible conspiracy story

2. Of course the Russia stories are true, despite what the alt-right and Trump-loving BOBs might say say in the turbulent bowels of Reddit

Have a great holiday!

[Kathy M]

53. Brock had a revelation ? Um ok if you say so .....

No matter how you slice it Brock is one of those operatives that should be out of politics .

1 I never mentioned conspiracy story , never read that before . I only showed there was a connection

2 Instead of believing the innuendos on Russia I would like to hear the actual charges and what authorities have to say . Just because there is a claim of wrong doing does not make it reality .

Have a great holiday

[Gymbo]

17. C'mon

One dead body plus nine Russians. The right ragged for twenty years about Bill and Hillary's dead body list so guess what? Trump is up to ten in my book and that's how we should rag it. He had the money, connections, and power to solve his hacking problem and no one is pointing the finger his way.
We spent twenty years answering to the right, let them answer now.

[calimary]

22. Welcome to DU, Gymbo!

His activities before getting into politics were evidently - um - shall we say - a little "colorful"?

You really get a clear idea of how he did business as a real estate wheeler-dealer, 'eh?

[calimary]

20. That was my first question.

Oh he DIED? What? Within days of having talked to this reporter?

How'd he die? I'm surprised nobody asked that when I was watching the coverage of it. Doesn't it seem fishy that he talks, and then shortly after he talks, he dies. Yeah, he was 81. But people live longer than that. Even sick as dogs, my dad lived to age 83, and my mom lasted till 90.

Just seems a little bit too much of a coincidence to me.

[deurbano]

23. Unless it's like an Atwater thing... deathbed remorse?

On the other hand, it's impossible to rule ANYthing out with these revolting degenerates... and assuming any of them could locate even a shred of a principle, deathbed or not, is probably being way too generous.

[calimary]

26. Yeah, I thought about that, too.

Because if he were terminally ill and knew he just had a few weeks left, and his conscience started to bother him, maybe he would reach out like this.

Consider, too, that this fellow spent a lifetime involved in sneaking around, oppositional research, dirty tricks, initiating (or trying to initiate) some underhanded strategies and tactics. A lifetime! At the highest levels, evidently. Maybe his conscience was starting to bother him? While perhaps starting to feel the cold breath of the Grim Reaper getting closer?

Atwater did it, definitely. Knew his cancer was taking him down for the last time, and called Michael Dukakis to his deathbed to offer an apology, in an attempt to clean up a little before headin' on out.

I suppose anything's possible. But then again, I still feel Ken Lay's untimely death was a little fishy in its own timeliness. He was about to face real-life prison time. And BOOM! Out he goes. Gee... that's a pretty convenient "saved by the bell." But he's never turned up in all this time since - at least that we know of.

[sinkingfeeling]

21. Let's pretend we're the GOP and repeat what they said about Vince Foster. Smith was offed

by 45.

[tblue37]

47. And what they say about Seth Rich. nt

[LanternWaste]

50. Let's pretend we're rational and refrain from automatically discounting possibilities

Let's pretend we're rational and refrain from automatically discounting additional possibilities simply because the mere pretense of cleverness is the priority.

[Botany]

24. Maybe he got hurt like the Russian when the bath tub he was working on "pushed him" out ....

... the window of his Moscow flat.

[radical noodle]

27. I'm sure a few folks would like to add him

to the list of Clinton killings.

[Judi Lynn]

29. Exceptionally odd, isn't it? It's not that hard to find out, ordinarily. n/t

[sandensea]

34. It's certainly suspicious, given how much he would have embarrassed Cheeto if he had talked.

Yes: he was 81, and as another poster mentioned, Illinois does not make death certificates public unless the survivors consent (something the media should have a right to appeal in this case, I think - seeing as it happened JUST AFTER he began to talk).

Of course, his family would probably be the first to try to put any suspicions of foul play to rest IF they truly believed his death was natural. Their silence - and refusal to reveal cause and manner of death - seems pretty eloquent.

And as always: cui bono - who benefits?

[sandensea]

37. On a lighter note:

Thank you, Judi, for your thoughtful and very informative reply to the Argentine 'Hood Robin' story in the Latin America page.

I'm glad you liked the photo of the cyclists. I had googled photos of bicycles in Buenos Aires, to tie in with the 'financial bicycle' described in the article. It seemed perfect - given that they're riding through the financial district.

When I read your description of the Cochabamba water war, the first thing I thought of was that very traditional Bolivian family in the left of the photo; very observant of you as always!

There are around a million Bolivians in Argentina, and I believe they're currently the second-largest immigrant community there (just behind Paraguayans). Like many Mexicans and Central Americans here in the U.S., they usually take the jobs few others want - and are the constant lightning rod for right-wing hatred (the same people who employ them to save money!).

And sure enough, it looks like the 'Argentine Trump' isn't doing any better than the American Trump is (except at least Trump is actually funny from time to time).

Ciao!

[Midnight Writer]

30. Smells like a trap to me. Another red herring to prove the media is "fake news" and Dems are liars.

C'mon. He "reached out" to a reporter, gave him a bombshell story, died ten days later, cause of death mysterious.

Sounds like an obvious fabrication to me.

[meadowlander]

35. Alex Jones' claims Hillary's hitman did him in in 5...4...3...

[harun]

44. Yet another distraction from income inequality.

[MontanaMama]

33. I know he was 81 and all

but...it is a little fishy that he met with a WSJ reporter and then tipped over shortly thereafter. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that Michael Flynn is still on the planet. Don't get me wrong...I don't wish ill on anyone...just saying. There are players in this drama that are playing for keeps.

[Tatiana]

36. His death is suspicious.

And the reporter certainly seems to suspect that something other than a death of natural causes happened to him.

[oxbow]

38. Sometimes I think they just accuse others of what they're doing

He accused the election of being rigged, and now we know they tried to rig in 39 states.

They accused the DNC of killing Seth Rich, and now a GOP intermediary to Russia dies shortly after talking to a reporter.

What gives?

[sandensea]

39. Absolutely, and we need to call them on it. As Adlai Stevenson put it:

"If Republicans will stop telling telling lies about us, we'll stop telling the truth about them."

[flibbitygiblets]

46. Like Trump saying "What are they hiding" because we won't give him our voter info?

Or when he said the elections were rigged? It's called projection.

[DeminPennswoods]

40. Parsing obits

It's standard if a person is well, then dies, the obituary will usually use the word "unexpected" (suicide, overdose, accident, violence, etc) somewhere in the beginning. Otherwise, you can pretty safely assume the deceased and his/her family wasn't surprised by the death and it was from natural causes.

Often, but not always, you can get a clue into cause of death by what charities or organizations the family requests donations to, such as American Cancer Society, etc., in lieu of flowers. But here, it's only donate to "favorite charity".

IMHO, Smith reached out to the WSJ because he knew he didn't have long to live and he wanted his role known. He was proud of his work and wanted people to know what he did.

[Achilleaze]

41. Because republican treason is at the bottom of all this

one is compelled to be suspicious.

[Bayard]

45. If he pissed off Putin somehow

His face probably met concrete from high altitude. Or he was poisoned.

[roamer65]

48. Probably a GRU operation.