Conservative Facebook Investor Funded Anti-ACORN Videographer

[ThePantaloon.com]

James O'Keefe, the activist filmmaker who achieved sudden fame for a series of undercover videos recording ACORN workers, has repeatedly said that he is "absolutely independent" and received no outside funding to make his films.

But the Voice has learned that O'Keefe, in fact, has had heavyweight conservative backers who funded the young filmmaker as recently as a few months before his ACORN films were made.

The ACORN videos are actually just the latest of several films O'Keefe has produced and uploaded to YouTube. An earlier film posted in February, "Taxpayers Clearing House" featured nonwhite, working class people being duped by O'Keefe, who led them to believe they had won money in a sweepstakes.

That video was produced with the help of a grant -- said to be about $30,000 -- from Peter Thiel, one of the founders of PayPal and an early investor in Facebook -- an investment which made him a billionaire. Thiel is one of Silicon Valley's more interesting figures: a gay man (according to Gawker's "Valleywag") who has railed against the evils of "multiculturalism." He lives in San Francisco and today runs a hedge fund.


(rest of the article via link)

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/09/acorn_videomake.php

[sabrina 1]

1. So, another lie from O'Keefe! Can this man talk without

lying? And where is the story on the MSM about all the exposures we have now seen on this story?

Good for the Village Voice, they're pretty good at getting to the bottom of things. I wondered who was funding him, and I bet that's just one of several. He hinted that Morton Blackwell was funding him also.

This all needs to be investigated ~ crimes have been committed, and lies told about decent people and something does need to be done about it.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

2. EEK!!! Paypal and Facebook are founded by another right-wing corporacrat?

THAT SUCKS!!!

Peter Thiel. I will remember that name, forever, now!!!

[YOY]

3. There is no such fucking thing as an "independant conservative activist"

It's not like they don't control the fucking media enough that htye have to pretend to be some kind of rebels "bucking the system".

[eddie01]

4. So what?

O'Keefe exposed a corrupt organization. Got money I guess, but did some real investigative journalism. America could use more of that.

I mean who supports child sex slavery?

The mission of ACORN is good, but the oversight and corruption must go.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Hahahahaha! Your funny.

[KharmaTrain]

6. What Flavor Kool-Aid Ya Drinkin' There?

Probably taste real nice with a pizza.

The more we learn about O'Keefe the greater the stink from anything ACORN has ever done. Now feel free to document where ACORN has been indicted and/or convicted in "child sex slavery". We'll be here...real good chance you won't.

[sabrina 1]

8. You're kidding, right?

O'Keefe is a liar and a coward which has pretty much been established at this point. He is now in hiding from the press, too stupid to cover his tracks, he has been exposed over and over again as nothing more than a dumb, tool for the Republican Noise Machine.

O'Keefe declined to be interviewed by phone for this article, and did not respond to e-mailed questions. But he has not publicly explained how the help he's received from either the Leadership Institute or from Peter Thiel has influenced his filmmaking -- or how they may have made a summer traveling around the country for undercover stings possible.

He's been in hiding since he blatantly lied on Fox about ACORN workers not reporting on his dubious activities. His girlfriend skipped a CNN interview after the police reports surfaced.

And if he really did use money from the Liberty Institute, that organization has tax exempt status. Using money for political purposes should, and hopefully will, lose them their status.

All he has to do is talk to the press, on camera, not hidden or edited versions of his appearance and explain all these revelations, but clearly he cannot and is probably being advised by attorneys that it's best for him to say nothing more. He outright lied when HE called Acorn 'liars'. But too bad for him, they had proof. After which no one has seen this little coward or his girlfriend.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Hell, even I think it's funny watching the dumb DUers among us fall for you people....

In a tragicomic kind of way.


EDIT: Enjoy your visit, however short it may be.

[eddie01]

14. What a rediculous unreasoned response

Dumb DUers? Shut your face.

O'Keefe (I don't care who's side he's on) goes into ACORN and videos the ACORN staff happy to lend a hand getting the "Pimp/Prostitute" set up with housing to run what they know is illegal underaged prostitution. Period.

Anything you through at me better address this fact. Forget the elementary school name calling, finger pointing, if you don't think exactly like me I'll demonize you crap and tell me why I should consider this behavior acceptible?

Is it a win at all cost thing with you?

We're talking about ACORN now - an organization set up to do good.

[ddeclue]

16. "through at me" ??? Dead giveaway - go back to FR and tell them you're busted.

:rofl:

Learn to spell next time.

[Rex]

12. He was a paid operative for the Repukes.

Sick little brainwashed monkeys.

[Emit]

13. Who supports sex trafficking and forced prostitution, you ask?

DynCorp Does!

...
3. Human Trafficking in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Ben Johnston)

According to media reports, Ben Johnston worked as an aircraft mechanic for DynCorp in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Johnston filed a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) suit in Texas court alleging DynCorp employees and supervisors had been engaging in various illegal activities, including sex trafficking, and that he had been fired for reporting these activities. Just hours after another former DynCorp employee, Kathryn Bolkovac, prevailed in an employment suit, the company settled Johnston’s case out of court.... more»
4. Human Trafficking in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Kathryn Bolkovac)

According to media reports, DynCorp International hired Kathryn Bolkovac as part of a UN-administered police task force to train local police officers in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Bolkovac, who was investigating human trafficking and forced prostitution, sent an e-mail to supervisors and UN officials alleging UN staff and DynCorp co-workers were participating in sex trafficking. She sued DynCorp in a British employment tribunal, claiming she had been unfairly dismissed. The tribunal ruled in her favor and awarded her $173,000. Within hours, DynCorp settled a case with another former employee, Ben Johnston, who alleged DynCorp employees were involved in sex trafficking and other illegal acts. DynCorp eventually dismissed several employees in Bosnia for “unacceptable behavior.”...
...

http://www.contractormisconduct.org/index.cfm/1,73,221,html?ContractorID=59&ranking=37

[ddeclue]

15. go back to Free Republic and let them know we're on to you.

[sam sarrha]

7. i saw tobacco advertized there the other day.. i gave them hell about it.

in the USA, Tobacco kills at least 1200 people a day, 1080 were addicted as children, 540 of those were addicted at 12 yrs old or younger,

the industry must addict children to replace the 1/2 of their customers they kill with their product. why children..? because their brains are not developed enough to make adequate evaluations of the consequences of their actions. by the time someone is 18-up their money is already allocated to getting layed, the basics.. car/rent/food/sex

Tobacco stays a legal product, tho it is a heinous murderous product many times more addictive than Heroin, thru institutional child abuse and campaign bribes to politicians.

[Beaverhausen]

9. K&R

[EFerrari]

11. Where are all the anti-ACORN posters who had so much praise for this fine citizen journalist?

:)

[subcomhd]

17. drip...drip..drip...nt