****BREAKING**** Trump and White House made up false Seth Rich story

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Last edited Tue Aug 1, 2017, 09:55 AM - Edit history (1)

The Fox News Channel and a wealthy supporter of President Trump worked in concert under the watchful eye of the White House to concoct a story about the murder of a young Democratic National Committee aide, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

The explosive claim is part of the lawsuit filed against Fox News by Rod Wheeler, a longtime paid commentator for the news network. The suit was obtained exclusively by NPR.

Wheeler alleges Fox News and the Trump supporter intended to deflect public attention from growing concern about the administration's ties to the Russian government. His suit charges that a Fox News reporter created quotations out of thin air and attributed them to him to propel her story.


http://www.npr.org/2017/08/01/540783715/lawsuit-alleges-fox-news-and-trump-supporter-created-fake-news-story

The money shot:

"The first page of the lawsuit quotes a voicemail and text from Butowsky boasting that President Trump himself had reviewed drafts of the Fox News story just before it went to air and was published."

[Achilleaze]

1. republicans are an organized lie machine

disgusting.

[FSogol]

7. They are a criminal conspiracy.

[DBoon]

44. Republican voters are an organized gullibility machine

They don't believe in facts, they believe in truthiness

[FakeNoose]

59. Time to pull the rug out - put these guys out of business

Revoke their broadcasting license, kick them off the network, do something!

[dawn frenzy adams]

67. We already blew one opportunity to get rid of Fox

The Hacking Scandal is Great Britain produced over 100 arrests. James Murdoch was basically thrown out of Great Britain because of it. News Corporation is an American company. We should have demanded that their license be suspended then. The question about America is why have we allowed this kind of dangerous rhetoric that Fox propagates on our airwaves? It all speaks volumes about us.

[ehrnst]

75. So how were "we" supposed to "Get rid of Fox"

Without validating every Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones fan?

And who is "we?"

I hear from many that "the Dems are milquetoast wussies" but I never hear how the hell "Dems" are supposed to override the Constitution.

And you don't include me in your ongoing ragging on "us" who never seem to "do anything" to stop them.

What is your deal?

[FakeNoose]

78. No need to make it personal, OK?

Remember when Bill O'Reilly was politely asked to leave Fox News? It wasn't that long ago, and it wasn't that polite either.

A lot of people (including many of us from DU) contacted O'Reilly's advertisers and made it clear that we wouldn't buy their products if they continued to sponsor him. It was that simple and it didn't take long to get him out. He was gone in less than a month as I recall.

[ehrnst]

89. Not personal. So you didn't actually mean that "we" get rid of O'Reilly after all.

Because consumers don't "take someone off the air," their producers do. If the government steps in - no matter the party - it's censorship.

When you stated that Democrats should have "taken Fox off the air when they could have" that implied censorship.

I don't know if the boycott was the deciding factor on O'Reilly being exited. His out of court settlements with sexual harassment victims were costing them a lot more money than any boycott was costing advertisers. And settling out of court wasn't keeping the victims quiet. Also, they were trying to purchase another company, and negative publicity wasn't helping the asking price, or getting the deal approved.


https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2017/04/why-was-bill-oreilly-really-fired/523614/

"Another factor in the death of the Factor: 21st Century Fox’s pending takeover of Sky TV, the European pay-TV company, in a deal said to be worth $14 billion. “On May 16,” New York magazine reported, “the British media regulator Ofcom is set to judge whether the Murdochs are ‘fit and proper’ to own such a large media property.” And “removing O’Reilly could appease critics and help close the Sky deal.”

You know what’s worth more than $446 million? $14 billion.

Morality via math: It’s not a particularly pleasant way to go about righting wrongs. Capitalism looks decidedly awkward when it tries on a superhero’s cape. But this is a time in which companies do act, often, as arbiters of discourse, and in which they are increasingly cognizant of their need to stay on the right side of history—for financial reasons if for no other ones. "

[summer_in_TX]

87. Unfortunately only some of their station licenses could be

revoked. Most of their shows are on cable channels, not regulated like broadcast media like the so-called legacy networks are (ABC, NBC, and CBS).

In some markets they bought stations that do broadcast. Austin's Fox channel used to be a CBS affiliate. It's theoretically possible that its license could be revoked. But the FCC has steadily weakened those measures. Now stations are up for renewal once every eight year, instead of the three years that were previously required - and some critics give up when it takes that much time.

In Texas, TV licenses will be due for renewal around 2022. TV stations now have to have their public files online and you should be able to check the FCC database on what complaints may have been filed against it. Google to find the renewal dates in each state. Radio stations are up for renewal one year sooner.

[Raster]

2. Color me surprised...

...NOT!

[Chasstev365]

3. Hear this Sean Hannity?

FUCK YOU; You're a complete fraud!

[awesomerwb1]

51. Maybe you could tweet this to him directly?

And I concur!

[Zoonart]

4. Holy Shit...

Direct manipulation of the media too obstruct justice.

[uponit7771]

17. +1, and makes Faux News a state run outlet

[iluvtennis]

30. +1000 nt

[luvmybluestate]

37. fcc

Yrs ago, I complained to fcc, about fox's lies. Received nice form letter stating basically that since fox was entertainment and not news, they could lie all they wanted.

[Iwasthere]

38. Then it should be displayed as such whenever they are on the air

[Volaris]

86. Damn right it should.

And any 'newsroom' that doesn't claim to be entertainment, should be forced by law to be non-profit (or at least revenue-neutral).
The networks shouldn't be able to turn a profit of what should be a Public Service. If Fox doesn't like it, they can get the hell out of the news business.

[calimary]

49. Welcome to DU, luvmybluestate!

I'm from California and I love my blue state, too!

That's pretty ridiculous - that they'd say something isn't news when its very NAME includes the word "news," their very presentation suggests "news," and unlike spoof constructs like The Daily Show and other such programs that are CLEARLY amusement and satire, they carry on like they're legit, all the way down to the graphics and mic flags. And they had White House press credentials. If I were president, that's one thing I'd yank away.

[mitch96]

64. I read that too.... In a law suit

They claimed that they were "info-tainment" and not a main stream news outlet.. They won the case.. So the law says they are not news and they can entertain us the way we want... ugh..
m

[Chasstev365]

5. Rich's family should sue Faux News, specifically Hannity!

[hamsterjill]

35. Absolutely!

This family begged for privacy and they were hounded relentlessly.

[The Wielding Truth]

56. Should make for a hefty law suit and maybe jail time for some people. It was cruel.

[exboyfil]

6. The fact that he said he was misquoted

and still appeared in follow up on Fox makes me question his credibility.

On the other hand this can be important.

"The first page of the lawsuit quotes a voicemail and text from Butowsky boasting that President Trump himself had reviewed drafts of the Fox News story just before it went to air and was published."

[LittleGirl]

8. So now we have traction for these

fake news stories? We can call them all b.s.?

no one needs to answer...

[Mrs. Overall]

9. Unbelievable. I knew this story was bullshit, but am surprised at how organized and premeditated

they were in the concoction of their fake news. And, it involves the White House. Holy cow.

[SweetieD]

10. Wow disgusting. I completely believe this too. Hannity was trying to run with this

story hard before he got blowback.

[disillusioned73]

11. That's wild..

you hardly ever see them (Cons) flip like that.. I guess his check didn't clear ... or he has a concience?

[Moostache]

57. Zero chance it is an attack of conscience...

I worry that it is just more fabrication on top of fabrication so that in the end, you end up with a gumbo-style mish-mash of real stories with exaggerations and fake stories with partial truths and then totally fabricated nonsense to such a degree that the majority of people simply write it all off...their end game desire from the start.

If this story is accurate and proven true, this is getting so far beyond Watergate that it is truly stunning. The White House coordinating its propaganda with a complicit "news" outlet and then using this as a megaphone to obfuscate and flat out lie to the public? Jesus H. Christ...makes me WISH this was about a botched robbery and third rate cover-up...this is about completely dismantling the government of the United States and doing the bidding of a madman and his criminal family...we're becoming an insult to banana republics now...

[maxrandb]

62. ReTrumplican Congress response to this story

will be to INVESTIGATE HILLARY CLINTON

Mark...My...Words!!!

[underpants]

12. FAKE NEWS!!

[lindysalsagal]

61. Fake News created by fRump!!!

THis should be exhibit 1 of intent to obstruct justice.

[underpants]

63. 2 hours ago

Link to tweet

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Was there ever one doubt who was really creating the #FakeNews?

Screaming "#FakeNews!!!" at everything is really just waging a credibility war

[DarleenMB]

14. Better strap into that acceleration couch ...

We just hit light speed.

[workinclasszero]

15. Republicans are EVIL LIARS! This is nothing new see: Fox 'news' and Hate radio.

[uponit7771]

16. That makes Faux News officially a state run outlet

[ehrnst]

18. And the alt-left ate this story up during 2016. (nt)

[SDJay]

19. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand We've Hit Yet A New Low...

This is unbelievably despicable. I'd be suing anyone and everyone to the fucking stone age if I was one of the poor people whose tragedy was overtly manipulated for petty and selfish reasons.

Disgusting. This entire administration disgusts me, and it starts at the top. Yet another reminder of why it's only the true scum that want to work for this awful person in the WH.

[yuiyoshida]

20. This administration is clearly a

den of Liars, and Assholes. Worst US Government EVER... George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would hang their head in shame over what these Tea baggers have done to the WHITE HOUSE Reputation.

[All-In]

21. Make Fox Remove "News" From Their Name - Force Them

Knowingly producing false propaganda makes it necessary to remove the word news from their name.

Lietanemant.

[underpants]

25. Fox News .... said was a failure to adhere to the network's standards.

WHAT STANDARDS?!????

[gademocrat7]

22. Chump and his cabal must go.

Everday another revelation of obstruction and distraction.

[lark]

23. Wow, just wow!

For years we've known that Faux was just the communications dept. for the Repug party, now it's proven that they get their marching orders directly from the President!

Is that legal?

[Orrex]

24. His idiot racist fuckhead supporters will dismiss this as a pious fraud

We can expect this to harm Trump's approval ratings not at all.

[progressoid]

48. Yup. n/t

[vkkv]

26. No moral compass... sick in the head GOP'sters..

[Gothmog]

28. Who is surprised by this?

[yallerdawg]

29. When you think you can't hate a person more.

[Bengus81]

31. FOX News as they state has standards they live by,they are listed below:

[SunSeeker]

32. K & R for exposure.

[Honeycombe8]

33. I hope they get nailed on this. Despicable. nt

[Bleacher Creature]

34. They TORMENTED his parents to win an election.

Tell me again how "both sides" are responsible for degrading the culture in DC?

[workinclasszero]

43. Hell they insulted the grieving parents of a US officer KIA

during Dump's election and spit on their son's grave in service to a damn yellow draft dodging coward, BLOTUS 45!

There are no depths the fucking republicans will not sink to after that outrage.

[Kingofalldems]

36. Permanent Special Prosecutor needed to monitor the GOP.

No change since Watergate.

[JoeOtterbein]

39. So Trump & Fox News create Fake News, what is new about that???

They do it 24/7!

[LiberalLovinLug]

50. And they use the old 'accuse the other side of doing what you are doing' trick as usual

Why? Because it works. At least on the brain challenged deplorables. It at least sows confusion about the bottom truth.

They set it up beforehand just in case they do get caught. Case in point: Trump proclaiming that the election is rigged at his last debate. So much so that he may not even accept the results. So that if and when the MSM news ever finds out the collusion he has done with Putin, at the very worst, his supporters are left with the impression that EVERYBODY does it. Or that both sides are claiming the other are guilty, or the MSM are inventing fake news about them. So Democrats believe that Republicans are cheating (which they are) and Republicans think that Democrats are cheating (because their big orange leader, plus all the RW media, says so).

[Hekate]

40. Thinking of Painter's comments about our wannabe dictator surrounding himself with generals.I womder

How many of "my generals" are loyal to the Mad King, and how many are 100% sure if their loyalty to the US Constitution?

[AlexSFCA]

41. force them to testify under oath

ConWay famously said that everyone lies cause they are not under oath. The only way to force them to tell the truth is in the court. I wish Hillary would sue for defamation that caused real damage to her. This way in the court of law, all the lies would be revealed in front of the public eye.

[UCmeNdc]

42. This is what Hillary Clinton needs to do. Sue them for defamation of character.

They smear her reputation and she has to take them to court to get it back. Do not let a lie take hold.

[ehrnst]

74. If you even TRIED to fact check this on various "true progressive" FB pages

You would be called a "paid Hillbot from correct the record."

Or an agent of the Deep State.....

Those that believe this shit want to believe it. And you know that if HRC dares to show her face in public, let alone sue to prove their pet conspiracy theories about her murderous/corporate whore/salivating to turn our country over to WALL STREET fantasies wrong, they will just spread it faster than gamers spread the address of a woman who dares to call them out.

[syringis]

45. can someone

reminds me who keep complaining about "fake news" day after day?

[berksdem]

46. I am literally

almost out of words... this is not a democracy. This needs to be all over the M$M networks. I mean... unreal!

[IronLionZion]

47. Fox Alt News just provides alternative facts

along with our alt-President.

[bobGandolf]

52. This Distraction technique has been Trump's MO from the very beginning.

Quite frustrating that this white noise approach has not been talked about more openly. Every Friday, like clockwork, some outlandish piece of "fake news" is released so it swamps the network's weekend news, and Sunday talk shows.
I hope this is mentioned more frequently.

[Freethinker65]

53. Lock him up!

[underpants]

54. And 2 hours ago Trump tweeted...

Link to tweet

[Boomerproud]

81. Almost 90K likes. Doesn't that tell you everything you need to know?

Extremely depressing and demoralizing.

[GoCubsGo]

55. I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you!!!

[OnDoutside]

58. How much more evil can these scum get ?

[lindysalsagal]

60. My head spun, so I found this wiki: his murder was not politically motivated.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Seth_Rich

Seth Conrad Rich (January 3, 1989 – July 10, 2016) was an American employee for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) who was fatally shot in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[1][2][3] As of May 2017 the shooting is under investigation by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.[4]

The murder spawned several right-wing conspiracy theories about the crime, including the groundless claim that Rich had been involved with the leaked DNC emails in 2016, which runs contrary to U.S. intelligence that concluded the leaked DNC emails were part of 2016 U.S. elections interference.[5][6][7] These theories were debunked by law enforcement,[5][6] as well as by fact-checking websites like PolitiFact.com,[6][8] Snopes.com,[9] and FactCheck.org.[5] The fabrications were described as fake news and falsehoods by The New York Times,[10] Los Angeles Times,[11] and The Washington Post.[12]

Rich's parents condemned the conspiracy theorists and said that these individuals were exploiting their son's death for political gain, with their spokesperson calling them "sociopaths" and "disgusting".[13][14][15] They requested a retraction and apology from Fox News,[16] and sent a cease and desist letter to the investigator Fox News used.[6][15][16] The investigator admitted he had no evidence to back up his claims, and Fox News issued a retraction.[5][6][17]

[Stonepounder]

70. Seems to me that the family should sue FOX, the 'investigator' and tRump for libel.

They published a story they KNEW to be untrue and that caused harm (emotional distress) to a non-public figure. Get a good lawyer and sue for a couple of hundred million!

[Blue Owl]

65. Again, just like Lincoln

[MiddleClass]

66. Fox NEWS, FAIR and BALANCED

Maybe the law demanded they drop the second part, now force them to drop "NEWS"

and prominently display the word "ENTERTAINMENT"

[Initech]

68. These people are sick, demented pieces of shit.

Who will stop at nothing to hurt everyone they come in contact with to gain power. They are psychopaths.

[Hulk Smash II]

69. "Deplorables" is a far too weak term for this entire lot of rotten scumbags.

Every time I think I couldn't hate Fox News and that smarmy asshat Hannity any more, something new comes along and proves me wrong.

[Mr. Ected]

71. How are normal people supposed to differentiate fact from fiction, when so-called "news" agencies

Fabricate news and peddle it to the masses?

Doing so is undermining one of the major underpinnings of American democracy: freedom of the press.

The culprits should face the full consequences of the law for KNOWINGLY engaging in the dissemination of false and misleading information under the guise of reporting the news.

This country dies when real news is dismissed as fake, and fake news is allowed to become the mainstream. We're getting perilously close to that right now. PRAVDA, here we come.

[grantcart]

72. This story has great legs, will be talking about it in December

[ehrnst]

73. And the alt-left made it go viral.

They knew their audience.

[BainsBane]

76. And got a major assist from the JPR types of the world

Funny how they are indistinguishable from Trumpsters in every single way.

[VermontKevin]

83. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right.

[greeny2323]

77. Wheeler on MSNBC soon?

I think the chyron on MSNBC said that Wheeler will be on with Ari Melber coming up.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

79. I feel sad for his family

that Trump/GOP decided to allegedly fabricate a conspiracy story out of Rich's death.

[Takket]

80. can anything be done about Fox News now?

I don't expect the FCC to revoke their license over this but can they be fined or punished over this somehow? This action means they are no longer a news organization but rather a propaganda mouthpiece for the executive branch. Allowing that to go on threatens our country. i know "first amendment" but that is meant to protect the press and when Fox works with the government on made up stories they are not acting as a press organization at that time. one thing to lie on their own but another to do 45's dirty work for him

[videohead5]

84. The FCC Has No Control

Over Fox News.they are a cable network not a broadcast network.

[oasis]

82. Another right wing boomerang. nt

[jmowreader]

85. It's apparent something REALLY devastating is about to hit

They're using a small shiney bauble, the Seth Rich story, to distract us from something bad enough the Republicans will HAVE to impeach the bastard and all his cronies to save their own seats if said terrible thing ever comes to light.

[kentuck]

88. They don't even try to hide it anymore...

The entire FOX morning news crew was invited over for a thank-you dinner.