Sooner Tea Party co-founder charged with blackmail

[pampango]

Source: EnidNews.com

The co-founder of the Sooner Tea Party was charged Tuesday with blackmail and violation of Oklahoma's computer crime act in connection to a threatening email he allegedly sent to a state senator about legislation favored by conservative tea party supporters.

The email involved a bill that would have prohibited state organizations from following a United Nations plan that helps cities and countries become more environmentally sustainable. Branan refused to give the House-passed bill a hearing, saying the legislation was based on a "fringe conspiracy" that the U.N. wanted to use its Agenda 21 plan to encroach on the private property rights of Americans.

Among other things, the email demands that Branan give the measure a hearing, "or I will make sure you regret not doing it." "I will make you the laughing stock of the Senate if I don't hear that this bill will be heard and passed," the email said, according to court documents. "We will dig into your past, yoru (sic) family, your associates, and once we start on you there will be no end to it."

Agenda 21 was the product of a 1992 U.N. conference in Brazil that aimed to encourage environmentally friendly and sustainable practices around the world. It includes suggestions from the international level down to cities and towns. Many conservatives have latched onto those local provisions, seeing them as a U.N. attempt to influence American affairs.

Read more: http://enidnews.com/state/x2055662459/Sooner-Tea-Party-co-founder-charged-with-blackmail

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More evidence of the republican civil war that is underway.

The far-right's fixation on national sovereignty, and its consequent hatred of the UN and all its agencies and recommendations, is so laden with conspiracy theories that it is almost comical. OTOH, if the tea party can bully politicians into passing laws as stupid and inconsequential as banning Agenda 21 they will be empowered to go after policies that might do real damage.

[trumad]

1. Wow!

What a stupid tea-bagger.

Wait a minute--- aren't they all?

[randome]

2. Yeah, it's hardly LBN, is it?

No offense, pampango!

We could simply have a rotating LBN post that says "Tea Party does something stupid again!"

[pampango]

15. Perhaps we should have a 'Recurring News' forum for Tea Party stupidity.

[drm604]

3. I'm glad to see a Republican fighting back against this nonsense.

People like Gerhart who are into nutty conspiracy theories and who feel that the end justifies the means are a direct danger to this country. It makes you wonder how much of our current political gridlock is due to such threats.

I hope Gerhart serves as an example to others who might consider trying similar things.

[Larrylarry]

4. I honestly don't see the threat if violence

The email seemed to threaten political backlash , not violence.

[crim son]

5. Blackmail is a crime

whether or not there's a physical threat.

[Larrylarry]

6. Vote for this bill or I will ....

Dig up all the dirt I can on you and then use it in a Political campaign against you

That is definitely a threat but not blackmail

What exactly did the tea bagger say that was illegal ?

[LanternWaste]

8. The charge alleges the email was intended to compel Branan "to do an act against his will"

The charge alleges the email was intended to compel Branan "to do an act against his will" by threatening to expose information "which would subject such person to the ridicule or contempt of society."
(From the story itself)

Note... this is merely a charge. His actions would not be considered illegal unless and until he is indeed found guilty.

[Larrylarry]

9. Still don't see the crime

Threatening to expose information during a campaign is certainly not a crime

Threatening somebody to go Vote for a bill or else you will dig up dirt and use it in a campaign against him definitely is not a crime

[Hassin Bin Sober]

13. I see what you are saying and I think it will be a tough conviction to get.

As much as I would like to see some teabagger spanked, going after people for political threats could have a chilling effect.

That said, perhaps the TB crossed the line with threats of digging in to his family. Not that political opponents don't dig into family life - it happens all the time. Maybe the THREAT to dig in to the family life crosses the line. There is a slight difference but it is still a difference.

In other words: Go after someone's family - OK

THREATEN to go after someone's family to influence a piece of legislation - Not OK.

[treestar]

7. Not that the tea bagger is not going to do all that dirt digging anyway

But it does show their character (which they usually claim is Christian and sterling)

[Javaman]

10. "conservative tea party supporters"

that suggests that there are Liberal tea party supporters? That's news to me.

[freshwest]

18. Not to me - having seen some go teabagger over their government hatred.

Last edited Wed Apr 10, 2013, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

But many don't call themselves liberals or progressives anymore, since those philosophies both support working through government, FWIW.

It was building among those who angrily watched the selection of 2000, grew through 9/11 and the Iraq War. Many I knew became baggers during 2007, saying they had found 'the truth' about 'how the world is really run.'

The Tea Party as we now know it didn't get Koch money and mainstream media support until 2009, although the 'liberty' crowd took its enemies list from the Koch family's John Birch Society, adding them to the list of government evildoers.

Most dedicated their energy to Ron Paul, then diffused their efforts so that anything or anyone associated with government is 'the enemy' of mankind.

Whether they call themselves right or left, the major themes or enemies end up being the same.

[RickFromMN]

11. So it's okay to actually dig up dirt on a politician but not okay to threaten to dig up dirt?

There must be something more to the threatening email than the threat of going through a politician's life and finding dirt that can be used against the politician politically.

If this is all there is to this email, I expect this case to be thrown out quickly.

[Larrylarry]

12. It seems that somebody is overstepping

Their authority

This is certainly not a crime. when the police received a call of a threat they should've told the caller "welcome to American politics"

[OKNancy]

16. He's also charged with violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act

[OKNancy]

17. Hope this photo isn't too scary - here is Mr. Gerhart

[IMG][/IMG]

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. I think the "threat" to dig up dirt to influence a specific piece of legislation crosses the line

Like I said up-thread in #13, dig all you want and expose all you want. But you are treading on thin ice when you threaten family to influence a specific piece of legislation.

It will be a tough conviction because the court should/will lean heavily on the side of free political speech.

Maybe he crossed that line in threatening to go after family. Not that families are never gone after. But they are not usually gone after in a "prior restraint" manner - for lack of a better term.

Put it this way, dig up dirt to influence voters? Ok

Threaten to dig up family dirt to pre-influence specific legislation? That is coercion. Probably crosses the line.

[Larrylarry]

20. Nobody "threatened family"

The threat was to dig up political dirt on him and his family and use it in a campaign

Something that has been done many many times every election cycle

[Hassin Bin Sober]

21. I didn't mean to imply someone's family was threatened.

There is a line that has been crossed here- the threat to dig up personal family information to coerce a certain vote PRIOR to the vote.

It's way beyond "vote how I want or I will fund your opponents campaign or work against you"

[TRoN33]

19. Tea Party is NOT above the laws...

Remember the first year of the Tea Party, the chairman of Texas' Tea Party was caught for attempting to carry the loaded gun into the airport. He cited himself to be important person and political-affiliated person and need to be protected. Thankfully the TSA agents disagreed with him and held him overnight and let him go, of course, they also won't return the gun to him. Now the Tea Party officials think they can blackmail the Republican politicians and force them to submit to the will of Tea Party?