Conservative group using FoIA in battleground state

[stavka]

A law firm in Michigan, appears to be doing what the Attorney General is denying he will do on his own, Seeking Confidential Records from Public Libraries. Most were served yesterday and today.

It looks like they are FoIAing (Freedom of Information Act) every public Library in the state (hundreds) for user information like name, address, phone number etc.

The law firm, Flory and Associates, is linked to ultra conservative causes- like The Young Republican National Federation.

- Appears Michigan Libraries are denying the request across the board, in no small part because Michigan Law prohibits such a request.

When the Law firm was questioned by one library -

Date: Thu, 24 Jun 2004 16:22:23 -0400
From: ***** ******* <val@******library.org >
To: "Michlib***@Lists.Library*michigan.*** "
Subject: FOIA request

Well, I spoke with Caleb, the Law Clerk from Flory & Assoc.
Here is the recap of what he stated when I asked why he was requesting the FOIA information from so many libraries:

"It is related to work they are doing for an affiliate organization." He stated this several times and would not disclose who the affiliate
organization was due to client confidentiality. He also stated that
institutions funded primarily with public tax dollars should be included in public records available through FOIA. He also stated there is the possibility to challenge the law in court and that he had six months after a denial to challenge.

[NMDemDist2]

1. great the (*&(*^(*&(**&^&^% ^%$%$%^&'s n/t

[stavka]

3. Note going 2 quote somebody who had no idea she'd be "Q'ed"

That's not fair.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. A list of who to block from the voter rolls, perhaps.

[Kelvin Mace]

4. Link please!!!

[stavka]

5. Can't link...it's just a fact....

For proof - I suggest you call any public library in Michigan and asked if they received a FoIA request in the last two days. (hint: ask for reference, and fake you are a reporter) *wink*

Don't get too mired in the internet, reality exists all around us.

[Colin Ex]

6. Confidential records for what?

Okay, now they have my library records, or even candidate library records -- what're they gonna do with them?

Weird shit.


-C

[stavka]

7. For starters - One can tell who reads

This sort of information can also be used to fill in the blanks on warrants, making them much more compelling.

Many public libraries also lack an easy way to comply with a request, or even the sophistication, or dare I say the morals (There are conservative bastions like Grand Rapids/Holland/Grand Haven/East Lansing where there MAY be misguided patriots)- without just handing over the whole record, which would include materials a user might have checked out

No ethnic or religious slur intended, but it is often pretty easy to pick out say, "The Italians" from a phone book.

[Colin Ex]

13. But what are the plans for it?

I mean, I can see maybe throwing out FOIAs for criminal records -- it's certainly relevant if some guy has been divorced three times and hasn't paid child support in six months -- but I can't see the use from library records unless they're REALLY grasping at straws. I mean, okay, you have my library record; so what?

Moreover: I can't see where Michigan's status as a battleground state fits in here. There aren't any US Senate races -- Stabenow comes up next cycle, I believe, and Levin was re-elected in a huge landslide in 2002, most of the US House races aren't going to be a contest by any means, and who gives a damn about statewide races if you're looking at Michigan as a national battleground state?

This is more state news than national, in my opinion.

-C

[jjnagarya]

21. MI Libraries and Repugnant Invasion of Privacy

The whole point of protection of the privacy of library patrons is that it's no one's business what a US citizen reads. Especially not the business of gov't. McCarthy hanged people over what they read.

As far as it being a battleground state and "how could it matter"? It's a battleground state in the presidential election.

It those seeking the library records are far Reich Wing, then we're talking about freeper types who have absolutely no concern with the rule of law, except as they can use it against their perceived enemies. They trample rights and lives. So they would use the materials, brazenly, for evil purposes.

[jjnagarya]

24. Library Patron Privacy Rules

I assume 99 per cent of libraries belong to one or more library ass'ns. Library ass'ns have extensive rules about protecting patron privacy.

They've been resisting Patriot Act requests.

In fact, commercial bookstores have adopted the practice of purging customer purchase DBs in order to protect customer privacy.

Gotta love books -- and book people.

[dusty64]

18. Thats what I'm

wondering.

[stavka]

20. Beginning to think they want to challenge the Privacy Law

...and need a test case.

[skooooo]

8. How is this supposed to help the conservatives???

They think they will win votes by prying into library records?? I don't get their logic...How do they think this will be to their benefit??

[Old and In the Way]

9. Probably for GOTV ?

Perhaps they have some sophisticated voter profiling software that can ID likely political orientation based on reading habits.

[Colin Ex]

14. Much easier (and cheaper) ways to do that than FOIAs.

There are firms in GR and Lansing that'll take care of that and take care of the work for you, giving you a nice printout with addresses. FOIA library requests is a waste of time, and if you've money to burn like the Republicans do, your volunteers are better off doing other stuff like walking -- work that requires lots of manpower.

I really doubt it's GOTV.

[jjnagarya]

22. GOTV -- Reading Habits

Reading habits are none of their business -- unless they have a negative in mind, such as intimidation or blackmail.

As for GOTV: voter registration lists are public records. No need for FOIA to get those.

So there's no legitimate reason for their wanting to violate the privacy of library patrons. It can only be aimed at threatening to embarrass library patrons or otherwise demonize them for their tastes in reading materials.

Unless it's a particular children's book about a goat, in which case the reader is either a second grader, or a registered Republican't.
(That could seem redundant except it isn't because some second graders are registered Democrats.)

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Scary as hell

and of course, these are the same asshole crying for "less government" and "get the government off our backs" and less taxes and "They hate us because of our freedoms!" and blahblahblah blah blah <censored> blah.

Asshole evil f-ing clowns.

The libraries should all keep the top ten FBI-listing books right at the cherckout counter and ask every patron checking out books if they mind if the library says that they checked out the "hit list" books just to overflow the coffers. Make it look like every @*($&%#& person in town is checking the anarchist's cookbook, and books by Bill and Hillary and survival manuals and Franken's books and whatever the hell else it is the assholes feel like targeting.

[Nevernose]

11. "Michigan Law prohibits such a request"

Since when does something trivial like "the law" apply to Republicans? Even if the law WERE overturned, it would be the clear work of LIBERAL, ACTIVIST JUDGES!!!

[shoelace414]

12. one would almost think

that the SCOTUS would get pissed about the administration calling them and the whole Judaical branch "activist judges" when they rule against them.

I guess they don't have the ego I thought they did.

[AlGore-08.com]

15. I'm not sure I get what they're looking for, but it reminds me of FL

For the 2000 Florida voter purge, they took the names of former felons from all over the country, and removed anybody with the same race and a similar name from the Florida voter roles. So if a seventy year old African-American man named "John Davidson" was convicted of a felony in 1963 in Michigan, the Florida program purged all African-Americans named "John Davidson" from the voter roles, and any African-American with a "similar" name - - and as a result, a twenty year old African-American woman named "Jane Davison" would be thrown off the roles, even though she had never even received a traffic ticket.

I know that some states are not sharing their records with Florida now. That's the only thing I could think they could be getting from the Michigan records - - names of former felons to use for similar voter purges.

[gatlingforme]

16. That does not make much sense. A law firm that FOIA's sounds

goofy to me. Also, Patrons records at libraries are exempt from public record.

[gbwarming]

17. Mike Flory, Young Republican. Check these articles on his YR chair bid

(Edit - Mike Flory is the attorney.)

Looks like he's got a fully developed set of Republican values - redistricting, election fixing, thuggery and fraud, and sore losership.


------------------------------
http://www.talonnews.com/news/2003/july/0711_young_republicans.shtml
Issues Put on Hold at Young Republicans Convention as Board Meeting Fails Quorum Test
By Stephen Dewey
Talon News
July 11, 2003

BOSTON (Talon News) -- The national board meeting of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) failed to take place at this week's convention on Thursday morning, postponing a vote on regional changes until later in the week.
<snip>
The lack of a quorum at the board meeting could be significant later in the convention, since the Flory-Brangers ticket depends on the passage of a realignment plan for its very legitimacy. Without the passage of such a plan, Mike Flory and DeAnna Brangers cannot simultaneously serve as chairman and co-chairman because they represent two states in the same region (Michigan and Kentucky, respectively), a violation of YRNF rules.

----------------------------------------

http://www.gopusa.com/news/2003/july/0712_young_republicansp.shtml
Tempers Flare at Young Republicans Convention as Delegates Clash over Amendments
By Stephen Dewey
Talon News
July 12, 2003

BOSTON (Talon News) -- The Young Republicans convention broke down into shouting and some physical contact on Friday as delegates for opposing tickets clashed over amendments being considered by the Young Republican National Federation's (YRNF) Constitution and By-Laws Committee.

<snip>

At this point, Flory supporters rushed the door and attempted to physically bar Mack delegates from entering the room. Delegates shouted at each other, and some began pushing each other. The scuffle lasted only momentarily, however, and level-headed delegates soon restored order.

Most delegates stayed in their seats and were upset at the conduct of those on both sides who had been pushing. One delegate sitting near the back row yelled, "Let's not forget we're on the same team here."

Birmingham told credentialed delegates to sit in the row facing the American flag, and then broke out, "Please remember that flag! Good Lord!"

Peters moved to remove Birmingham as chairman. This motion was met with loud cheers and clapping from Flory supporters in the middle of the seating area, and loud boos from Mack supporters situated in the back and the front.

At this point, the Sergeant at Arms again "failed" in his task, and let another sizeable group of Mack supporters into the room. Flory supporters were outraged, and forced Birmingham to call for the Sergeant at Arms to again seal the door.





-----------------------------------------
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2003/july/0714_young_republicans.shtml
Mack Team Wins; Election Results Challenged at Young Republican Convention
By Stephen Dewey
Talon News
July 14, 2003

BOSTON (Talon News) -- Michael Mack was narrowly elected the next chairman of the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) on Saturday, defeating opposition candidate Mike Flory to move up one rank from his former position of national co-chairman.

Concerns about the integrity of the election process have been widespread since the convention began, however, and became especially pronounced after the official tally was announced. At the YR National Board Meeting on Sunday, Flory filed a complaint to investigate the charges. An official complaint would involve the establishment of a "dispute resolution" committee, led by the chairman of the YR State Chairman's Association (SCA), Clay Barclay of Alabama. Barclay had endorsed Flory prior to the Boston convention.

"Our people found tremendous amounts of voting irregularities once we were able to look at the official breakdown of the numbers in the Chair race," Flory told Talon News. "The two that I mentioned that were blatantly obvious were the ten votes in the Mack column from the state of Tennessee, the State of Tennessee had cast all their votes for me ... the Puerto Rico delegation somehow voted twelve votes for Mack according to the Constitution they're only entitled to four."

[jjnagarya]

23. Young Republican't Yada-Yada Election Fraud

Take down their names -- particularly that Flory guy: he sounds like a whining loser who might in the future in a presidential election take his sob story to the US Supreme Court in violation of separation of powers.

And it sounds suspicious to me that they claim there are Republican'ts in Puerto Rico. If there seem to be, it's only because they moved there for the period of the election in order to expand the scope of the fraud.

Another fraud is the claim that some of those present had "level heads". Republican'ts don't have "level" heads; they have hollow heads. That's why they're Republican'ts.

The Brown Shirt conduct -- the violence -- doesn't surprise: they're in training for Florida. And that they inflict their violence on their own proves that Republican'ts are incestuous cannibals: they eat their own.

And that there is no mention in the articles of cooking equipment shows they are utterly barbaric: they eat each other uncooked.

Disgusting.

And they probably all wear suits and ties, and dresses and skirts, in effort to disguise themselves as civilized. Such deceit is expected, therefore neither surprise nor newsworthy.

In fact, all things considered, everything about Republican'ts is disgusting, and none of that is newsworthy.

And what's this about "Titan"? Aren't they in trouble in relation to Abu Ghraib? These people need to be watched, as they are advanced in their Republican'tism beyond their actual ages.

[Frodo]

19. Doesn't it strike anyone else as "odd" (read hypocritical)

that they want the names and addresses of the people using the Library...

BUT

They won't say who they work for due to "client confidentiality"


????

[ContinentalOp]

25. Is there any chance this is an attempted attack on FOIA?

Is this a scheme to connect the FOIA to invasion of privacy issues in the general public's mind? They generate some outrage over the invasion of privacy and then they use that to argue for changes to the FOIA (or outright elimination)? Or could it be some kind of legal scheme to set a certain precedent that can then be used to fight FOIA requests in other areas?

[Bandit]

26. Didn't the Administration put forth a directive saying they didn't have to

release anything under the FOIA and in fact were required not release anything? I remember this as one of the very first things they did after refusing to comply with the release of the Presidential Papers as required by law.