James O'Keefe and friends plead guilty in Mary Landrieu office caper

[meegbear]

The four defendants who were arrested in January in Sen. Mary Landrieu's office in the Hale Boggs federal complex in New Orleans pleaded guilty Wednesday morning in federal court to entering real property belonging to the United States under false pretenses.

Magistrate Judge Daniel Knowles III sentenced Stan Dai, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan each to two years probation, a fine of $1,500 and 75 hours of community service during their first year of probation.

James O'Keefe, as leader of the group and famous for posing as a pimp in ACORN office videos, received three years of probation, a fine of $1,500 and 100 hours of community service.

Each of the defendants made a statement to the court. They said they did not intend to commit a crime They also apologized for the inconvenience they caused security workers at the federal building.

O'Keefe said "I take full responsibility for our decision to visit Sen. Landrieu's office." Referring to their decision to pose as telephone workers in order to investigate complaints that office staff members allegedly ignored constituents' phone calls, he said "I should have used other means."

The judge repeatedly told the defendants that, as journalists, they needed to learn "where to draw a line" in their investigative methods.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/05/james_okeefe_and_friends_plead.html

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. For his community service, O'Keefe should have to teach at the toughest school in NJ

with no help, and no supplies, and no working phone numbers for any of the students.

I can't imagine any teacher in NJ who wouldn't support this.

[Botany]

2. But the college student who hacked Palin's email got jail?

:grr:

[Jefferson23]

3. As journalists???? Bullshit twice over. n/t

[monmouth]

4. "Journalist" jumped right out of that statement..LOL....n/t

[Jefferson23]

11. I know, can you believe this garbage...lol. Pathetic! n/t

[KansDem]

5. "Urinalist" is more appropriate. n/t

[Jefferson23]

12. That describes them very well indeed. n/t

[rurallib]

6. Will the Republican Fox News channel report this?

doubtful.

[gratuitous]

7. Oh, it's just a "caper" now

So, okay, probation. A $1,500 fine? I suppose O'Keefe's sugar daddy can pay that out of what's in the couch cushions. 100 hours of community service? From the judge's comments about O'Keefe and his henchmen being "journalists" (Who was paying them, by the way? Where were they published? Why isn't their employer on the hook, too, Your Honor?), I'm guessing that appearance on Fox will count toward that.

What a load of horseshit.

[spanone]

8. journalists my ass...they are political operatives, nothing more

journalists should be shouting from the rooftops

[Raster]

9. "The judge repeatedly told the defendants that, as journalists..."

:rofl:"journalists":rofl:

[Javaman]

10. How long before he violates the conditions of he probation? Any guesses? nt

[Historic NY]

13. slap on the hands........amazing.

[mzmolly]

14. "Caper" ... such a cute little word for the criminal act involved,

isn't it?

[malaise]

15. O'Keefe will violate that probation

He can't help himself so he'll be in prison in no time - PHEW!!!

Imagine a college kid was sent to prison for hacking Palin's email and these criminals are given probation and small fines.

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

16. Obviously this judge believes in

IOKIYAR...

[xchrom]

17. caper? -- sounds like he was guilty of dancing like michael flatley. nt

[butterfly77]

18. K&R..