Infowars reporter Matt Lepacek was led out of the spin room by Goffstown PD last night, at the behest of a Giuliani staffer who didn't like the question he and his crew were asking of a spokesman.
When he tried to return to the room (he had legitimate press credentials) he was arrested by the police and charged with "criminal trespassing," a charge that the police decided to press post-arrest. This, despite a plea from CNN staffers not to arrest him.
I was just on Alex Jones's radio show -- the man behind infowars.com -- to offer my take on the brazenly illegal and undemocratic measures taken by Goffstown police last Tuesday. I can offer, from my personal experience, that the press at this event couldn't have any more contempt for citizen reporters and other protestors; thus, I felt obligated to follow Mr. Lepacek and the arresting officers with my audiotape and take pictures.
As Alex requested, I've posted some pictures, a digital audio recording of Mr. Lepacek's arrest, and an interview with Ron Paul afterwards, where I broach the incident with the Congressman.
I encourage everyone to call the Goffstown PD at (603) 497-4858, or the Governor's office at (603) 271-2121. I think a respectful declaration of your abhorrence at this behavior is the way to go, here -- NH is all about "Live Free or Die", at least ostensibly, and I have a feeling that they may be very sympathetic to your concerns. Let's not alienate them.
Good luck to Matt, and I hope everything works out. Our democracy in is serious disrepair.
Pictures of Matt being led out and arrested outside.
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/100_5675.JPG
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/100_5676.JPG
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/100_5679.JPG
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/100_5680.JPG
Audiotape of the entire incident:
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/Matt%20Lepacek%20Arrest.WMA
Interview with Ron Paul afterwards, where he comments on the incident:
http://www.420megs.com/users/chriscaesar/Ron%20Paul%20INterview.WMA
Alex Jones's Coverage:
http://www.jonesreport.com/articles/050607_reporter_arrested_giuliani_orders.html
Shame on all the reporters, bloggers, and anyone else who didn't follow these people out. You are frauds, shysters, and cowards -- no matter how you feel about 911, Alex Jones, or Infowars.
Oh, and a memo to Giuliani and his staff: if you can't handle the hard questions, get the hell out of New Hampshire.
Update: Here's that sketchball, arrogant, suspendered gentleman:
http://www.tarrance.com/who/partnerbios/goeas.html
Maybe he'll be "so impressed" by a bombardment of emails and phone calls: (703) 684-6688, tarrance@tarrance.com
Second Update: Here is a far more devastating recording of what happened:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Professor911-1584.flv
You can see Giuliani's staffers literally trying to grab cameras away from people not even affiliated with Lapacek, a CNN staffer saying they had done nothing wrong, etc. This demonstrates, without a doubt, that the entire thing was orchestrated by Giuliani's people, who didn't want their spokesman to be recorded as he maladroitly failed to field these questions. Looks like they blew that plan; I'm sure far more people saw this asshole than ever would've otherwise.
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Comments: 33
Excellent article and photos...being somewhat technologically challenged, though, I don't know how to open your .wma files, but I'll figure it out.
.wma files are for Windows Media Player. Perhaps I should convert them to mp3's for ease, thanks for letting me know you were having trouble.
Lepacek had every right to ask the question, but once Goeas made it clear he wasn't going to answer, Lepacek did NOT have the right to intentionally cause a big scene in the press room. Once he started doing that, he was interfering with the many other reporters who were also asking questions. A press pass entitles you with the privilege of asking questions, not the right to harass somebody on private property where you are a guest. The police acted quite appropriately to remove him once it was clear he wasn't going to back off. Like it or not, Goeas has every right to decline to answer any question, just as infowars.com has every right to gripe about being declined.
As for the major media not covering the altercation, yeah, that's typical for any issue they don't want publicized. Fortunately, the internet has done an incredible amount to undermine corporate media in the last decade. Usually, the real bias isn't so much in the reporting itself as it is the selection of what is and isn't news.
(We have 2.3 million people in jail in this country, roughly half of whom haven't hurt anybody else, but that apparently isn't news...)
I disagree that a public candidate has the "right" to ignore questions about personal conflicts of interest. Giuliani's staff could've handled this a lot better -- answered the questions, say they would answer the questions pending documentation, whatever -- but they chose to forcibly remove these people. I myself was almost denied re-entry because I went out to cover the arrest -- is that right?
The only reason these reporters made a scene -- quite correctly, I'd say -- is because they were brushed off and ignored. Hardly democratic. The staffer preferred to discuss issues with "real reporters" (his words) that wouldn't ask such silly questions. Can you imagine smugly laughing as someone, however spectacularly, was asking you a question as they were removed by police? Keep in mind that not only was the person in question nabbed, his entourage was detained as well, until the police started realizing they were interrupting a live broadcast and let them go.
Goeas did answer the question. He said he didn't know what the hell they were talking about, and that Lepacek should provide documentation for his question. Lepacek does not have a right to dominate the interview when there's a throng of reporters trying to ask their own questions.
There are legitimate ways for the 9-11 truth squad to raise their issues into the public consciousness. Harassing a campaign staffer in a room full of national media is the tactic this guy chose, and he deserved his fate -- which conveniently gives him something to scream about. I'm not jumping on the Matt Lepacek pity wagon -- he appears to be just another jerk trying to be a hero.
Yeah, he was being a bit obnoxious, but who cares. Who is the Giuliani campaign to will people out of the room, against the expressed wishes of the people running the show? (i.e. CNN).
Have you looked at Lepacek's evidence? If not, why not investigate his claim instead of jumping to his defense? If his evidence is bogus, there is no excuse for supporting his right to harass a campaign staffer.
Legally, I'm not sure who had the ultimate right to revoke a person's press credentials. I heard CNN didn't want him arrested (understandable for PR reasons), but I'm also pretty sure they would support having him removed, especially after seeing the tape.
The Spin Room is only open to media who have the privilege of being granted press credentials. Nobody has a right to be there, only a privilege which can be revoked.
On the other hand, Goeas (no matter how big a jerk he is) does have the right to refuse any question at any time, just as infowars has every right to publicize that refusal. At the end of the day, voters decide.
I'm not a hugely aligned with 911 Truth, to be honest, but I don't dismiss them offhand. Ron Paul has come out in defense of these individuals, actually, and appears on Alex Jones's show on a regular basis. He doesn't seem to feel hijacked.
The Giuliani representative was being an asshole. The reason the situation escalated is not, as it has been contended, because these guys approached him yelling, but because the guy laughed at them, dismissed them offhand, and turned around to talk to other people.
Folks -- he didn't lose his press credentials. CNN didn't kick him out -- the Giuliani campaign did. Let's be clear. No one revoked his credentials; CNN let all the other people in his entourage that weren't arrested back into the hall. I assume he would've been let back in as well, if the cops didn't decide to arbitrarily arrest him.
I am from New York (now living in NH), and keep close tabs on life in New York.
Most New Yorkers hated Rudy before 9/11, and he and his staff were never on the side of the people.
His staff could never take the heat, and I see that they have not changed.
This story needs to be made even bigger.
If a candidate or a member of his staff can't take the heat from a reporter or a voter, then maybe that candidate should bow out of the race.
I saw the man being taken out, but I did not know what was going on at the time.
I was a blogger, and I am not a fraud.
You should not have said such words in your report.
After all, we were all trying to do our best.
The police were wrong in this matter, and that man should not have been arrested.
It is Rudy who will lose in the end.
I did blog about Rudy before the debates (May 16, 2007.)
Here is the link:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977001982
I am on your side!
George Vreeland Hill
Everyone's making a big deal about this leftist loon getting kicked out by the Guiliani campaign because "Rudy doesn't like tough questions" and this sis somehow horrifying to you all but not a single Democrat candidate aside from Joe Biden will agree to take part in the debate being sponsored by the African American Caucus because it is also being co-sponsored by FOX News?
The Dems are the real cowards afraid of being asked the tough questions. No Republican to date has refused to take part in a debate because they feared they might be asked tough questions due to who the sponsor was.
It makes me laugh every time I hear some deluded dolt on say how much more honor and character the Dem candidates have in the face of such plain evidence to the contrary. Just ask Joe Biden. He knows how true it is too.
When I was in college, I took a student government trip to visit our state rep to lobby for more funding for our campus. Instead, I chose that opportunty to harrass him for his pro-life views and was ejected from the building. At the time, I felt very much offended the way these guys do. Looking back on it, I realize I was being an idiot. Was it my right? Yes. Was it appropriate? No, it was retarded.
Thanks
Does anyone know what Alex Jones means by what Guiliani told Peter Jennings about the collapse?
I'm a NYC Democrat, was no fan of Guiliani's when he was mayor, but was a great fan of Peter Jennings.
Can anyone refer me to the 'documentation' the staff wanted to see?
Please, and thank you.
Ok well something tells me mafioso Giuliani's campaign won't be attending FreedomFest in Las Vegas. Organizers would greatly love to see Ron Paul vs. Rudy Giuliani debate. But for some reason the Giuliani mafia is ignoring them. Hmmm... I wonder why?
"So far I haven't heard back from the Giuliani Campaign and I've sent 3 e-mails to date," asserted Ron Holland, an organizer of FreedomFest, which will be taking place July 5-7 in Las Vegas.
More info: http://www.gambling911.com/Ron-Paul-Giuliani-060307.html
***
Responding to Arlene looking for the "documentation" that the staff wanted to see where Giuliani clearly states they were warned the buildings were going to collapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTSinAhJgVE
***
To Chris Caesar, thanks for bringing your vantage point to what happened after the New Hampshire republican debates. Very much enjoy independent media. God bless.
Shouldn't you be out playing ultimate Frisbeee and smoking a "fat one," Shaun?
Seriously, please refrain from posting on our discussions with vitriolic personal attacks. Its counterproductive, and not persuasive in any way. We get it. You love Romney. You hate anyone who doesn't. Point made. Over and over.
Yawn.
Here's a full video of what happened that I think is infinitely more devastating and terrifying, if only because it shows what happens in full:
http://blip.tv/file/get/Professor911-1584.flv