Bush orders settlement to conservative GOP website by City of Fresno

[tritsofme]

Settlement funnels money to local conservative website on orders of president George Bush. Rightwing website "FreeRepublic" to recieve large settlement from City of Fresno.

This is urgent-read and call the attorney general's office as soon as you can. We must stop this criminal give-away to GOP activists at taxpayer expense.


The City of Fresno has announced it is paying a large settlement to the "FreeRepublic", a right wing conservative website/forum to settle a lawsuit filed by Freerepublic alledging defamation and damage of reputation. Some background on the case:

The case FreeRepublic vs. City of Fresno stems from a bulletin sent to Fresno Police by Fresno Human Relations Commissioner Debbie Reyes regarding an event planned on sept. 13th by the Fresno chapter of FreeRepublic Network. This event, billed by Freerepublic as a picnic/rally was a subject of concern to Reyes as she had been made aware of possible counter-protests to the picnic/rally by activists critical of FreeRepublic Network's harrassment of anti-war activists and general right-wing extremist nature. Ms. Reyes faxed a notice to police that there might be possible conflicts at the event and notified them that FreeRepublic was well known as an organized hate group disguising themselves as patriotic americans. This notice and resulting publicity resulted in the lawsuit naming City of Fresno, Debbie Reyes, and Mayor Alan Autry as defendants. They alledged Reyes fax resulted in defamation and filed suit seeking $1,000,000 compensation.

The very very strange thing in all this is George Bush met with Fresno Mayor Alan Autry on 10/15/2003 and there is good reason to believe this lawsuit by the FreeRepublic Network was the main topic of conversation between the two. The FreeRepublic online forum is a darling centerpiece of the GOP party, the largest and most highly trafficked GOP oriented website in existence. Progressive activists have long suspected FreeRepublic receives under the table covert funding directly or indirectly from the GOP party. So it is quite likely and plausible that when Autry met with Bush and discussed this with him Bush told him to pay off these good old-boy conservatives and get some funds into their hands so they can continue their fight against the left and all things progressive.


Did Fresno Mayor Alan Autry work at the suggestion of George Bush to supply a large cash settlement to FreeRepublic at taxpayer's expense? Demand an investigation.

<snip>
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/01/1667532.php

What the hell?

[Terwilliger]

1. this is troubling

how the FUCK does Free Republic have any case against the city? They ARE are a right-wing hate site.

[Jane Roe]

21. Why is Free Republic a hate group?

There is just as much negative, vehement opinion expressed here on DU as there is on Free Republic. It is just that our anger is directed at good targets and theirs is directed at bad targets (which is why I am here, instead of there).

Still, I don't think either site should be considered a "Hate Group," such that the group's rights to free speech and assembly is curtailed. It is understandable that Free Republic had libel-type concerns about the misrepresentation, as it came from a government official.

Any finding that Free Republic is a "Hate Group" could come back to haunt boards and groups like DU in a big way.

It is kind of ironic that Free Republic is on the side of freedom of expression in this situation, but it is even more ironic that the folks posting on this thread don't seem to understand or care about the freedom of expression values at stake here, apparently just because they disagree with the content of the expressions being propagated at over in Freepland.

[reprobate]

23. The difference is in the rules we follow.

In order to post in Breaking News here you must be able to substantiate your post with links to the news source. Here there are no rumors, innuendoes, or accusations of baby killing.

If you read it in Breading news you can be pretty sure of it being true.

[GinaMaria]

25. wrong

No one here posts the name or address or pictures of someone we disagree with. We don't post pictures of their babies or maps to their houses. We don't hint at harrassment and intimidation. Freepers do.

While they support their right to free speech they do not support everyone's. These are cyber bullies.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. While it might be a good diea to have Lockyer check it out

the article is really nothing but speculation.

[tinanator]

18. you have got that right a bullshit article

There is a lot to this story, but NONE of it is in that silly ass piece. Let the locals tell the story, whoever wrote this should have a few facts first. These FR yokels are nothing to sweat, not players and not entitled to anything but a symbolic pittance from corrupt cronies. And that only in the most suspicious of circumstances, almost entirely an artifice constructed from a ruse. If you really want to know how this happened, you should start at the beginning
http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/1639517_comment.php#1639563
and realize that this was started by some mysterious, presumably
out of town actors, and the worst of it was done by freeks themselves. It was a put on, by people using alias and stolen ID's.
They suffered no harm, and the woman who issued the statement on city letterhead did so despite being told not to. She made a lot of people pretty angry, and I dont mean the hate groupers.

[pinto]

3. Frivolous tort suit. Repugs will stop this abuse......(ha)

[pinto]

4. here's an article from Fresno Bee (1/9)

Resignation comes as city settles suit over her 'hate group' comments.
By Jim Davis
The Fresno Bee
(Published Friday, January 9, 2004, 11:18 AM)

The Fresno Human Relations Commission chairwoman who called a local conservative organization a "hate group" resigned as the city reached a lawsuit settlement over her comments.

<snip>

"It's cheaper to pay these guys $20 and get rid of them than waste an attorney's time on them," Castillo said.

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7981116p-8852478c.html

[DU9598]

5. Only when convenient

That is the only time that Conservatives like the judiciary. You mess with them they take you to court. Corporate America wrongs you or injures you at work, suck it up and don't clog the court system. Amazing. Where are the Democrats to expose this BS? The California Democratic party should never lose an argument on damage caps or tort deform after this suit.

[pinto]

8. kick, and the case is weak to begin with, imho.

heard a lawyer on TV yesterday saying if you bring a "frivolous" law suit before a judge, it gets thrown out. That's what judge discretion is about. No case, no suit, no trial.

[Just Me]

10. Except, "these guys" weren't paid a mere $20,...

,...and revealing the amount they were paid would be helpful in terms of ending speculation (there is a big difference between a $5K settlement and a $50K settlement).

[pinto]

11. I agree, any idea of the settlement? Or is that not public?

[Mike Niendorff]

12. from the same article:

-----

Neither Doerksen nor Castillo would say how much money was involved in the agreement.

Reyes, who did not return phone calls, raised a furor in September when she sent out a news release on city stationery that referred to Free Republic as "a hate group" that was planning a rally in north Fresno and a picnic at Woodward Park.

Mayor Alan Autry said at the time there is no evidence that Free Republic is a hate group and called the news release "inflammatory, reckless, irresponsible and dangerous."

(more)

-----

Perhaps we could forward some representative quotes from FR to the article's author (his contact info is posted here on the Bee's website).

Couldn't hurt, anyway.


MDN


(edit: removed some useless info on the Bee's "user forums", which appear to be a total waste of time)

[pinto]

15. kick, a news release, in Fresno, is "dangerous"....

btw, I love your tag:

"I wouldn't put it past me": GWB

[buff2]

24. What is wrong with telling the truth?

Why is it so wrong to call a hate group what it is? A hate group. Why does "freedom of speech" only apply to conservatives? Why should someone have to resign her job because she used "freedom of speech"? Man,this has gotten to be a really suck ass country to live in anymore. :thumbsdown:

[Sapphocrat]

6. Anybody care to submit examples of FR's long history of hate speech?

Seriously. A "friend of the court" brief containing hundreds -- thousands, countless -- quotes from FR couldn't hurt.

AFAIC, any site that continues to (just for two minor examples) express glee over the death of Rachel Corrie, and suggests in no uncertain terms that Bill Clinton should be shot and his body hung outside the White House as an example for all, is a hate site. Period.

Yes, I do have those particular quotes saved, if anybody wants them.

As I know nothing about filing a FOTC brief, perhaps one of our resident legal eagles could fill us all in on how it's done.

[mot78]

9. Try sending them to the City officials

This evidence has the right to be heard.

[Just Me]

7. If anything falls under RICO, I imagine this certainly could,...

,...of course, this is still within the auspice of speculation. However, if there is evidence of the type of shenangins presented in this article, that is very serious corruption.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. So does this mean W is a Freeper!

I didn't think he had a clue about the internet?

We need to dig up some more info on this story. This could be fun even if just half of it is true. Time to go googling.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. Funny, within the month Fresno got $7 mil from Bu$hCo

In the form of a grant from the Dept of Homeland Security. That certainly would be a good place to bury some money for FR? Bu$hler is spending billions and most of it is unaccounted for. What other radical extremists does Bu$hler want to funnel money to through HS & faith-based grants?


http://www.fresno.gov/news&info/11142003_a.asp

FRESNO, CA (November 14, 2003) Mayor Alan Autry applauded President George W. Bush and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for releasing over $7 million in grants to the City of Fresno. This grant will be used to fund and improve overall security and preparedness of the City

"I commend President Bush not only for providing these much needed Homeland Security funds, but also understanding that as our first responders, local public safety agencies must receive these resources directly," Mayor Autry said.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced the release of these funds yesterday. A total of $675 million will be funded directly to urban areas across the Country. The areas funded were chosen based on several factors including critical infrastructure, population density, and credible threat information.

[shanti]

17. hmmm

i wonder how much oakland and other dem controlled cities received in homeland security funds?

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. Interesting point, Oakland is getting a fraction

of the amount they requested and so far a lot less than Fresno.

Port of Oakland again short millions from security agency

$1.7 million will 'barely' pay for some basic surveillance items

December 12, 2003

[bluestateguy]

16. Brought to you by the party that opposes frivilous lawsuits

:eyes:

[johnfunk]

20. Someone also ought to look into how RimJob got that tweaked out RV

Can you say, "Smacks of misappropriation of funds," anyone?

Click on the pic...

?bfBvrAABz8bmUh2d

[tinanator]

22. heres the scoop $60,000 money for nothing

but chicks wont touch these freeks.
http://sfbay.indymedia.org/news/2004/01/1667650.php