(October 20, 2009 - Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images North America)
James O’Keefe, Joe Basel, Robert Flanagan, and Stan Dai are in the news again this week/weekend as it appears the long and drawn out saga of the “Louisiana Four” is finally heading toward a conclusion. Federal prosecutors have reportedly reduced charges against the men in exchange for guilty pleas. They are all now being charged with a misdemeanor – entering a Federal Building under false pretenses – a crime punishable by up to six months in prison. The “scandal” centered around what amounted to not much more than a teenage prank on Senator Landrieu’s office staff although it was widely reported to be a heinous act of espionage.
The new charges are contained in a bill of information, which typically signals a plea deal. The new filing charges the four with entering a federal building under false pretenses, a misdemeanor. They had been arrested Jan. 25 on felony charges.
O’Keefe, a videographer famous for wearing a pimp costume in a stunt that embarrassed the ACORN community organizing group, has said the group was trying to investigate complaints that constituents calling Landrieu’s office couldn’t get through to criticize her support of a health care reform bill.
Eddie Castaing, an attorney for another defendant, Joseph Basel, said his client agreed to plead guilty to the new charge so he can “resolve the case and move forward with his life.”
“There is no agreement on sentencing,” Castaing said. “It’s up to the judge.”
The new charges carry maximum sentences of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine. A date for their next court appearance has not been set.
J. Garrison Jordan, a lawyer for defendant Robert Flanagan, said his client has “an agreement worked out with the government” but wouldn’t elaborate.
“I think it’s a fair resolution to the charges, and I’m happy with the agreement we’ve worked out,” he said.
Landrieu issued a statement Friday in which she said the four men “deliberately deceived both building security and my staff by using phony identities.”
“Clearly they were up to no good,” she said. “These charges indicate that it was not merely an innocent prank. It was a blatant violation of the law that carries with it serious consequences.”
Lawyers for the other two defendants didn’t immediately return calls. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in New Orleans would not comment on a possible plea deal.
Federal authorities initially accused the four of trying to tamper with Landrieu’s phones, but the new filing merely says they planned to pretend to test the phone system.
I already swallowed my pride and admitted I was wrong on this one, so I won’t get into that yet again, but I will say that I am happy to see this case moving toward resolution. I do find it somewhat laughable that in a month where ACORN – the group O’Keefe is now famous for exposing for their corrupt practices – is restructuring and reorganizing, the Louisiana Four is about to do federal jail time when none of ACORN’s leadership has been brought to justice. Go figure.
[...] James O'Keefe, Joe Basel, and Cohorts Face Reduced Chargesl … [...]
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[...] Landrieu where he was accused of attempting to “wiretap” her phones. Charges were later reduced to entering a Federal Building under false pretense after O’Keefe and his [...]