Update -More Info: James O'Keefe, Others Arrested In Alleged Wiretap Plot

FBI release is out.

Well, it is only alleged at this point. It would be a shame if O'Keefe got stupid and over-reached.

FBI Special Agent Steven Rayes alleges that O'Keefe aided and abetted two others, Joseph Basel and Robert Flanagan, who dressed up as employees of a telephone company and attempted to interfere with the office's telephone system.

A fourth person, Stan Dai, was accused of aiding and abetting Basel and Flanagan. All four were charged with entering fedral property under false pretenses with the intent of committing a felony.

There's a Stan Dai here that suggests a possible link but that isn't confirmed. And a Robert Flanagn associated with The Pelican Institute where O'Keefe was speaking.

Stan Dai Assistant Director, Intelligence Center Main 362 Trinity (Washington) University

Comments

[Neo]

"A witness from Landrieu's staff said O'Keefe was present in the office and claimed to be "waiting for someone to arrive."

[Alex]

Well obviously this means that all his work against ACORN was totally without value now and we should fund that organization again. /sarc

On the other hand he did always seem kinda...odd to me. Never though he was much for social skills. Let's hope this isn't as it seems.

[mojo]

Kid might want to research some terms:
"Bag job"
"Cut-out"
"Professional"

[Oxbay]

If they're guilty they must be punished. This foolishness should get the first political Darwin award if they handed such things out.

[Jeff]

How do you get arrested for "the intent to commit a felony" ? Trespassing maybe but intent to commit is not going to get very far with a grand jury ... maybe its an "attempted felony" ?

So I assume "entering federal property under false pretenses" is a crime on the books ?

So they lied to get into the building ... and the feds think they were going to wire tap the office ...

Isn't that kind of the same thing O'Keefe did to ACORN ? He lied about who he was and he may have illegally taped people.

Should be an interesting case to try ... but I'm sure the Holder DOJ will go all out. After all O'Keefe isn't a New Black Panther.

[Jeff]

I'll bet there is a better than 50/50 chance Obama will make a reference to this case in his SOTU address.

[Mike2Cents]

It sure seems likly he was up to some sort of sheneaigans -
Merry little prankster...perhaps his 15 minutes wasn't enough.
I'm sure all his new friends will stand by him...

[Ricky]

The revenge of the Chicago thugs.

[ThomasD]

Over reached might be an understatement. Even if the whole things was a spoof, it is a Federal building and you are still there under false pretenses. See who cuts a deal to know whether anyone got sandbagged.

[JadedByPolitics]

I pray to God this young man didn't act stupid and attempted to bug her phones....STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! I will as they say await more information before judgment is passed however if he did something illegal he will have to pay the price that is life for everyone who is NOT connected to a Democrat politician (once in while WE get lucky but rarely).

[Stan Michael]

I find it quite comical that the conservative bloggers are coming to the defense of this moron. Illegally recording conversations and trying to bug politicians offices -all harmless right wing activist fun, right?

[Ricky]

I find it quite comical that the liberal bloggers came to the defense of ACORN and black panthers and terrorists and Roman Polinsky and John Edwards...etc.etc.etc.

O'Keefe's real crime is his passion to expose the corruption in government and to safe his country.

[Ricky]

should be "save".

[Alex]

I didn't see anybody on here coming to his defense.

[Juvenal Spilt]

These kids could be in a lot worse trouble than even the initial FBI charges indicate.
Sen. Landrieu is a member of the Senate Homeland Security committee and one of its subcommittee chairs. As such, in her office in a Federal facility, she, likely, has high security communications capability which would be monitored constantly by the Feds (e.g. the Federal Marshall's Service and NSA) for unauthorized access/interception. If so, the charges could be raised and the penalties on conviction could rise astronomically.
The Feds get kind of sensitive about this type of stuff.

[Milton]

Let’s face it, all charges will be dropped, because he is poor white trash. This Tuesday, James O’Keefe was arrested by the FBI, for entering a federal property under false pretenses with the intent to commit a felony and maliciously interfering with a telephone system operated and controlled by the United States of America. They were dressed up as telephone company employees with tool belts and fluorescent jackets. It appears to be a bungled attempt to wiretap the office of Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu, in Louisiana and paid by Andrew Breitbart.