Community | February 26, 2012 | 12 comments

Bachman Threat: Federal Grand Jury Investigating Crude Tweet

source: http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/140384213.html

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Imzadi
WASHINGTON - A federal grand jury here is investigating a man for allegedly using Twitter to threaten U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann during her presidential campaign.

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth revealed the investigation this week when he ruled against the man's request to quash a grand jury subpoena seeking his identity from Twitter, a social networking site.

In a crude message posted last summer, the man -- referred to in court papers only as Mr. X -- "professed desire to engage in sadomasochistic activities with" Bachmann, the judge wrote.

That alleged threat sparked the investigation, which began in the weeks leading up the Iowa GOP straw poll last August, which Bachmann won. She ended her presidential campaign in early January after finishing sixth in the state's higher stakes presidential caucuses.

Bachmann spokeswoman Becky Rogness declined to comment on the investigation.

Earlier this week, the congresswoman announced her plans to run for re-election even though congressional redistricting pushed her out of the district she represents.

Lamberth wrote that law enforcement agencies have the right to use subpoenas and other tools to gather information from social networking sites to assess threats.

Mr. X's lawyer argued the government did not need to know Mr. X's identity and that his tweets, one of which referenced using a "Vietnam-era machete" in a sex act, were hyperbole and not credible.

Lamberth wrote that the government has a compelling interest in investigating the threats against Bachmann and needed the man's identity to determine if the threat was credible. The grand jury should know if Mr. X has a history of threatening political candidates, or has engaged in threatening behavior toward Bachmann or "happens to own a Vietnam-era machete," Lamberth wrote.

Dismissing Mr. X's Twitter page as vapid, the judge doubted the man would face criminal indictment because there needs to be a "true threat" against Bachmann.



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http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/140384213.html
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   US Politics,   Progressive America,   3 more
  2. tags:
    tweet,  Bachmann,  Threats,  Grand Jury
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12 comments // Bachman Threat: Federal Grand Jury Investigating Crude Tweet

  • OlBlue
  • KB723
  • fiberbundle
    • +2
      fiberbundle  

    • Bachman is a public political figure. Unless the Tweet was sent directly to her or was very specific, then we a dealing with a thought crime persecution (not legitimate prosecution of a credible threat). I think the people who are pushing the investigation of Mr X should be investigated. Their names should be revealed to the public so that the public can decide if they are fit to remain on the public payroll as prosecutors; or if they are political types, then the public can have the option to vote them out of office.

      "Lamberth wrote 'that the government has a compelling interest in investigating the threats against Bachmann and needed the man's identity to determine if the threat was credible. The grand jury should know if Mr. X has a history of threatening political candidates, or has engaged in threatening behavior toward Bachmann or "happens to own a Vietnam-era machete,' Lamberth wrote."

      WHAT!!! Where did this guy go to law school----a fishing expedition to see if some anonymous post on Twitter was written by someone who has something in his past that might be construed to indicate that he might have tendencies---where are we going with this--an Orwellian 1984 "justice" system???!!

      Oh never mind. I see now. Here's the problem.

      Royce C. Lamberth (born July 16, 1943[1]) is a federal judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, serving as its Chief Judge.

      Lamberth was born in 1943 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from the University of Texas and from the University of Texas School of Law, receiving an LL.B. in 1967.

      He was nominated to the federal bench on March 19, 1987 by President Ronald Reagan, and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 13, 1987.

      This judge needs to be kept under constant public scrutiny. The ACLU should involve themselves immediately in this case. Imagine if this judge, and his hidden allies set a precedent for investigating citizens for posting their political opinions online. This is scary stuff that requires an immediate response. Thanks for posting this article.

    • 3 months ago
  • wolfess
    • 0
      wolfess  
    • fiberbundle:

      Thank you! To begin with, any judge that got his degree in the same state the shrub came from is suspect, but when combined with the fact that Looney Ronnie appointed him judge I need no more information to realize this guy has no business presiding over this case, let alone being a judge!
      And you're right -- the ACLU should be all over this!

    • 3 months ago
  • wolfess
    • +3
      wolfess  

    • I seriously resent the idea that since he posted this idiocy online the fuzz are coming after him -- not so many years in the past if someone was threatening a woman with bodily harm the police made a habit of telling her they couldn't do anything until he DID something. While I agree with RevKen that no one should make any kind of threats toward a politician, at this point I think Mr. X needs to do more than he has done before ANY law enforcement should get involved. Let the bride-of-bachmannstein get a body guard.

      Pwr to the liberal Current posters! FREE joeredford!

    • 3 months ago
  • Leen61
  • Leen61
    • +3
      Leen61  

    • For starters, who would want any physical contact with Bachmann under ANY circunstances? The guy should know that once you send anything into cyber space, you are under scrutiny.

    • 3 months ago
  • wolfess
  • MSII
  • wolfess
    • +1
      wolfess  
    • MSII:

      Excellent pix :-)! Wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn that somewhere in this whole mess it was the bride-of-bachmannstein that sicced the cops on this guy in the first place. She just needs to go home and GET A LIFE and then A CLUE!

    • 3 months ago
  • RevKen
    • +2
      RevKen  

    • No one should make threats to a politician, no matter who the politician is. However, if this man is going to be investigated for his foolish remarks why do they not investigate Ms. Bachmann for her threatening comments that she has made in the past?

    • 3 months ago
  • Imzadi
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