CHAMBERLEAKS: US Chamber’s Lobbyists Solicited Firm To Investigate Opponents’ Families, Children

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

CHAMBERLEAKS: US Chamber’s Lobbyists Solicited Firm To Investigate Opponents’ Families, Children

Earlier today, ThinkProgress published an exclusive report http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/10/lobbyists-chamberleaks/ that the law firm representing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a right-wing trade association representing big business, is working with set of “private security” companies and lobbying firms to undermine their political opponents, including ThinkProgress. According to e-mails obtained by ThinkProgress, the Chamber hired the lobbying firm Hunton and Williams. Attorneys for the firm solicited a set of private security firms — HB Gary Federal, Palantir, and Berico Technologies (collectively called Team Themis) — to develop a sabotage campaign against progressive groups and labor unions, including ThinkProgress, the labor coalition Change to Win, SEIU, US Chamber Watch, and StopTheChamber.com.

New emails reveal that the private spy company investigated the families and children of the Chamber’s political opponents. The apparent spearhead of this project was Aaron Barr, an executive at HB Gary. Barr circulated numerous emails and documents detailing information about political opponents’ children, spouses, and personal lives.


Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/10/chamberleaks-target-families/

---

One of the targets was Mike Gehrke, a former staffer with Change to Win. Among the information circulated about Gehrke was the specific “Jewish church” he attended and a link to pictures of his wife and two children (sensitive information was redacted by ThinkProgress):

Another target was Brad Friedman, co-founder of The Brad Blog. Barr’s profile of Freidman included information about his life partner and his home address (sensitive information redacted by ThinkProgress):

more emails:
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/10/chamberleaks-target-families

[underpants]

1. Hunton and Williams (located in Richmond) also hired former Gov's Allen and Gilmore

if I am not mistaken

[Cassandra]

2. A Jewish church...

Oy.

[truthisfreedom]

5. Hahahaha.

Facepalm.

[boppers]

19. Nonono... a "Churchin"

It's yiddish! :P

[Enthusiast]

21. Yeah. nt

[drm604]

3. Karma

These fuckers wanted to discredit people? Now they get to find out what it feels like.

The difference is it's all true instead of the false stuff they wanted to lay on other people. Suck on it assholes.

I apologize for my rancor but this really pisses me off.

[RandomThoughts]

4. Yea that upsets me also.

Also why I only claim the beer and travel money and many experiances due to me.

Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8cDmi7-U8

[runningwaterspr]

6. Brothers Koch: Progressive Smear Campaign

By Kriss Perras Running Waters | In March 2007, this journalist came to know the Progressive community of Websites fell under attack. Sites were being censored across the Web in a coordinated effort to rob Progressives of their right to free speech. Very prominent sites such as Salon.com, UrbanDictionary.com, Raisethefist.com and BushFlash.com were being ruthlessly censored in an effort to impose draconian criminal sanctions. Today, Progressive sites are reporting they are experiencing a smear campaign led by no other than the Koch Brothers and the US Chamber of Commerce: thinkprogress.org, the labor coalition called Change to Win, the SEIU, US Chamber Watch and StopTheChamber.com are among those targeted in a disturbing trend that is becoming all too common. . . Read the full story here (a continuation of the Chamber story with some more background) http://krissperrasrunningwaters.runningwatersproductions.com/blogs/index.php/brothers-koch-progressive-smear-campaign

[defendandprotect]

7. We have to remember that TRUTH is a great danger to the right wing ....

evidently the Dem Party hasn't figured that out yet cause they generally have

little to say to contest rw propaganda!

[savalez]

13. How do you seriously contest ridiculousness?

[defendandprotect]

15. Let's see ...

GOP: "Partial birth abortion"

Dems: "Partial truth abortion"

RW propaganda deserves liberal propaganda in response --


Granted, much propaganda is very difficult to respond to --

"Whites Only" drinking fountains --

Nazi films comparing Jews to "rats scurrying in the gutters" --

Pornography industry which is organized propaganda vs women --

Use of the Bible vs women, homosexuals, Jews --


But much of this stuff still stands -- Bible -- "Hammer of Witches" --

KKK -- Leviticus -- and we have to keep responding.

Democrats as an organization are doing very little responding!

[Enthusiast]

22. Truth is their greatest fear.

That and taxes.

[glinda]

8. I would read that site but it hurts my eyes.

[starroute]

9. At least in Firefox, you can get around that

Go to View > Page Style. Then click "No style." You'll get a page where the layout looks kind of messed up, but the text will be in basic black on white.

Presumably other browsers have something similar, but you'd have to look through the View menu for it.

[glinda]

26. Thanks. I think I will just enlarge it maybe. Bad layouts drive me caraaazeee!

[starroute]

12. The Kochs have employed that same law firm for years

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warmi... /

Koch Industries spent a total of $37.9 million on oil and gas lobbying from January 2006 to December 2009. During this period in the oil and gas sector, Koch Industries was outspent only by ExxonMobil ($87.8 million) and Chevron Corporation ($50 million). . . .

It is worth noting that Koch also hires outside lawyers to lobby on its behalf, in some cases the same firms that lobby for other groups of which Koch is a member. . . .

Hunton and Williams, $60,000 (2009), $150,000 (2008), $80,000 (2007), which also lobbied for National Association of Manufacturers (2009, 2008) and Americans for Affordable Climate Policy (2009), Edison Electric Institute (2009, 2008, 2007), Gas Processing Association (2009, 2008) and the Foundation for Environment and Economic Progress (2009, 2008, 2007).

----------------------

There are more current listings for Hunton and Williams clients at opensecrets.org.
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?year=2010&lname=Hunton+%26+Williams&id=

They got $160,000 from Koch Industries last year for lobbying, and most of their clients seem to be either energy companies or climate change denial groups. Plus US Sugar. And also Axciom -- the data-mining company that did its best to capitalize on 9/11.

[saras]

10. No shooting orders - yet

Be grateful for small blessings

[SharksBreath]

11. It's time to march on DC people.

[Oilwellian]

14. Aaron Barr

The same punk that just got pwned by Anonymous. He's been a very busy boy spying on so many people.

[boppers]

18. Missed your post before I put mine up....

Yeah, same guy, same company, I think these are from the same raid. There's also BofA opposition information in there. Unfortunately for him though, the value of his information has been demonstrated as sloppy and low value, and less useful than what Anonymous can put together in a single mid-morning thread.

[DeSwiss]

16. For what it's worth - K&R

I wish that I could believe that such a revelation would make the slightest amount of difference. That justice would prevail. That the government of the people and by the people would step forward and punish these flagrant lawbreakers who spy upon us so that we may be more easily manipulated and controlled. But I know that it won't make a damned bit of difference. Why? Because we can't fight them with the rules when they make the rules and control those whose job it is to apply them. We're all dancing at the Doomsday Ball.

- And they're playing the same old song.......

[boppers]

17. HB Gary are the ones who fucked with Anonymous.

Anonymous then took over two of their websites, grabbed a bunch of their emails, published them, then took over their phone systems, network storage, etc.... *everything*.

Oh, and their business is.... wait for it... "Security Consulting". :evilgrin:

http://dagblog.com/reader-blogs/hb-gary-federal-anonymous-and-wikileaks-8912

[Enthusiast]

20. This ain't fascism.

Not until they drag us off to extermination camps.

[Ichingcarpenter]

23. U.S. CHAMBER'S THUGS TARGETED ME & MY FAMILY, NOW BRAD BLOG IS DOWN

The link is here :http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x393202

[Qutzupalotl]

24. Outrageous.

K&R

[bobthedrummer]

25. K&R#54 n/t