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Free Republic Network - A 501C Corp behind latest attack on AARP

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DoYouEverWonder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:37 AM
Original message
Free Republic Network - A 501C Corp behind latest attack on AARP
Free Republic Network is a subgroup of Free Republic. The members of this group include Jeff Gannon, Harry MacDougald aka Buckhead, Joe Corsi and many other 'famous' freepers. This is where the majority of smear campaigns have been hatched in the last few year. This crew specializes in attacking prominent Dems who are running for office. They've attacked Kerry, Cleland, Daschle, Dean and now they are going after that 'liberal' group AARP.

http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/






Financial Disclosure

Form 1024 - http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/form1024.php
IRS Recognition Letter - http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/irs_accept.php
Form 990 for 2003 - http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/form990.php?2003
Form 990 for 2002 - http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/form990.php?2002
Form 990 for 2001 - http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/form990.php?2001


http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/frnpage.php?page=contact



FRN was incorporated has a 501C Corporation on 08/31/01. 501C Corporation have strict rules regarding their participation in anything political.

On Form 1024, page 7, item #15 asks - Has the organization spent or does it plan to spend any money attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any person to any Federal, state, or local public office or to an office in a political organization. FRN answered the question - no.

Yet, in reality the attempt to influence the entire political process is all these people are about.

If someone could help me get this info to the lawyers at AARP and to anyone else you could use it, I am really appreciate it. Thanks, got to go.


Here's a good article with lots of info about this crew:

http://swiftvets.eriposte.com/behindsbv.htm


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rodeodance Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:41 AM
Response to Original message
1. its the 'official' name for the slimy swity boaters.
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FreedomAngel82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:13 PM
Response to Reply #1
21. And here they
said they weren't going to be involved in politics. :eyes: Doy. Flipfloppers eh? Is there any dirt to dig up on these people and get them before they can do any more damage? It's the only game they seem to know how to play.
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OKNancy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:50 AM
Response to Original message
2. They have legal services listed on their website
and a hotline number listed on their website. You may get the run-around on the hotline, but it's a start.
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JPZenger Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:58 AM
Response to Original message
3. 501.C(4)
Just to clarify, the form says they were approved as a 501.c(4) organization, which is intended for civic organizations. Their website says that contributions are not tax exempt.
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The Backlash Cometh Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:06 AM
Response to Reply #3
5. Just to be clear, is this one of those not for profit organizations?
Which also have to be divorced of political shenanigans?
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DoYouEverWonder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:17 AM
Response to Reply #3
6. A civic organization is the Girl Scouts
certainly not FRN.

Besides FRN lied in their statement of activities and operational info on page 3 and they lied in their answers to other questions.
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hedda_foil Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:46 AM
Response to Reply #3
9. 501c4's are also for organizations that influence the political process.
It's the right category for them. C4's are nonprofit, tax-emempt organizations but donations aren't tax deductible. The overall category is a tad schizophrenic because it goes from knitting clubs, hockey teams and civic organizations to hard core political lobbying organizations.
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DoYouEverWonder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 10:06 AM
Response to Reply #9
11. But they clearly state on their application
that they will not try to influence the political process.

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Toots Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 11:42 AM
Response to Reply #11
15. No they don't really
On Form 1024, page 7, item #15 asks - Has the organization spent or does it plan to spend any money attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any person to any Federal, state, or local public office or to an office in a political organization. FRN answered the question - no.

It would appear they said they don't try and influence the election of any person. Social security is not a person. They can get around this rule by only going after the issues and never mentioning any names. I would hope the Democrats have similar groups as this. Maybe Moveon or some such similar group. I would be willing to bet my entire life's paycheck that there is illegal activity going on with FRN though. We just need to uncover it and somehow get the proper agancy in this corrupt government to look into it. There is no agency now willing to investigate anything that may be harmful to republicans.
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DoYouEverWonder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 12:05 PM
Response to Reply #15
18. The AARP attack is just one of many attack campaigns launched by this crew
Edited on Wed Feb-23-05 12:05 PM by DoYouEverWonder
they also created and host www.wintersoldier.com and Joe Corsi, of the now famous for the SBVT, started that campaign with the help and support of FRN, of which he is an active member. What AARP has to do with Swift Boat Vets and/or Vietnam, who knows?

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FreedomAngel82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:16 PM
Response to Reply #11
22. LOL
They obviously aren't going by their own rules then.
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blondeatlast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 08:59 AM
Response to Original message
4. Important stuff; you're on the "Greatest" page.
I've gotta go to work now but can't wait to see how this develops.
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KittyWampus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:25 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. Yes Indeed
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burythehatchet Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:42 AM
Response to Original message
8. ...and Ayatollah Robertson and Falwell are also non-profits
maybe someone can find a way to get some traction in kicking these filthy pigs out into the tax-paying world.
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grumpy old fart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 09:49 AM
Response to Reply #8
10. Yep, the best method is to "follow the money"...and "take the money"
It's how you get at these folks. This time I agree with Bush, let's dry up the terrorist funding. Let's start with these bogus non-profits, the Talibush mullahs.
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No Exit Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 10:52 AM
Response to Original message
12. Republicans: The anti-veteran party
Thank you for providing these details. The first step is to "know thine enemy". And these people are clearly enemies of our country.
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mistertrickster Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 11:22 AM
Response to Original message
13. I guess that explains why I got tombstoned at FR about five minutes
Edited on Wed Feb-23-05 11:25 AM by mistertrickster
after I posted that Gannon apparently worked as a male prostitute. Who knew he was RimJob's COLLEAGUE!?!

On edit--just think of all the real FReeps who ask an innoncent question about Guckert's past (and present). BAMM! They're outta there. That's gotta hurt the numbers over at our least favorite website, hehe.
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OneMoreDemocrat Donating Member (548 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 11:32 AM
Response to Original message
14. We need to create the "Democratic Underground Network"......
Imagine the stuff that the creative minds (once put together and aimed in one direction) here could come up with.

We could be the beginning of the real revolution.
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FreedomAngel82 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:21 PM
Response to Reply #14
23. I'm surprised there isn't
something like that already. It could be a good idea.
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Vincardog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:27 PM
Response to Reply #23
24. Why don;t we? We need our own 501C4
PM me
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starroute Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 11:49 AM
Response to Original message
16. Where does mensnewsdaily fit in?
When I tried Googling on their executive director, Robert Hahn, the very first link that came up was to a Jeff Gannon (!) story from November 2003 at http://www.mensnewsdaily.com/archive/newswire/nw03/talonnews/1103/111803-rockefeller.htm whish was about Free Republic Foundation going after Jay Rockefeller's head.

(Amazing that it hasn't gotten scrubbed yet!)

The Free Republic Network launched a website on Monday that will focus on the scandal surrounding the Senate Intelligence Committee memo which detailed a Democrat plan to use classified information to defeat President Bush in 2004.

The website, www.intelmemo.com, will provide news, analysis, and research material about the memo written by a staffer for Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). The memo scandal was first revealed by nationally syndicated radio talk show host Sean Hannity.
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starroute Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 12:02 PM
Response to Original message
17. Free Republic Network officers and their Freep handles
Edited on Wed Feb-23-05 12:08 PM by starroute
I'm finding this stuff by Googling -- it may or may not be useful, but I thought I'd pass it on.

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=42184&Disp=0

Next I moved over to the Free Republic Networks web site. On that site you can see the FRN's IRS 990 form. It is a public document and it must list the officers real life names. Again, it is perfectly legal (and probably moral if you give money or go on a cruise) to check these names out.

FRNs officers are Robert Hahn aka, Nick Danger, nope. Robert Johnson aka, Bob J, nope. Gene McDonald aka, Seeking the Truth (and owner of 0cents.com which sells Freep merchandise), nada. Jefferey Taylor aka Skeet (I believe but could be wrong) can't find him. Elizabeth Sheld aka, Diotima, zip. Scott Swett aka Interesting Times, zero.

I also checked on 2 former officers of FRN, Kenda Spaulding aka MsAntiFeminazi, nada. And Joesph Phillips aka Badjoe, zero. And the DC chapter Kristinn Taylor, none.


http://www.clownposse.org/forum/reviews.asp?review_id=13

The hired help employed by the Swift Vets committee is thoroughly partisan, too. Aside from Spaeth and Thomas Rupprath, the private detective she recommended to provide research services, the group's IRS filing names several experienced Washington political operatives. The June 30 filing shows payments to Robert A. Hahn, a right-wing Internet activist and Web designer who also runs something called the Free Republic Network (apparently an affiliate of the extremist Free Republic Web site); and to Tom Wyld, a Navy veteran and former director of public relations for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association.

<snip>

I'll let Nick Danger answer that.

104 posted on 08/06/2004 9:55:29 AM PDT by diotima
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1186258/posts?page=104#104

That was the post where she intimated that Nick Danger was Robert Hahn (later amplified and confirmed by Nick Danger at #128 and Bob J at #141).

Coincidence?

For the record, though I know she's not wildly popular here, I've got no personal beef with dio. She has always been straight with me (though her loose cannon bf Bob J proved her to be incorrect about his FRN promotion at the Reagan Repose, about which he lied).


On edit: See also the discussion about something called Hurricane Electric at http://68.166.163.242/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=63435&Disp=Refresh&

It seems as though the Free Republic Network has been controversion even on the Right and they've been chatting about it amongst themselves for a while. There may be useful stuff to be found out.
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starroute Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 12:20 PM
Response to Reply #17
19. And add this as well
From the Google cache, since the original is no longer available:

http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:f4Vc7fMlM3sJ:www.quatloos.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php%3Fp%3D9223%26sid%3D04233f5393bc2398c58b14c609859611+%22Robert+Hahn%22+%22free+republic&hl=en

Lest we forget Scott Swett (Interesting Times) Robert Hahn (Nick Danger) Bob Johnson (Bob J, Conniesaliar) and Elizabeth Sheld (Diotima, Demedici) have a long history of spreading libels about people--and not just at FR but other sites, such as LP:

<snip>

Well, of course no examination of Elizabeth Sheld would be complete without a thorough review of her USENET posts, on which she discusses everything from the proper use of the morning after pill, to her ruddy complexion, to her pear-shaped figure, and C-cup breasts:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%22liz%20sheld%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=ig


Then lots more chatter about "Boob J and his ass clowns" and people being banned from FreeRepbulic and references to the clownposse site I quoted from above.

I'm not sure I want to be the one to sift through all of this looking for gold nuggets, but it would probably repay someone's attention.

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Oreo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #17
25. Hurricane Electric is an ISP
http://he.net/

It looks like it's just the ISP that some swiftboat liars page was based on. I don't see any issue. The company is based in CA
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Mr_Spock Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Feb-23-05 01:11 PM
Response to Original message
20. Free (to be gay) Republic Network
Biggest bunch of hypocrites on the planet. I guess a caged animal is a dangerous thing...
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