ABC News Producer Arrested Following Money Trail

"You're lucky I didn't knock the f..k out of you."
--Police officer overheard saying to ABC's Asa Eslocker in Denver

Fred Baron Being Shadowed in Denver by ABC?



UPDATES and additions to this story at DBKP.com: ABC News Producer Roughed Up, Arrested by Cops Following Money Trail.

ABC News is trying hard to escape the MSM's sleepwalking mode on the John Edwards' Scandal.

Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer, Asa Eslocker, as he and cameramen were attempting to videotape lobbyists and big donors--including from one report, Fred Baron--leaving a get-together at the Brown Palace Hotel today in Denver.

A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker's neck, then twisted the producers arm behind him to put on handcuffs.

...

Eslocker and his ABC News colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

[Background information: access over 100 DBKP stories on the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair, scandal and cover-up: John Edwards Love Child Scandal Library.]





ABC has apparently been shadowing Baron, among others, this week in Denver at the Democrat National Convention.

Baron brushed them off Tuesday.

Fred Baron, a wealthy Texas trial lawyer and former finance chairman for Edwards' presidential campaign, was seen Tuesday at a private luncheon for top party donors and key senators.

Baron, a longtime major contributor to Democratic candidates, would not answer questions from ABC News and walked away when he saw cameras.

The exclusive lunch was organized by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for its highest level donor group known at the Legacy Circle. It was one a series of VIP events Baron and other top donors have received throughout the convention from party officials, and which allow donors close access to members of Congress.

Today, it would seem ABC got too far down the trial lawyer money trail that is winding its way through Denver and Eslocker was arrested.

Trial lawyers are the Democrat Party's biggest group of contributors; collectively, the ATLA (American Trial Lawyers Association) flex their monetary muscle whenever there's a Congressman or Senator favoring tort reform, by pouring money in opponents' campaign coffers--most usually that opponent comes from the Democrat Party.

"Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit."

ABC News began running down the John Edwards money trail weeks ago; when ABC Producer, Brian Ross, confronted Edwards with what they had learned about the money trail to mistress, Rielle Hunter, that Edwards agreed to go on Nightline on August 8.

Whether its a trial lawyer TV ad begging viewers to remember if someone has ever wronged them or ABC News after trial lawyers and who their donations might benefit, the old saying still applies:

Follow the money.


by Mondoreb
images: dbkp file; abc news

John Edwards Affair: Rielle Hunter's Family Wants Edwards Paternity Test

Edwards Casts Aspersions at More than the Enquirer during ABC Interview



John Edwards has now officially been put on notice.

The family of Rielle Hunter wants Edwards to put up or shut up.

UPDATES to follow at the end of story, throughout August 9, 2008.
UPDATE #1 - 1345 EDT August 9 2008 - Class Action?
UPDATE #2 - pending



After a televised interview with the ex-presidential candidate painted everyone, including his unnamed mistress Rielle Hunter as somehow sinister. Edwards, caught leaving the Beverly Hilton after a meeting with the Enquirer's reporters on July 22 also took shots at unnamed "supermarket tabloids."

The Enquirer published it's response to Edwards by labeling his interview a "confession". [JOHN EDWARDS ADMITS AFFAIR!]

As far as being the father of Hunter's love child, you might as well go all the way now, Johnny Boy.

Submit to a DNA test.

NOW, ABC News is reporting that the Mistress' Family Challenges Edwards to Take DNA Test.

Hunter's sister, Melissa, has been reported by ABC News in an Enquirer-type sub-headline as saying, "'Stop Bad-Mouthing My Sister'".

ABC also quoted Hunter's sister as saying, "Somebody must stand up and defend my sister," she said. "I wish that those involved would refrain from bad-mouthing my sister,"--not naming Edwards, in the same way he avoided naming Rielle Hunter in his ABC appearance.

"Ironically, now, its John Edwards who's the one making allegations," wrote one reader, "without offering any more proof than his word--and he's shown how much we can all trust that."


UPDATE #1: 1345 EDT Class Action against Edwards?

Ted Frank at Overlawyered wonders, "Where's a trial lawyer when you need one?" [Yes, I’m being facetious]:

Where’s the trial lawyer bringing a class action on behalf of all of the people who were defrauded when they gave money to John Edwards’s presidential campaign? It’s certainly a much more plausible claim of causation, reliance, and financial injury than the typical class action.

If Frank were the prosecutor in the court of public opinion, Edwards' interview would get 30 days in the electric chair.

"Alas, ABC didn’t ask the right follow-up questions, such as how Edwards thought meeting Hunter in a hotel room would help keep the story quiet."

Frank has other penetrating questions for Edwards. We'll let him present them.

UPDATE #2 - at DBKP.com John Edwards Scandal: Sister Asks Edwards to Stop Bad-mouthing Rielle Hunter - UPDATED

by Mondoreb

ABC News Tattles On Hillary Clinton

ABC reporter: Mom! Mom! Hillary's set up two attack sites to get Obama!

Mom: Oh honey, not that Hillary business again. Can't you see I'm busy.

ABC reporter: But Mom, she put up two web sites, not one, but two!

Mom: Obama can take of himself.

ABC reporter: But Mom, she's being mean to Obama.

Mom: Now honey, Obama's fine. This is politics dear.

ABC reporter: But they're "attack" sites.

Mom: Well what do they say?

ABC reporter: Well, well, nothing yet. But she's gonna say it, Mom. We just know it!

Mom: How do you know this?

ABC reporter: Cause she's always mean to Obama. Didn't you hear her? We know you heard her.

Mom: Now dear, Obama can take care of himself, after all, this is politics.

ABC reporter: Mom, you never listen.

ABC News has learned that the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has registered the names of two Web sites with the express goal of attacking her chief rival, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

It's the first time this election cycle a presidential campaign has launched a Web site with the express purpose of of launching serious criticisms on a rival. Votingpresent.com and Votingpresent.org are domains hosted by the same IP address as official Clinton Web sites, such TheHillaryIKnow.com, which was launched with much fanfare this week. The Clinton campaign intends to use these new Web sites to paint Obama as cowardly.

Votingpresent.com and Votingpresent.org are domains hosted by the same IP address as official Clinton Web sites, such TheHillaryIKnow.com, which was launched with much fanfare this week.

According to ABC news Hillary has set up two websites with the intent to "attack" Obama. Even though, according to the same story, neither sites contain any material. So, in essence, without any content, the web sites have been deemed "attack" sites.

This story verges on "tattletalism."

The question could be raised: will the public begin to feel sorry for Hillary because of these types of "tattle tales" which are obviously written to with the intent to inflame.

What's the story here: Hillary has two blank websites.

The reporter maintains that Hillary's specific intent for these two websites is to "attack" Obama. When the eventual content is revealed the question of what constitutes an "attack" will then be able to be addressed.

Lately the word, "attack," has been used as a catch-all. Persons running for office should be able to criticize their opponents record. The blogosphere has become an essential tool for candidates to get their message out, and yes, to criticize their opponents. If an opponent cannot take the slings and arrows of their fellow candidates how well will they handle the job if elected?

This story is based on "intent" based on supposition. In the end, we're left wondering just what the "intent" of this story was.


By LBG
Image [Special Images]



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