Thursday, October 03, 2013

Is the Alaska Dispatch Chasing Joe Miller Into the Men's Bathroom

I will never forget when I saw Alaska Dispatch reporter Tony Hopfinger chasing Joe Miller down the hallway after a town hall held by U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller.

That was the day Tony cried "I have a First Amendment right" after being handcuffed by an informant for the FBI because Tony shoved a person into lockers that lined the hallway.

I didn't know the First Amendment covered Tony pushing someone into lockers.

The other issue I didn't know at the time was; according to the FBI informant, Tony evidently followed Joe Miller into the men's bathroom - I'm sure exercising his First Amendment right to get a story from Joe Miller while Joe used the men's bathroom.

Now it seems Tony has pulled an Andrew Halcro - the Larry Bird of journalism

Evidently, Tony stated on the August 12, 2013 Dave Stieren show “Our feelings were those depositions, being videotaped and everything, we felt it might be used when he would run for office in the future, sort of snippets from them in his commercials and things….”

It seems John McKay the attorney for the Alaska Dispatch, his filing with the FEC does not fit with what was stated publicly by Hopfinger.

There is an irony in that the Alaska Dispatch is supposed to represent the First Amendment while hiring an attorney who threatened Joe Miller for publishing an article that I posted to my website.

When the Alaska Dispatch hires an attorney attacking my headline and threatening Joe Miller with a bar complaint for publishing my article, it has the feel of being a political bully.

Point blank - I don't care much for bullies - especially when they attack my First Amendment rights via proxy and I have to question if Tony is chasing Joe Miller into the men's bathroom to get a story - again.

Update: Evidently the Alaska Dispatch has sent a letter to Joe Miller threatening to sue Joe for copyright infringement. A picture/s taken of Russ Millette by the the Alaska Dispatch was/were used in an article/s posted on Joe's website.

I suppose the photo/s in question are these taken by the staff photographer at the ADLLC:





To summarize the actions of the Alaska Dispatch - Their attorney threatened Joe Miller with a bar complaint when he published an article on his website that is property of this website and permission was given Joe to publish the article. The Alaska Dispatch is arguing that Joe should not be able to pay for attorney fees from monies  associated with his senate campaign. And they threaten Joe with copyright infringement for the fair use of photos published on-line.

So much for freedom of speech - that Tony was crying about.



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