Jan6: The American Gulag

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Corrupt FBI caught pushing its disinfo manipulation via Twitter.


'Walk Away' Founder Brandon Straka Sues MSNBC Hosts For Defamation
Over False Statements

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23466304-straka-v-msnbc

Two MSNBC hosts have been sued for making false statements about a man
who pleaded guilty and was sentenced for taking part in the events of
Jan. 6, 2021.
Brandon Straka, founder of the #WalkAway Campaign, speaks at the CPAC
convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 28, 2020. (Samira
Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Chris Hayes and Ari Melber, the hosts, committed defamation when they
made the statements on-air, Brandon Straka says in the new complaint.

Straka, a Democrat-turned-Republican, pleaded guilty to disorderly
conduct. In exchange, a slew of other charges were dropped, including
impeding a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder.

Hayes, on his MSNBC show on Dec. 17, 2021, claimed that many people
associated with former President Donald Trump “appear to have been
smart enough not to commit the Federal crime of storming the Capitol
live on television.”

“Brandon Straka is the exception,” Hayes said.

Hayes also quoted Straka as saying during the tumult at the Capitol,
“Take it away from him. Take the shield!” And Hayes also claimed that
Straka had broken into the Capitol.

The statements are false because Straka did not commit the federal
crime of storming the Capitol, did not utter the supposed quotation,
and never entered the Capitol building, the new defamation complaint
states.

The evidence to support the case includes a statement of offense from
an FBI agent, which says clearly states that Straka was on Capitol
grounds but did not enter the Capitol. The plea agreement also says
Straka was on Capitol grounds but does not say he went inside the
building.

“Comparing the Hayes Statements to the truth, it is beyond
peradventure that the Statements are materially false,” Straka’s
complaint states.

The documents do say that Straka uttered “take it, take it,” but not
the full quote attributed to him by Hayes.

Melber, meanwhile, talked about Straka during a segment of “The Beat
with Ari Melber” on Oct. 19.

Melber, during an interview, with Straka’s image on screen, said that
Straka “was convicted in connection with the January 6 insurrection”
and “was found to have been trying to help attack police officers.”

According to the plea agreement, Straka recorded people trying to take
a U.S. Capitol Police officer’s shield but did not participate in the
action. The agreement was for a guilty plea for a single charge,
disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds.

Melber also claimed: “His name is Brandon Straka. He confessed. He
confessed to being guilty. He was found to [have been] helping attack
police.”

“The Melber Statements are materially false because Straka did not
confess and was not found by any Court to have helped attack police
officers or to have attempted an attack on any police officer,” the
new complaint states. “Indeed, the public record, reviewed by MSNBC
and Melber prior to publication, demonstrates beyond cavil that Straka
did not engage in any acts of violence or encourage anyone to commit
violence on January 6, 2021. Rather, he was filming events outside the
east side of the Capitol in a journalistic capacity.”
Damages

The false statements caused damages to Straka, his lawyers said,
referencing the recent verdicts against InfoWars founder Alex Jones.

“As was true in the Alex Jones cases MSNBC, Hayes and Melber’s actions
caused Straka to be inundated with threats and subject to intense
harassment and hate messages,” they said. “Invitations to appear on
television and podcasts and to participate in events went cold due to
the toxicity of Defendants’ false Statements. Straka suffered insult,
embarrassment, humiliation, mental anguish, injury to his reputation,
loss of income and career damage.”

Melber’s statements were made during an interview with Matt Schlapp,
the chair of the Conservative Political Action Conference, an annual
event where Straka has spoken a number of times. Melber “intentionally
poisoned the opinion of an important and powerful colleague of
Straka,” the complaint states, adding later that “MSNBC and Melber
deliberately attempted to end Brandon’s career and destroy Brandon’s
relationships with high-profile political figures.”

The statements were also made to millions of followers on Twitter, and
to more people on YouTube, the complaint notes.

Read more here...