Free Republic is an Internet forum for conservatives. Usually, this group participates in legitimate activities. Sometimes though, some members will participate in acts of stalking, menacing, harassment, and fraud against people they disagree with.
Julie Hiatt Steele
- In 1999, Julie Hiatt Steele was taking credit-card donations to help pay her legal bills after being charged with obstruction by Ken Starr. When freepers heard of this, they decided to flood her site with illegal fake donations, this was at a cost of around $4,000 for her. (1)
Bar employee in Austin, Texas
- In 2001, members of Free Republic were found to be planning to go to war against a bar employee who called the police when she found that Jenna Bush presented her with what was clearly a fake ID. (1)
- Items posted included her address, date of birth, driver's license number, physical description - and information about her infant child. (1)
- Members of Free Republic suggested to use the information for identity theft, running up massive debts in her name, constant surveillance, to "make this chick paranoid," "go to the bar and pour drinks on her," "pour acid all over the bar," "phone police repeatedly to make phony reports of suspicious activities at her home," and to "set the place on fire while fully occupied." (1)
Tom Connolly
- Connolly sent a fax of George W. Bush's DUI conviction to the media, in retaliation, members of Free Republic sent him magazine subscriptions and other things. One even said that "it might be in order to wipe the smile off of this clown's face." (10)
Andy Stephenson
- In 2005, voting rights activist Andy Stephenson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He needed $50,000 so he could receive a lifesaving operation. Friends and allies were able to do this, quickly raising the cash he needed. (2)
- A conservative backlash came soon after, it is not known if Free Republic was the source of it all, but it was one of the war rooms where they launched their campaign against Mr. Stephenson. Specifically, the backlash was to go around and claim that Stephenson was not really sick and that he was participating in fraudulent activities. (2)
- The service Stephenson used to collect the money listened to these allegations and didn't know what to do, they had locked his account, denying him the operation when he needed it.
- On July 7, 2005, Stephenson died from complications related to the surgery and the cancer. (3)
Graeme Frost
- In October of 2007, members of Free Republic had posted information about Graeme Frost, the little boy who had given the rebuttal to one of Bush's radio addresses. (4)(5)(6)(7)
- Information included addresses, maps, photos, information about the house the Frost family lived in, and what school the Frost children went to. (4)(5)(6)(7)
Other
Activities of Chad Castagana
- While not a campaign by members of Free Republic, but rather the actions of one man, Chad Castagana, who was a member of the group, was found to be sending fake anthrax letters to leaders of the Democratic Party and to members of the media. (8)
(1) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2003/01/30/frpng.DTL
(2) http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=4422
(3) http://www.seattleweekly.com/2005-07-06/news/cancerous-campaign.php
(4) http://www.seattleweekly.com/2005-07-13/news/a-fight-to-the-end.php
(5) http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:VeihKUVyNh0J:www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1908585/posts%3Fpage%3D107
(6) http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:VrhPOiKV0TAJ:www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907687/posts+%22
(7) http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:fP_9Qc_xGG0J:www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1908332/posts%3Fpage%3D194
(8) http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:v9I2z9hdjowJ:www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1908585/posts%3Fpage%3D84
(9) http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Fake_anthrax_hoax_by_conservative_blogger_1113.html
(10) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1043705/posts
Categories: Right Wing and the Bizarre, Internet
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