Tampa Archives - Dr. Rich Swier

Tag Archive for: Tampa

Biden’s Handlers set to Deny School Lunch Funding to Christian School that Refuses to Obey LGBT Mandates

August 7, 2022/in Education, Elections, Hot Topics, Must Read, News, Policy, Politics, Science, Social Issues/by Jihad Watch

The pontifex maximus enforces his new state religion.

Dems Poised To Pull Free Lunches From Christian School That Refuses to Obey LGBT Mandates

by Elizabeth Troutman, Washington Free Beacon, August 4, 2022:

The Biden administration is poised to deny free school lunch funding from a Florida Christian school that refuses to comply with the administration’s LGBT mandates, despite the school’s qualification for a religious exemption.

Grant Park Christian Academy in Tampa, Fla., represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, is suing President Joe Biden and Florida agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried for enforcing the Biden administration requirement that schools comply with its LGBT mandates or lose federal school lunch funding.

In May, the Biden administration redefined the meaning of “sex” in Title IX to include sexual orientation and gender identity, forcing schools to permit transgender students to use male or female bathrooms and play sports with either sex in order to receive National School Lunch Program funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than half of state attorneys general rejected the memorandum, with Florida attorney general Ashley Moody saying the Biden administration was “using hungry children to advance a political agenda,” the Washington Free Beacon reported….

AUTHOR

ROBERT SPENCER

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Inside Mosques: Arlington, Texas and Tampa, Florida

November 16, 2019/in National Security, News, Policy, Politics, Religion, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by Jihad Watch

INSIDE MOSQUES

INVESTIGATING AND EVALUATING THREAT LEVELS

INTRODUCTION:

Dave Gaubatz is a former U.S. Federal Agent with Top Secret/SCI clearance, expert in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism on national security issues, highly trained in Islamic ideology and tactics, Arab linguist, author of Muslim Mafia, has investigated over 300 mosques/Islamic Centers in the USA and 150 outside USA, and after leaving his position in the government continued this work as a Civilian Agent. Using firsthand investigation, he then evaluates Risk/Threat Levels based on multiple factors including Materials on Premises and What They Advocate, Ties to Muslim Terrorists, and Sharia Adherence. Mr. Gaubatz estimates that 80% of mosques in America recruit and train in jihad (violent & civilization). Finally, he makes Recommendations to protect America, our citizens, our children. He asks about each mosque: Would ISIS be proud?

NOTE: Several Reports/Affidavits will be published. When you read one from earlier dates, note that Dave Gaubatz issued Risk/Danger warnings ahead, but in some cases, violence occurred later from a member of one of those reported mosques (ex: Trolley Square, Salt Lake City, Utah shooting; child abuse Nashville, TN). When you read a report that came after an attack (Ex: Report 2017, Boston Marathon Bombing by the Tsarnaev brothers in 2013), note that violence had already occurred, Mr. Gaubatz reported continued Risk/Danger years later from the same mosques terrorists had attended. Reading professionally investigated and evaluated Reports/Affidavits from various years is important so the American public is aware of new or continuing Risk/Danger and can demand protection from all levels of government officials and law enforcement that they are sworn to provide.

Significant Incident Report #3 (SIR)

Location: Arlington, TX (TX17) and Tampa Florida

Date of Significant Incident: 28 Dec 2007 — 17 Jan 2008

Synopsis: During the above period Field Researcher (FR) met with four Imams from TX#17. FR spent several days with the Imams to include some in Arlington, TX, Austin, TX, and Tampa, FL. In addition FR had numerous telephone conversations with the Imams. FR also had the opportunity to meet with many worshippers and Imams from the areas they traveled to.

FR opines based on the below information and his continuous interaction with the Imams that he considers them to be dangerous. Since they are leading Islamic scholars and many worshippers follow the advice they are given, it is likely the worshippers will follow the violent Wahhabi ideology of the Imams.

Listed below are some of the significant events during this time period:

There are four Imams at TX#17. Jordan and Palestine.
“Osama” Imam from Jordan, informed FR he should not accept any gifts from Shia, Christian, or Jewish people because it is haram.
Osama said it is normally haram (illegal) to commit suicide bombings like it is being done in Iraq, but the /Iraqi situation is a gray area. The Iraqi people are being killed, and it is justified to explode yourself, because you are defending yourself.
Imam Mohammad Shakib and Shaykh Hassan are the primary fundraisers for TX17.
Imam Shakib subsequently introduced an administrative assistant at TX17. The man had a long beard and is from Jordan (according to both the imam and the man)
The Jordanian (Imam in Texas) told FR he is originally from Jordan and he had a very close relationship with Tarik Aziz (close friend of Saddam Hussein and former Deputy Prime Minister from 1979 — 2003). The Jordanian further informed FR that Tarik Aziz (before 2003) would often travel to Jordan from Iraq. When Aziz would come to Jordan he would always visit him at his home. FR opines it is likely the Jordanian had other ties to senior Baath Party members.
FR advised the Imams collected money from many worshippers in Arlington, TX, Austin, TX, and Tampa, FL. Most of the time the money was provided in cash. The worshippers would not provide checks, but subsequently Shaykh Mohammad would tell them he knows “Ghassan” and has his contact information.
FR was invited to the homes of the Imams, travel to Austin, TX, and for a 3 day visit in Tampa, FL. The purpose of the trip was for fundraising for the mosque, but FR opines based on his discussions with the Imams that money was being used for other purposes. The Imams themselves would argue amongst themselves.
A Florida Imam (Ibriham Aboamer, from Egypt) was observed by FR as having a book, “Down to the United States.” He also had a collection of Siraj Wahhaj CDs. When the Imam saw FR looking at the book, he hid it in his desk drawer.
A man “named” Ghassan who is from Jordan or Palestine, was mentioned by the Imams. They advised he is either wanted or been questioned by the FBI for terrorism related charges. The Imams were evasive about Ghassan. They did state Ghassan had traveled from mosque to mosque in various states hiding from authorities. He had been an Imam in Chicago, IL.

Director Gaubatz comments: Concur with reporting to law enforcement. The individuals mentioned above are highly likely to be involved in supporting terrorist organizations and it is probable they are linked to additional “sleeper cell” activity.

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Tampa’s Al Qassam Mosque on Muslim who stabbed Jews: ‘May Allah shower him with mercy’

December 24, 2015/in National Security, Policy, Politics, Religion/by Alan Kornman

Read what the email the Al Qassam Mosque sent honoring a Palestinian terrorist killed by Israeli forces committing a stabbing attack on Jews in Jerusalem. See corroborating story below with pictures.

This is a great example of the duality of Islam. We have the Imam of the al-Qassam Mosque denouncing terrorism pubicly. Yet when these same Muslims think no one is looking they honor those who are committing the violence in terrorism “May Allah shower him with mercy” the Tampa Mosque leaders write below.

Hassan Shibly of CAIR is connected to this Mosque who hosted the North American Imam Federation.

Connect the dots and you have a wide net of Muslim Americans who support those who honor Palestinian Jihadis murdering Jews in Israel.

EMAIL FROM AL QASSAM MOSQUE TO ITS MEMBERS:

From:
Date: Wed, Dec 23, 2015 at 1:18 PM
Subject: [Tampa-Muslims**مسلمي-تامبا] Azaa Tonight at ICT Masjid Al-Qassam 8pm
To:

استشهد الأخ عنان محمدابو حبسة
العزاء الليلة بعد الساعة
الثامنة مساءً في مسجد القسام لمدة يوم واحد فقط والشهيد قريب الإخوة فرج ابو ناصر وعماد ونضال وزياد عبد المحسن زغلول
نسأل الله أن يتغمده بواسع رحمته وعظيم مغفرته وأن يلهم ذويه جميل الصبر وحسن العزاء
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون ولا حول ولا قوة الا بالله العلي العظيم

Br. Anan Mohammad Abu Habsa was shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces in Palestine.
Azza at ICT Masjid Al-Qassam tonight after 8pm for one night
He is the cousin of BRS. Faraj, Emad, Nidal and Ziad Hasan
May Allah shower him with His mercy~ Ameen.
May Allah grant patience to his family during these difficult times.
ICT Masjid Al-Qassam 5910 E. 130th Ave Tampa, FL 33617

RELATED ARTICLE:

Two Palestinians And Two Israelis Killed In Jerusalem
Wednesday December 23, 2015 20:53 by IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli sources have reported, Wednesday, that the police killed two Palestinians after carrying out a stabbing attack in Jerusalem, and that one Israeli died of stab wounds, and the other was accidentally shot and killed by the Police.

The incident took place in Bab al-‘Amoud area; the Israeli police said policewomen opened fire on the Palestinians, accidentally wounding an Israeli, who died of his wounds.

Palestinian sources later said the two slain Palestinians have been identified as Issa Assaf, 21, and Anan Abu Habsa, 20, from the Qalandia refugee camp. Both are former detainees who were held by Israel.

The Israel army and police closed the entire area, including the Old City, while dozens of additional officers and soldiers were deployed.

Israeli daily Haaretz has reported that the man who was accidentally killed by the police has been identified as Ofer Ben-Ari, 46, the second was identified as Mordechai Birmacher.

Below is my November 17, 2015 column exposing the terrorist ties of the Al Qassam Mosque.

Tampa, Florida Terrorist Supporting Al Qassam Mosque

Muslim terrorist Dr. Abdul Mawgoud Dardery was invited to speak on November 11 and 13, 2015 at the Al-Qassam Mosque – Islamic Community of Tampa (ICT), 5910 E. 130th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33617, 813-985-9433.

Dr. Dardery is the foreign relations committee spokesman for the Egyptian Revolutionary Council (ERC). The ERC according to their website exists to overthrow the current Egyptian government and replace it with Egypt’s past president Mohammad Morsi, a self declared Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Dr. Dardery is an exiled Muslim Brotherhood Shura Council member and Egyptian Parliamentarian with a history of open support for Hamas, a US designated foreign terrorist organization.

Dr. Dardery is a ‘terrorist’ because the ERC is an arm of The Muslim Brotherhood which was designated a terrorist organization by Egypt, Bahrain, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

Al Qassam Mosque Born Out of Hate And Intolerance

The infamous convicted Florida terrorist Dr. Sami Al-Arian in his Hamas funding trial USA v. Al-Arian,03-CR-77, “Exhibit A” said the ICT-Al Qassam Mosque was named after Izzedin al-Qassam. Izzedin al-Qassam was so loved by Muslim terrorists he was the inspiration for the Islamic Jihad movement, says Palestinian scholar Ziad Abu Amr.

The ICT-Al Qassam Mosque was incorporated by convicted terrorist Sami Al-Arian in 1992. Federal investigators say that, at the time, Al-Arian was the North American leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In this video clip Sami Al-Arian openly says,”…Jihad is our path, victory to Islam, Death to Israel…”

Sami Al-Arian doubled down on his hate speech calling Jews “monkeys and pigs” and warned against recent peace efforts aimed at ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, at a 1991 Islamic Committee for Palestine Conference in Chicago, IL, Steve Emerson reports.

To date no member of the Al-Qassam Mosque has publicly condemned Sami Al-Arian for his hate filled rhetoric and funding of Islamic terrorism.

The bigotry and hate Sami Al-Arian founded the ICT Al-Qassam Mosque on years ago, was reaffirmed with the invitation of the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist Dr. Abdul Mawgoud Dardery.

The current owners of the ICT Al Qassam Mosque, according to Hillsborough County records, is the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT). NAIT’s terrorist ties to the Muslim Brotherhood were exposed during the largest terrorist funding trial in American history, United States v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, et al. Richardson, Tx.

NAIT holds title to approximately 70% of the Mosques in the United States. Including Imam Mohammad Musri’s notorious Islamic Society of Central Florida Mosque in Orlando, FL. In June of 2009, Mohammad Musri’s Mosque was caught on film hosting a Hamas fundraiser.

Conclusion

The next time you hear about Hamas firing their Qassam rockets at Israeli civilians imagine the pride emanating from the Islamic Community of Tampa Al Qassam Mosque.

If the Muslims of Tampa were not proud of the all the dark, bigoted, and hate filled associations the word Al Qassam generates, why would they name their most revered place of worship the Al Qassam Mosque?

I propose the current Al Qassam Mosque leadership take sensitivity training classes because they have no idea how offensive everything associated with the Al Qassam Mosque founding and terrorist sympathies are to America’s freedom, liberty, and Representative Republic.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared on FamilySecurityMatters.com. Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

America’s Defend Freedom Tour Coming to Tampa July 31

July 26, 2015/in Culture War, Must Read, National Security, Policy, Politics/by Dr. Rich Swier

Concerned Veterans for America’s Defend Freedom Tour is coming to TPepin’s Hospitality Centre in Tampa on Friday, July 31st, from 6:00–9:00 p.m.

CVA will rally support for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care reform—among other pressing issues affecting veterans, members of the military, and their families—at this event.

It’s been a little over a year since news broke that Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals across the country put veterans on secret waiting lists to give the appearance of access to timely medical care. While VA administrators pocketed bonuses for fudging the numbers, veterans faced excessive wait times and in some cases even died while waiting for an appointment. However, the issues with the VA do not end there.

U.S. veterans face radically different waits for benefits depending on where they live. An interactive map created by The Center for Investigative Reporting has tracked that phenomenon for the last three years. Credit: Shane Shifflet for Reveal.

To view the interactive map click here.

A little over a month ago, The James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa was pointed out as having a major pest control problem. An infestation of rats, rodents, roaches, and feces were found in their facilities. Employees knew about the infestation problem, which included kitchen and food service areas. Shockingly, the Infection Prevention Coordinator was more concerned with ending up on the news for these problems than risking patient safety.

“It is shocking and quite frankly it is disgusting that we are allowing VA hospitals to remain open while rats, rodents, and cockroaches infest their facilities,” said CVA Military Advisor and Navy SEAL Veteran Jason Redman. “These men and women fought for our great country and risked their lives time and time again only to come home to second class treatment. Fundamental changes and reforms need to happen at VA hospitals across the nation, but they need to start right here in Tampa.”

Through the Defend Freedom Tour, CVA is bringing together veterans, military families, and patriotic Americans to preserve the freedom and prosperity that we and our families so proudly fought and sacrificed to defend.

Event Information

Admission to the Tampa Defend Freedom Tour is FREE and includes a complimentary barbecue dinner.

This event features an amazing lineup of inspirational speakers: Gold Star Mother Karen Vaughn; decorated Army Ranger and New York Times best-selling author Sean Parnell; Green Beret and Stability Institute Founder Scott Mann; and Navy SEAL and author Lieutenant Jason Redman. Madison Rising, the nation’s most patriotic rock band, and Ayla Brown, country music performer, will perform live.

Register on Eventbrite. For more information, go to www.DefendFreedomTour.com.

Sam’s Club donates $2,500 to Tampa, FL mosque named after military wing of Hamas

September 27, 2014/in Must Read, National Security, News, Policy/by Dr. Rich Swier

The Florida Family Association in an email alert states, “Sam’s Club donates $2,500 to a mosque that was named after the military wing of Hamas, directed by a man [Sami Al-Arian] who pleaded guilty to raising support for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), has been a member of ISNA [Islamic Society of North America] and hosted CAIR propaganda events.”

According to FFA, “A Florida Family Association supporter happened to look up at the wall behind the checkout line at the Sam’s Club located at 2021 Brandon Boulevard in Brandon, Florida. He saw a large photograph of a check made out from Sam’s Club in the amount of $2,500 payable to the Islamic Community of Tampa located in the top left prominent position on the wall. Florida Family Association snapped a cellphone photograph.”

For a larger view click on the image.

Photographs indicated that no other non-profit organization received more than $500.

Sami Al-Arian, self-confessed funder of terrorist group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Did Sam’s Club and parent company Wal-Mart know the following when it gave this store’s largest non-profit donation to the Islamic Community of Tampa?

The Islamic Community of Tampa is also known as the Al-Qassam mosque. The Military Wing of the Palestinian Hamas is called the Al-Qassam Brigade. InvestigativeProject.org reports“The mosque, according to Sami Al-Arian, was named after Izzedin al-Qassam. Al-Qassam, a Syrian killed fighting the British mandate in 1935, ‘is the main source of inspiration for the Islamic Jihad movement’ Palestinian scholar Ziad Abu Amr wrote in his book, Islamic Fundamentalism in the West Bank and Gaza. ‘The Islamic Jihad’s supporters have elevated him almost to a saintly status.’”
The Hamas rockets fired at Israel are named Qassam rockets.
Sami Al-Arian was indicted in February 2003 on 17 counts under the Patriot Act for allegedly being the leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). In 2006, Al-Arian pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to make or receive contributions of funds, goods or services for the benefit of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
Sami Al-Arian refused to testify before a Federal Grand Jury regarding other Jihad activities. U.S. District Judge James Moody ruled that Al-Arian must testify. A Virginia District Court held that Sami Al-Arian had no legal basis to refuse to testify. The court held him in civil contempt, and imprisoned him on November 16, 2006. Sami Al-Arian was released from prison on June 27, 2014 after the United States Department of Justice dropped charges.
Sami Al-Arian served as the Chairman of the Islamic Community of Tampa.
The Islamic Community of Tampa has been a member of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and derived their tax exempt status from ISNA. Sami Al-Arian’s letter written on Islamic Community of Tampa – Masjid al-Qassam stationery stated “We are an affiliated member of the Islamic Society of North America(ISNA) and derive our tax exempt status under 501 C 3 of the IRS code through them.” Click here for report regarding concerns about ISNA.
The Islamic Community of Tampa hosted a propaganda event for the Council on America Islamic Relations (CAIR Florida) in February 2012. Click here for a report regarding concerns about CAIR.
More information regarding Sami Al-Arian and the Islamic Community of Tampa mosque can be read at FamilySecurityMatters.org and at InvestigativeProject.org

Florida Family Association prepared an email to send that voices concern to Sam’s Club officials and parent company Wal-Mart officials regarding Sam’s Club financial support for the Islamic Community of Tampa. If you wish to send your email, please click the below link, enter your name and email address then click the “Send Your Message” button. You may also edit the subject or message text if you wish.

Click here to send your email to communicate concerns to Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart officials.

Florida Solar Power: Free electricity? Not so much!

August 6, 2014/in Energy, Environment, Featured, News, Policy, Politics, Science, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by Richard C. Savage, Ph.D.

We have all heard the line “if it sounds too good to be true…” Well solar power is one of those ideas that is too good to be true. Another favorite if it sounds too good to be true are the often repeated statements of President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry claiming renewable energy will lower our electric bills and create millions of jobs that can’t be sent overseas.

For an example of “too good to be true” close to home in the sunshine state, consider Hillsborough County, where the courthouse in 2010 was outfitted with rooftop solar panels, designed to produce 40% of the facility’s electricity, save $60,000 annually in electricity costs, and pay for themselves. The initial cost was $1.2 million, so by saving $60,000 per year, they would pay for themselves in 20 years – a nice, round number. Oh, and by the way, they were going to produce jobs. As part of the Obama Stimulus.

You believe this, right? Sounds good, right?

Well, not exactly. According to the WFTS News article “Solar Panels on Tampa Courthouse Fail to Meet Promises“, the panels are reducing electricity need by 15 – 18%, a savings of less than $2000 per month. At that rate, it will take 45 years for the panels to pay for their cost – if they last that long. As far as I know, there is no hard data yet on solar cell lifetime duration. Estimates range between 15 and 20 years. Solar panels deteriorate over their lifetime, so the $2000/month savings will be going down.

The cruelest blow in all this? Jobs: 12 of them, for four months.

Who brought this too good to be true miracle to pass? Well, you remember who brought us the Obama Stimulus Bill, as well as ObamaCare, the Democratic Party, which controlled Congress and the White House in 2010. They thought it was wonderful:

It is so wonderful to see the Recovery Act at work in our community, creating jobs and saving money” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa).

This is a nice initiative that will allow the county to put a little money back into the pockets of taxpayers at a time that they need it most, and to create jobs,” said Castor.

These, by the way, were advanced solar cells, touted as being able to produce electricity even by moonlight. If this pie-in-the-sky Obama engineering doesn’t work in Florida, it bodes ill for other, more Northerly locations.

Obama came to Denver to sign the Stimulus Bill, at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science – which, like Hillsborough County Courthouse, was fitted with solar cells. Denver’s system (200 kilowatts, DC) cost $720,000, and was estimated to cover 1 to 2 % of DMNS use. The chief technology officer, Dave Noel, tried to sell the idea to the board, but admitted, without the Stimulus incentive, 110 years would be required to amortize the cost. Colorado is a pretty sunny state, with over 300 sunny days per year, but it also gets a little cold and Winter days are short. DMNS has an online graph of their solar power generation; over the last 74 months, they’ve generated 16,448 kWh per month. At $0.10/kWh, that’s worth $1645/month. Compared to the initial cost of $720,000, we’re paying off the investment over a period of only 37 years. Less than 110 years, but still twice the expected life of the solar cells.

This defiance of science, engineering and good sense has been going on all over the world, furthered by faddish green enthusiasts. Thankfully, it’s htting the wall of reality. Germany is retreating, both in the face of economic reality and their dependence on Russian natural gas. Germany has 28 electrical generating plants under construction, powered by….coal. In some cases, it’s lignite (brown) coal, the most CO2-intensive variety.

Reality means nothing to the Obama administration, however. Monday’s Wall Street Journal carries an article on the Obama plan to help Africa, specifically Kenya….wait, is this ironic? Doesn’t Obama have some connection with Kenya? The article, headlined “Kenyan Wind Project Reveals Challenges to Obama Aid Plans” reveals that Kenyan farmers are reluctant to give up their land and homes for a wind farm. Perhaps they’ve heard that no electricity flows when the wind doesn’t blow – as the Germans have learned, the hard way.

Laugh of the Week:

The EPA was in Denver last week, taking comments from citizens on the new regulations to diminish CO2 emissions from coal and save us all from asthma, heart attacks, and other health hazards. Apparently, Al Gore has a fleet of ice cream trucks that he sends to occasions like this to hand out free ice cream to people suffering from the heat – omnipresent because of global warming. Hey, who doesn’t like ice cream, even from The Goreacle, on a hot Summer day?

The temperature in Denver was 58F, in a steady (cold) rain. Even free ice cream wasn’t a big hit. The Gore Effect strikes again. God really does have a sense of humor.

Contempt Case against University of South Florida Jihadist Professor Sami Al-Arian Dropped, Clearing way for Deportation

June 30, 2014/in Courts & Law, Must Read, National Security, News/by Jihad Watch

After years of denial, Sami Al-Arian pleaded guilty to a charge of “conspiracy to make or receive contributions of funds to or for the benefit of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Specially Designated Terrorist” organization. He agreed to accept deportation. In his 2002 defense of Al-Arian, Eric Boehlert wrote: “The al-Arian story reveals what happens when journalists, abandoning their role as unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against suspicious foreigners who in a time of war don’t have the power of the press or public sympathy to fight back.” Reality is just the opposite. The al-Arian story reveals what happens when Leftist journalists and academics, abandoning any pretense to being unbiased observers, lead an ignorant, alarmist crusade against patriotic Americans who in a time of war try to defend our country from those whose politics make them the darlings of the Leftist media and academic establishment.

Even all these years later, Josh Gerstein of Politico indulges in some of the same relentlessly biased reporting: “After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian was involved in a highly-publicized, confrontational interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who accused the professor of making anti-Israel statements and again raised questions about his think tank’s alleged ties to terror. Al-Arian received death threats after the on-air exchange and was suspended from the university.” This portrays al-Arian — even so many years after he pleaded guilty to being part of Palestinian Islamic Jihad — as the victim: the poor lamb received death threats (although Gerstein has never deigned to notice the huge numbers of death threats that counter-jihadists receive). And Gerstein says that O’Reilly accused al-Arian of making anti-Israel statements while declining to inform his hapless readers that al-Arian is on tape shrieking, “Death to America, death to Israel, jihad, jihad, jihad!”

“Feds drop Sami Al-Arian prosecution,” by Josh Gerstein, Politico, June 27, 2014:

The Justice Department has dropped a long-stalled second criminal prosecution of a former college professor who pleaded guilty to aiding a terrorist group following a high-profile trial in Florida that ended with a muddled verdict almost a decade ago.

Federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., filed a motion Friday seeking to dismiss a criminal contempt indictment brought in 2008 against former University of South Florida mechanical engineering professor Sami Al-Arian, who was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents.

In the new filing, prosecutors said they decided to give up on the contempt case after delays precipitated by U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema sitting for years on a critical motion in the case without ruling one way or another.

“In light of the passage of time without resolution, the United States has decided that the best available course of action is to move to dismiss the indictment so that action can be taken to remove the defendant from the United States,” prosecutor Gordon Kromberg wrote.

In a statement released through Al-Arian’s attorney, the 56-year-old former professor’s family hailed the dismissal of the charges.

“We are glad that the government has finally decided to drop the charges against Sami Al-Arian. It has been a long and difficult 11 years for our family in what has ultimately been shown to be a political case. We are relieved that this ordeal finally appears to be at an end,” the family members said. “We hope that today’s events bring to a conclusion the government’s pursuit of Dr. Al-Arian and that he can finally be able to resume his life with his family in freedom.”

During the 1990s, Al-Arian came under suspicion in Florida over possible ties between a think tank he headed and figures in Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In a response to a Tampa Tribune series examining the issue, he denied any connection. After Jewish groups pressed for his removal at USF, professors’ groups complained that his academic freedom was being infringed.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Al-Arian was involved in a highly-publicized, confrontational interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, who accused the professor of making anti-Israel statements and again raised questions about his think tank’s alleged ties to terror. Al-Arian received death threats after the on-air exchange and was suspended from the university.

In 2003, Al-Arian was indicted in Tampa on a wide array of charges, including racketeering, material support for terrorism and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors accused him of being the American head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad and said they had been able to bring the case only because legal changes in the Patriot Act allowed them to share intelligence information with criminal investigators.

His trial (and that of three co-defendants) was repeatedly delayed. It took place over a six-month period in 2005 and ended in acquittals on eight counts and a hung jury on nine other counts.

After prosecutors threatened a re-trial, the former professor pleaded guilty to one felony count of aiding a designated terrorist group and was sentenced to 57 months in prison. He had already served most of that time in custody awaiting trial and thereafter. The plea deal also called for him to be deported from the U.S.

However, before Al-Arian was deported, federal prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., served him with a subpoena calling him before a grand jury to testify about Muslim groups in Virginia and their alleged ties to terrorism. Al-Arian said the subpoena was at odds with his plea deal in the Florida case, but prosecutors and the courts did not agree. He spent most of 2007 in jail on a civil contempt citation.

RELATED ARTICLE: Connecting the dots of the boiling Arab Street

Florida: Hamas-linked CAIR attacks Republicans for featuring “extremist anti-Muslim speakers”

April 28, 2014/in Must Read, National Security, News/by Jihad Watch

Hassan Shibly, executive director for CAIR Florida.

And true to form, this entire article doesn’t mention CAIR’s ties to Hamas, or its fascist pattern of trying to get any and every speaker canceled if he or she dares to speak the truth about jihad and Islamic terror. Shelby Webb doesn’t see fit to mention, and may not even know, that CAIR is an unindicted co-conspirator in a Hamas terror funding case — so named by the Justice Department. CAIR operatives have repeatedly refused to denounce Hamas and Hizballah as terrorist groups. Several former CAIR officials have been convicted of various crimes related to jihad terror. CAIR’s co-founder and longtime Board chairman (Omar Ahmad), as well as its chief spokesman (Ibrahim Hooper), have made Islamic supremacist statements. Its California chapter distributed the poster above telling Muslims not to talk to the FBI. CAIR has opposed every anti-terror measure that has ever been proposed or implemented.

Note also their use of the term “extremist,” which is the same word they use of jihad terrorists — thus equating the resistance to jihad terror with jihad terror itself, a particularly repulsive exercise in moral equivalence that the mainstream media has accepted with alacrity.

“Islamic group accuses Republicans of fostering anti-Muslim sentiment,” by Shelby Webb, Herald Tribune, April 24, 2014:

A Florida Islamic group is accusing some Republican Party lawmakers and local party organizations of fostering anti-Muslim sentiment.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, sent letters to almost every Republican Club or party extension in the state, asking the groups to stop bringing speakers who espouse anti-Islamic views. The letter said it represented the interests of more than 150,000 registered Florida Muslim voters.

Hassan Shibly, executive director for CAIR, based in Tampa, said such speakers not only inflame anti-Islam tensions but have also led to discriminatory legislation: namely Senate Bill 386, which would ban foreign laws from being enacted in Florida; and House Bill 921, which allows school districts to select textbooks instead of adhering to the statewide curriculum.

Shibly said the textbook debate came about after a parent in Volusia County became uncomfortable with the number of pages in a history textbook that described Islam and organized a protest to persuade the school district to stop using the book. The Volusia School District noted that there are many more references to Christianity in the textbook than there are to Islam.

Shibly said the letters were only sent to Republican lawmakers and groups because Republicans drafted and support these two bills and because no other party has invited anti-Islam speakers to give presentations.

“Our office has documented a pattern of local GOP organizations inviting extremist anti-Muslim speakers who promote fear and hatred of the entire Muslim faith and community, often under the pretense of targeting ‘radicals,’ ” Shibly wrote in the letter.

Sen. Nancy Detert, who represents Sarasota County and part of Charlotte County, refused to comment on the two bills and the letter sent out by CAIR.

“Why should I care about a letter sent out by someone I know nothing about? Is that really worth a story?” Detert said….

You should know.

Pinellas citizens continue to challenge corrupt commissioners

October 3, 2013/in Courts & Law, Featured, News, Politics/by Dr. Rich Swier

The following is courtesy of the Florida Term Limits blog:

According to a 2012 study, Florida is the most corrupt state in the United States based on the number of state officials convicted on federal public corruption charges.

“Florida faces a corruption crisis that threatens the state’s reputation, its economy and its ability to attract new jobs and capital,” wrote study authors Dan Krassner and Ben Wilcox.

This should come as no surprise to Pinellas County residents, who are governed by four county commissioners in defiance of the county’s voter-approved 8-year term limits law. After the term limits amendment was approved by 73% of voters in 1996, commissioners refused to insert the amendment into the county charter even after it was validated by a district court in 1999 and the state Supreme Court in 2012.

That it was their duty to do so is beyond question. Per charter Article VI Sec. 6-02 (3): “If approved by a majority of those electors voting on the amendment at the general election, the amendment shall become effective on the date specified in the amendment, or, if not so specified, on January 1 of the succeeding year.” While a court has the power to invalidate an amendment, there is no leeway here for commissioners alone to refuse to accept the vote of the people.

After a commissioner-friendly local court refused to grant relief, Pinellas citizens are now appealing to the Second District Court of Appeals to have their votes finally counted. On Sept. 30, appellants H. Patrick Wheeler and Maria Scruggs filed their Initial Brief to the Lakeland court.

The filing is against Susan Latvala, John Morroni, Kenneth Welch and Karen Seel, the four commissioners who cling to their power and paychecks in defiance of law. Among other things, the brief documents their ill-gotten gains, including annual salaries of close to $100,000 when including expenses. It also points out the commissioners are using taxpayer money to invalidate the clearly expressed will of those same taxpayers.

Trevor Loudon author of “The Enemies Within”

August 26, 2013/in Featured, Politics/by Dr. Rich Swier

New Zealander Trevor Loudon, the author of The Enemies Within: Communists, Socialists and Progressives in the U.S. Congress is coming to Florida. He will be speaking in ten cities in the sunshine state.

The Enemies Within is written to show American voters exactly how modern communism works and how it impacts on their life, every single day. Just how do the communists win big on things like Obamacare and immigration “reform,” which go completely against the wishes of the American people? Loudon answers this question.

Trevor Loudon speaks on internal subversion, communism and socialism, national security, culture and constitutional conservatism.

Loudon says, “I’m a libertarian activist and political researcher from Christchurch New Zealand. I believe in freedom with responsibility, not freedom from responsibility. My ideal society is one in which government is confined to protecting its citizens from criminals and external enemies. I believe in working with all those who are moving in broadly the same direction. The views expressed in this Blog are strictly my own.”

Trevor is also the founder and editor of KeyWiki.org, a rapidly growing website with the goal of unlocking the covert side of U.S. and Global politics.

Lists those concerned with individual liberties, states’ rights…

Message to “defund Obamacare” resonated with Florida grassroots

August 23, 2013/in Budget and Finance, Economy, Healthcare, Must Read, Policy, Politics, Taxes/by Dr. Rich Swier

Jim DeMint speaks at the “Defund Obamacare” town hall tour in Tampa on August 21, 2013. Photo courtesy of Eve Edelheit, Tampa Bay Times staff.

Heritage Foundation President and former Senator Jim DeMint and Raphael Cruz, father of Senator Ted Cruz, came to Tampa, Florida to bring their message that now is the time to defund the Affordable Care Act. The Heritage Action for America sponsored event was over booked. Tampa was the third stop on a nine city tour. Over 850 signed up for the event, with only 550 seats available.

Raphael Cruz gave the invocation and was greeted with a standing ovation when he was introduced by Karen Jaroch, Tampa Regional Coordinator for Heritage Action, as the father of Senator Ted Cruz. Cruz ended the event with a stirring call to action.

Senator DeMint then took the stage to a standing ovation. DeMint looked over a packed house of diverse concerned citizens, who traveled from across the state of Florida. DeMint then said in his soft southern voice, “We had you wait in line to get into this event so you can get used to standing in line to get medical care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. With the over 550 people jammed into this hall you now know what your doctor’s waiting room will look like very soon.” These comments were like throwing raw meat to the grassroots activists in the audience.

Senator DeMint then went into detail on how the Affordable Care Act can be defunded. DeMint explained defunding Obamacare means attaching a legislative rider to a “must pass” bill (e.g. debt limit, annual spending bill or continuing resolution to fund the government) that 1) prohibits any funds from being spent on any activities to implement or enforce Obamacare; 2) rescinds any unspent balances that have already been appropriated for implementation; and 3) turns off the exchange subsidy and new Medicaid spending that are on auto-pilot.

DeMint was then joined by Mike Needham, Chief Executive Officer for Heritage Action for America, to answer questions. The issue of what is the urgency to defund Obama care now was raised. According to DeMint and Needham on January 1, 2014, Obamacare’s new main entitlements – the Medicaid expansion and the exchange subsidies – are scheduled to take effect. Open enrollment for both programs begins on October 1, 2013, at the start of the new fiscal year. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the federal government will spend $48 billion in 2014 and nearly $1.8 trillion through 2023 on these new entitlement programs. Also on January 1, Americans will be forced by their government to buy a product, health insurance, for the first time in history. Individuals and families who don’t comply will be penalized by tax penalties administered through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

One Floridian asked Senator DeMint isn’t is mean to not provide the funding for healthcare. Senator DeMint replied that it is mean for the President to promise Americans that they can keep their current insurance and doctors under Obamacare. It is mean for the President to say that health insurance premiums will go down $2,000 when in fact they will go up over $2,000 or more in some states. It is mean for the President to say everyone will receive better health care when we know from the experiences of Canada and England that socialized medicine leads to rationing and poor care, even to patients dying for lack of attention..

The question of some House Republicans supporting the repeal of Obamacare but not defunding it came up.

DeMint noted that some fear if they take a stand on Obamacare it will hurt them in the 2014 elections. He then pointed out that same tactic of “first do no harm” lost Republicans the US Senate and White House twice. DeMint noted that when he was in the Senate, and since he has become President of the Heritage Foundation, he experienced a Republican leadership that will “cut the legs out from under any who oppose them”.

DeMint said that Republicans took the House of Representatives in 2010 and retained the majority in 2012 on the promise of repealing Obamacare. Either Republicans keep their promise or go home and explain why they lied. DeMint noted that repealing Obamacare is not enough. The House has had numerous votes to repeal the law, but the chances of statutorily repealing the law decreased once President Obama won a second term. Those who oppose Obamacare, he said, cannot wait another three and a half years to ” begin dismantling Obamacare; they need to leverage current opportunities to defund using ‘must-pass’ spending bills.” DeMint said time and again, it is now or never.

The Tampa Bay Times PolitiFact blog took exception to four of the things Senator DeMint said during his presentation. However, DeMint’s message clearly resonated with the audience. The devil is always in the details.

ABOUT HERITAGE ACTION FOR AMERICA:

Should We Delay or Defund Obamacare?

Warning: That Jacksonville or Tampa city employee you deal with may be a criminal

August 13, 2013/in Culture War, Economy, Government Transparency, Must Read, News, Regulation/by Dr. Rich Swier

In 2008, the Jacksonville City Council adopted an ordinance reforming both its hiring procedures and its contractor bidding policies. In July 2009, the City’s Human Resources Department released the revised standard. In 2010 Jacksonville revised its screening summary for city employees and contractors.

The directive states that department heads will “not inquire about or consider criminal background check information in making a hiring decision.” Instead, “criminal information disclosure is required as part of the post-offer new hire process.”

The application instructions even encourage people with a criminal record to apply for city jobs.

The criminal background check screening is centralized in the City of Jacksonville Human Resources Department. Moreover, the screening process requires taking into account the specific duties of the job, the age of the offense, and rehabilitation. Denied applicants may appeal to Human Resources. Contractors are required to tally job opportunities for people with criminal records and report back to the City.

On January 14, 2013 Bob Buckhorn, the Mayor of Tampa, signed the ban the box ordinance approved by the City Council which covers city employees. Advocates in Tampa continue to work on expanding the ordinance to include city contractors. The Tampa Ordinance 2013-3 may be viewed by clicking here. The Tampa ban the box program is administered by Sharon Streater HOPE lead organizer, from the Direct Action & Research Training Center.

This effort is part of the Ban the Box project and National Employment Law Project. The ordinance only applies to the City Jacksonville employees. As of April 2013 there are fifty cities in twenty-one states that have implemented some form of Ban the Box ordinances. California, Illinois, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut and Massachusetts have statewide Ban the Box legislation.

For a larger view click on the map.

According to its website, “Ban the Box is a nationwide effort to remove criminal history inquiry; i.e. ‘the box’ from employer job applications. All employers have the right to know an applicant’s conviction history but the inquiry should be deferred until later in the interview process and not utilized as an automatic bar to employment at the application stage.” [Emphasis mine]

WDW – FL contacted both the City of Tampa and Jacksonville to determine how many people with criminal records have been hired as city employees and in the case of Jacksonville by contractors. According to Sharon Streater who administers the program for Tampa she has no data as the program is new. However, Streater did state that the disclaimer in the city announcements for job openings saying those with criminal records need not apply has been deleted.

The City of Jacksonville Civil Service and Personnel Rules and Regulations (revised in 2010) states:

The following are examples of extraordinary situations in which an employee may be immediately suspended without pay:

1. Being under the influence of alcohol or drugs on the job.
2. Use of alcohol or illegal drugs on the job or during the employee’s work day, to include breaks and lunch period.
3. Commission of an act which constitutes a felony offense or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude under the criminal laws of the State of Florida or Federal Government. [Emphasis added]

The question: Are those Jacksonville public employees and contractors with criminal records given access to sensitive citizen information?

As Milton Friedman wrote, “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.”

Tipping the public sector job market to favor convicted criminals is problematic at the least and dangerous at the worst.

But, voters, like in the case of Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, re-elect criminals from time to time but that is another story. BTW Washington, D.C. passed a ban the box ordinance in 2010.

EDITORS NOTE: WDW – FL contacted the City of Jacksonville and is awaiting a reply on how many city employees and contract employees have been hired since 2008 who have a criminal background. When that information is made available this column will be updated.

Impeachable Offenses: The case for removing Barack Obama from office

August 13, 2013/in Courts & Law, Must Read, Politics/by Dr. Rich Swier

New York Times best selling authors Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott will release their latest book Impeachable Offences: The case for removing Barack Obama from office on August 27, 2013. In their book Klein and Elliott document authoritatively the case for impeaching President Obama. WDW – FL received an advanced copy of the book.

Article 2, Section 4 of the US Constitution states:

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Klein and Elliott explain the term “high crimes and misdemeanors” is derived from the English Parliament circa 1386. The Founding Fathers understood the term well. Officials accused of high crimes and misdemeanors “were charged with offences as varied as misappropriating government funds, appointing unfit subordinates, not prosecuting cases, not spending money allocated by Parliament, promoting themselves ahead of deserving candidates, threatening a grand jury, disobeying an order from Parliament, granting warrants without cause and bribery.”

“In Federalist No. 65 [Alexander] Hamilton explained the concept of impeachment. He defined impeachable offences as ‘those offences which proceed from the misconduct of public men, or in other words from the abuse and violation of some public trust. They are of a nature which may with peculiar propriety be denominated political, as they relate chiefly to injuries done immediately to the society itself’,” write Klein and Elliot.

Klein and Elliott note, “[I]mpeachment is not the final step in removing a high official from office; rather it is the beginning of that process by bringing formal charges, i.e. an indictment.”

For the President to be impeached, clearly he must be accused of “injuries done immediately to society itself”.

Examiner.com reports, “Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment announced today “The Patriot Wave,” as Americans in cities from coast to coast will rally for Barack Hussein Obama be removed from the office of the President. James Neighbors, National Coordinator and Founder of the movement, said today, as they have done at previous overpasses rallies this summer, participants will hold up signs with slogans like “honk if you want Obama impeached” or “impeach Obama” and other to inspire public support and ultimately pressure Congress to take up consideration of impeachment.

This new national movement is holding demonstrations across Florida.

Cheryl Carpenter Klimek from BizPac Review reports, “The grassroots organization, Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment, has attracted similar volunteer efforts all over the country, according to their website. The Florida contingency held sign-waving events on overpasses across the state on Tuesday, Kilinksi said. At last count, the cities visited included Boca Raton, Ocala, Port St. Lucie, Naples, West Palm Beach, Orange City, Spring Hill, Kissimmee, Jacksonville and the Tampa/Clearwater/Sarasota area. Orlando had multiple events. Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment, with Facebook pages for chapters in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., gained national attention after a rally in Southern California snagged traffic in early June.”

On Saturday, August 17th, ten days before the release of the Klein and Elliott book, there will be a National Wave Impeach Obama event in Sarasota, Florida. The demonstrations are held on overpasses to gain the maximum impact as citizen driving on major highways see the demonstrators with their signs. The demonstration in Sarasota will take place on an overpass along Interstate 75. There is even an online petition calling for the President’s impeachment.

The Impeach Obama website states:

Overpasses for Obama’s Impeachment has a simple goal. The removal of the corrupt and criminal President of the United States of America, Barack Hussein Obama.

His actions go unimpeded, our pleas through petitions unanswered. Our calls and letters to Congress are left ignored and unopened.

Our only peaceful recourse is to take to the streets and overpasses of America and DEMAND that our nation be returned to We the People, and that Barack Hussein Obama be Impeached, removed from office, and held accountable for his actions while serving as President.

The impeachment process begins in the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives. “The House Judiciary Committee considers evidence of wrongdoing and votes whether to pass the matter along to the entire body. After articles of impeachment are drawn up, the House then votes on the matter and, if a majority of the members affirm, passes the matter to the Senate,” state Klein and Elliott.

If Republicans maintain their majority in the House and regain the majority in the Senate in 2014 could we see this process begin? We will wait and see.

Benghazi attorney: What Obama just did absolutely illegal, impeachable

Impeachable Offenses: The case for removing Barack Obama from office

Court rules Obama acted illegally; Harry Reid says it ‘means nothing’

Five Florida cities that may be future Detroits

July 24, 2013/in Economy, Labor & Unions, Must Read/by Dr. Rich Swier

For a larger view click on the map.

WDW- FL reported that one-third of Florida’s cities are in “perilous financial positions“. The reasons: the increasing burden of growing retirement and medical costs for government retirees coupled with shrinking revenues.

Luke Rosiak from the Washington Examiner did an analysis to determine which US cities have a larger proportion of government workers to population than Detroit. Rosiak used the Census Bureau’s 2011 Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll to rank every U.S. city with a population of 200,000 or more.

Rosiak notes, “Remarkably, the Census Bureau excluded from these figures all teachers and education professionals, which make up the largest group of local government employees.”

Rosiak reports, “Detroit declared bankruptcy due in no small part to $3 billion in unfunded public employee pensions owed a sprawling city workforce that kept growing even as the city’s population shriveled, but a Washington Examiner analysis found that 19 major American cities have even bigger ratios of such workers to residents.”

“What’s more, seven of the 19 cities with larger relative workforces than Detroit paid workers more than twice as much as the Motor City did its employees,” states Rosiak.

To view the map with all of the city data click here.

Below are those Florida cities listed by Rosiak (Note: some city government agencies and public school teachers/education professionals are not counted):

TAMPA

Residents per employee	79
Population:	335,709
Employees:	4,244
Annual payroll:	$540,168,672
Average compensation:	$127,278

ST PETERSBURG

Residents per employee	83
Population:	244,769
Employees:	2,943
Annual payroll:	$170,042,328
Average compensation:	$57,778

ORLANDO

Residents per employee	85
Population:	238,300
Employees:	2,799
Annual payroll:	$338,968,872
Average compensation:	$121,103

JACKSONVILLE

Residents per employee	87
Population:	821,784
Employees:	9,368
Annual payroll:	$1,037,019,744
Average compensation:	$110,698

MIAMI

Residents per employee	101
Population:	399,457
Employees:	3,923
Annual payroll:	$479,194,080
Average compensation:	$122,149

A whole bunch of really depressing facts about Detroit

Zimmerman Aftershock: NBC lawsuit, calls to investigate State Attorney Corey

July 15, 2013/in Government Transparency, Gun Rights, Must Read, News, Waste, Fraud and Abuse/by Dr. Rich Swier

The name George Zimmerman is sending aftershocks across the state of Florida and the nation.

Since his acquittal on all charges stemming from the self defense shooting of Martin many actions and counter actions are anticipated. Among them: the lawsuit against NBC for “yellow journalism” and calls to investigate Florida State Attorney Angela Corey‘s misleading affidavit of probable cause, which had not disclosed significant exculpatory details.

Both are interrelated and deal with telling the truth.

In the first instance NBC employees (recently fired) selectively edited the 911 call that aired.

The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple reports Zimmerman attorney James Beasley stated that he and his team were eager to resume the [NBC] suit, which had been put on hold due to the beginning of the criminal trial. With that out of the way, they now intend to proceed. “We’re going to start in earnest asap, we just have to get the stay lifted which is a ministerial act,” Beasley said via email. Beasley did acknowledge that while Zimmerman’s victory in his criminal trial could be helpful to this civil suit, it was not a guarantee that he would win his defamation case.

To understand NBC’s alleged “yellow journalism” perhaps the following quotes from from a former Monitor/NBC Radio reporter are useful. The comments were sent to WDW – FL by Don Blair, former Monitor/NBC Radio news commentator and Florida resident. Blair’s last broadcast for Monitor/NBC Radio was in 1989. Blair was responding to a column posted by WDW – FL and wrote in a series of exchanges referring to Zimmerman: “Probably that a cold blooded murderer has been set free.” … “Is he immune from a drive-by shooting? I don’t think this man can look forward to a long…or longer life from here on out. I will drink to his death…hopefully a painful one.” … “I’ll say it again. I will drink a toast the day that miserable bastard is gunned down.” Similar comments were made by others on social media sites. One of the defense attorneys referred to the media as “mad scientists“. Some in the media “cry foul” on the verdict.

While Blair’s comments do not reflect on the current management or employees of NBC or its affiliates, there is a lesson to be gotten from his mind set regarding the Zimmerman case.

Florida State Attorney Angela Corey

The second issue are calls for an investigation of State Attorney Angela Corey for the misleading affidavit which lead to charge of second degree murder against Zimmerman.

Multiple emails to WDW – FL state, “Please write to Governor Scott and request that he immediately order a full and comprehensive investigation into the actions of State Attorney Angela Corey during the entire George Zimmerman arrest and trial.”

William A. Jacobson from Legal Insurrection reports:

In early April 2012, Florida State Attorney Angela Corey decided not to take the George Zimmerman case to a Grand Jury, opting for the filing of a Criminal Information which then was presented along with an Affidavit of Probable Cause. The Court found probable cause for the charges.

It turned out, once pre-trial discovery was exchanged, that the affidavit upon which probable cause was found had not disclosed a lot of significant exculpatory details. There was no mention of the significant injuries to Zimmerman, or of John Good’s eyewitness account that Martin was on top of Zimmerman hitting him Mixed Martial Arts style. All the Affidavit said on the subject of the physical confrontation was that there was “a struggle.”