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MN GOP: PRESS REPORTS DEMONSTRATE KLOBUCHAR CAMPAIGN’S CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS ABOUT AD THEFT
By Michael B. Brodkorb | September 22, 2006
"Nearly a week after DFL operative Noah Kunin conducted an electronic breaking and entering against Mark Kennedy, serious questions remain about the true conduct of Amy Klobuchar’s campaign staff and Kunin. When this political dirty trick was first brought to light, the Klobuchar campaign was emphatic that they received the stolen ad from Kunin unsolicited. Now the Klobuchar campaign won’t comment on whether Kunin was acting upon instruction from the campaign.
"With her repeated unwillingness to address this issue head on, Amy Klobuchar has now flunked her first statewide leadership test." – Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman, Ron Carey
The Contradictions of the Klobuchar Campaign
Inconsistency #1: Did DFL Operative Noah Kunin Steal Ad At Behest Of Klobuchar Campaign?
Klobuchar Campaign Manager Ben Goldfarb: The Campaign Was "Contacted" By DFL Operative Noah Kunin And Received The Information Unsolicited. "On Saturday, September 16, 2006, our campaign was contacted by a local blogger. He called Tara McGuinness, Communications Director of our campaign, and then sent her a link to what appeared to be an unreleased advertisement of the Kennedy campaign. … The blogger indicated to Ms. McGuinness that he had gained access to the advertisement by use of passwords. Exercising poor judgment, Ms. McGuinness opened the link, watched the advertisement and asked others on our campaign to watch it." ("Statement Of Ben Goldfarb, Klobuchar For Minnesota Campaign Manager," September 20, 2006)
Klobuchar Campaign Manager Ben Goldfarb Now Declines "To Comment About Whether Kunin Provided The Information In Response To An Inquiry By The Klobuchar Campaign." "Among the GOP questions was whether Kunin obtained the ad on his own 'or was he instructed to do so by the Klobuchar campaign?' The blogger contacted the campaign and offered up this information," Klobuchar campaign manager Ben Goldfarb said Thursday, but he declined to comment about whether Kunin provided the information in response to an inquiry by the Klobuchar campaign, citing the current investigation." (John Reinan and Pat Doyle, "18 Attempts Got Blogger Into Kennedy Ad Firm's Website," Star Tribune, September 22, 2006)
Inconsistency #2: Why Won’t Klobuchar Comment On Stolen Ad?
Associated Press: "Campaign Manager Ben Goldfarb Said Thursday That Klobuchar Wouldn't Talk Further About The Matter Since The Campaign Had Turned It Over To The FBI For Investigation Of Possible Lawbreaking." (Patrick Condon, "Suddenly, A Bump For Klobuchar Campaign," The Associated Press, September 21, 2006)
But The FBI Told Kennedy Campaign Klobuchar Can Answer Questions. "Following my conversation with the FBI agent, it was made clear to us that Amy Klobuchar's campaign could, without interfering with the investigation, answer many of the serious questions we asked yesterday, such as why did they wait five days to notify us." (Mark Kennedy Campaign Statement, September 21, 2006)
Inconsistency #3: When Did The Klobuchar Campaign Contact The FBI?
Star Tribune: "The Campaign Called The FBI On Monday And Formally Filed A Report On Wednesday." "Goldfarb said the blogger contacted McGuinness on Saturday and that he and Klobuchar learned of it 'over the weekend.' The campaign called the FBI on Monday and formally filed a report on Wednesday, he said." (Conrad Defiebre, "Klobuchar Aide Loses Job For Viewing Leaked Kennedy Ad," Star Tribune, September 21, 2006)
Pioneer Press: "The Klobuchar Campaign Turned The Matter Over To The FBI On Wednesday." "Kunin claims to have gained access to the file by guessing the password needed for access, which could mean he committed a crime. The Klobuchar campaign turned the matter over to the FBI on Wednesday. The FBI is reviewing it to see if any federal laws were violated." (Julio Ojeda-Zapata And Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, "A Web of political temptation," Pioneer Press, September 22, 2006)
Inconsistency # 4: Did McGuiness Know She Needed A Password To Access The Site?
MPR: When Asked "Directly If McGuinness Typed In A Password To Access The Video [Goldfarb] Said 'I Cannot Answer That Question." "Ben Goldfarb, campaign manager with Klobuchar's campaign, just called back to say that McGuinness was sent a direct link to the video from an unnamed local blogger who accessed the video through the use of passwords. Goldfarb said McGuinness accessed the direct link and watched the video. When I asked him directly if McGuinness typed in a password to access the video he said 'I cannot answer that question.'" (Tom Scheck, "Klobuchar fires communications director for accessing protected Video," MPR's Polinaut Website, September 20, 2006)
Goldfarb Now Says McGuinness Had Complete Knowledge Of The Need For A Password. "It was McGuinness who had the poor judgment to accept the information from the blogger, asked others to look at it and had complete knowledge about the password protection, said Ben Goldfarb, Klobuchar's campaign manager. 'She was the person whose job it was to exercise better judgment,' said Goldfarb, who didn't want to say too much because of the pending investigation." (Julio Ojeda-Zapata And Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, "A Web Of Political Temptation," Pioneer Press, September 22, 2006)
Inconsistency #5: Was McGuiness Supplied With User Names & Passwords?
Goldfarb: McGuinness Was Sent A "Web Link" To Ad. "Tara McGuinness, Klobuchar's communications director, agreed to resign for watching the advertisement after a blogger sent her a Web link to it, campaign manager Ben Goldfarb announced late Wednesday." (Conrad Defiebre, "Klobuchar Aide Loses Job For Viewing Leaked Kennedy Ad," Star Tribune, September 21, 2006)Goldfarb: McGuinness Was Sent A "Direct Link" To Ad, Then Refused To Answer Whether She Entered A Password To Access Video. "Ben Goldfarb, campaign manager with Klobuchar's campaign, just called back to say that McGuinness was sent a direct link to the video from an unnamed local blogger who accessed the video through the use of passwords. Goldfarb said McGuinness accessed the direct link and watched the video. When I asked him directly if McGuinness typed in a password to access the video he said 'I cannot answer that question.'" (Tom Scheck, "Klobuchar fires communications director for accessing protected video," MPR's Polinaut, September 20, 2006)
McGuinness Reportedly "Supplied With Usernames And Passwords." "If they're pointed to clearly private sites and supplied with usernames and passwords to log in, they're committing graver political offenses. This is reportedly what happened in McGuinness' case. Directly attempting to circumvent a site's security for access to its contents is, obviously, the biggest no-no of all, said [Bruce] Schneier, of Counterpane Internet Security. ‘That's illegal, just as if you went to a front door, tried a bunch of keys and got in,’ he said” (Julio Ojeda-Zapata And Rachel E. Stassen-Berger, “A Web Of Political Temptation,” Pioneer Press, September 22, 2006)
Inconsistency #6: Why Was McGuiness Fired & Others Get To Stay?
Goldfarb: McGuinness "Only Staffer Whose Actions 'Didn’t Meet The Ethical Standards Of The Campaign.'' "Wednesday night, Goldfarb said neither he nor Klobuchar viewed the ad, that it would not result in any change in Klobuchar campaign strategy, and that it took several days to finish filing the report with the FBI. He said that McGuinness was the only staffer whose actions ‘didn't meet the ethical standards of the campaign.'" (Patrick Condon, "Suddenly, A Bump For Klobuchar Campaign," The Associated Press, September 22, 2006)
But An Unknown Number Of Klobuchar Staffers Also Viewed The Stolen Ad. "In its brief and, thus far, only statement regarding the ad controversy, the Klobuchar campaign said its former communications director exercised 'poor judgment' because she watched what appeared to be an unreleased campaign ad for Republican Mark Kennedy. The campaign says Tara McGuinness also asked other campaign staff to view the ad." (Mark Zdechlik, "Ad Theft 'Illegal,' Experts Say," Minnesota Public Radio, September 21, 2006)
Inconsistency # 7: How Did DFL Operative Noah Kunin Access The Site?
DFL Operative Noah Kunin Maintained He Merely "Typed In The Name "Allen." "While searching for political ads, I clicked on a link titled 'netview,' which then brought me to another webpage. No other information was requested. I therefore typed in the name 'Allen.' Nothing more, nothing less." (“Statement on MN Senate Race,” Blanked Out Website, September 20, 2006)
But DFL Operative Kunin "Made 18 Attempts To Gain Access To An Ad Agency's Website Containing An Unreleased Ad For Mark Kennedy." "Logs of Internet traffic show that blogger Noah Kunin made 18 attempts to gain access to an ad agency's website containing an unreleased ad for Mark Kennedy, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, a spokesman for the agency said Thursday." (John Reinan and Pat Doyle, "18 Attempts Got Blogger Into Kennedy Ad Firm's Website," Star Tribune, September 22, 2006)
Scott Howell & Co. Spokesman Dan Allen: "He Tried More Than A Dozen Names — 18 In All." "He said he simply typed one name on the agency's website and was directed to a page containing the Kennedy ad. That's not what happened, said Dan Allen of Scott Howell & Co., the Dallas-based agency handling Kennedy advertising. 'He tried more than a dozen names — 18 in all,' Allen said. 'The fact that he was trying other names proves [Kunin's explanation] to be false. It's a password-protected, secure site.'" (John Reinan and Pat Doyle, "18 Attempts Got Blogger Into Kennedy Ad Firm's Website," Star Tribune, September 22, 2006)
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12 Responses to “MN GOP: PRESS REPORTS DEMONSTRATE KLOBUCHAR CAMPAIGN’S CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS ABOUT AD THEFT”
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September 22nd, 2006 at 1:17 PM
please add your disclaimer and delete my comment, as usual
September 22nd, 2006 at 1:20 PM
Nice disclaimer.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:32 PM
Whatever happens, we know it’ll take AT LEAST a month and a half for the Klobuchar campaign to sort out. That much we know.
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:34 PM
Geez louise MDE, put the notice permanently on the right side of your web site and be done with it already. Rew clearly doesn’t understand that you work for Kennedy.
September 22nd, 2006 at 4:47 PM
DFL operative??
That is laughable. Do you really think politics has become a cloak and dagger spy movie written by Tom Clancy?
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:00 PM
these stories reek of desperation. find something else to make up. or maybe, you guys could talk about the gay agenda and abortion. that always works right?
find new dead horses to beat.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:04 PM
Hey paulp:
Your sister reeks of desperation.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:06 PM
paulp, – the new dead horse-
Just like the DFL, is a loser/liar and will come in last as usual.
September 22nd, 2006 at 5:41 PM
“Hey paulp:
Your sister reeks of desperation. ”
classy.
almost as classy as deleting comments.
September 22nd, 2006 at 7:13 PM
Keep it up, MB! You’re only hurting the GOP on this.
Noah was wrong, Tara got fired, and Amy called the FBI.
There’s no “there” there. Better move on.
September 22nd, 2006 at 11:56 PM
Is that the same Dan Allen that was the communications director for Tom DeLay? The guy that kept on telling the world how innocent Tom DeLay is?
Is THAT the Dan Allen?
September 23rd, 2006 at 4:12 PM
Matt,
I think its the leftys who approach politics as one giant conspiracy…Again, leave the darkness and embrace the light.