In yet another example of the interconnectedness of Fox News to blatantly partisan political activities, a “news” link on the Fox Nation website actually goes to a defense fund donation page for ACORN foe, Hannah Giles. You may recall that Giles is the YAFfie who dressed up as a hooker and accompanied her ersatz pimp, James O’Keefe, on a mission to entrap ACORN workers on hidden video.
The defense fund site was set up by the Plano, TX, based Liberty Legal Institute, an organization whose mission statement describes as their purpose…
“To achieve expanded religious freedom and family autonomy through litigation and education designed to limit the government’s power, increase the religious rights of citizens and promote parental rights.”
A defense fund for Giles appears to be outside the mandate of LLI, as it has nothing to do with religious and/or parental rights. Nevertheless, the right-wing organ has assumed responsibility for raising cash on behalf of the pseudo-journalist. The site’s administrator is Roe Ann Estevez, Director of Marketing for the LLI affiliated Free Market Foundation. Despite its name, it is also a faith-based enterprise that seeks to impose religious principles into government affairs.
However, the big problem here is that Fox has partnered with these conservative organizations to provide legal funds and cover to an individual who is an avowed activist for conservative causes, and who is presently being investigated for violations of privacy laws. The link at the Fox Nation will not land you on an article about the defense fund, but on the fund’s donation page. It does not provide information about the legal efforts on behalf of Giles or the groups organizing those efforts. It simply provides you with a solicitation to contribute.
The closeness of this association flies in the face of Fox’s recent attempts to distance themselves from the activities of Giles and O’Keefe. When ACORN announced that they would be suing the pair, along with Fox News, Fox complained that they had nothing to do with the video stunt. They asserted that they were merely broadcasting a story brought to them by a couple of independent reporters with whom they had no affiliation. But by openly promoting a defense fund for Giles, Fox can no longer pretend that there is no relationship between them.
As further evidence of Fox’s complicity with the anti-ACORN punkers, James O’Keefe will be interviewed this Sunday by Chris Wallace. This is another in a long line of appearances on Fox, the only network where the pair will agree to be questioned.
This fundraising project by Fox is an egregiously inappropriate affront to journalistic ethics. What would Bill O’Reilly say if CBS News directly promoted a defense fund for the fired ACORN workers? That is simply not within the purview of a legitimate news organization. And there is the key word: legitimate. Fox News is proving once again that they can make no claim to legitimacy. They are an unabashedly partisan player with an open interest in advancing their own political agenda. Nothing more.
What can you say? The word “news” should never be allowed to be associated with FOX. They don’t even try anymore…
Well, I say great: Let this solicitation link and all the sympathetic interviews become exhibits in the ACORN lawsuit against FOX, as well as a well-deserved lesson in the law of unintended consequences.
IT SEEMS NOBODY CARES….PITY!
Just out of curiousity…could ALAN COLMES,..or KIRSTEN POWERS,…or any other liberal there at FOX,… BE THE ONE BEHIND ALL THIS ? ..those two are 225% + liberal and accepting ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING FROM OBAMA, so will not take me for surprise that any of them ,… or someone else ‘instructed by any of them’ is the cause of all this….just a thought …..just think about this…it is so far fetch?Perhaps BOB BICKLE and JUAN WILLIAMS could be inthe same predicament.
Let’s hope that FOX conduct full inquiry on this one.__I do not think is going to happen
DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT CONSERVATIVE-ORIENTED COMMENTS ARE BLOCKED FROM POSTING AT FOX NATION BLOGS ?___I think everyone knows but nobody cares
I did emailed dozens of times to anchors and management at FOX,… and the same predicament still in place,…NO CONSERVATIVE-ORIENTED COMMENTS (OF SUBSTANCE ) NONE OF THEM ARE POSTED…..only very short flimsy ones.
CAN SOMEONE, ANYBODY HELP ON THIS ONE ? DOES ANYONE CARES ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH ?
Does anyone cares? I don’t think so
I STILL FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE LEFT-EXTREMISTS (OBAMA GANG SPY FORCES – SORT OF SPEAK) POSING / WORKING AS “MODERATORS” AT FOX PREVENTING CONSERVATIVE COMMENTS TO BE POSTED. THIS IS HAPPENNING AT FOX NATION BLOGGS ( as was happening at Greta’s blogs). ___
The ONLY KIND OF COMMENTS POSTED are those short ones of no substance,… yet loaded with insults and vulgar words..And like that will stay
I THINK THIS NEED TO BE CHECKED OUT.THE FAIR AND BALANCED STANDARDS ARE LOOSING GROUNDS.
SHOULD CONSERVATIVES WRITERS STOP BLOGGING AT FOX SITES, AND LEAVE,.. OBAMA’S SPIES WILL HAVE THEIR JOB ACCOMPLISHED.
Perhaps under others circumstances FOX would pay attention to this…but not today.
.
Sincererely,
Daniel Cabrera
Merrillville, Indiana
Wow. Fox Nation is censoring conservative comments? Those commie bastards.
Daniel:
You are seriously clue-deficient. Please try to obtain said clue. Also, you are apparently quite paranoid as well; Obama’s spies at Fox silencing conservative voices? Seriously? The fact that you apparently believe that is a sad commentary on the state of your mental stability.
In short: seek help. Soon.
Daniel, and you would know about substance, how exactly?
The article says, “This fundraising project by Fox is an egregiously inappropriate affront to journalistic ethics. What would Bill O’Reilly say if CBS News directly promoted a defense fund for the fired ACORN workers?”
How backwards is that rationale?! You mean, it’s not ethical to expose crime and to help those who do expose it from being personally attacked? That’s certainly news to me.
The First Amendment protects citizen journalists who expose truthful information for the greater public good. As we learn more about the levels of corruption in ACORN, it is apparent that funding by taxpayer dollars is the “egregiously inappropriate” act.
If CBS News promoted a defense fund for fired ACORN workers who were caught on videotape breaking the law, it would reveal how seriously stupid they are and their news ratings would plunge even lower than they currently are.
FOX News presents the truth, and more people are becoming aware of just how liberally biased the mainstream media is. More of American is tuning in because they are sick of the lies perpetrated by Congress (both Democrats and Republicans) and particularly the White House/Obama. That’s why their ratings beat the competition by 6 to 1. Facts are facts.
It’s NOT ethical for a news enterprise to raise defense funds for political activists. I’m not surprised that that’s not news to you.
The only people who were caught on videotape breaking the law are O’Keefe and Giles. Can you cite a single law broken by ACORN?
The fact that you regard Fox News as truthful, despite all the evidence to the contrary, says all that needs to be said about your cognitive abilities. And as for the facts about ratings, Fox News gets about half the ratings of CBS, and less than a quarter of NBC. Check your facts before making yourself look foolish.