'Gasland' Journalists Arrested At Hearing By Order Of House GOP

[NJMaverick]

Quote:WASHINGTON -- In a stunning break with First Amendment policy, House Republicans directed Capitol Hill police to detain a highly regarded documentary crew that was attempting to film a Wednesday hearing on a controversial natural gas procurement practice. Republicans also denied the entrance of a credentialed ABC News news team that was attempting to film the event.

Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Gasland" was taken into custody by Capitol Hill police this morning, along with his crew, after Republicans objected to their presence, according to Democratic sources present at the hearing. The meeting of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment had been taking place in room 2318 of the Rayburn building.

Approximately 16 officers entered the hearing room and handcuffed Fox amid audible discussions of "disorderly conduct" charges, according to Democratic sources present at the arrest.

Quote:UPDATE: 12:09 p.m. -- Capitol Police public information officer Sergeant Kimberly Schneider provided the following statement to HuffPost on the morning's events:

"At approximately 10:30 a.m. today, United States Capitol Police arrested Joshua Fox of Milanville, Pa. in room 2318 of the Rayburn House office building. He is charged with unlawful entry, and he is currently being processed at United States Capitol Police headquarters."

Quote:Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.) was unavailable for comment, but several Democrats on the committee voiced outrage with the GOP's press blackout.

"I was chair of the Subcommittee for four years, and we frequently had people show up the day of a hearing to film," Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.) told HuffPost. "We asked for their name, but they were told if they would not disrupt the hearing, they were free to record. A couple of times staff said, 'You're getting in the way, don't stand there,' but other than that, I do not ever recall anything like this. We certainly never turned anyone away for not providing 24 hours' notice."

"It's an outrageous violation of the First Amendment," Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) told HuffPost. "Here we've got an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, and it's an important subject and the subject that he did his prior film on for HBO. And they put him in handcuffs and hauled him out of there. This is stunning."

"I found it ironic that there was not a flood of cameras there," noted Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.). "There was the one camera and then before that, the ABC camera ... if you have a camera there to bring the issue home to the public, that's a good thing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01...46971.html

[yellerpup]

And against the law. Shows how much influence the frackers have in Congress--evidently enough to dis the US Constitution completely.

[jaxx]

I'll be interested to see where this goes. From what the D-Miller said this isn't a first.....but arresting them is a first. The pubs need to be roasted in the media for this.

[NJMaverick]

(02-01-2012 09:18 PM)jaxx Wrote:  I'll be interested to see where this goes. From what the D-Miller said this isn't a first.....but arresting them is a first. The pubs need to be roasted in the media for this.

I think the GOP members involved should be impeached, not roasted in the media. Dirty back room deals by dirty back room players

[jaxx]

Just found this:

'Gasland' director Josh Fox after arrest: I've been blacklisted
By TALIA BUFORD | 2/1/12 4:27 PM EST

Moments after being released by the Capitol police on Wednesday afternoon, Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox told POLITICO that by arresting him at a committee hearing, Congress made it clear he is persona non grata on Capitol Hill.

"Basically, we were trying to comply with their rules and at every turn we were backed off," Fox said. "Here we are worried, 'Are we going to be blacklisted off the Hill?' and it looks like we already have been."

<..> Fox said he got in touch with a Science Committee staffer to see if he could appeal the decision directly to subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris (R-Md.), but that he never got a response, despite being promised one by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. So when he arrived at the hearing, Fox said he walked in and started setting up his tripod and began taping.

<..> Fox was charged with unlawful entry and released from police custody around 3 p.m. He must appear in D.C. Superior Court on Feb. 15.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/021...lA.twitter

[jaxx]

That would be even better Mav. Go against the oil peeps and they'll do anything to cover up the truth about what goes on.