It takes a great deal for me to feel sympathy of Martin Shkreli, but the recent filing by the Justice Department has me wondering if he is not being treated unfairly due to this infamous reputation. The DOJ has asked for Shkreli’s bail to be revoked because he offered to pay anyone $5000 for a hair of Hillary Clinton. It was a stupid posting that Shkreli later said was “satire” but the DOJ insists that it makes him a danger to society. I do not agree. What it does (as with so much of the statements and conduct of Shkreli) is undermine his case before the Court. Indeed, in addressing any fine, the court could take that view that (if Shkreli views a hair worth $5000 of his money) the sky is the limit for a truly impactful fine.
While Shkreli gained infamy as a pharmaceutical executive due to his obscene price increase for the drug Daraprim, was actually convicted in August of three of eight fraud counts related to hedge funds he ran. He is free on a $5 million bail.
On Monday, Shkreli posted the following: “On HRC’s book tour, try to grab a hair from her,” Mr. Shkreli wrote, referring to Mrs. Clinton, who has a book scheduled to come out next week. “Will pay $5,000 per hair obtained from Hillary Clinton.” A few hours later, he said it was “satire” and, after speaking with his counsel, he proceeded to delete the posting.
Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto will hold a Sept. 14 hearing on the government’s motion. The DOJ argued that the posting shows that Shkreli, 34, is “a risk of danger to the community” and that there is a real chance that his followers will “take his statements seriously — as has happened previously — and act on them.”
The DOJ says that the posting encourages a criminal act and the Secret Service (which protects Clinton) has tried to interview him.
I do not see how a satiric posting qualifies as a bail violation, particularly after his later posting saying it was satire and then deleting the post.
Facing as much as 20 years in prison, Shkreli is toying with a court that holds his future in its hands. Yet, he seems incapable of controlling himself. Even after the motion, Shkreli decided it would be fun to taunt the prosecutors:
“Lol Hillary Clinton’s presumptive agents are hard at work. It was just a prank, bro!” . . . “Come at me with your hardest because I haven’t seen anything impressive yet.”
Yes, and this is a bail revocation hearing, Bro.
This man shouldn’t have made this offer. What people should is ignore this witch and hopefully she will just go away. The only reason she wants to appear to remain relevant is to cash in on her perceived social and political status. $1200 to attend a book signing in Toronto. If she were a republican, what would the response be from the msm?
I wonder if HRC had made that offer, how much trouble would she be in. Martha Stewart lies to an FBI agent and goes to jail. Director Comey reads a litany of reasons why HRC could be prosecuted, but decides not to go forward with it. All people are created equal, only some are more equal than others.
Plenty of room in Bedlam for him.
JT: the problem is, you are believing that the request for one of HRC’s hairs was satire. This is because of your anti-HRC bias. Look at the simple facts: she is the wife of a former President. She has Secret Service protection. This A-hole offered $5,000 to assault her: yanking one or more hairs from someone’s head without permission is assault. The A-hole is out on bail. He can’t even refrain from being an A-hole until the next Court hearing. He was told, as a condition for bail, not to break or attempt to break the law. Offering $5,000 to assault the wife of a former President is a violation of the law. He gets caught and then claims it was “satire”. Maybe he doesn’t know what satire is, but offering $5,000 to pull out one or more hairs from the head of the wife of a former President isn’t satire. Maybe you think the potential penalty is too stiff. Would you feel differently, if it was Laura Bush or Rosalynn Carter?
The world must be coming to an end. The planets must be colliding. For once, I actually agree with you. Completely. Now, if you could only use some of that same logic, that same wisdom, when President Trump is being threatened. When threats to blow up the White House are ignored. When bloodied replicas of Trump’s head are dangled for amusement. I know. . .I know. . .that transition from the dark side is a difficult one, but just apply the same rules and logic that you applied to Hillary and, instead, replace Trump as the potential victim. Not so difficult. You can do it.
>This A-hole offered $5,000 to assault her:
Where did you read that? He did not specify how to obtain it. One might try by asking, sharing the profit….
JT: the problem is, you are believing that the request for one of HRC’s hairs was satire. This is because of your anti-HRC bias. Look at the simple facts: she is the wife of a former President. She has Secret Service protection.
From 1975 until her death 19 years later, Jacqueline Onassis shlepped around Manhattan with NO security detail. It’s not as if she didn’t have troublesome people making themselves a nuisance for her. From 1968 to 1975 the only security she had was paid for privately by her husband. From 1986 until his death in 1994, Richard Nixon had NO security detail nor did his wife. That was their choice. Harry Truman, whom Puerto Rican nationalists tried to murder in 1950 (in an excapade that cost a DC police officer his life) lost his security detail the moment he left office; his wife got fed up with having suits around when he was in office and would not accept protection even as 1st Lady. Bilge has been out of office for 16 years. Why are he and Hilligula being tailed by federal employees 24/7? (Federal employees HRC is known to abuse).
What Michael Kinsley had to say 30-odd years ago remains true: “The brutal truth of the matter is that even if Lady Bird Johnson’s life were in danger, the functioning of democracy would not be disrupted”. Ronald Reagan did not need a security detail, he needed a berth in a memory care unit. As for Mrs. Johnson, the Fords, the Carters, Nancy Reagan, and the elder Bushes, it made no sense after a certain point in time. Give ’em 12 years and then pull it.
This is because of your anti-HRC bias.
Anyone with a lick of sense has an anti-HRC bias.
Shkreli reminds one of the attitude towards looters in photos of the aftermath of the S F earthquake. That’s where he belongs along with the CEOs of airlines. Flights out of Florida now are well over $5,000.
Jet Blue isn’t gouging. I don’t know about other airlines.
http://www.wcvb.com/article/jetblue-offers-dollar99-flights-out-of-florida-ahead-of-hurricane-irma/12187717
“JetBlue is offering $99 direct flights from every Florida city where it operates, the airline said on Wednesday, as people hurry to leave before powerful Hurricane Irma hits the state.
“The price cap through Sept. 10 is also in place for all of JetBlue’s Florida connecting flights, a maximum fare of $159 up to the last available seat, the company said.
“A search on JetBlue’s website showed many flights to Boston from Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Savannah, Georgia were already sold out ahead of the storm.
“A few seats on direct flights from Fort Myers were still available as of last check and flights to Worcester from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.
““We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights,” JetBlue spokesman Doug McGraw told Reuters.”
Hurray for Jet Blue!
JetBlue offers free wifi on its flights, most of which are of relatively short duration. Most anything else is extra, but who cares if you’re only up for an hour or so?
Aren’t there laws about profiteering during natural disasters?
I just looked it up and there are laws against price gouging in 34 states. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I agree with a CA law. Hold on. I need to recover for a bit. OK, here we go. In CA, it is against the law to raise prices more than 10% after an emergency has been declared. That should apply to airlines, as well.
It’s always seemed like war profiteering to me. There are arguments against such legislation, but a poor family should not go thirsty because they cannot afford $100 for a case of safe drinking water.
TX has a similar law, and there have already been 500 complaints of price gouging.
Shkreli appears to be one of those people who lack the fundamental requirements to coexist well in society – empathy, morality, and a basic concern for others. He may have some psychopathic tendencies, including an over inflated sense of self worth, a desire for attention, and getting pleasure from hurting others or at least causing them trouble.
No, I do not think his bail should be revoked over this. Yes, I do think this callous behavior should impact his sentencing.
If you put a $5,000 bounty on something, anything, someone is going to try to get it. That’s why they use rewards in the first place. And not everyone would content themselves with sneaking a stray hair off her coat when they shake hands. They’re not exactly going to have access to her hairbrush. So it is entirely likely that someone would have yanked her hair and hurt her, scared her, knocked her down. That is so wrong. And his request that someone “try to grab her hair” sounds like he would prefer the yanking method.
I hope no one tries this. No one should get hurt because of a disagreement over politics, or to amuse this smug antisocial thug.
Of course it’s just a joke, just satire, just a prank.
That’s the excuse du jour of America’s worst people these days.
He offered $5000 for Hillary Clinton’s hair. Let’s face it he knows how crazy people are. You don’t have to like Clinton, which I don’t, to know he is putting her in danger and he knew it. His bail should be pulled if this post violated his bail conditions.
I’m quite sure that his attorneys haven’t yet used this to excuse away his actions, but Shkreli’s eyes do not appear to be those of a normal individual. Yes, I’ve said it, and, no, I’m not trying to make fun of those with Down’s Syndrome, but his oddly shaped eyes are a giveaway. I’d run a test on him to see what’s up with this guy. Who wants to wager that he has an extra chromosome, or two, floating around?