Below is my column in the California Post and the New York Post on the bizarre conspiracy theory recently pushed by Rep. Ted Lieu (D., Cal.) in a House committee hearing. He is the latest Democrat who appears to hate disinformation . . . except his own.
Here is a slightly expanded column:
Years ago, Rep. Ted Lieu (D., Cal.) demanded that “Facebook should do more internally to regulate fake news and point out fake news.” This week, he finally made his case for such private censorship. Lieu went full conspiracy theorist during a congressional hearing this week, leaving many gobsmacked. Lieu’s rave about the alleged murder of a child made the National Inquirer look like the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
In an age of rage, Lieu knows that you must go louder and bigger to be heard above the mob. Facts are now passé and Lieu is known for sensational claims like claiming that “Trump is broke.”
At a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Epstein files, Lieu won the race to the bottom with his colleagues in making outrageous, unsupported claims. It was a moment reminiscent of the recent face-planting by Rep. Ro Khanna (D., Cal.) in disclosing the names of powerful men shielded by the Administration in the scandal. (Four had no connection to Epstein).
He suggested that Trump not only abused a minor, but that she was later bumped off to keep her from speaking. What Lieu does not inform the public is that his blockbuster disclosure was based on the unverified account of an anonymous man, who worked as a limo driver in 1995.
The bizarre account claimed the driver picked up Trump and overheard him on the phone with someone called “Jeffrey” and made references to “abusing some girl.” The driver said that he wanted to pull over and “hurt[] him”.
Driver Dan Ferree has self-identified as the source referenced by Lieu.
Ferree reportedly has posted hundreds of politically anti-Trump and extreme memes to his Facebook account, including a recent image of Trump in what appears to be a casket. He has also reportedly claimed that he was stalked by Trump associates.
In a defamation case, Ferree would be difficult to pass off as a credible source for a publication. The use of such sources is a familiar tactic in Washington. During the Chandra Levy scandal, politicians and pundits piled on Rep. Gary Condit (D., Cal.) as the presumptive murderer of the congressional intern. The source cited by Vanity Fair’s Dominick Dunne turned out to be a “horse whisperer” in Dubai who said that he had heard Condit arranged for her murder. (Condit was later cleared in the case).
Ferree is only marginally better than a horse whisperer as a source of Lieu. Ferree told the FBI that he met a young girl who told him she had been raped by Trump and Epstein at a “fancy hotel.” He claimed that the young girl was later found with her head “blown off.” He said that, while the officers at the scene thought it was murder, the coroner later ruled it a suicide. There was no proof of such a case.
It appears that Lieu knew or suspected that the source of the allegation was unhinged or unreliable because he later re-posted only two of the three pages of the statement to the FBI. The third page included other bizarre claims about the Oklahoma City Bombing and a drunk Hillary Clinton.
Lieu decided it was best to withhold the third page and the details of a raving, drunken Hillary Clinton and an effort to frame an innocent man for the Oklahoma bombing. It seems that he was not aggrieved that the FBI did not investigate that part of Ferree’s allegations.
Nevertheless, at an earlier event, Lieu declared:
“Why are Republicans so interested in Bill and Hillary Clinton? It’s because they’re trying to distract from the fact that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files thousands and thousands of times. In those files, there’s highly disturbing allegations of Donald Trump raping children, of Donald Trump threatening to kill children.”
What is striking is how so many politicians supporting the crackdown on disinformation on the right are purveyors of such disinformation. From the Russian conspiracy hoax to the flogging of migrants by Border agents, members and the media have regularly spread false accounts with impunity. It is not considered disinformation if it appears on BlueSky or MS NOW.
The intentional omission of the third page of the allegation puts this disinformation effort in a particularly menacing light. This was not some hair-triggered posting that failed to research the underlying story. This was a knowing effort to later re-post the sensational allegation while removing a third of the document that undermined the credibility of the source.
Indeed, while questioning why the FBI (including during the Biden Administration) failed to pursue this allegation, Lieu left out the part indicating that the source was utterly unreliable.
As an impeachment manager, Lieu condemned Trump over his “exhortations [and] the President’s sustained disinformation. We’ve seen a president stoking fears amidst these crises.” He demanded that Trump be removed from office based on that allegation of disinformation and inflammatory rhetoric.
Lieu knew that in our post-truth political environment, it really does not matter if an allegation is untrue. He is feeding a rage addiction among voters who ache for a steady stream of such outrageous claims. He is part of a trend that I have called the “new Jacobins” in Rage and the Republic, establishment figures who are pandering to the mob in seeking to ride the wave of rage back into power.
It was not long ago that Democrats and the media tore into members suggesting that the Clintons were involved in the suicide of key aide Vince Foster. The difference is that there was an actual body in that base. Lieu shows little concern over spreading a conspiracy theory based on an unestablished death raised by a driver who coupled his allegations with other wild claims about Hillary Clinton and the Oklahoma bombing.
It has long been accepted that “politics ain’t beanbag,” but Lieu shows that it is now simply bonkers.
Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the author of the New York Times bestselling “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”
Another bizarre conspiracy developing? Democrat super lawyer behind Russia collusion dossier now sees Iran interference intel as ‘big lie’
“Marc Elias and other Democrats pushed baseless Trump-Russia collusion claims in 2016. Now they are denying that Iran sought to meddle in the 2020 and 2024 elections to hurt Trump.”
“A cadre of Democrats — led by former Hillary Clinton campaign general counsel Marc Elias — and other Trump opponents soon sought to deny that Iran had meddled in the U.S. presidential elections of 2020 and 2024 in an effort to undermine Trump’s candidacies, despite even the Biden Administration intelligence community and Justice Department saying that is what the Iranian regime had done.”
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/steele-dossier-pusher-marc-elias-claims-irans-anti-trump-efforts-2020-and
Trump is a kiddy diddler and nothing MAGAs will say can make that fact go away.
Yeah, you wold be wrong.. Facts help.
Now Bill boy Clinton is another story
That “fact”? Hilarious.
Your facts are based off some guy with TDS, is not credible source, has some pretty wild ideas of the OK City Bombing and a drunk HRC?
Sure you want to base your “facts,” on that?
Hillary may have been drunk at Wellesley or Yale, or while summering in the Bay Area, or when Chelsea married the crooked Congresswomen’s son. But that’s not the equivalent of the OK City bombing.
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Epstein was a convicted social progressive in liberal club. Lieu spews, recycles handmade tales. Abort, sequester, and bray no more.
n.n spews, recycles handmade tales
Thank GOD the court of Opinion cannot be used to
Hang anyone
The donkey/rinos would fill all the
Land of the free
We the people would hang every last
RAT on the FACTS ROCKET MAN
FOUND WITH
DOG-E
Handmade tales. All’s fair in lust and abortion.
Come On Man! Dems don’t need no stinkin facts! Hysteria and presentation of opinion as FACT are all the Red Meat that is needed to spin up the ANTIFA and Socialist Loving Base! Facts muddle the fury and insanity that is needed to bring chaos to the streets and then blame ORANGE MAN BAD!!!! Trump Derangement Syndrome only works when you tell low IQ Dem voters just enough fake information to spark them to burn their own communities! Burn Baby Burn!
The problem is that Trump is a chronic liar and a sexual predator so he has no credibility what so ever except to those who belong to the MAGA cult and believe anything he says regardless of the facts. Why did he resist the opportunity to release the Epstein files in their entirety? He even lied about the letter he wrote to Epstein and their secret which was probably raping underage girls. The Trump administration says that individuals are members of gangs based on being Venezuelan. Trump lies about Iran and has the armed forces executing people in small boats who may or may not be drug runners. Trump’s history of walking in on underage girls in beauty contests, his own words about what he likes to to do to women ( said to Billy Bush) and the numerous women ( more than 28 ) who have alleged sexual allegations against him make him the the least credible person. Mr. Turley should write a column about Trump’s lies.
I’m fine with Turley, or anyone else, writing articles about Trump’s lies. However, I am not fine with people—such as yourself—speculating that Trump probably raped underage girls without any evidence to support such claims. Doing so is tantamount to lying, which you rightly believe is wrong. Hoisting yourself on your own petard is not a persuasive strategy.
What you going to do about it? Nothing, you can’t.
Trump backs up his statements with his name and reputation. You don’t.
Trump, Oklahoma City Bombing, and a drunken Hillary Clinton. One out of three ain’t bad by today’s standards. There’s some proof of the third allegation.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D., Cal.) = Poster Child of Bipolar Disorder
I wish. Everything is a means to an end for dems. No principles or even awareness of the ideas that control them.
THAT is what has Gigi/Natasha all riled up? I was half kidding when I mentioned the Blue Anon conspiracy theory the other day, but now we see what Gigi/Natasha is claiming to be evidence is some guy who by all accounts appears to be mentally unstable?
And this Congressman thought it would be a good idea to repeat it? But then leave out some key details in the third page?
Wow.
So you’re saying Lieu came to this blog, happened to read your comment, and then made headlines with it. Sure pal. Lay off the stuff.
I said no such thing. You are making things up again. Just like your other Blue Anon conspiracy theories.
Well, to be fair it was MAGA’s love of conspiracy theories that led to the Epstein files scandal and the ongoing speculation and claims of coverups. Lieu is just adding what MAGA has been doing for years.
Turley forgot to mention that the allegation comes from an FBI report a 302 form often used to record certain claims that have not been verified or corroborated. Turley used similar FBI 302 reports to float allegations of former president Biden accepting bribes.
X just cannot say that what Ted Lieu did is bad. X, you are a creep. Funny that this clown also blames Trump for the release of the files that Dems, and a few Reps, demanded.
X is a creep? What does that make you? Guessing a troglodyte.
Hullbobby, “cannot say”? Sure I can. It’s free speech isn’t it?
Ted Lieu is just pointing out what an FBI report stated. He did not claim it is true. It might be.
MAGA demanded the release of the files and Trump promised he would. Heck Kash Patel and Bongino were BIG supporters of the Epstein files being released in their entirety….until they started working for Trump.
So what is bad about saying what is on an FBI report? It’s true that it IS in an FBI report. Isn’t it?
Well, after consideration, I want to ask. You got those FBI reports in your possession? No? Oh, then your comments are nothing but fantasy.
X, you still didn’t say that he was wrong to say such things. You are part of the problem.
And what is the problem? You attacking commenters, screaming at them, calling them liars, parasites etc…. That the problem?
GSX, or George Svelaz X, is a serial liar who has used many names because his lies have accumulated to such an extent that he needed a name change. The unfortunate thing is not that X is stupid, a liar, and brain-dead, but that so many Democrat leaders are like him. That is worrisome. Anti-American Democrat leaders continue to try and destroy America.
S. Meyer,
I think it has to do more with they lie, we know they lie, they know we know they are lying but they do it anyways knowing full well their Democrat voters will not question the lie, just blindly believe it, and repeat it. Just look at some of the responses by the anonnys and the slow and dumb one.
Look up sophistry in your Funk and Wagnalls.
Oh oh, george is in. Turley, Turley, Turley…. Obviously he’s living rent free in your head. You should evict him. Start by knowing that Turley writes opinion columns. Know what that is?
Odd way of putting it. Was there not conspiracies at play with Epstein? Concern for pedo activity and pedo rings is a subculture that has non-political concerns so anytime something suspicious is put into public domain you’ll have keen interest into it. Just doing what the other side has been doing for years opens republican party up to be doing pretty much anything however some limiting would be nice. The dems have no rules they hold themselves to and it always ends up going into well someone else did this so it’s justified. Resistance and hate of things is the major unifying force that binds the democratic party together. This is more of a comment. No need to respond…can already guess what it’ll consist of.
Turls hits high gear in Epstein files deflection. Trump has operation epstein fury…, Turley rocks out his standard Roy cohn mud slinging tactics for straw man purposes.
Trump and Turley. Two peas in a pod.
Please explain why the Biden Admin took no action on Trump.
My guess is the AIPAC money. Then the SCOTUS piled on in their effort to make Trump immune and beyond prosecution.
Perhaps the lowest moment of the Biden admin was in not using immunity in their favor after the ruling came down. They should’ve used it to get Trump tried in D.C. rather than FL on his espionage charges. To let Cannon have control of that case was travesty. Ditto letting the SCOTUS dictate to Colorado that Trump should be on the ballot.
The judicial system couldn’t have f’d up any more than it did in dealing with trump under Biden.
Yeah, that’s why they took no action against him. Not for the obvious reason that not even one, so called victim, has accused Trump of doing anything illegal, or has even connected him in any way at all to Epstein island. But yeah, your reason is probably right.
Have you squashed the data so badly you’re permanently stuck on stupid? Trump has been accused multiple times, paid women off, been adjudicated a sexual abuser. But hey, you be you with the ignorance.
Are you forgetting your own troll posts?
Just to educate you, sexual assault is a state crime. If there have been credible accusers, why no criminal charges?
Turls= sign of inanity. Insanity that can’t afford the s.
Now that is really deep stuff.
Slobby, I legit feel sorry for you.
I’m retired, my wife is retired and we live with our blue state money in a sunny red state, so no need to feel sorry for me.
Ted Lieu and AOC in 2028!
Agreed. The team that cares.
Nobody’s believing Democrats anymore. And the mad mad left are relatively few. So what are they doing? They’re appealing to their donors – criminals, anti-Americans, and America haters. It’s not about constituents, it’s about donor dollars.
Believes? I do. And so do you. You believe that they all are consummate liars.
At least ole Ted keeps the presses rolling. Entertainment American style. Lieu did not create the controversy, he simply repeated what he heard for political effect. How does that make him a liar? In your case, making those accusations makes you the lair. You have no proof other than your limited intelligence.
Question of the day from Anonymous, how does repeating a lie make one a liar. This is the level of discourse by today’s graduates.
This is the level of discourse from today’s geriatric nursing home crowd. You go dude!
And change you’re diapers regularly.
HullBobby,
Well said.
Decrying misinformation and then spreading misinformation would be another example of discourse by today’s graduates.
so when do the Republicans get around to the retribution part?
Democrats jailed Republicans by the 1000’s and worked to Destroy the lives of millions more!
Got any credible facts to support that conspiracy theory?
Ted Lieu is a liar. That is clear. That is obvious. Ted Lieu is also a worm, the lowest form of humanity. In other words, Lieu is the perfect Democrat politician. He is extremely low intelligence, but is a rabid partisan bomb-thrower. That’s all that matters for today’s Democrat party. John F. Kennedy’s Democrat party is dead. Lying Ted Lieu is dancing on its grave.
At least ole Ted keeps the presses rolling. Entertainment American style. Lieu did not create the controversy, he simply repeated what he heard for political effect. How does that make him a liar? In your case, making those accusations makes you the lair. You have no proof other than your limited intelligence.
Lieu is just pointing out what was said in an FBI report. MAGA loves conspiracy theories. They live for them.
You sound like a conspiracy theorist, without the theory.