QuoteGlenn Beck Sued for Defamation Over His '212 3B' Boston Marathon Bombing Conspiracy Theory
SUBMITTED BY Kyle Mantyla on Monday, 3/31/2014 11:42 am
Following the bombing at the Boston Marathon last year, Glenn Beck went on a personal crusade to prove that the Obama administration was engaged in a massive cover-up of the role that an al Qaeda operative played in the attack and was doing so for the benefit of the Saudi Arabian government.
Beck infamously gave the US government three days to come clean about the cover-up before he exposed it on his network. When those three days passed, Beck launched into a full-scale campaign to prove that Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi, who was injured in the bombing, was actually an al Qaeda "control agent" and the "money man" who financed the operation and recruited the Tsarnaev brothers to carry it out.
Beck's theory rested on the fact that Alharbi had once been considered a "person of interest" during the investigation but was quickly cleared. Beck's network received information during the investigation that Alharbi "was set to be deported under section 212 3B" for "terrorist activities" and it was upon that piece of information that Beck built his entire campaign, as he spent days hammering away, challenging everyone to disprove his theory and warning that they would only discredit themselves if they tried to do so.
Eventually, Beck's crusade came to a grinding halt when he brought a former INS special agent onto his program to bolster his theory but, instead, watched as Bob Trent blew a hole right through it by pointing out that the 212 3B designation and Beck's entire timeline "doesn't make sense."
After that, Beck more or less abandoned the issue, though he continued to personally believe in his original conspiracy and mention it from time to time.
And now, nearly one year later, Beck and his company are being sued by Alharbi for defamation and slander:
Glenn Beck defamed on his radio show a Middle Eastern victim of last year's Boston Marathon bombing as a criminal participant in it, the man claims in Federal Court.
Abdulrahman Alharbi sued Beck, The Blaze Inc., Mercury Radio Arts and Premiere Radio Networks for defamation and slander.
Alharbi describes himself in the 6-page lawsuit as "a 20-year-old student who was a spectator at the Marathon and was injured in the bombing. Mr. Alharbi, like many others, was questioned by federal authorities investigating the events of that day. Those authorities also, with his permission, searched his apartment. The responsible officials quickly concluded that Mr. Alharbi, other then being injured in the attacks, had no involvement in the attacks. Many news outlets reported the facts of the search of an apartment and that authorities had questioned a man of Middle Eastern descent. When the authorities concluded that Mr. Alharbi had no involvement, reports ceased. The defendant Glenn Beck, with the active participation of the distributor defendants, repeatedly and falsely identified Mr. Alharbi as an active participant in the crimes that were committed on April 15, 2013, repeatedly questioned the motives of federal officials in failing to pursue or detain Mr. Alharbi and repeatedly and falsely accused Mr. Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks that took place at the Boston Marathon. Those statements were made widely and publicly. The statements were false and did grave injury to the plaintiff."
Beck, The Blaze and Mercury Radio all are based in Texas, defendant Premiere in California. Beck's show is owned by Blaze and its corporate parent Mercury, according to the complaint.
The complaint adds: "Beck falsely accused Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks that took place at the Boston Marathon.
"On or about May 8, 2013, and at repeated and diverse times thereafter, Beck stated that Alharbi was the 'money man' who had funded the attacks at the Boston Marathon.
The statements made by Beck were false."
Alharbi says he has "received numerous messages ... based on Beck's statements accusing him of being a murderer, child killer and terrorist."
He seeks punitive damages for defamation with malice.
- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/glenn-beck-sued-defamation-over-his-212-3b-boston-marathon-bombing-conspiracy-theory#sthash.R8W9JEfn.dpuf
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/glenn-beck-sued-defamation-over-his-212-3b-boston-marathon-bombing-conspiracy-theory
Are they going to make him cry?
I hope that Beck has to pay big time punitive damages, but then the wing nuts will simply blame "activists judges" so public opinion will stick with beck..at least those who lean right.
Nice. Someone go after Limbaugh now.
Someone has to set court precedent. If Beck falls it may well open the flood gates. :clap:
Let us prey it happens. Amen! Did Freddy Mercury say that? He! He! Solitary
Quote from: AllPurposeAtheist on April 01, 2014, 09:32:33 PM
Someone has to set court precedent. If Beck falls it may well open the flood gates. :clap:
...and make TV even more boring as a consequence. We need clowns on TV. And they can't afford me.
Good. I think until an official statement is made it is irresponsible and dickish (to put lightly) to say, on national television, that some innocent guy MUST be a terrorist and tar his name like that. Now, if Alharbi was actually convicted of... anything... then yeah, I could see some leeway in that. But until their is an official case made against him... you are just going 100% speculation at the cost of someone's quality of life.
Quote from: Shiranu on April 02, 2014, 12:26:55 AM
Good. I think until an official statement is made it is irresponsible and dickish (to put lightly) to say, on national television, that some innocent guy MUST be a terrorist and tar his name like that.
Dickish is the euphemism of the year.
It's a premeditated crime, and in this case organized crime!
QuoteNow, if Alharbi was actually convicted of... anything... then yeah, I could see some leeway in that. But until their is an official case made against him... you are just going 100% speculation at the cost of someone's quality of life.
Character assassination is an American cottage industry.
I'm no lawyer, but it sounds to me like he might have a case.
Glenn Beck is as slimy as they come. He'll find a way to evade justice somehow.
I want to read the headline that says "Glen Beck raped with a cactus and strangled with barbed wire." Such is my love for the man.
Quote from: stromboli on April 02, 2014, 05:35:59 PM
I want to read the headline that says "Glen Beck raped with a cactus and strangled with barbed wire." Such is my love for the man.
Well.... I'd feel bad for the cactus. :redface:
Quote from: stromboli on April 02, 2014, 05:35:59 PM
I want to read the headline that says "Glen Beck raped with a cactus and strangled with barbed wire." Such is my love for the man.
You're forgetting Beck would enjoy that. Now forcing him to drink crystal Draino then him getting very slowwwwly run over by a steam roller... Well, that might not be as sexually stimulating.
in my days of ignorance I use to listen to glen beck. EW.
Yeah I hope he loses this case as he so deserves. Harassing this poor man and ruining his life for publicity is rotten. Well they are all rotten IMO.
Good. I hope the man wins. I don't care if you're far right or far left, these kind of people who make things up and report them need to be made to think twice and realize they effect someone's life and it's not right.
Quote from: stromboli on April 02, 2014, 05:35:59 PM
I want to read the headline that says "Glen Beck raped with a cactus and strangled with barbed wire." Such is my love for the man.
That would definitely anger some plant and agricultural alternative to PETA.
Its plant abuse
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