Texas DPS Gathering More Crap
Remember the Department of Public Safety in Texas saying they found bags of feces at the Capitol during the demonstrations against restricting Texas women’s constitutional rights? And now nobody can find the feces or that it ever even happened or exisited?
Well, Baby, they ain’t finished yet.
Now they want your Twitter account.
AUSTIN — State police have demanded Twitter records from two users that officials allege made “terroristic threats” against lawmakers who pushed for abortion restrictions.
One targeted user, Denise Romano, an Austin woman with a private Twitter account, explains on her page that posts are “satirical.” The second user’s account is anonymous and was unused for more than a year before a string of tweets specified in the Texas Department of Public Safety probe.
In what appears to be an unprecedented move in Texas, law enforcement officials subpoenaed the Twitter users’ information in a criminal investigation.
“I haven’t heard of a tweet being used for the basis of a criminal case,” said Paul Watler, a Dallas-based First Amendment lawyer and a former president of the Texas Freedom of Information Foundation.
And who reported these tweets to the DPS? Oh, none other than Kristen Vander-Plas, former legislative director for College Republicans. She said the users’ tweets “made me nervous.” Woman, have your constitutional rights taken away ought to make you nervous, not some tweeter saying saying some sarcastic thing.
At least once a week I say that Ted Cruz needs to sneeze because his brain is dusty or needs a good whack upside the head. Get all nervous, Kristen.
I guess DPS is still looking for the crap.
Thanks to everybody for the heads up.
I bet nobody ever thought of posting a lady policeperson in women’s restrooms to examine contents of the thrones.
1Dear Kristen Vander Plas:
If “tweets” make you nervous. Honey, you need a therapist.
Having Rick Perry mandate you to have a transvaginal ultra sound should make you nervous.
Having to take a course in “Adoption” before you terminate a pregnancy…. should make you nervous.
Having a bunch of old white guys take control of your reproductive organs….. should make you nervous.
Tweets….. Good Grief Girl. Get a Grip.
2Something that makes me nervous is the number of Open Carry protesters who march up and down the streets of Texas cities small and large with their automatic and semi-automatic weapons on display. What’s more dangerous: a couple of pissed-off women writing tweets or a bunch of gunslinging wannabes showing off their wares and daring law enforcement to “come and take it”?
3Anyone heard of Gilberton, PA? I used to live close to that little hick town. Well, if tweets make poor little Kristen nervous, she should take a look at the videos coming out of Gilberton. Maybe they won’t make her nervous, but this Kessler character sure is a hell of a lot more dangerous than any little ole tweet, and all he got, so far, was a thirty day suspension without pay.
4I swear to the all knowing God that all of this is going to make one helluva movie! It will probably become a classic like the Rocky Horror Show or Animal House! Oscar winner, not! Unless the Academy comes up with a new category like Most Idiotic Movie Portrayal of Idiots.
5Republicans furnishing bags of their own crap to show as proof wouldn’t surprise me. Goodness knows, they have enough and have been spreading it around for years. Lying is just too easy for them.
6An unused account suddenly has “terroristic threats” after a year? Sure sounds like DPS hacked into someone’s account to generate some “feces”.
7Yet more evidence that radical righters live in a self-imposed environment of constant fear.
8Great news. DPS backs up again.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Texas Department of Public Safety Agrees to Withdraw Subpoena Related to Twitter Account
Austin, Texas –August, 1, 2013 –
We are pleased to report that we have received confirmation from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) that the Administrative Subpoena seeking information, documents and records related to Denise Romano’s Twitter account (@deniseromano) has been officially withdrawn by DPS, and that the matter concerning Ms. Romano is closed.
We are pleased that DPS agreed to our request to withdraw the subpoena, and that we were able to work informally and cooperatively to get this matter resolved without the need for time consuming and costly litigation.
Ms. Romano wishes to express her deeply felt gratitude for the enormous outpouring of support and offers of assistance. Her recent limited internet activity was necessary so that we could focus on addressing the subpoena through the appropriate channels. We appreciate your patience while we did so. Now that the subpoena has been withdrawn and the matter closed, we will be able to work to respond to the messages we received.
Communications may be directed to Ms. Romano, at denisedowntown@yahoo.com or her attorney, although regretfully, at this time, Ms. Romano’s health prevents her from being able to participate in telephonic or in person interviews or communications.
We commend Twitter on its commitment to protecting user information and content.
Thank you for your continued support.
Ms. Romano’s Attorney:
9Michelle M. Kostun
Law Office of Michelle Kostun 700 Lavaca, Suite 1400 Austin, Texas
The faux “First Amendment/Free Speech” crowd is now concerned about tweeting? (Puh-leese)
And the faux “NSA is Illegally Spying on US” crowd combs through tweets looking for “proof”? (Shame, shame!)
And then, “terroristic”? (Not even a word.)
Pay attention folks. Its only going to get worse. This IS the Politics of Distraction. And we’re going to see ALOT more like this before election time!
10Sunshine is a good disinfectant. The DPS has dropped the subpoenas for these twitter accounts after the warrants became public information and people started laughing at the DPS http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/DPS-drops-subpoena-for-Twitter-users-4701124.php
The Texas Department of Public Safety has withdrawn a subpoena for information on two Twitter users involved in a terroristic threat investigation against lawmakers who pushed for abortion restrictions.
The two users — Denise Romano of Austin and Michael Mayer of New York — learned that the request submitted July 25 had been dropped at around 1 p.m. Thursday.
“We have been notified that the subpoena we previously sent you has been withdrawn. We have not disclosed any of your account information, and consider this matter closed,” an email Mayer received from the Twitter Legal team states.
11Texas republicans sure act like paranoid children!
12Kristen Vander-Plas said the users’ tweets “made me nervous.” JJ, what makes her nervous is the constitutionally protected right of free speech. It sounds like she thinks it should be shut down and stamped out at all costs.
What also makes these folks really terrified is an educated, informed, THINKING public. They’d rather the “common people” were ignorant and followed the “leaders.” It’s been done before and they are trying to do it again.
Distributing knowledge and educating the masses were a major cause for the Reformation in the 15th Century. For the first time, movable type and printing in the vernacular (rather than just Latin) made learning more accessible. It threatened the power of religious and political authorities which were in the habit of dictating their will to the people.
They hadn’t had to be sneaky, they just withheld knowledge. Today’s wannabe autocrats and despots use misdirection, hate, and fear to sway the unwary to back bills to whittle away their rights, defund their education and healthcare, and deregulate safety measures in the workplace. They want to go back to “money is power.”
One thing they forget is that in 1793, the people of France decided they’d had enough of that attitude and not only rebelled, they violently overthrew the government, executed many, and completely changed the form of government in that country. They think the ladies in the gallery of the Texas State Legislature were unruly? What do they think will happen when the dam breaks like this?
13The DPS takes their lead from the director. Their lies about “Poo-Gate” and their mishandling of this incident show once again that Rick Perry appointees are there purely on the basis of being his supporters and not on the basis of ability.
14@SusanF: I agree with you, and I’ve been saying for awhile now that the French Revolution is a good model for the way our society is moving. Before the revolution it was primarily the 3rd Estate who paid taxes: peasants, the middle class (merchants) and workers. Royalty, the aristocracy, and the clergy were exempt from paying taxes. It was a bit more complicated, but that’s it in a nutshell. Sound familiar? And the French peasants, etc., had only rocks and farm implements to fight with. Today, in the US, they have guns.
15One correction: the storming of the Bastille, the beginning of the revolution, was in 1789. The king was beheaded in 1792, the queen in 1793. A whole lot of the 1%-ers went to the guillotine too!
@SusanF: Excellent. As a friend of mine said: “A guillotine is very easy to make and operate!”
16FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Texas DPS Creates Special Squad to Investigate Excrement, Sedition
August 1, 2013 – The Texas Department of Public Safety today announced that it is consolidating investigations into excrement confiscated from demonstrators in the state’s capitol building with ongoing investigations into individuals who make disloyal and seditious statements against leading Texas public officials.
The Multiagency Yearlong Alien and Sedition Squad (MYASS) will be led by a foreign law enforcement veteran who recently joined the DPS, Inspector Jacques Clouseau. In tribute to Inspector Clouseau’s French heritage, some within the agency have already nicknamed his new police group “The Merde Squad.”
Further public information and announcements about the the acts of purported abortion rights demonstrators during the July special legislative sessions will be under the strict control of MYASS. According to the newly appointed Inspector Clouseau, “Ze media coverage of zis event has interfered wiz ze work of ze gendarmerie. Zis orifice of mizinformation must be closed. We cannot allow zese rumors and innuendoes to continue to dribble out …”
17@UmptyDump: No more calls, Ladies and gentlemen! We have a winner!! (Priceless!!)
18Remember the IRS tempest in a teapot? Well let me suggest that this one is worse. What are the odds that an “investigation” of twitter rants directed at Wendy Davis will turn up hundreds of terroristic threats? I can all but guarantee that. What are the odds that the Texas DPS looked into even one? I predict zero. Did the Texas DPS do the political bidding of one political party in this case?
19These dipsticks can’t pass a bill to fund roads in this state because they are too busy looking for tweets dealing with “feces”? They are all nut jobs and need to be dealt with under a Nurse Ratched.
20According to the newspapers, republicans complain there are “hundreds” of unqualified people taking advantage of food stamps. Their remedy is to deny foodstamps to five million people in poverty, throwing an awful lot of babies out with very little bathwater. Meanwhile welfare for the rich goes on unchallenged. Want to build a megamansion on the coast, at risk of being washed away by the next Sandy or Katrina? The federal government will help pay to insure it. Own a few hundred acres of land and want to add a small lake or pond? The government will help pay for it. Your a real estate developer wanting to develop land in a flood plain? Get your congressman to contact the Army Corps of Engineers. They can turn a wetland into a levee contained storm sewer, at taxpayer expense, no problem.
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