ABC News Producer Arrested Following Money Trail

"You're lucky I didn't knock the f..k out of you."
--Police officer overheard saying to ABC's Asa Eslocker in Denver

Fred Baron Being Shadowed in Denver by ABC?



UPDATES and additions to this story at DBKP.com: ABC News Producer Roughed Up, Arrested by Cops Following Money Trail.

ABC News is trying hard to escape the MSM's sleepwalking mode on the John Edwards' Scandal.

Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer, Asa Eslocker, as he and cameramen were attempting to videotape lobbyists and big donors--including from one report, Fred Baron--leaving a get-together at the Brown Palace Hotel today in Denver.

A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker's neck, then twisted the producers arm behind him to put on handcuffs.

...

Eslocker and his ABC News colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

[Background information: access over 100 DBKP stories on the John Edwards-Rielle Hunter affair, scandal and cover-up: John Edwards Love Child Scandal Library.]





ABC has apparently been shadowing Baron, among others, this week in Denver at the Democrat National Convention.

Baron brushed them off Tuesday.

Fred Baron, a wealthy Texas trial lawyer and former finance chairman for Edwards' presidential campaign, was seen Tuesday at a private luncheon for top party donors and key senators.

Baron, a longtime major contributor to Democratic candidates, would not answer questions from ABC News and walked away when he saw cameras.

The exclusive lunch was organized by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for its highest level donor group known at the Legacy Circle. It was one a series of VIP events Baron and other top donors have received throughout the convention from party officials, and which allow donors close access to members of Congress.

Today, it would seem ABC got too far down the trial lawyer money trail that is winding its way through Denver and Eslocker was arrested.

Trial lawyers are the Democrat Party's biggest group of contributors; collectively, the ATLA (American Trial Lawyers Association) flex their monetary muscle whenever there's a Congressman or Senator favoring tort reform, by pouring money in opponents' campaign coffers--most usually that opponent comes from the Democrat Party.

"Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit."

ABC News began running down the John Edwards money trail weeks ago; when ABC Producer, Brian Ross, confronted Edwards with what they had learned about the money trail to mistress, Rielle Hunter, that Edwards agreed to go on Nightline on August 8.

Whether its a trial lawyer TV ad begging viewers to remember if someone has ever wronged them or ABC News after trial lawyers and who their donations might benefit, the old saying still applies:

Follow the money.


by Mondoreb
images: dbkp file; abc news

Democrats in Denver: Twenty Dem Convention Jokes

Ten Jokes from the 2008 Democrat Convention
Ten Jokes from the 2004 Convention





Hillary Clinton's about to speak at the 2008 Democrat National Convention. With that in mind, we now present 20 Democrat Convention jokes: ten from Denver and ten from the 2004 Dem Convo in Boston.


---2008 Democrat Convention---



"The theme of the Democratic Convention is unity. Unfortunately they can't agree on how that works." --David Letterman



"Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will not be going to the Dem convo, yeah, having some problems. As you know he originally got in trouble for allegedly having an affair and lying about it, to which John Edwards said, 'That's illegal?'" --Jay Leno


"This Thursday, Barack Obama is gonna give his acceptance speech, and reportedly it's going to include performances by Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Yeah. And they say Obama's not black enough!" --Conan O'Brien


"Of course, Obama's supporters got him his usual birthday gift of gold, frankincense and myrrh." --Jay Leno


-----


"Well you know at the Democratic Convention this week in Denver, both Bill and Hillary will be speaking. Not to each other, of course." --Jay Leno

"Joe Biden is Barack Obama's running mate. Yeah nothing says change like a guy who's been in the Senate for 35 years" --David Letterman


"As you know, John McCain is an older, white-haired man who has been in the Senate for over twenty years, voted for the Iraq War, and said Barack Obama did not have the experience to be president. I'm sorry, that's our intro for next week when Joe Biden is on, I got confused." --Jay Leno


"Yeah, the Democratic Convention is in Denver, and security is tight out there, it is very tight, it's tighter than Nancy Pelosi's face." --David Letterman



"And Barack Obama now says he is open to offshore oil drilling. So, apparently, when he promised change, he was talking about his mind. I guess that's what that was." --Jay Leno


---Democrat 2004 Convention---


"The Democratic National Convention continued in Boston as rising star Barack Obama wowed the crowd with the best keynote address in recent memory. Obama was so impressive, the party's considering having him give John Kerry's concession speech." —Craig Kilborn




"John Edwards spoke at the Democratic Convention. He described John Kerry by saying, 'He's strong, decisive, and hogs the covers.'" —Craig Kilborn



"The Democratic National Committee released it's lineup of the politicians that will speak at the convention and Hillary Clinton is not on the list. But today Bill told her don't feel bad, none of his other women are speaking either." —Jay Leno



"Did you see any of that convention? Oh, my God. Wow! For that kind of excitement you had to go back to the Gore/Lieberman era." —David Letterman




"How many of you saw John Kerry's acceptance speech? It's the first time he's ever said 'I do' and didn't get any money." —Craig Kilborn


-----


"At the convention John Kerry showed up with all his Vietnam crewmates. And not to be outdone, next month at the Republican Convention George W. Bush is going to show up with all his college drinking buddies." —David Letterman



"Did you see John Edwards speaking? His speech was so dull that Teresa Heinz Kerry told him to shove it!" —David Letterman



"Edwards' speech was so good, when he finished, the delegates awarded him $80 million plus punitive damages." —Jay Leno



"The Democratic National Convention gets under way this week in Boston, which is tragically preparing for its turn at the national stage. By the way, all the security isn't to keep people out -- it's to keep people in during Hillary's speech." —Craig Kilborn



"The Kerry campaign said that John Kerry will show his softer side at the convention. You already see him and Edwards fondling each other. What, are they going to be spooning now?" —Jay Leno


Compiled by Mondoreb
Sources:
* Late Night Political Jokes