Aide to Kamala Harris, 2 others accused of running rogue police force

[brooklynite]

Source: Los Angeles Times

An aide to state Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris and two others are accused of operating a rogue police force that claimed to exist for more than 3,000 years and have jurisdiction in 33 states and Mexico, authorities said Tuesday.

Brandon Kiel, David Henry and Tonette Hayes were arrested last week on suspicion of impersonating a police officer through their roles in the Masonic Fraternal Police Department, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Kiel, 31, has worked as the deputy director of community affairs at the California Department of Justice. An office spokesman declined to comment on the criminal investigation but said Kiel is on administrative leave.

Suspicions about the Masonic Fraternal Police Department -- whose members trace their origins to the Knights Templar -- were aroused when various police chiefs in Southern California received a letter in late January that announced new leadership for the group, sheriff’s officials said.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-aide-harris-accused-rogue-police-force-20150505-story.html

---

Presumably the letter was written in blood on parchment?

[jwirr]

1. There is a whole large opposition to the Masonic Lodges. I don't know that much about it but a

Last edited Wed May 6, 2015, 10:12 AM - Edit history (1)

friend is always talking about it. The one thing I got out of his talk is that they have been running the world through their members for about 3000 years. This is interesting in that if they were really arrested then someone thinks that problem has some substance to it.

Edited to add: Thanks to those of you who have added info. To me it just boils down to an organization that has been around a long time and has used its membership to influence where we are.

[Stargazer09]

3. Just a guess

The "Masonic Police Force" has nothing to do with the Masonic Lodge.

There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there about the Masons, but from what I know of them (my dad was one), they aren't nearly as powerful and violent as some people assume.

[Oktober]

17. Different kinds of power...

Not so much of the illuminati running the world type...

They can get you out of a DUI in the Army though...

[Stargazer09]

37. If I remember right,

Dad got out of a speeding ticket due to his Masonic ring, so I would not be surprised if they had helped someone get out of a DUI charge.

[Oktober]

42. Seen it up close...

Firefight in Afghanistan and this dude comes out of his hooch shit faced drunk in shorts and body armor. Attempts to try to order Afghans around in slurred gibberish.

Fight ends and I send up the report. Battalion dispatches a convoy that night to come out and get him and that was it.

He just went back to the rear and continued on his merry way. XO was his Mason buddy and in charge of discipline.

[tblue37]

38. The arrests seem to have been specifically for impersonating police officers--

badges, uniforms, guns and all--not because of the Masonic association. Anyone, Masonic or not, would have been nailed for such outrageous, and *dangerous*, vigilante behavior, such usurpation of police power and prerogatives.

[Stargazer09]

39. I know

I was mostly commenting on their choice for the name of their group.

[AngryAmish]

7. In the UK, there was a lot of problems with police corruption originating in Masonic Lodges

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/17/hillsborough-disaster-police-masonic-conspiracy

"Senior South Yorkshire police officers who were freemasons orchestrated a “masonic conspiracy” to shift the blame after the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, the inquests into the deaths of the 96 victims have been told.

Maxwell Groome, a constable at the time, said that after the disaster at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Sheffield Wednesday’s football ground, “the word” inside the force was that freemason officers held a meeting to blame superintendent Roger Marshall.

Groome said he heard that the meeting took place in portable cabins at South Yorkshire police’s area office, and was attended by Chief superintendent David Duckenfield, who had commanded the match.

Questioned by Michael Mansfield QC, representing 75 families whose relatives were killed at Hillsborough, Groome said he believed Duckenfield was “a grandmaster of a particularly influential lodge” – the Dore lodge in Sheffield."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/revealed-how-gangs-used-the-freemasons-to-corrupt-police-9054670.html

[MosheFeingold]

11. I've always liked the Masons

Much of my family were masons (and Jewish -- masons being the only large men's group that accepted Jews in Europe).

Christian lodge members were instrumental in helping Jewish members flee Germany pre-war by forging/obtaining visas/passports, etc.

So much so that the Nazis hunted them down equally with Jews, if not more so:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppression_of_Freemasonry#Nazi_Germany_and_occupied_Europe

[For Freddie]

29. US Police trained in Israel

The militarization of police depts. in the US come from their training in anti-terrorism in Israel. This is funded privately.
Investigative report on this can be found at:
revealnews.org/araticle-legacy/uspolice-get-antiterror-training-in-israel-on-privately-funded-trips or just Google "why are U.S. police being trained in Israel?

Israel is called "Harvard of anti-terroism". Some of this is sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.
The police in Ferguson were trained there.
Many other police departments in the US that demonstrate excessive force were also trained in Israel. Why? The Justice Department needs to do something about this.

Perhaps there is a connection with the Masons in this.
I come from of family of Scottish Masons going back eons.
I knew about the Jewish Masons also.

I sent this information to Black Lives Matter hoping someone can
get all of this into MSM and ask the questions that need to be asked.
One wonders if all of this was set up under Cheney.
Shalom Moshe, I wish we were all at Peace.

[MosheFeingold]

30. Little too tinfoily for me

The masons are just a fraternity, but take care of their members, regardless of religion.

I don't think it is relevant to what you are talking about.

[mainer]

2. I love wacko conspiracy theories

I wonder if these super-cop guys believe they're related to the "Sons of Jared"?

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/bb/enoch03a.htm

I suspect a group delusion, taken to extremes.

[AngryAmish]

8. Well, conspiracies out of Masonic lodges have happened.

The Young Turks plotted their overthrow of the Sultan in Masonic Lodges.

[hack89]

4. Here is the Masonic Fraternal Police Department website

http://masonicfraternalpolicedepartment.org/

[NuclearDem]

6. Was that website written by an eighth grader?

When asked what is the difference between The Masonic Fraternal Police Department and other Police Departments the answer is simple for us. We were here first! We are born into this Organization our bloodlines go deeper then an application. This is more then a job it is an obligation.

[mimi85]

18. Especially the last line....

"God Bless the United States of America!!!!!" Not the God Bless part (although that is annoying), but the FIVE exclamation points.

[951-Riverside]

20. Looking at their booking photos I'd say they're not the brightest bunch

Heres one of them standing at a police press conference wearing a top hat



I'd like to know how one became an aide to Kamala Harris. Could this be some kind of right wing setup/stunt?

Where is James O'Keefe?

[tblue37]

40. They look like people of perfectly normal intelligence in those booking photos. I

can't see any evidence of intellectual inadequacy in their faces or expressions. Their foolishness is manifested in their actions, not in their faces.

[PosterChild]

45. No kidding...

.... even if, for some reason they didnt appear "normal" such a comment would be out of place.

[NBachers]

46. They should be called Leon Russell Conspiracy

[crim son]

24. "Who We Are?"

WTF?

[951-Riverside]

33. The domain is only 6 months old and is registered to a shady looking print shop in Los Angeles

(Source: Google Street View)

Here's the company's website (which looks a lot like the MFPD website) http://www.postedprinting.com

Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com, LLC (R91-LROR)
Sponsoring Registrar IANA ID: 146
Registrant ID:CR180782659
Registrant Name:nelson alvarado
Registrant Organization:posted printing
Registrant Street: 5364 w. adams blvd
Registrant City:los angeles
Registrant State/Province:California
Registrant Postal Code: 90016
Registrant Country:US

http://whois.domaintools.com/masonicfraternalpolicedepartment.org

[mainer]

5. Since THEY actually approached police about their own organization...

it seems clear they don't think they've done anything wrong.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Are we sure they weren't just playing Dungeons and Dragons?

The coffee is brewing. Maybe I can make sense of this later.

[bemildred]

10. Let the Oppo-research wars begin. nt

[Jerry442]

12. The first loyalties of cops are to justice and to those that they protect and serve.

Well, they should be anyway.

Verbiage from these fraternal organizations is often bombastic. I hope there aren't people out there taking it more seriously than they should.

[Mr.Bill]

13. In today's world,

the first loyalty of cops is to other cops.

[vkkv]

14. It's obvious. Insane people exist at all levels of power and authority.. that seems fair.

So... what is so bad about a fair and living wage?

[Brother Buzz]

16. Why am I thinking Keystone Cops?

[derby378]

28. +1000

To protect and to serve on Labor Day. Near the barbecue grill.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

19. The Knights Templar were founded sometime after 1099

That's 900 years ago, not 3000

[Brother Buzz]

23. Correct, but....

in the same breath, they will tell you their authority comes directly from King Solomon.

[mainer]

36. That's why I think this is related to the "Sons of Jared"

which supposedly dates back thousands of years.

[Peace Patriot]

21. Wha-a-a-a-at?!

Off the top of my head...

a) All three (Kiel, Henry and Hayes) are African-Americans.

b) I don't understand what they're charged with. Belonging to a whacky organization? You could charge members of the Pentagon with that. Really, what did they do to get arrested and charged with crimes? I'm truly baffled by this.

c) Kamala Harris is a Democrat and a very ambitious one. She does not warm my heart at all. Still, i gotta wonder if somebody was out to make a fool of her.

d) Or out to make a fool of Brandon Kiel (who, as a deputy director of community affairs, for A.G. Kamala Harris, no doubt had much to do with relations with the black community at a time of heavy, murderous racism in police departments across the land). Is somebody out to get him? Or did he just make a dumb career move (say, associating with people inadvertently, or out of friendship, who were trying to do what whites have always done--form a secret handshake group for the sake of influence and advancement--and was unaware that their views are a bit strange)?

e) If...IF...this Masonic organization is for real (is not some sort of dirty trick), they're a secret and "false" police organization that sends a LETTER to the police soliciting for members???!!! (And please tell me, WHAT is the crime?)

f) As I said, Kamala Harris is one ambitious politician. What I sense about her is that she sees herself as president one day. She defends California's death penalty, for instance, and apparently thinks that that's cool. Are these absurd prosecutions prompted by her, to cover her ass in a politically embarrassing situation?

g) The L.A. Times article is very sketchy, uninformative and superficial. I wouldn't base any conclusions upon it at all. I can hardly believe its bare facts--that these three people were arrested for forming a Masonic organization. But presuming that that is true--the bottom line facts of the article--the reporter (Matt Hamilton) seems to be just a scribe for the "authorities." Where is the evidence of any effort to speak to the accused (or to Harris, for that matter)? Where is the line "calls were not returned" (or some such) in this article? Where is a quote from the attorney or attorneys representing these arrested people? All were immediately released, according to the article--so, why aren't they or their attorney(s) quoted? This was a very politically explosive arrest--not just any arrest--of a high-profile African American state official. Where is the effort to dig a bit deeper than what the Santa Clarita sheriff's department said they were investigating?

[951-Riverside]

22. This report has more details

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2015/05/05/group-claiming-to-be-descendants-of-knights-templar-arrested-for-impersonating-police-officers/

Judging by the moron wearing a top hat I'd say this is some kind of setup targeting top African American politicians to discredit them.



The press release from the LA County Sheriff's Department has a lot more details

On or about January 27th, 2015, letters from the “Masonic Fraternal Police Department” (MFPD) were sent via United States mail and were addressed to Chiefs of select law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California. The letters were sent to advise these Chiefs that “David Henry” had been elected as Chief of the MFPD, which immediately created suspicion and confusion within the law enforcement community.

Shortly after law enforcement agencies began receiving letters, many began receiving calls from an individual who identified himself as “Chief Deputy Director Brandon Kiel,” requesting meetings with each agency’s chief.

Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department began their involvement with this investigation when a meeting was scheduled with Captain Roosevelt Johnson of Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station. During Captain Johnson’s meeting with members of MFPD, his suspicions were aroused when they could not answer basic questions about MFPD’s jurisdiction and overall department mission. The group claimed that they were descendants of the “Knights Templar” and that their police agency had been in existence for 3000 years. Additionally, they claimed that MFPD had sovereign jurisdiction in 33 States and across the border in Mexico.

Detectives conducted a thorough investigation in collaboration with several law enforcement agencies and determined MFPD was not a legitimate police agency.

On April 29th, 2015, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detectives, deputies from Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau served search and arrest warrants in the 28000 block of Linda Vista Street and the 17000 Block of Sierra Highway, in the City of Santa Clarita Three individuals were arrested and identified as 46 year-old David Henry, 56 year-old Tonette Hayes, and 36 year-old Brandon Kiel. During the search of the above two locations, detectives recovered badges, identification cards, weapons, uniforms, police type vehicles and other law enforcement equipment.

Henry, a resident of Santa Clarita, was arrested for Perjury Under Oath and Impersonating a Peace Officer. He was booked at Santa Clarita Valley Station on April 30th, 2015 and is pictured wearing a plaid shirt.

Hayes, also a resident of Santa Clarita, was arrested for Impersonating a Peace Officer and booked at Santa Clarita Valley Station on April 30th, 2015. She is pictured wearing a black shirt.

Kiel, a resident of Los Angeles, was arrested for Impersonating a Peace Officer and Misuse of a Government Identification. He was booked at Santa Clarita Valley Station on April 30, 2015. He is pictured wearing a white shirt and grey suit.

Detectives believe these three suspects were attempting to deceive individuals in the community as to their status as law enforcement officials for a purpose yet to be determined. Investigators also believe there may be other individuals associated with this organization.

http://local.nixle.com/alert/5407807/

Either this is a setup targeting african american politicians or these people are fucking morons.

[Peace Patriot]

25. I'm not leaning toward the suspicion that they're just morons, yet.

This has the smell of some of the CIA's more moronic capers--for instance, sending Castro an exploding cigar, or sending a guy nicknamed Guido (Miamian with two jaguars in the driveway) with a suitcase full of $700,000 cash to try to entrap the leftist president of Argentina and the leftist president of Venezuela into a campaign contribution scandal. He took the money through customs at Buenos Aires airport, and got caught! Just dumb, clueless, in so many ways--but with high authority and well-funded.

Could someone (or someones) out to discredit African American and/or Democratic politicians be this dumb? Could the CIA? Could the Koch brothers? Could our own homegrown rightwing extremists?

Yes, yes and yes. So I'm waiting for an old-fashioned (real) reporter to find out what it is, and an old-fashioned (real) news organization to publish it. Could be small-time dumb-clueless. Could be big-time but they contracted the dumb and the clueless to carry it out. Could be big-time dumb and clueless.

Thanks for posting the second article. But it still makes no effort to contact these accused persons or their lawyers, or to dig any deeper than what the police investigators tell them. That just sucks. These three may be COMPLETELY INNOCENT of any crime, and even of stupidity. Their reputations are in tatters, probably for life, and we have yet to hear one word from them or their advocates in their defense (in these articles). They may be silent because they're guilty of something. Or they may be silent because they feel no hope of being treated fairly. (I believe this happened to former CA Sec of State Kevin Shelley--impossible to defend yourself when the entire political establishment, including the L.A. Times, wants to bring you down, in that case to protect Diebold!) Or they may not have been silent and reporters are not reporting it. What is clear is that the reporters made no effort to contact them before touting these accusations all over the news media, on the basis of a police press release--as if the police are to be trusted.

Do you trust the police? Do you trust D.A.'s, prosecutors, attorney generals? I don't. Not one bit. Not after what we've seen over just the last few months and years about justice for African Americans within our police and prosecutorial establishments. It doesn't exist. So why should it exist in this case? We must presume otherwise until THEY--the police, the prosecutors--prove themselves innocent--or, at the least, withhold judgement of the accused until we hear from them, or find out if there is some hidden motive or group behind this. What kind of secret, false police group would send letters out to police chiefs? I mean, come on. Yeah, it could be just a few idiots. But then it could well be something else--something bigger, something worse--and, if it is, we are not going to find out from a police department press release.

(Note: The top hat may be cultural. It is not inherently moronic. I wouldn't make any kind of judgement on that basis.)

[951-Riverside]

31. You may be right about the top hat

(file photo)

It worn by those designated as "Worshipful Master" within masonry but who knows why he was wearing it outside of ceremony.

Here is the same guy (David Henry) wearing the same hat at a Masonic ceremony inside of a baptist church in Watts California (Thanks to GAWKER for finding this)


Source:

Theres 3 possibilities here (IMO):

1. This is some kind of COINTELPRO/Right Wing smear campaign to infiltrate, target and discredit black democratic politicians. Kamala Harris and Maxine Waters seem to be the target of this.

2. These are just 3 dumbasses who wanted to play cop and it got out of hand.

3. You have a ring leader who conned 2 or more gullible people into his masonic police scam and it got out of hand when one of the marks (Brandon Kiel) started arranging meetings with real law enforcement. If this is the case I'm guessing the chubby tophat guy would the ringleader, it'll be interesting to find out if he has any convictions for fraud or is a felon. It's happened over (1) and over again

Right now i'm leaning towards 1 and maybe 3, I just don't see 3 middle aged African Americans being interested in impersonating police officers and doing it in such a blatant manner.

Its usually some kid who always wanted to be a cop but couldn't because of a criminal record going out in a crown victoria and pulling people over or some loser looking to rob people.

[Peace Patriot]

35. I'm more and more for no. 1, especially after looking at these photos.

This is just an intuitive reaction: These men look very intelligent, as well as savvy, successful, prosperous, pleased with themselves and happy to be together, and they have a sense of humor. Morons? No way.

Thanks for posting the photos!

Of course, someone can look intelligent, reliable and personable, and still be engaged in dubious or even criminal activities. So I'm keeping an open mind about no. 3. It might be one of them conned the others (or someone else did). I don't favor no. 2 (just some dumbasses). I hope a good independent investigator takes this one on, because of the good possibility that it's no. 1.

I still don't quite grasp what the crime is, to cause a police raid and arrests and charges, and police press releases. Impersonating a police officer seems very marginal as a crime, depending of course on why. (And the purpose of that--in so far as we know--was to further a Masonic group--not to harm anyone.) So does lying in the course of an investigation. You're not under oath when you're talking to the police. (It is THEY who are under oath, to preserve your right to be innocent until proven guilty--an oath they violate much too often.) All the charges seem flimsy and not worth the trouble, the cost, the wear and tear on the justice system, and the huge costs to the accused. They allegedly had "police type vehicles." Give me a break.

Seems trumped up. Smells. WHAT is going on here?

[951-Riverside]

32. Hmm! Kamala Harris is making a run for Senate

http://www.kamalaharris.org/


Is someone trying to make sure that doesn't happen?

Perhaps she has presidential ambitions.

[951-Riverside]

34. Okay this just got weirder. Heres a photo of him with Bill Clinton?

The rest of his photos from his rambling G+ page.

https://plus.google.com/109796381788058874402/posts/Gmar5drrwNN

[tblue37]

41. IF they actually *were* traipsing about with badges, uniforms, and *guns* presenting themselves as

LEOs, then the crime would be impersonating a police officer. And *if* they were doing so while armed, the implied power to coerce with force of arms would make it even worse if they ever took it upon themselves to confront or intimidate anyone. The article isn't as informative as it could be, but impersonating LEOs is not a minor transgression, so if they actually did so, their arrest was justified.

[arcane1]

26. This has definitely been the strangest news I've read all week.

[MuseRider]

27. Didn't Mitt Romney dress

up like a police officer, put a cherry top on his car and pull people over?

[petronius]

43. Note to self: when organizing my secret illegal police department,

do NOT send announcements (of any sort) to any real police departments. Damn, being a super-villain is gonna be trickier than I thought...

[AngryAmish]

44. The best part is he calls himself Grandmaster Henry X.

[Peace Patriot]

47. Kamala Harris' name is featured in virtually every headline...

...for this initial news story. Just did a cursory runabout of the internet to see if anybody had anything further on this story. And that's what stood out to me--Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris, Kamala Harris, often the first words of the title of the story.

Granted, this is probably the biggest news interest of the story so far, but then, news hit pieces and news dirty tricks are designed to utilize the weaknesses of news organizations--particularly corporate news organizations--such as going for the obvious sensational aspect of the story (no deep investigative reporting, no budget for it) or owner/editorial prejudice--often against liberals, leftists, protestors against war or poverty or 0.01%-er grand theft, socialists, New Deal Democrats, labor unions, etc.--so that members of the news organization who want to get ahead (or just keep their jobs) write headlines, and pick news stories or aspects of news stories, that serve those prejudices (often doing that unthinkingly, in my opinion--the prejudice becomes automatic as they rise through the organization).

I know this from following news stories very carefully over long periods of time. Two examples that stand out are corporate news treatment of Hugo Chavez, the late president of Venezuela--a prejudice that became so absurd that almost anyone with a brain noticed it--and corporate news treatment of Julian Assange (corporate picked up that he is a 'sex offender' and a 'rapist,' though no such charges have ever been filed against him, and have repeated it time and again, in every corporate news article about Assange, without the slightest skepticism--although it seems obvious to a lot of people, including me, that that entire 'meme' was a news dirty trick, more than likely set up by the CIA; guaranteeing serious slander against Assange, in most peoples' minds, likely for the rest of his life).

We've all seen it in political campaigns--for instance, the Swiftboat Liars against John Kerry in 2004. (Not so well known--there was also a news dirty tricks war on former CA Secretary of State Kevin Shelley--perhaps the most honest human being ever to hold public office--to slander him with false 'corruption' charges and drive him from office, in 2004, after he showed signs of going after Diebold in a serious way.)

Is this a political dirty trick? I think it's very likely that it is. I don't have the investigative ability to dig into it. I hope someone does.

Here's an interesting version of the Kamala Harris headline in this case:

"Aide of Indian-American Kamala Harris Arrested"
http://www.ndtv.com/diaspora/aide-of-indian-american-kamala-harris-arrested-761091

An "Indian-American," eh? Could the subliminal mean that only an "Indian-American" (i.e., dark-skinned person) could have hired a black man with such poor judgement as this--forming a fake police force and sending letters about it to real police agencies? (--if that's what happened; I'm not trusting much about this story).

I have no particular love for Kamala Harris. She supports and defends the death penalty, perhaps believing that that is her ticket into the U.S. Senate or even higher office. You've got to believe in killing people these days to be approved by the U.S. "military-industrial-prison complex" for higher office. I have the same problem with some other Democrats. I think that the death penalty has utterly poisoned the U.S. justice system, if not our entire society, and we are now seeing expansions of it, for instance in U.S. drone murders without benefit of trial in other countries (including the murder of Americans) and the murder of innocent black men and boys by the police, here. That is the poison--that death inflicted by "the authorities" is okay, WHETHER OR NOT the murdered person was guilty of anything. It doesn't matter. Official murder is good, no matter what the facts may be, and it is necessary to "blood" our leaders with the death penalty so they get used to killing.

Anyway, I am not a Kamala Harris supporter. I am not questioning the handling of this news story for that reason. There can be disputes within the "blooded" U.S. "military-industrial-prison complex" community, and we all have a stake in those disputes--for instance, the dispute--more like a war--between the CIA and Cheney-Rumsfeld, with Cheney-Rumsfeld outing CIA agents and the entire WMD counter-proliferation project worldwide (the real issue, I believe, was Cheney-Rumsfeld's intention to nuke Iran); or, somewhat less dangerous, the dispute between the far right and 'centrists' over private insurance-run health care. We can't have real health care, but at least we can now fend off bankruptcy, in case of serious illness, by having some kind of health insurance. So we need to support private insurance-run health care as opposed to the far right, which would prefer all poor people to die when they are past their 'sell by' date.

So, there could be a dispute within police state circles in California, say, regarding prison or prosecution issues, wherein Kamala Harris is not fascist enough. And the fascists are after her. Maybe they sought out and found a vulnerable target--Brandon Kiel--and worked on some weakness of his, to produce this big embarrassment of Harris--an embarrassment that brings into question her own judgement and executive ability. This may just be one part of the campaign against her--the opening shot.

Or she may be too "liberal" on other issues--issues like gay rights or legalizing marijuana--that prompted California's billionaire fascist planners, or U.S. billionaire fascist planners, to target her.

Or she may not have passed CIA (or other MIC) vetting for support of trillion dollar grand theft by U.S. military 'contractors."

Any of these or other potential 'enemies' of Kamala Harris could be "sending her a message"--'bend to our will or we'll get you.'

This caper is so weird that it makes you think of that asshat in Orange County who wants to put an initiative on the ballot to murder all gay people. (If you don't know WHO initially funded ES&S/Diebold, then you'd better find out. You think this initiative is off the wall and has no chance and won't get any votes? Think again.**).

-----------------

**(Okay, I won't play games with this. ES&S was initially funded by far rightwing nutball billionaire Howard Ahmanson, who also gave one million dollars to the far rightwing 'christian' nutball Chalcedon foundation, which touts the death penalty for homosexuals. ES&S bought out Diebold a few years ago, and now controls most of the voting machines in this country, all of which are run on 'TRADE SECRET' code--code that the public is forbidden to review--with half the states having NO AUDIT AT ALL of these machine results and the other half having a miserably inadequate 1% audit. You wonder why some far rightwing nutball would think that an initiative to kill all homosexuals could get 'votes' in California? THIS IS WHY.)

----------------

Come to think of it: After writing this footnote I started to wonder if the same people who are pushing the kill-all-gays initiative are behind this weird hit on Kamala Harris. Isn't she the one deciding if the initiative can be put on the ballot? (I think I read that somewhere.) Are they warning her? Is that why this dirty trick is so--I don't know, seemingly silly, inept, clownish--so like the far right?-- except that it SUCCEEDED in getting her name splashed all over the country in connection with this seemingly clownish, vaguely menacing prank!

The very surface level of this news story could be all there is to it--that a Kamala Harris appointee formed a fake police force and openly advertised it to real police agencies, and that Harris failed to vet this person (Brandon Kiel) sufficiently to prevent this embarrassment. (I chuckled to myself as I typed this. Yeah, right!) But I would urge--as always--that we read/hear/watch the news with serious skepticism. The corporate news has failed us so very often, in so many ways.