New York, NY, Mar. 31, 2005 --- Citizen journalists at DailyKos.com, one of the nation's most popular political web sites, have uncovered evidence that James Guckert — former White House reporter "Jeff Gannon" who resigned as Washington Bureau Chief of Talon News Service on Feb. 9 amid allegations he advertised gay escort services on the Internet — is linked to a religious charity with a serious credibility problem.
Susan Gardner, who writes as "SusanG" at DailyKos.com, posted a report Wednesday morning that details allegations uncovered by volunteer "citizen journalists" investigating the Jeff Gannon controversy. Gardner is a co-founder of ePluribus Media.
The report, "Fake Reporter Running Fake Nonprofit?" documents evidence that Guckert established Free Speech Foundation as an IRS 501(c)(3) religious charity incorporated in Delaware but with a Washington, D.C. address.
The report is available publicly at:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/31/9559/38512.
FreeSpeechFoundation.org was in fact a front organization that collected contributions to pay lawyers for Michael Marino, owner of the rabidly conservative web site ProBush.com.
"On April 9, 2003, ProBush.com published a "Traitor List" that targeted former U.S. Sen. James G. Abourezk of South Dakota, the first Arab-American to serve in the United States Congress," said Gardner.
When Abourezk's attorney sought names of the owners of ProBush.com, James Guckert — who used the name "Jeff Gannon" to attend White House press briefings for more than two years — registered FreeSpeechFoundation.org .
"When Abourezk learned that Michael Marino was responsible for the ProBush.com "Traitor List," he filed suit for $5 million," Gardner explained. "When Marino's attorneys asked the court to dismiss the suit, Guckert's FreespeechFoundation.org launched a fundraising drive to pay for Marino's defense," she said.
While FreespeechFoundation.org solemnly assured that all contributions would be tax-deductible as religious charitable contributions, IRS regulations governing 501(c)(3) religious charities state that "none of the earnings of the organization may inure to any private shareholder or individual."
"It is apparent that the Free Speech Foundation may have been a front organization set up to launder money and provide contributors with tax exemptions," Gardner said. "This is a matter the IRS and the U.S. Justice Department may want to investigate."
Gardner said ePluribus Media volunteers have documented much of the evidence available on the Internet to prevent the data from being "scrubbed," or erased.
"Over the past months, we have seen several sites close down altogether or delete all references to Jeff Gannon and the rest of his activities," said Gardner. "If an investigation comes to pass, we plasn to offer our data as evidence," she said. Gardner said ePluribus Media registered more than 700 Internet-savvy volunteers who are investigating aspects of the "Jeff Gannon" story.
ePluribus Media is an independent community of citizen journalists dedicated to exposing government propaganda, encouraging the highest standards of ethics and journalism, and supporting initiatives that enhance the vitality and effectiveness of the free press in our democracy.
For further information, contact:
Denise Ford
ePluribus Media
DEFord@epluribusmedia.org