oh but wait,maybe the dnc had something to do with the sudden silence ?
Last week, Fox 5 DC's
report incited a storm of controversy after former D.C. police homicide detective Rod Wheeler stated that there was tangible evidence on murdered Democratic National Committee (DNC) staffer Seth Rich's laptop suggesting that he was communicating with Wikileaks prior to his death. The story generated a large amount of outrage, with outlets like the
Washington Post and
Vice labelling it a "conspiracy theory" and claiming that it had no basis in fact. But details regarding the political affiliation of spokespeople and representatives of the Rich family appear to indicate that the DNC may be prioritizing its own interests, minimizing alleged political elements to the tragedy.
I. Legal Representatives And Spokespeople For Rich Family Have Ties To DNC, Crime Connected Unions
Since Fox 5 DC's report, a number of individuals speaking on behalf of the Rich family have blasted Fox News and Rod Wheeler for speaking out on the case. Rich family spokesman Brad Bauman insisted that anyone who continued to push the story either had a "transparent political agenda," or were a sociopath. But an August 2016 tweet from
Wikileaks revealed that Bauman is a crisis public relations consultant working with the
Pastorum Group. A
media release from the Pastorum Group reveals that Bauman previously worked for the DNC and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The SEIU has previously been reported by the
Wall Street Journal as a "top spender" for the Democrats,
openly endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and
actively assisted in her campaign. It has been
widely criticized by some groups for the involvement of union members in crimes including embezzlement, criminal conspiracy, perjury and identity theft. The SEIU is also a client of the
Strategic Consulting Group, which was founded by the Democratic operative
Robert Creamer. In 2016, Creamer was implicated in footage obtained by journalist
James O'Keefe which revealed that Creamer was engaging in voting fraud and violent disruption of political events, sometimes using his connections to unions who were as clients of his.
Bauman's past professional ties to the DNC and the SEIU raise questions about the vehemence with which he has attacked journalists reporting on the circumstances of Seth Rich's murder.
On May 19th, Rod Wheeler was sent a
cease and desist letter on behalf of the Rich family by Joseph Ingrisano of the law firm
Kutak Rock LLP. Kutak Rock has a long history of incredibly close affiliation with DNC politicians. The law firm donated $21,850 and $13,400 to President Barack Obama during his
2008 and
2012 campaigns, respectively. Kutak also gave $11,800 to
Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential bid.
Kutak also has ties to the Rose Law Firm, which was at the center of the infamous
Whitewater Controversy during the 1990's.
Hillary Clinton as well as White House staffer Vince Foster both practiced law at Rose, though Clinton has sought to distance herself from the firm given the allegations of scandal that surrounded it. On April 13th, 1998,
Arkansas Business reported that a number of attorneys from Rose left the firm for Kutak Rock.
Kutak Rock continues to maintain offices in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Pro-Democrat interests have also taken to
Change.org to attack companies advertising with Fox 5 DC. The boycott campaign is organized by
Karl Frisch, a former senior fellow at propaganda group Media Matters for America who spent his time at the organization helping develop "long-term strategy to target Fox News as a political actor."