Congressman Chabot Has Cops Confiscate Cameras at Town Hall

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Republican Congressman Stephen Chabot of Cincinnati had a police officer go around and confiscate cameras of anyone who was filming his town hall. This is a clear violation of both the First and Fourth Amendments, as this was at a public facility paid for with public tax dollars. I also blame all the people that gave up their cameras and the others who just sat there doing nothing because they are just as much at fault.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKA07KSoaSc&feature=player_embedded]Chabot town hall camera ban - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R0a8CcegxI&feature=player_embedded]Chabot Censors Town Hall - Police Seize Cameras - YouTube[/ame]​
 
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Here is more on this.

Monday night, at a “town hall” meeting in North Avondale featuring U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, video cameras owned by two Democratic activists were seized by a Cincinnati police officer at the direction of Chabot’s staff.

A Chabot spokesman said the had the cameras seized “to protect the privacy of constituents” at the event, although there were at least two media outlets at the North Avondale Recreation Center filming the meeting.

Tim Burke, the chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party, has written a letter to Cincinnati City Solicitor John Curp asking for an explanation of “the legal basis for the seizure and the enforcement by Cincinnati police of rules created by the Congressman.”

Signs were taped to the doors to the hall where the Monday night meeting was held saying that no video cameras were allowed inside.

Democrats’ cameras seized by police at Chabot Town Hall meeting | Politics Extra
 
I'd expect this from a Democrat butfrom a Republican? Dude needs to have his head examined. Bet he's a RINO!
 
Republicans are now charging for townhalls too.

:lol:

good for them, if dimoWats are gonna infiltrate they should pay money.. way to go.

You can't make this stuff up folks.

:rofl:

Boy oh boy....

Let it be known that is NOT the opinion of all the conservatives here...

On a better note, he should be removed immediately. If he cannot trust his constituency to film his actions then he should not be trusted by his constituency to represent them.
 
Local, State and Federal bodies and agencies can and do enact various methods of paralimentary oversight at formal public meetings and ban cameras and recording devices.
 
Local, State and Federal bodies and agencies can and do enact various methods of paralimentary oversight at formal public meetings and ban cameras and recording devices.

And that acts like that should be treated by the public as treasonous and grounds to terminate their political career. They can go to work as a garbage man and demand no filming but sure as hell not my representative. This is one law that I think the federal government should create to protect our rights and access to public servants: any and all public employees would be able to be recorded while performing their official duties as long as they are in a public forum. PERIOD.
 
Its just doing what the t-partiers did in Democratic town halls. Looks like that Repub could dish it out but couldn't take it LOL
 
It's understandable why Representatives would *want* to ban cameras from events. Politicians always want to be able to control their own message, and Thinkprogress in particular seems to be trying very hard to publicize videos of angry town hall constituents yelling at conservative politicians.

However, Congressman Chabot has embarrassed himself politically more than allowing the cameras would have. It is particularly absurd that he took the cameras from audience members while in full view of the cameras of media organizations. Burke is absolutely correct to ask the legal basis for this action, and he deserves an answer.
 
Local, State and Federal bodies and agencies can and do enact various methods of parliamentary oversight at formal public meetings and ban cameras and recording devices.

selectively? As they did here?

In cases where filming is allowed (many times with bona fide press credentials) if you're determined to have become a hindrance or obstruction to the proceedings you can by consensus or simple direction of a chairman be removed or instructed to cease in many jurisdictional, legal and political proceedings.

The You Tube agent provocateur in the audience can be shut down and put out in most places across the country.
 
good for them, if dimoWats are gonna infiltrate they should pay money.. way to go.

You can't make this stuff up folks.

:rofl:

Boy oh boy....

Let it be known that is NOT the opinion of all the conservatives here...

On a better note, he should be removed immediately. If he cannot trust his constituency to film his actions then he should not be trusted by his constituency to represent them.
:clap2: Extraordinarily bad move. The public's business should be publicized.
 

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