Ian Murphy: 'Fake David Koch' Prank Calls Scott Walker (Audio)

by Jordan Yerman | February 23, 2011 at 10:06 am

4783 views | 5 Recommendations | 10 comments

Ian Murphy of the Buffalo Beast: 'Fake David Koch' Calls Wisconsin Governor
Scott Walker

Ian Murphy, editor of the left-wing Buffalo Beast, pwned Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker by pretending to be conservative activist and Republican fundraiser David Koch. The Buffalo Beast is slammed right now, but the audio of the call, since confirmed to be real by both Ian Murphy and the office of Scott Walker, is listenable below.

During the call, Gov. Scot Walker divulges his intention to seed the anti-budget bill demonstrators with agent provocateurs, as well as luring the absentee Democrats into a procedural trap to force his union-busting bill into law. He unequivocally states that he has no intention of negotiating.

According to Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie, "The phone call shows that the governor says the same thing in private as he does in public and the lengths that others will go to disrupt the civil debate Wisconsin is having." However, the actual phone call suggests the opposite.

They can recess it... the reason for that, we're verifying it this afternoon, legally, we believe, once they’ve gone into session, they don’t physically have to be there. If they’re actually in session for that day, and they take a recess, the 19 Senate Republicans could then go into action and they’d have quorum because it's turned out that way. So we’re double checking that. If you heard I was going to talk to them that’s the only reason why. We’d only do it if they came back to the capitol with all 14 of them. My sense is, hell. I'll talk. If they want to yell at me for an hour, I'm used to that. I can deal with that. But I'm not negotiating.

Who is David Koch?

David H. Koch (pronounced "coke") is co-owner of Koch Industries along with his brother Charles. Koch is on the board of Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, which are heavily involved in the Tea Party movement. Koch is a million-dollar fundraiser for the Republican Governors Association, which spent millions on attack ads against Walker's opponent, Democrat Tom Barrett. The American Museum of Natural History's dinosaur wing is named after David Koch; he also donated millions of dollars to PBS.

The conversation was posted by the Buffalo Beast. The website claimed that the conversation took place Tuesday and Walker's administration confirmed the recording is legitimate.

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TERRY DARBY (not verified)

at 12:36 on February 23rd, 2011

WHAT??-
It seems the most notable part is where he admits to 'koch' that they had strategized about sending false-flag paid agents into the ranks of the labor protesters to act-up and cause trouble,
to falsely attribute the acts of these paid agents to the protestors.

THAT is the 'lightning bolt' story here..
the fact that he would use a ruse to legally convene a session of the senate is small potatos comparatively.

Sending in paid thug agitators was the exact method used by criminal regimes - Mubarak, Gaddafi, Bahrain royal family...

I am basically shocked that anyone is not pointing out that walker conceded he had strategized the exact same tactics used by violent criminal dictators, and this could be a criminal Nixonian act on his part based on the deception and nature of the 'acts' these false-flag agents intended to engage in, or were discussed.

WHY IS THIS NOT THE FOCAL POINT??..ITS NOT EVEN BEING POINTED OUT!!

Faking Shock (not verified)

at 13:27 on February 23rd, 2011

It's not being touted because he didn't do it. He talked about it.Can you imagine the Pandora's box it would open for other political parties if this part was highlighted?Everyone would be back to pointing to all the other times it actually happened in recent years, instead of just being talked about.

tiorbinist (not verified)

at 20:51 on February 23rd, 2011

The one thing I haven't heard mentioned anywhere is this:Wire fraud.Yup. 'Fake David Koch', as Ian Murphy is hailed by NPR, is actually 'Fraud David Koch'. Ian Murphy called the Governor and pretended to be someone else for the express purpose of defrauding the Governor.Having illegally and fraudulently stolen the identity of David Koch, Ian Murphy proceeded to use the stolen ID to wheedle strategy information out of Governor Walker. So we have two criminal acts: theft of ID and Wire Fraud. (Wire Fraud is any criminally fraudulent activity that uses any kind of electronic communications at _any phase_ of the event. Phone calls and posting the illegally-obtained recording online both qualify this event. ID Theft is taking someone else's name or other information and pretending to be them. Personal profit is not required for it to be a criminal act, although a case can be made the Ian Murphy is profiting handsomely by this.)So. Who, other than me, has the balls to stand up and call this what it is?I bet, if it was done to Dan'l Malloy by, say, Howie Carr (just to name a Conservative who writes for a paper and even has a talk show on the radio), the media would be calling for his head, screaming about hate groups, teabaggers, Conservative Wrong doing, and yes, Wire Fraud and Identity Theft.More disgusting double-standard by the media. Bad form, fellows.

Dog Gone (not verified)

at 11:36 on February 24th, 2011

tiorbinist wrote: So we have two criminal acts: theft of ID and Wire Fraud. (Wire Fraud is any criminally fraudulent activity that uses any kind of electronic communications at _any phase_ of the event. Phone calls and posting the illegally-obtained recording online both qualify this event.You may have something about this being identity theft, or some sort of illegal impersonation, but for that to be a problem for Ian Murphy, David Koch would presumably have to pursue a complaint. (I don't claim to be any sort of lawyer.) I'm guessing less publicicty, not more, is what Mr. Koch has in mind at the moment. I believe you are wrong however about wire fraud, though, as both New York, where the call originated, and Wisconsin, where Governor Walker was at the time, require only the consent of one party, not both / all parties for a recording to be legal.

tiorbinist (not verified)

at 08:22 on February 27th, 2011

Well, actually, Wire Fraud only requires the communications 'means' to be used for an illegal purpose, and recording the conversation wasn't what I was talking about. (Although, whether it is legal doesn't change the morality of it, but let's give that a pass for now.) Murphy indulged himself in identity theft: he presented himself with Koch's name. That's all it takes. The penalties for ID Theft can be gauged, according to the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, by the number of victims. So let's see. Murphy uses ID Theft to break Walker's ability to balance the State Budget, and the whole state of Wisconson is, arguably, affected. Would you like your sentence based on numbers? It's the law.The phone call _is_ wire fraud. Identity Theft used to gain access to information that would only be available to the rightful owner of the identity is a violation of US Code 18 section 1024(d)(7). Federal statute, there, so federal crime. Using the phone (whether across state lines or not) is wire fraud, and therefore, a federal crime, with punishments of fine and/or prison. ID Theft, at the least, allows confiscation of all material used _or intended to be used_ for the crime.The fact that Murphy both stole Koch's ID _and_ used it to make a fraudulent phone call makes both laws work together. The State of Wisconsin's budget makes the crime affect a financial institution. (If Walker had declared a state emergency, even that wouldn't have been needed.) That's 20 years and/or 1 million bucks penalties. Quite a one-two punch for the Feds... if only they'd use it.And it doesn't require Koch to complain: it is a federal crime, and should have been automatically prosecuted to the full extent of the law, as soon as it became public. If Murphy has a chance of making (say from advertisements on his blog, or any other purpose, including payments for articles or writing a book) over $1000 in a year, a whole new set of penalties from ID Theft kick in.If we were ruled by Rule of Law, it wouldn't be good to be Ian Murphy.

Gil Ayala (not verified)

at 10:18 on February 24th, 2011

Let's just say if anyone such as David Koch the access to simply pick up the phone and speak with a leader of any state or to the White House. I can only say that our votes don't count for anything. Our elections are useless. Let's just turn over the government to the special intertests and be happy with the leftovers from the table. I think Theodore Roosevelt would be sadden to see what has happen to his party!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what he fought against.

alaaron

at 10:54 on February 24th, 2011

Are you just recognizing the fact that America like other democracies in the world have 'Kingmakers' who determine who rules and not the ballot?

alaaron

at 10:52 on February 24th, 2011

Gov Scot dominated the discussion from beginning to the end giving, so how would he have known that the David Kock he was talking to is fake.

Eric Greedy (not verified)

at 11:47 on February 24th, 2011

Of course you are going to call Obama and pretend to be Richard Trumka or George Soros..right (hypocrite) ?

Spedfinder (not verified)

at 13:38 on February 24th, 2011

Only a freak would think of this. How about someone claims to be a big union boss and call Obumass..... He'd get invited to the White House and dinner in a heart beat.