- "I'm innocent. I'm looking forward to discovering
the divine benefits of the sentence that you give me.
-
- If the Government is trying to ruin my life, they will
have to try harder."
- -Author Fritz Springmeier, at November 13, 1003 Sentencing
-
-
- "Just before sentencing Springmeier told the judge
that the government had destroyed his life."
-
- -Paraphrased quotation falsely attributed to Springmeier
by authors Eric Mason and John Stevens in the KATU News Report on November
13, 2003
-
-
- The above two statements stand in stark contrast to one
another. The actual statement (blue text) was spoken by the most courageous
man I have ever met in my life. The paraphrased statement (brown text)
is a fiction that was attributed to the same man--my husband, Fritz Springmeier--by
Eric Mason of KATU News (the local CBS affiliate) and John Stevens of International
News in their KATU News report. How Mason and Stevens sat together in the
courtroom, right behind me, with notebooks and pens in hand and yet bungled
so audible a statement is beyond my comprehension. For the purpose of this
rebuttal, KATU's statements will be in brown and my response will be in
blue.
-
- Prior to sentencing, we had originally wanted to forward
a simple communication from Fritz to let you all know that everything is
OK and that we are seeking a retrial through several justifications. However,
because there was so much fiendish innuendo and so many blatant lies contained
in the KATU / Stevens report; we are obligated at this point to simply
refute each false allegation one-by-one. I must add that in view of the
latitude given law enforcement since the RICO act and 911, if they truly
had such evidence against my husband, he would be charged and tried for
Conspiracy to Commit Terrorist Acts. District attorney Frank Noonan says
that "We had to have more to make that kind of a case". Thus,
the real agenda for spreading such yellow journalism locally, is that it
will ruin Fritz' chances for getting an untainted jury should one of the
the appeals be successful-and of course-bring mainstream recognition to
the so-called journalist, John Stevens. So, what about this "evidence"?
- "A list of possible terror targets compiled by an
ultra-right wing group, including government buildings and other facilities
were made public Thursday as a federal judge sentenced a Portland area
man for his part in a 1997 bank robbery."
-
- FACT: This statement makes it sound as if the judge included
it in his sentencing decree--which he did not. Furthermore, none of this
"evidence" was spoken of at all in the courtroom. Notice how
the article and video contain the typical "cover-your-legal-rear-end"
qualifiers such as "possible terror targets", "evidence
suggesting" and accusations disguised as questions.
-
-
- "After the sentencing of Fritz Springmeier, a self-described
religious author, Clackamas County Sheriff deputies revealed a loose-leaf
binder seized in 2001 as a part of the case."
-
- FACT: The loose-leaf binder was found on the Huntington
property where Tony Huntington and Forrest Bateman lived. The handwriting
in the loose-leaf binder is definitely not Fritz'. Furthermore, although
Fritz makes no secret that he is a Christian, he has never described himself
as a religious author.
-
-
- The video presentation shows a cache of illegal weapons,
an Army of God armband and the loose-leaf binder, all obtained during a
raid, leaving the viewer to assume that these items were found on our property.
An anonymous source, interviewed gives the same laundry list.
-
- FACT: Again, all were items found on the Huntington property.
-
-
- TONY HUNTINGTON--The Missing Link
-
- Conspicuously absent from the report is any mention of
Tony Huntington, on whose mother's property all of the "evidence"
used in KATU's report was found. Huntington and Bateman (Bateman rented
a room in an out-building on the property) had been friends since childhood
and lived on Huntington's mother's property. For five months after the
Feds raided his place, Huntington lived with the knowledge that the illegal
arsenal and 50 plant pot grow (complete with power diversion) would net
him an approximately 120 year sentence.
-
- Thus, five months after authorities raided his house,
Huntington decided to finger Fritz for the Damascus Key Bank robbery in
1997 in exchange for leniency. Although KATU's report on Fritz mentions
Bateman as one of the Key Bank robbers, missing is the fact that as prosecution's
principal witness against Fritz--Huntington perjured himself on the stand
by admitting to having taken an active role in the robbery on the day of
the robbery. Huntington received a paltry 3 12 years for his testimony
against Fritz.
-
- Another of Huntington's lies which was not revealed in
the courtroom, but was contained within the discovery paperwork for the
case, is that Fritz used the robbery funds to finance a trip to Japan to
promote his "Bloodlines of the Illuminati" book. When Reverend
Izumi Koishi heard of this allegation he made two unsuccessful attempts
to fly to Portland from Japan at his own expense, in order to appear in
court to refute Huntington's assertion with cold, hard evidence. Sadly,
the trial date kept moving around, so that Reverend Koishi lost money on
two sets of non-refundable flight tickets. Fritz' former attorneys kept
waffling on the decision of whether to let Koishi testify. However, before
the third attempt was made by Koishi to appear, Fritz' attorneys decided
not to let Koishi testify.
-
- After the guilty verdict was handed down, Reverend Koishi
then flew in to offer support. He also brought the evidence that he would
have shown in court--a receipt for a Citibank draft in the amount of $2,000
USD
- made out to Fritz so that he could give a talk about
"Bloodlines of the Illuminati", which consequently got published
in Japanese. Fritz' Japanese supporter's paid full perdiem on Fritz' visit.
Not only did Fritz not have to spend one penny of his own from the moment
he boarded the plane to go over there, he received a $2,000 fee for speaking.
"Springmeier, a white separatist known for his anti-government writings..."
-
- FACT: Fritz has never been a white separatist and, in
fact, has a "rainbow coalition" of friends and supporters. His
writings can be characterised as exposing the illuminati and anti-corrupt
government.
-
-
- "ultra right wing extremist Fritz Springmeier."
-
- FACT: Fritz is neither left wing or right wing. "Ultra
right wing extremist", "white separatist", these are smear
labels used by lazy journalists.
From Video-"Fritz Springmeier considered himself a member of a loose-knit
group known as the Army of God. Experts on US hate groups say the Army
of God is a loose-knit group with no formal membership rolls."
FACT: First of all, notice that the above statement contains built in deniability--"loose-knit
group" and "no formal membership rolls". These two qualifiers
mean that they have absolutely no proof that Fritz belongs to the Army
of God. Moreover, Fritz has never considered himself a member of the Army
of God and every longterm friend of Fritz' that I have asked about this,
not only denied it, but laughed at the thought of it.
-
-
- In summation, the entire piece was done to smear Fritz
and to ruin his chances for a fair retrial. Finally, while KATU is correct
in stating that Fritz has been critical of mainstream media, he would never
plot to bomb their studio. The mainstream media should look to themselves
as the possible source of their own destruction.
-
- Fritz and I will continue to seek justice and to vindicate
his innocence. We look forward to the appeals.
-
-
- Comment
- Fritz Springmeier Sentenced
-
- By John Stevens
- International News Service
- ins@internationalnewssvc.com
- 11-22-3
-
- Federal Judge James Redden sentenced Fritz Springmeier
November 13, 2003 to 9 years, the maximum allowed, for his involvement
in a 1997 armed bank robbery. Judge Redden described the robbery as a "vicious"
bank robbery and further ordered Springmeier to pay a fine along with restitution.
-
- Prior to the imposition of the sentence, Springmeier
claimed he was "innocent" and that the government was destroying
his life. Nevertheless, he felt the sentence was a "divine blessing."
-
- Springmeier's wife Patricia said in part, the government
framed her husband for his writings that she believes exposed corruption
in the government.
-
- After sentencing and as part of an earlier arrangement
with the lead investigator, I was allowed to review and photograph the
evidence. I knew last March that the government had seized sensitive information
listing possible terror targets including the Portland office of the FBI.
I was asked to withhold publishing the information until sentencing.
-
- In a notebook entitled "Army of God, Yahweh's Warriors"
there were handwritten subsections describing in part, strikes, revolution
and research. Some of the listed information included the federal building
and justice center in Oregon, submarine base in Bangor, Washington, Umatilla
Army Storage facility in Oregon and media groups. Additionally, there
were bomb-making ingredients and RDX for dam busting.
-
- As reported in DEAR JOHN, OUR EXISTENCE IS UNKNOWN and
BUNKER MENTALITY, I focused on Springmeier's anti-government views, his
paramilitary unit along with his connections to and inner-workings of the
Army of God. I was specifically warned that they are very dangerous, well
armed, committed and invisible.
-
- The summary section of Springmeier's search warrant states
in part, he and others "are involved in a religious group that advocates
violent acts against the government and other persons or organizations
that oppose their views."
-
- The lead investigator stated, "We take (the target
lists) very seriously," and further said, "They had the means
to do almost anything they wanted to."
-
- Accompanying photographs detail cache of military-style
weapons/equipment, Army of God signs, banners and posters reflecting in
part: "ARMY OF GOD-PREPARING THE WORLD FOR JUDGEMENT!" "ARMY
OF GOD-YAHWEH'S WARRIORS," "ARMY OF GOD-KINGDOM MILITIA,"
"WE DON'T DIAL 911-ARMY OF GOD" and ceramic body armor with an
Army of God patch, as well as bomb-making books.
-
-
- November 13, 2003
- John Stevens
- investigative journalist
- (503) 256-1656
- email: ins@qcsn.com or
- internationalnewssvc.com
-
|
