So it turns out the calls came from a burner cellphone on the Virgin Mobile network. A burner phone is one commonly used to avoid being traced. Also known as pay-as-you-go. Why is this an interesting detail?
"The order also required RackNine to release records of calls that used the number 450-760-7746. The Bell Canada phone number in Joliette, Que., appeared on call displays of some recipients of the fraudulent election day calls in Guelph."
So the burner phone had the phone number 450-760-7746. But what to make of this:
"The “Pierre Poutine” phone was activated April 30, two days before the election, and called only two numbers other than its own voice mail. Both corresponded to RackNine."
That seems odd. Someone bought a burner phone to avoid detection, then only used it to call Racknine? How can that be. According to reports many of the fraudulent calls had that phone number appear on the call display. If the number wasn't an assigned number of Racknine, an Alberta based company, but rather had a Joliette, Quebec area code, then why would that number appear on the call display of voters saying they received fraudulent phone calls, yet phone records for that phone number show it only placed calls to two phone numbers, both Racknine?
Could it be that someone had hacked or gained access to Racknine's data bank, using it to dial numbers on file and then give misleading information? I'm not sure. But if that is the case I would say it's a safe guess that it would preclude the Conservative Party from being involved, and would most likely indicate dirty tricks from one of the other parties.
I think this is going to get a lot more interesting. For example, it will be quite easy for Elections Canada or the RCMP to find which store, in which town or city, in which province the phone was purchased. Depending on the method of payment, it might also allow authorities to trace said individual(s) fairly easily.
And I'll go on the record right now. If it's proven that the Conservative Party was knowingly involved they won't get my vote in the next election. If it turns out one or more of the opposition parties was involved, I'll have to contact my ISP to get more bandwith, because there are going to be a lot of people who post on blogs and online media who are going to be eating a lot of crow.
This isn't "The Conservative Party".
ReplyDeleteIf it's a person connected to the party, I hope they throw the book at them but it will not be 'the Party'.
The Quebec connection is intriquing and the timing of this finally surfacing, far to flippin' convenient.
In my riding, we did it the 'old fashioned way' until the last 48 hrs and then we had the robo-calls to get out the vote.
Even Conservative voters were not happy to get so many calls and there were some I bet changed teams because we called so often.
That should balance things, we sent some Conservatives running. (maybe 2or 3) :)
That's how Racknine's system works. It allows you to have what ever number you want show up on the call display.
ReplyDeleteGoogle Pierre Poutine and you will find it is a restaurant.
ReplyDeleteAnd it is not in Quebec.
CEO of Racknine was on Dave R. this am and he said they do not have a call center, no one makes calls from their premises. You contact them, make a payment and give the numbers and message you want to go out. It would be very easy for a rouge 3rd party, to give a false name, and a false message. And I mean by 3rd party, how about Peta, envirowackos, union thugs, or someone from the occupy movement. But I think someone in the opposition, be it staffer way down the ladder, or higher up, paid someone to do this. And why is Cotler and that other liberal so upset, they won, and they want by-elections. Bet they would both lose. Or it could be to deter conservatives from voting for jack's seat, or make sure ndpqers get out and vote.
The Joliette, Quebec connection is odd. I think this may be a deliberate attempt to frame Conservatives. Given the margin of victory for the Lib candidate, it seems absurd that the Conservatives would have targeted this riding with something like this -- in fact, most of the claims re robo calls seem bizarre and inexplicable, but it seems to be enough to feed a kind of mass hysteria on the left.
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely a Quebec connection here -- the Joiliette address (odd, an outsider would more likely just use a Montreal location), but the phone also uses the Joiliette exchange. The reference to Separatist is also peculiar and would not be something a Conservative would readily come up with. Conservatives do not have very many friends in Quebec -- let alone operatives. I think it is a nasty set-up. Journalists should start looking at alternative angles, rather than just jumping on the pillory Conservatives bandwagon.
ReplyDeletePretty sure they are saying that the robocalls were ordered by someone using the burner phone not that the calls came from the burner phone.
ReplyDeleteFYI, you can easily have any phone number and name displayed on other peoples phone when you call them.
ReplyDeleteMany companies sell this service, Spoofcard.com is one of them.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI understood the Pres of RackNine to say that the # IS the ACCT. It should be archived @ QR770 from today (2/28/12) on Rutherford. 11:05am>
ReplyDeletehttp://www.qr77.com/other/AudioVault.html
How about the numerous calls from several conservative offices to this company, when they didn't remit that they used this company. If you have 30+ calls to a company over a 4 week period and claim you didn't work with the company, something is wrong. Either they did and are trying to cover it up, because it's illegal, or they did and are trying to cover it up to hide how much money they actually spent on the campaign. Either could be possible with this party. Isn't that what they were just found guilty of?
ReplyDeleteWell, let's see.
ReplyDeleteLiberals-Adscam, leadership debts not retired(which according to EC rules makes than illegal as they are above the allowable amount), donations from dead people and underage, caught on video vandalyzing Conservative lawn signs, caught on video removing Green Party literature and throwing in garbage, the list goes on.
NDP-accepting donations in Jack Layton's memory for party use, caught accepting donations from american based unions, caught having unions fund conventions and paying for advertising, both against EC rules, etc.
Whoever is behind the robocalls needs to be charged and punished, and if it was the Conservative Party they lost my vote. But spare me trying to make it look like it's only the Conservatives who employ dirty tricks. If anything they learned from the best, the Liberal Party of Canada.
This isn't just about 'dirty politics' it's about preventing people from voting. And that is never Ok.
ReplyDeleteUnited Steelworkers Caught Contributing to Far-Left Political Party in Canada
ReplyDeleteHere’s a question: Why is the United Steelworkers taking its members’ money and spending on a “social-democratic” political party in Canada?
According this report, the Steelworkers here in the U.S. has sent nearly $70,000 to fund the NDP in Canada over the last four years.
OTTAWA – A U.S.-based union’s financial contributions to the New Democrats in Canada have raised some questions for the party’s federal branch.
The United Steelworkers of America’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., filed paperwork with the U.S. Department of Labor that shows tens of thousands of dollars sent to the NDP in Ottawa between 2007 and 2010.
Records show the American union sent $5,000 last year, more than $39,000 in 2009, $8,500 in 2008, and in excess of $17,000 in 2007 to the New Democratic Party of Canada or the New Democrats of Canada.
Read more:
http://www.laborunionreport.com/portal/2011/04/canoe-ca-u-s-union-contributed-to-ndp-canada-election-2011/
Here’s another story on the same story
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=90567