Jason Rapert is Angry…at Public Information, Apparently

Not long after my previous post, I noticed that I had missed a couple calls from Sen. Jason Rapert (R-Hyperboleville[foot]The bestest, greatest place in the whole fuckin’ universe![/foot]). There was even a voicemail, though, because his voice makes my skin crawl, I did not listen to it.

A few moments later, an email popped up with the subject, “Private and Confidential – Endangering my family.” The sender was none other than Sen. Rapert himself, and he wrote the following (the footnote comments are mine, of course):

Mr. Campbell,

I have been advised1 that you are publishing personal information that has real potential to endanger my family at the moment.

Your online post:2  http://www.bluehogreport.com/2017/02/06/rapert-attacks-twitter-user-after-blocking-him-so-lets-contact-rapert-to-discuss/ 3

For no reason,4 you have published my personal home address and linked a map essentially encouraged5 people to harass my family.  This has potentially jeopardized the safety of my family and I ask that you immediately take down your post with my personal address and personal phone number.6 I have already received one threatening phone call and I just received a second call and hangup from someone masking their identity.

I am reporting this to federal law enforcement authorities that already have an open investigation into threats directed towards me that are unrelated to your post.7 Your actions and the timing are very serious.

Due to your malicious8 actions and intentional disregard for the safety of my family, and your knowledge that people will act on your directions, I will hold you personally responsible if anything happens to my property or my family.9

In all of the years I have served, I have never had an attorney, lobbyist, or political opponent every stoop to the level you have just stooped sir. I ask that you take down that information. You are responsible for the dissemination of information that is not on any of my public filings10 for a reason – we have had credible death threats in the past.11

I left you a phone message just prior to this e-mail.

I ask for confirmation that you have received this request and that you take down the information immediately.

Sincerely,

Sen. Jason Rapert
Arkansas Senate
District 35

Well, since the Senator asked for confirmation of receipt, I went ahead and replied to the substance of his email as well:

Sen. Rapert,

I have received both your voicemail and your email regarding this matter. Your assertion, however, that the information posted was somehow private or not subject to being posted is incorrect. Indeed, all of it was taken either from this website https://voterrecords.com/voter/69528737/stanley-rapert or your own Arkansas Senate page. Furthermore, as the footer on the VoterRecords.com page notes, all of the information contained therein was obtained through public records.

Accordingly, there is nothing in my post that has not been on the internet for some time, and I am not the person who published the information originally. (Not that initial publication matters, given that this is properly released public information.) Moreover, I have not encouraged anyone to harass you. I have encouraged them to contact you about your own petulant behavior.

As for your threat to “report” the post to federal law enforcement, knock yourself out. I suspect that they will tell you, as I have in this email, that there’s nothing remotely illegal about my posting of publicly available information. While you seem to have serious issues with the First Amendment, your “federal law enforcement authorities” likely understand its application here.

Regarding “holding me responsible” for future actions, that sound you just heard was my laughing at your legal analysis. Though I do have to say that I welcome any legal action you might feel brave enough to bring against me, whether for today’s post or any other that I have written. Just remember that discovery works both ways in civil litigation.

Finally, as to “stoop[ing],” if you think using information from the first Google hit for “Stanley Jason Rapert voting records” is “stooping,” I fear your sense of self importance may need some serious recalibration. Perhaps you could spend some time reflecting on why you are so worried about this information being available. Maybe, if we’re all lucky, you’ll realize that you’re scared because you’ve done more harm, or at least attempted more harm, to more people in this state through your hate-filled approach to legislating than any politician in recent memory.

Long story short, my post contains only information that was already publicly available. There is no reason for me to take it down, and I find your threats both hilarious and impotent.

Finally, I note that your email to me is NOT confidential, regardless of your assertion to the contrary. Such decisions are not up to you when you email me unsolicited.

Good day, sir.

As of this writing, Sen. Rapert has not managed to have the CIA bring me in for questioning. I’ve heard nothing from the FBI, either. I’m starting to wonder if his clout is quite at the level he thinks it is.

 

UPDATE: Click here to see the next exchange with Stanley