With election day in Florida just two days away, congressional candidate Michael Carbonara finds himself in the hot seat over his potential involvement in efforts to suppress negative media coverage of him.
Several media outlets, including Florida Politics, WMCU, WLRN, and The Floridian, have seen bogus copyright infringement complaints filed against them with search engine Google. The complaints were filed to push Google to remove the articles from its platform.
Several of WMCU's and The Floridian's stories about Carbonara were temporarily pulled due to the false claims, but have since been reinstated.
“I couldn't find these entities," said Karen Post, an attorney with Trister, Ross, Schadler & Gold, PLLC, who filed an appeal with Google on WCMU's behalf. "I couldn't find any content that seemed related that allegedly WCMU would have copied from. The whole thing just seemed very suspicious.”-WMCU
Daniel Rivero, a reporter for WLRN who had his story pulled as a result of one of these bogus claims, addressed his concerns on YouTube.
In searching for the source of the filed complaints, it appears that all were filed for fictitious foreign companies rather than legitimate U.S.-based corporations.
*** We expect this post to also get flagged for copyright infringement.
Again, only stories regarding Michael Carbonara have been flagged. Coincidence?
If Carbonara is responsible for the campaign tactic of filing copyright complaints to suppress stories and potentially voting, it appears to have backfired.
Now more and more media outlets are reporting the complaints, and those stories are all sitting atop Google for everyone to read.
Why are stories about Michael Carbonara being suppressed? Is there something to hide?
Someone may have shot themselves in the foot.
Here are The Floridian stories in question:
Michael Carbonara Drops in Polls, Named in Sexual Assault Case
Michael Carbonara May Have Filed Bogus Copyright, Trademark Claims Against Media Outlets
Carbonara Stretching Truth About Potential MAGA Support as Askar Rises and Keiser Drops
Carbonara Supports Data Centers in Florida, but not in Neighborhoods
But fake copyright infringement allegations aside, Carbonara is now suspected of posting fake text messages attacking Republican congressional candidate Casey Askar and making it appear as if two of his other opponents in the congressional primary race in District 22, David Burck and Belinda Keiser, are responsible.
Two texts against Askar have been sent out in as many days, crediting Burck or promoting Burck's campaign.
As for the texts, they are nothing more than amateurish, defamatory. In the latest text, the author states that Askar will be arrested very soon for lying and that he "abused" his ex-wife.
BREAKING!  Casey Askar has now LIED about every candidate he is running against including David Burck, Michael Carbonara & Belinda Keiser.  Although I do not agree with the other candidates, saying lies is ILLEGAL.  Kousay Askar will be served and go to jail very soon for these LIES.  It s PUBLIC court record he CHEATED and stole from his wife. He ABUSED HER terribly.   THIS IS THE TRUTH.   READ NOW:bit.ly/4bNYewa Vote for David Burck AUG 18th
The first anti-Askar text alleging that Burck sent it out asserted arguably the worst defamatory lies to-date. The text claims that Askar was "dishonorably discharged from the Army" and that he took away his children from his wife, and that he was "not a veteran."
The truth about Kousay Askar: "CASEY ASKAR" - Dishonorably DISCHARGED from the Army - Used DIRTY tricks against fellow Republicans - CHEATED on his wife and took her children away from her This is NOT a family man This is NOT a Veteran We need honesty VOTE DAVID BURCK Reply STOP to end
Askar served in the U.S. Marine Corps, not the Army.
The Floridian spoke to both Burck and Askar's campaign about the claims.
Burck infatically stated that he did not send out the defamatory messages, saying, "our campaign did not send out these text messages and categorically denounce the lies that were perpetrated."
Askar's campaign manager, Anthony Bustamante, replied to our request for comment, saying that this was a feeble attempt a desperate campaign.
"When morally-challenged individuals revert to defamation to try to boost their losing efforts, they are only prolonging the inevitable. To quote President Donald Trump, these guys are "total losers," stated Bustamante.
Recent political mail pieces and texts pointing to an illicit website attacking Askar do not list an official campaign disclosure, but do show a "Belinda Keiser for Congress" logo. Now it appears very clear that there is psy-ops occurring to try to paint both Burck and Keiser as the aggressors.
This mailer against Askar claiming that his last name means "soldier" and that tired to "infiltrate the U.S. Navy" is beyond stupid and defamatory.
The text alone clearly shows that whoever is behind it does not support
Keiser's campaign has already stated that they were not responsible for the aforementioned illicit site and its content.
