Greg Palast

Infobox Person
name = Gregory Allyn Palast


caption =
birth_date = 26 June 1952
birth_place = Los Angeles
death_date =
death_place =
other_names =
known_for =
occupation = Author, Journalist

Gregory Allyn Palast (born 1952 [cite web
url=http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/1223
title= Greg Palast
accessdate=2008-01-04
work=PEN World Voices 2007
publisher=PEN American Center ] ) is a "New York Times"-bestselling author [cite news |title=Paperback Nonfiction |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/20/books/bestseller/0520bestpapernonfiction.html |format= |work=The New York Times |date=2007-05-20 |accessdate=2007-05-31] and a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation [cite news |title=BBC - Search results for Greg Palast |url=http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?q=Greg+Palast&x=0&y=0&scope=all&edition=d&tab=av&recipe=all |format=HTML |work=BBC News |accessdate=2007-05-31] as well as the British newspaper "The Observer". [cite web |url=http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/greg_palast/profile.html |title=Greg Palast Profile |accessdate=2007-05-31 |work=Comment is Free |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited] His work frequently focuses on corporate malfeasance but has also been known to work with labor unions and consumer advocacy groups. Notably, he has claimed to have uncovered evidence that Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, and Florida Elections Unit Chief Clay Roberts, along with the ChoicePoint corporation, rigged the ballots during the US Presidential Election of 2000 and again in 2004 when, he argued, the problems and machinations from 2000 continued, and that challenger John Kerry actually would have won if not for disproportional "spoilage" of Democratic votes. [cite web |url=http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1104-36.htm |title=Kerry Won |last=Palast |first=Greg |publisher=commondreams.org |date=2004-11-04 |publisher=commondreams.org]

Palast lectured at Cambridge University [cite web|url=http://www.think-twice.org.uk/2002/speakers.html|title=Think Twice 2002: list of speakers |accessdate=2007-08-24|publisher=Think Twice Conference at Cambridge University] and the University of São Paulo [cite web|url=http://sistemas.usp.br/atena/atnCurriculoLattesMostrar?codpes=76141|title=Currículo do Sistema de Currículos Lattes (Ildo Luis Sauer)|accessdate=2007-08-24|publisher=University of São Paulo] . He lives in London and New York City. Palast is originally from Los Angeles, and was educated at the University of Chicago, [cite web |url=http://www.chicagogsb.edu/alumni/news/archive/archive-ac-aug-04.aspx |title=Alumni Connections |publisher=University of Chicago Graduate School of Business] where he studied with the "Chicago Boys", and eventually earned an MBA.

On September 13, 2006, after filming a camp of Hurricane Katrina refugees in Louisiana near a massive Exxon oil refinery, Palast reported that a complaint had been filed against him for the unauthorized videotaping of a "critical infrastructure asset." cite web |url=http://www.gregpalast.com/palast-charged-with-journalism-in-the-first-degree |title=Palast Charged with Journalism in the First Degree |last=Palast |first=Greg |date=2006-09-12 |publisher=gregpalast.com] Palast's office later indicated that Exxon had "called off the dogs" and that no charges would be filed.

A graphic novel adapting Palast's newest book, "Armed Madhouse", is currently in progress. [cite web |url=http://www.eugeneweekly.com/2007/04/19/news2.html |last=Steffan |first=Suzi |title=Badass Supersleuth and the Bozo Factor A Q&A with investigative journalist Greg Palast
publisher=eugeneweekly.com |date=2007-04-19]

elected Stories

Presidential Elections

He appeared in the 2004 documentary "Orwell Rolls in His Grave", which focuses on the hidden mechanics of the media.

Palast alleges that Andrés Manuel López Obrador — and not Felipe Calderon — won Mexico's last presidential election [Articles from June to August, 2006 on gregpalast.com : [http://www.gregpalast.com/stealing-mexico] [http://www.gregpalast.com/dispatches-from-mexico-city-part-1] [http://www.gregpalast.com/dispatches-from-mexico-city-part-2] [http://www.gregpalast.com/stealing-it-in-front-of-your-eyes] [http://www.gregpalast.com/mexico-awaiting-the-final-count] [http://www.gregpalast.com/senor-blank-o-wins-in-mexico] [http://www.gregpalast.com/mexico-and-florida-have-more-in-common-than-heat] [http://www.gregpalast.com/it-aint-over-til-its-over] [http://www.gregpalast.com/amy-goodman-interviews-palast-on-mexico-vote-and-dan-rather] [http://www.gregpalast.com/florida-con-salsa] [http://www.gregpalast.com/why-democrats-dont-count] [http://www.gregpalast.com/podcast-kpft-interviews-matt-pascarella-on-mexican-election] [http://www.gregpalast.com/we-dont-need-no-stinkin-recount] ] .

In May 2007, Palast said he'd received 500 emails that former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove exchanged through an account supplied by the Republican National Committee. Palast says the emails show a plan to target likely Democratic voters with extra scrutiny over their home addresses, and he also believes Rove's plan was a factor in the firing of U.S. Attorneys. [cite web |url=http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/05/24/justice-department-scandal-greg-palast |title=The Future of America Has Been Stolen |last=Diehl |first=Jeff |publisher=10zenmonkeys.com |date=2007-05-24]

Long Island Lighting Company

In 1988, Palast directed a U.S. civil racketeering investigation into the nuclear power plant builder Long Island Lighting Company. A jury awarded the plaintiffs US$4.8 billion; however, New York's chief federal judge reversed the verdict. The racketeering charges stemmed from an accusation that LILCO filed false documents in order to secure rate increases. LILCO sought a dismissal of these charges the grounds that Suffolk County lacked authority under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and that the allegations of a history of racketeering did not qualify as a continuing criminal enterprise. [cite web |url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1DD113AF93AA25756C0A96E948260 |authorlink=Associated Press |title= Lilco Loses Bid to Dismiss Suit Charging Racketeering |publisher=nytimes.com |date=1988-05-19]

"Exxon Valdez"

Palast has also taken issue with the official story behind the grounding of the "Exxon Valdez", claiming that the sobriety of the "Valdez"’s captain was not an issue in the accident. According to Palast the main cause of the "Exxon Valdez" accident in 1989 wasn't human error, but an Exxon decision to not fix the ship's radar in order to save money. The Raytheon Raycas radar system would not have detected Bligh Reef itself - as radar, unlike sonar, is incapable of detecting objects under the waterline of a ship. However the radar system would have detected the "radar reflector," placed on the next rock inland from Bligh Reef for the purpose of keeping boats on course via radar.

Palast argues that the original owners of the land, the local Native American tribe, took only one dollar in payment for the land other than a promise not to pollute it and spoil their fishing ground.

Reliant Energy

Palast asserts that Reliant Energy maintains a file on him, including false data regarding his sex life, which they distribute as propaganda against him "(1-p.112)".

Lobbygate

In 1998, working as an undercover reporter for "The Observer", Palast, posing as a US businessman with ties to Enron, caught on tape two Labour party insiders, Derek Draper and Jonathan Mendelsohn, boasting about how they could sell access to government ministers, obtain advance copies of sensitive reports, and create tax breaks for their clients.cite web|url=http://www.gregpalast.com/tony-blair-and-the-sale-of-britain/|title=Britain for Sale|date=1 May 2005|author=Greg Palast|accessdate=2007-11-29]

Draper denied the allegations. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/128125.stm|title=Draper accuses Observer of entrapment|date=7 July 1998|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2007-11-29] British Prime Minister Tony Blair claimed that all the specific allegations had been investigated and found groundless. [cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo980708/debtext/80708-19.htm#80708-19_sbhd3
title=Prime Minister's Questions|date=8 July 1998|publisher=Hansard|accessdate=2007-11-29]

Criminal Complaint by the Department of Homeland Security

On September 11, 2006, Palast announced that he had been charged by the United States Department of Homeland Security, for filming an Exxon oil refinery.

Palast does not deny that he was involved in filming the facility (as part of a documentary on the alleged mishandling of Hurricane Katrina). However he asserts that there was no danger of this aiding terrorists (Palast stated that aerial photographs of the facility are freely available on [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4045+Scenic+Hwy+70809+East,+Baton+Rouge,+LA&ie=UTF8&ll=30.485783,-91.173981&spn=0.006925,0.014334&t=k&z=17&om=1 Google Maps] ).

He argues that the Exxon corporation was motivated by his past criticisms of them in relation to the "Exxon Valdez" disaster, rather than a concern with terrorism.

Representatives from the Palast office later that day indicated that Exxon had "called off the dogs" and the Homeland Security had changed their tune, suggesting that the first phone call was "merely an inquiry" and that no charges would be filed.

Criticism

In "An Open Letter to Greg Palast on Peak Oil" [ [http://www.richardheinberg.com/museletter/171 An Open Letter to Greg Palast on Peak Oil] ] Richard Heinberg offers friendly criticism of Palast's buying into the confounding of "amount of oil left" with "peak (maximal) flow rates" for oil, the latter being key to Peak Oil.

Bibliography

Books

*"Armed Madhouse" (2006)
** [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/05/15/1334249 Interview with Greg Palast about his new book: Armed Madhouse]
*"Democracy and Regulation" (2003) (Co-Authors: Theo MacGregor and Jerrold Oppenheim)
*"The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" (2002)

Films

*"American Blackout"
*"Big Easy to Big Empty [Part 1] [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Bkpv6rpJEI8] , Part 2 [http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y-cAApvpPX4] "
*"Bush Family Fortunes" [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8187301869971500776] [http://www.freespeech.org/fscm2/contentviewer.php?content_id=1370]

See also

* 2004 United States election voting controversies
* Bob Fitrakis
* International Monetary Fund
* Mothers Organized to Stop Environmental Sin
* World Bank
* World Trade Organization

External links

* [http://www.gregpalast.com GregPalast.com] - 'The Writings of Greg Palast' (official website)
* [http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=GregPalastOffice GregPalastOffice] Greg Palast's YouTube page
* [http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0510/S00330.htm Scoop.co.nz] - 'OPEC & The Economic Conquest Of Iraq', Greg Palast
* [http://nyinquirer.typepad.com/nyinquirer/2006/07/police_state_in_1.html New York Inquirer Interview with Greg Palast]
* [http://www.gregpalast.com/how-they-stole-the-mid-term-election Palast article 'On the 2006 Mid-Term Elections']
* [http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/05/24/justice-department-scandal-greg-palast "A Sleeper Cell of Rove-Bots"] - May 24, 2007 interview

References