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Media Matters’ boycott guy versus The Donald

Media Matters’ boycott guy versus The Donald

It has been a long time since the name Angelo Carusone has graced these pages.

Carusone is the go-to guy at Media Matters for organizing boycotts and secondary boycotts against people with whom Media Matters disagrees, with Rush Limbaugh as the prime example.

Carusone’s efforts were documented here with regard to the Boycott Rush and Stop Rush efforts last year, which ended up devolving into infighting when it was infiltrated by someone who spilled the beans on the effort:

The tactics employed by Carusone were time tested — take political opposition into business disruption, while using the First Amendment as a shield.

But is it really as much of a shield as Carusone thinks?  At what point does political speech become tortious interference with contract or some other tort when used to organize boycotts and secondary boycotts and to terminate relationships?  It’s something in which I have a more than theoretical interest.

We may find out, as Donald Trump has threatened to sue Carusone over Carusone’s attempt to distrupt Trump’s relationship with Macy’s, via Hollywood Reporter:

Trump attorney Alan Garten has sent a cease and desist letter to Angelo Carusone, organizer of the online campaign Dump Trump, and threatened to seek damages of “not less than” $25 million if the protest continues, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Carusone tells THR he plans to continue the protest and called the threat of legal action “bullying” on Trump’s part.

In a letter dated Dec. 27, Garten charged Carusone with undertaking “malicious efforts” to interfere with Trump’s business relationships and spreading misinformation about the size and success of the protest.

“Rather than simply engage in lawful protest, you have apparently made it your mission to interfere with and intentionally disrupt Mr. Trump’s long-standing and well-established business relationship with Macy’s as well as his contractual dealings with other third parties through mob-like bullying and coercion,” reads the letter from Garten, executive vp and litigation counsel at The Trump Organization.

(The letter can be read in full here.)

Markos at Daily Kos is rallying the troops behind Carusone.

I will be following this because, as mentioned, I have more than a theoretical interest in the subject.

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Comments

Send for more popcorn. This could get interesting.

You go Donald! I’m not a particular fan of the man but he doesn’t know what a fainting couch is unlike most repubs.

This could be (should be) the milestone case in the use of boycotts for political vendettas. It seems like a form of ‘lawfare’ but without the making of new law. I anxiously await the decision(s) of where the line exists between protest and injury.

Very few people, including most politicians, have the resources to hold rogue entities like Media Matters and its funders, such as George Soros, accountable. To be brutally honest, it takes a rich guy with an attitude to keep rich guys with an attitude in check.

I don’t think that “the Donald” is one to be trifled with.

I hope that Trump reduces him to stale hamburger…

“I have more than a theoretical interest in the subject.”

Ewww… Tantalizing bit, that, Prof.!

I eagerly anticipate your PRACTICAL transition from the theoretical, and would like to help where and when I may!

Need any paralegal work done, Professor? I’m great at mining data from the internet 🙂

Disruption of contractual law vs. the 1st amendment. I think the 1st amendment might only apply to governmental agencies, and ends in private business affairs. This could be very interesting. I agree with 49erDweet, send for more popcorn.

BannedbytheGuardian | February 20, 2013 at 12:31 pm

Donald & Ivanka Trump won the contract to develope the US Postal building .Their tender retained the most of the building & have some public areas plus a luxury hotel.

Now that is making your mark. This is why the boycott will fail. Everybody but everybody will want to be there . Gays will be mesmerised & gays are the pivot behind all left boycotts because they have expendable income for luxuries.

    casualobserver in reply to BannedbytheGuardian. | February 20, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    Are you sure you are commenting on the right article??? What do gay people have to do with Trump, Media Matters, Daily Kos, law suits, or anything else a part of this story? Perhaps you see a conspiracy……..fascinating.

      BannedbytheGuardian in reply to casualobserver. | February 20, 2013 at 3:29 pm

      I am. The reason the Boy Scouts are about to fall is that they have lost corporate sponsorship at the head level purely because of a campaign you guys have obviously missed.

      The Boy Scouts are under financial pressure to drop their barrier to gays.

      Macy’s is difficult to single out . If you have not realised it , young people of the Kos club look up to gays as moral leaders.

      Marcos will have difficulty getting gays to avoid shopping because it is wha they live for.

      BannedbytheGuardian in reply to casualobserver. | February 20, 2013 at 3:35 pm

      As for law suits – gays kneecapped the law firm that was to have defended the DOMA.

Trump would be smart to sue.

I’m not much of a Trump fan, but the thought of Mr. Deep-Pockets tying Carusone up in litigation is just delicious.

Krystal Ball? Is media matters making porn flicks on the side?

Bloody boots markos is a punk.

I am experiencing difficulty understanding and living in a world where I support something Donald Trump has done.

Anybody have an update on Trump’s $5 MILLION lawsuit against sewer-rat maher (i.e., the former bed-mate of loony Christie supporter ann coulter)?

BannedbytheGuardian | February 21, 2013 at 2:30 am

I was hoping someone would note this here goes.

Casual observer zinged my post for mentioning gays.

Have a look at Marcos of Kos , Kascynski of Buzzfeed & Boehlert of MM.

2 outta 3 ain’t bad. ( at least ).