Opinion

[Print] [Email]

Want to know who is Hannah Giles?

By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
09/12/09 9:12 AM EDT

Youtube.com

Hannah Giles, the young woman who dressed up and posed as a whore in the BigGovernment.com ACORN child prostitution sting videos, is an aspiring investigative reporter and National Journalism Center intern. You can read her Townhall.com bio here. Not familiar with NJC? Go here.

Actually, I shouldn't say "aspiring," as she's already accomplished something nobody from 60 Minutes, The New York Times, or any other mainstrream media thought to do, and that is find a way to expose the dirty truth behind the closed doors of ACORN. She was able to do that because she asked the right question, unemcumbered by the liberal conventional wisdom that blinds so many Mainstream Media journalists.

Reminds me of the undercover video stories done by Diane Sawyer years ago. Remember the green meat stories?

I hope Giles and her partner in this daring enterprise, James O'Keefe, spark a mass movement of young conservatives who decide to become investigative journalists. As I've been telling such folks for years now, there is a target-rich environment out there just waiting to be exposed.

And a good place to start learning how to do that is the Database 101 Computer-Assisted Research and Reporting program that I started in 2000 at The Heritage Foundation and which continues today. Most of the one-day seminars are held at the National Press Club and are always free of charge for attendees.

Earlier this summer, we took the program on the road to Pittsburgh for the Right Online conference in conjunction with the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, that is building a nationwide corps of investigative types. Among the independent groups with which Franklin works is the State Policy Network of conservative and libertarian-oriented state-focused think tanks. My apologies to both for previously inaccurately linking them with The Heritage Foundation.

Why is all this important? As Patrick Henry said: "The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them."

Follow The Examiner

RFK, Jr.: Rush Limbaugh does it, so why shouldn't I?

In response to the attention we gave him for his old column on how Washington has "anemic winters" because of global warming, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tells NRO's Robert...

—David Freddoso

Controversial National Labor Relations Board nominee Craig Becker shot down in Senate

By a vote of 52 to 33, the Obama administration nominee to the National Labor Relations Board, Craig Becker, just failed to get the 60 votes needed for his nomination to proceed...

—Mark Hemingway

Gibbs mocks Palin -- but we suspect a crush

The highest form of flattery! Robert, declare yourself! (ap photo) Beltway Confidential knows a crush when she sees one. How else to explain the relentless mocking and...

—Julie Mason

Obama reclaims podium!

You're beautiful, Chuck Todd. I mean that. (ap photo) On a day when many White House reporters (ahem) stayed away from the White House for snow or early-deadline...

—Julie Mason

Reader Comments

All comments on this page are subject to our Terms of Use and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Examiner or its staff. Comment box is limited to 250 words.

BrookdalePark

Sep 12, 2009

Spectacular work. I applaud Ms. Giles, but I disagree with your premise that no one in mainstream media thought to do the job of exposing ACORN. They thought about it and knew they could do it, but why expose an organization whose agenda suits their own? If the goal, dragging the country leftward and downward, means ignoring rampant corruption, so be it.

joey123

Sep 12, 2009

Incredibly, with the current situation in today's corrupt liberal news media, anyone going after such a story or editor advocating such an investigation is committing career suicide, IMO. Hence major stories of truly national importance are in a black hole, virtually invisible to and unreachable by the liberal mainstream media. This will of course only hasten the mainstream media's irrelevance and eventual demise.
Go Conservative press!

Commonsense

Sep 12, 2009

Why was there no mention of the ACORN scandal on Yahoo! news this morning? Was it incompetence - or worse?

Resolute

Sep 12, 2009

Ms. Giles had best now watch her back. By exposing ACORN's true nature, she not only took them down, but illustrated the mainstream media's indolence and bias as well. They'll be coming after her with daggers drawn --- just look how they went after Sarah Palin.

David

Sep 12, 2009

Hearty applause for her courageous work to expose fraud and malfeasance at ACORN! She has a bright future ahead; I can't wait to see what she'll do next.

celinda norvelle

Sep 12, 2009

Acorn only have them selves to blame. The wonderful thing is the couple did it twice, same script. Had they tuned into fox, Acorn would have seen it coming, because they broadcasted it 19 times. Mainstream, not once. As far as I can tell they did not think it news. If I was CBS, NBC, CBS, I would surely feel the need to clue their criminals in, at the least. Because they are not going to see it coming baby. We are on the mainstream television, and you will not win this one, better think twice, or you will be the first with out a job or insurance, how do you like them apples. Losers. Hanna if you feel threatened you call Glenn, I promise, he will fix them right quick and in a hurry, sweetheart.

Good Job, now what are you waiting for, get going, be very careful.

Mike

Sep 12, 2009

A little perspective please... you're talking infidelity Kelly, and this was like nothing I've seen before. Trafficking of minors for prostitution Kelly!!! Believe me I will cast that stone... and it will be done judicially.

ggordon

Sep 12, 2009

I guess some former ACORN members have moved on to 'pimping" for health care reform from a "bully" pulpits.

steve g

Sep 12, 2009

All that's left is to uncover the "paper trail" that is the only explanation that 2 offices provided virtually identical inforrmation!

60 Minutes? HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO BE RELEVANT AGAIN??

Nightline? Your chance to Shine!!!

If the so-called "MSM" doesn't at least try to uncover ACORN's policy documents then they might as well just close up shop!!

carrie

Sep 12, 2009

Kelly, why don't you take your whining to CNN, cause none of us care what you think You are a typical democrat who tries to focus on the sins of others rather than focusing on the subject at hand - and that is ACORN - not someone who works at Heritage, or GW Bush, or Karl Rove,,,it's ACORN HON.

ggordon

Sep 13, 2009

Frankly, none of the above cited is explainable, but some reaches to lower depths than others. Child prostitution? Kel, do you march in S.F. at some of the Man/Boy or beatiality parades?
And this from an organization that the president was once a member and keeps close ties, one that is receiving 10's of millions of OUR dollars, and one which is utilized as a surrogate of the current administration for protesting and bullying. Remember the protests of the AIG bonuses, or current hc protests. The ACORN rent-a-mob seems to show up in a number of places doing the administration's "bullying" (along with the union members being bussed in - that WE are paying for)

ggordon

Sep 13, 2009

We know... even though Barack has been associated with them for 20 years - HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THEIR MISSION WAS, OR WHAT THEY WERE DOING OR .... and he NEVER knew Rev. Wright was/is a two-faced racist. Never knew all these commies he's hired or appointed were commies - oh except they've spent their entire adult lives professing to hate certain groups aor ways of life, or OUR OWN country (ref. to Michelle baby - lefty lady)

Kelly

Sep 13, 2009

test

Kudos Kid!

Sep 13, 2009

The Acorn criminal organization can't conduct business as usual anymore because of this daring initiative.They Out Woodward & Bernstein'd everybody!Acorn will now have to strip search Barbara Walters to find hidden cams & mic's!P.S that journalistic duo potentially saved the U.S. taxpayer hundreds of millions.

lamb

Sep 13, 2009

Why won't my comments post??

Hannah Fan

Sep 13, 2009

Hannah is smokin' !

ck her out-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl7KiCCPzk0

Catherine

Sep 13, 2009

HANNAH IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE DESPERATE RACIST RIGHT WINGERS WHO WOULD DEMONIZE AN ENTIRE ORGANIZATION BUT FOR A FEW BAD APPLES- NAD BREAK THE LAW DOINIG IT LOL. I'M NOT SUPRISED.

JerryR@gmail.com

Sep 13, 2009

Right on target Catherine. What they did to set up ACORN is byond the pale. Her portrayal of a prostitute was pretty good though- perhaps she should think of a career change :).

FreeStateYank

Sep 13, 2009

Hannah is no less a hero than Paul Revere. One if by land, two if by sea, three if by government, four if by media.

There are seven lanterns lit.

Her partner in the project, James O'Keefe, has penned a scathing response to a CNN producer who seeks an interview with him. O'Keefe states that CNN framed the story, favoring Acorn, without running the video after the first video release. Once the second video came out, it was clear CNN chose partisan politics over honest journalism, [if that wasn't already clear.] O'Keefe goes on to ask, what Jonathan Kline will do next, now that he's been lied to about Acorn. Good for you, James!

The full story is at biggovernment dot com.

Kudos also to Byron York and the other journalists of integrity at the Examiner.

FMB501

Sep 13, 2009

So much for any aspirations of a career in any Lame Stream Media organization. Ms. Giles had best aspire to become an independent investigative journalist. Alas, I'm afraid that the only news organizations who would publish her stories would be on the right.

Nevertheless, I enthusiastically welcome Ms. Giles to the war against the Lame Stream Media and political corruption.

lily

Sep 13, 2009

I too remember when Mike Wallace and others on 60 Minutes were the bane of people conducting underhanded doings.

Catherine calls the problems with ACORN the doings of "a few bad apples." That was what was said last year when there were voter fraud allegations, that it was only a few bad apples. Unfortunately, there had been similar problems in prior elections too.

I admire Ms Giles courageous work. I heard this afternoon that it's a felony in Maryland to record a person without their permission. Ms Giles and her partner may be charged and the penalty is fines up to $10,000. I hope if they are fined that there is a fund to help them out. I don't have much, but I'd contribute to it.

Pedro el Presidente'

Sep 13, 2009

Felony? Really ?So the Feds will .have to exonerate John Gotti posthumously?

Brian

Sep 14, 2009

They helped keep Acorn out of our Homes.THANK YOU! Can you imagine crack heads /welfare cheats asking you questions of a sensitive or personal nature ?

She is hot!

Sep 14, 2009

She should be the next Ann Coulter or Laura Ingraham. She is way, way, way hotter than either of those babes. Who, whoa, whoa!

chris1450

Sep 15, 2009

Catherine: How is what they did racist in any way? Your blabbing the left talking points. Accuse racism at any cost. Few bad apples? Stop watching cnn and msnbc. Acorn is bad to the core. JerryR: Your kidding right? What acorn is doing is ok?

C R

Sep 15, 2009

Hannah's hot!

jaafar

Sep 15, 2009

Does anyone think Keith Olbermann will mention this?

Sep 15, 2009

Do you remember that Diane Sawyer's green meat at Food Lion story was a case of trespassing? As a journalist, Mr. Tapscott, you should know that Ms. Giles trespassed as well by lying about who she was. Real news organizations hire trained professionals who don't get their stories illegally. These amateurs, including Al Gore's trespassers,
are akin to cops searching without warrants. ABC got sued and lost. So will Fox. Tapscott, you're a hack.

Sep 16, 2009

Giles is just another right-winger trying to make a name for herself, just another thing to add to the anti-obama rabble Obama's a Nazi, Obama's a Commie yada yada yada. Maybe when Obama's wins in 2012 you guys will give it a rest.

George

Sep 16, 2009

Hannah Giles you are my hero, keep up the great work. I'm sure you will have no problem finding work with a "real" news outlet like FOX. I salute you for your efforts to protect American taxpayer dollars and root out some of the evil known as ACORN.

Howard

Sep 16, 2009

Praise God for Hannah Giles and her partner. You are just what we need in America...a TRUE American with values!!!
Thank you for all you are doing. I just wish congress could be as comptent

Guy Schmidt

Sep 17, 2009

Hannah is everything the Left's women wish they could be, but they're not.

Beautiful, ethical and smart.

I'm also thinking she'd be just as willing to "drop the hammer" on any operation rooted in corruption, regardless of affiliation.

No Quarter, No Quit, No Favors.

Hannah the Hammer. I likes 'dat

depaz

Sep 17, 2009

So what they did bordered on (or actually was) illegal. However, ACORN lost it's charter to set up shop in Maryland over a year ago, yet they continued to operate. I doubt that THAT's legal. And doling out information about how to cheat the IRS ranks right up there with their mere existence in Maryland. Tally them up and there is more illegal activity in ACORNs column than there is in Hannah's column. . . . .

MadJack

Sep 17, 2009

IF ACORN really is "defunded" (seems to me the President still has to sign the bill)... just IF it happens I'm afraid there may be a sudden increase in the national unemployment numbers or, maybe all those criminals could find work in Chicago.

get real catherine

Sep 17, 2009

social services are between 8 and 12% of the g.d.p and cost this country cost $880,000,000 yearly not including the latest pork thrown at acorn and its 126 none profit d.b.a's. which also was in the billions.bi-generational theft of social services ran by outfits like acorn must stop. i personally know a mother in perfect health that could work,but chooses not to so she can have max section 8,food stamps, and what ever else acorn can drum up for her.social services are there for a hand up not a hand out, so quit wasting my hard earned dollar on your pathetic excuse to play your bigoted race card while you ride the social service gravy train.

you to JERRYR

Sep 17, 2009

who is really breaking the law?the theft of billions or undercover news investigators? the camera may have been in a something to hide it, but you tell me the difference between that and the local news outfits going into a service store with the perfectly fine widget to be told that it needs $100.00's in repairs.it is always nice when we all find out about the scam of the week on the weak, but when its the cash cow you suck the tit of it sure does blow. right, Jerry?

jaafar please

Sep 17, 2009

Jaafar criminal trespassing is the only thing you can come up with.It took about three minutes to find out that case was dropped.(Google search food lion vs. sawyer)1$ dollar was given to food lion for each trespass charge for a total of 2$, and the fraud charges on the false employee application was the main thing that was thrown out.judges with clear minds will always rule on a case accordingly. I really do believe the 1st amendment won in that case and mine.

the joke's on you

Sep 21, 2009

Wow, so all you have to do to become a conservative superstar these days is play the role of a prostitute with relish and dupe some office workers...

Tom Vincent

Sep 23, 2009

Glad to see the Republo-Fascists come clean about their TRUE agenda: Lie, misrepresent themselves, waste people's professional time and illegally tape sessions until they snag a victim with stories of kidnapping, smuggling, rape and prostitution.

True Republo-Fascist Family Values!

Roland Carville

Sep 26, 2009

I have so much evidence that FOXNEWS plan this stupid scandal all from Day one. Why is it that Americans are too blind to see the reality of this world, and not from Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe world. They are evil "Right-wing Terrorists" who knew what they wanted to do and the outcome of this demonization of an innocent group like ACORN who did so much good things like helpin poor people. White people like FOXNEWS thinks that it's a crime for doing that. FOXNEWS is the one who hired these two people to do their dirty work. That's WRONG and I will not tolerate that misbehavior. I will take full action.

fred

Sep 26, 2009

I would like to expose Hannah's breasts for the fraud that they are!

brown

Dec 3, 2009

I never thought such brilliant young generation journalists where there, she did a great job in exposing ACORN.she has comminted herself to fight against the injustice and abuses of power, she will definitely do such risky works becoz its in her blood as you all know she is the daughter of columnist Doug Giles of townhall dot com
Atlas Group

jackwills

Dec 22, 2009

jackwills

cheap jack wills

buy jack wills

jack wills Apparel

Jack Wills Hoodie

jack wills outfitters

jack wills clothing

jack wills

jack wills sale

cheap jack wills

nike

Dec 22, 2009

nike basketball shoes

Nike Shox Shoes

New Balance Shoes

Dunk SB Shoes

air max 2009

timberland boots

Dec 22, 2009

pink timberland boots

timberland boots on sale

timberland boots

timberland pro boots

timberland waterproof boots

timberland work boot

UGG

Dec 22, 2009

UGG クラシックミニ
 UGG Classic Tall

uggood

Dec 22, 2009

ugg boots women's
ugg boots women
ugg boots for women
ladies uggs
ladies ugg boots
girls ugg boots
cheap women's ugg boots

PeterWarner1

Jan 9, 2010

I'm afraid that the only news organizations who would publish her stories would be on the right.social work school | Online Advertising degree | Online Marketing degree

EddyJhon

Jan 9, 2010

Thanks for sharing...Architecture degree | art school

Jan 11, 2010

projeksiyon

rick

Jan 16, 2010

good hosting.
hosting
web hosting
web hosting service
domain hosting
hosting services

Jack Henshall

Feb 4, 2010

An guest what Hannah says an I quote "After I exposed them as willing enablers of child prostition, the former Baltimore employees and ACORN Inc. filed a milti-million dollar civil lawsuit claiming I damaged their reputation and demanded $5 million for mental anguish My question is how can anyone damage the reputation of a group of people who whould promote child prostition. BEATS ME

Local

Another snowball fight planned for Dupont Circle

The Official Dupont Circle Snowball Fight facebook fanpage has over 6,000 fans now, and it looks as if snowed in DC'ers will return for another battle. Full story

Politics

GOP winning war over Miranda rights for terrorists

Even as the administration defends its decision to grant accused Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab the right to remain silent, the president himself is hinting that things might be done differently in the future. Full story

Local

D.C. region braces for up to 20 more inches of snow

The National Weather Service has the entire D.C. metro area, from Prince William County north, under a winter storm warning for 10 to 20 inches of snow. Forecasters have had their eyes on this storm for days, but the projected snow totals were bumped up late Monday. Full story

Want to know who is Hannah Giles?

By: Mark Tapscott
Editorial Page Editor
09/12/09 9:12 AM EDT