I recently interviewed whistleblower Stephen Heller, while guest hosting Cynthia Black’s Action Point on Air America/Nova M Pheonix.
It was Heller’s first live broadcast interview and his wife Michelle Gregory also joined us for a bit. A documentary film crew was on hand to capture the event.
Heller is the Los Angeles actor who stole incriminating documents while working as a temp at Diebold’s powerful law firm Jones Day and turned them over to Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org who, in turn, gave them to Ian Hoffman at the Oakland Tribune where many of them were published. The documents showed that Diebold had illegally installed uncertified hardware and software in California during the 2004 primary, which led to the decertification of their touch-screen DRE voting systems in the state.
Incredibly, Heller was many years later — notably, long after the 2004 Election — charged with three felony counts. He eventually pled guilty in a deal to one of the charges, as he discussed during our interview, to protect his family. As well, he was given the assurance that he’d serve no jail time and the charges would likely be removed entirely from his record after a year or so.
The complete audio and text transcript of the half hour interview is now posted here.
Here’s just a few of the highlights from Heller’s first live interview:
On why he took the documents in the first place…
On the privatization of our public election system…
On not being able to talk while he was under indictment:
On whether he believes himself to be a whistleblower:
On the legitimacy of Diebold elections and George W. Bush…
All of that, plus what happened when police raided his home, why it took so long for charges to be brought, his wife Michelle’s plan to write a book on the life of a wife of a whistleblower (check the full interview to learn the planned title 🙂 ) and much more.
We’ll soon be publishing a guest blog from Heller here at The BRAD BLOG, on whistleblowing and why those thinking about doing it, should.
The complete 3/25/07 interview with Stephen Heller, both the audio and text transcript, is now posted here…
Chances are that Mr. Heller would have been spied upon whether or not his whistleblowing was questionable.
The bigbrothericans are on their way out.
I couldn’t get the mp3 audio… “error 404 that page is no longer here” 🙁
To do what MUST be done even at great personal risk to self and family — THAT IS TRULY HEROIC.
Those who sit and type at computers, complaining about the sorry state of our Electoral System and don’t even take the time to call our congressional Representatives and Senators — what lazy and unworthy slobs we are in the face of such heroism.
Thanks for the interview, Brad, and THANK YOU for your contributions to our Constitutional Republic, Mr. Heller (and family!).
ChrisHooten – Shoot, had a typo in the URL. Should now work fine. For the record, it’s at:
https://bradblog.com/audio/Acti...ler_032507.mp3
Please look at this
click here
And they say there are no role models left. They are wrong. Heller knowing went out on a limb for us and has become the leading voting rights hero.
Steve:
That is sad!
This is off-topic, but needs to be all over Bradblog.
Please read about Bernie Ellis’s plight and help him out if you can. Bernie is a real American patriot. He is one of the leaders of the election reform movement, having organized the first national get-together of activists in Nashville in April of 2005. The story by syndicated columnist (and Bradblog friend) Bob Koehler, is here:
http://www.commonwonders.com
I believe that his advocating for election reform is the main reason that the Feds are now trying to grab his farm. I’m gonna list some sites below.
Here’s Nashville’s Channel 4 Bernie story that ran two weeks ago:
http://www.wsmv.com/news/11321489/detail.html
Here’s Bernie’s site if you wanna help:
http://www.saveberniesfarm.com
Here’s a Democratic Underground thread that you could kick for Bernie. That would also do him some good.
http://www.democraticund…;address=389à—578395
Also, I’m honored to be one of the acts (Delicious Blues Stew, http://www.deliciousbluesstew.com) on the bill at a show in Nashville (April 25 at the Belcourt) to help save Bernie’s farm. Along with the incredible and beautiful singer Jonell Mosser and top Nashville guitarist Mike Henderson, we’ll be lettin’ the good stuff rip. Drop by for that show if you’re in the Music City area. Meet some major entertainers who’ll no doubt show up. The show is sponsored by NORML (National Orginizatin for the Reform of Marajuana Laws) and should be a real kick.
Peace,
shw