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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Blotter

ABC Reporter Arrested in Denver Taking Pictures of Senators, Big Donors

Asa Eslocker Was Investigating the Role of Lobbyists and Top Donors at the Convention

DENVER--Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic Senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Asa in custody
Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he was attempting to take pictures of Democratic Senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

A cigar-smoking Denver police sergeant, accompanied by a team of five other officers, first put his hands on Eslocker's neck, then twisted the producers arm behind him to put on handcuffs.

A police official later told lawyers for ABC News that Eslocker is being charged with trespass, interference, and failure to follow a lawful order. He also said the arrest followed a signed complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel.

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Eslocker was put in handcuffs and loaded in the back of a police van which headed for a nearby police station.

Video taken at the scene shows a man, wearing the uniform of a Boulder County sheriff, ordering Eslocker off the sidewalk in front of the hotel, to the side of the entrance.

The sheriff's officer is seen telling Eslocker the sidewalk is owned by the hotel. Later he is seen pushing Eslocker off the sidewalk into oncoming traffic, forcing him to the other side of the street.

It was two hours later when Denver police arrived to place Eslocker under arrest, apparently based on a complaint from the Brown Palace Hotel, a central location for Democratic officials.

During the arrest, one of the officers can be heard saying to Eslocker, "You're lucky I didn't knock the f..k out of you."

Eslocker was released late today after posting $500 bond.

Eslocker and his ABC News colleagues are spending the week investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention for a series of Money Trail reports on ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

Click Here for the Investigative Homepage.

 
Next Story: The Money Trail: Putting on the Ritz, VIP Treatment for Big Money Democrats
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I just called the pr girl at the Brown Palace Hotel. Great girl. Story is bogus. She said the camera guy was blocking the entrance. They never said that they owned the side walk, and the cops asked the nimrods 5 times to move. I hate liberals, but this story would make Dan Rather blush!
rhbcazny 6:30 PM
It truly is a shame that tactics of this nature are used in our country. I do not know anywhere in the world where a place of business owns the sidewalk they are public domain. I hope ABC sues them .
SALUKI1125 6:30 PM
Republicans will have learned nothing from this. They will party like there's no tomorrow at the trough of big money as well.
Leonidas333 6:30 PM
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