So Is James Moninger The One Moonlighting As Anonymous Spokesman For Dept Of State?

Comments

Thanks Ergon, for your follow-up.

At this point I see no compelling reason for the State Department not to comply with Italy’s extradition request. Heck, they did a joint sting operation in New York with the new government of Italy. I make a comment or two now and again but mostly have stopped but when I read Nina B. piece in Newsweek I couldn’t help myself.

I was surprised though, as many people agreed that it was a shoddy piece of PR, er, journalistic liberty that she took. She had the nerve to talk about AK’s human rights being taken away from her when it was poor Meredith who had her human rights forcefully and violently taken by the 3 perps.

The case is tight and written well for all to see. If only the dissenters had ears to hear and eyes to see.

Thanks again for posting this, Peter. I had no grudge for being bounced out of his group but seeing as how he’s a member of so many pro Amanda Knox groups like this one:

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito Discussion Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/709062329175047/ run by Bruce Fischer and friends and, seeing evidence he was the source for false claims of diplomatic interference by the Friends Of Amanda, I asked him for comment. He chose not to reply, and I gave him several months.

That recent media reports came out at this time all touting the same party line required that I at least, look for the source. It seems no one is prepared to admit to it.

James Moninger is not showing up at professional level on any federal personnel directories at all. I’d say if he’s on active duty that that Moninger is only at consular level, not more. That is the level of pretty well all the staff that State would need to have within the US outside DC. From the thread below:

The main purpose of consulates is to help out in travel work. They help their own nationals with visas and lost passports and small problems, and they help nationals of the country they are in to get work permits or vizas in turn.

Valuable work. But it doesnt require an advanced degree or law degree, and consulate staff are rather looked down upon by diplomatic staff. They are usually moved to another country every 2 or 3 years.

No diplomat I ever met secure in his career (third secretary and above) would waste his time with an effort like that. They are way too busy and way too smart.

Also diplomats just dont have the status problems that some in consular have. They are screened for that. Kind of like the Security Guard Syndrome (“notice me! notice me!”) that affects lower-level grunts who exit in mid-career from places like the FBI.

I wrestled with this for months. Sent Moninger a DM December 07 asking for comment. A simple denial he was the source would have sufficed. I warned him I would publish, as you can see. He chose not to reply. In the mean time his friends were attacking me personally all over the net and he bans me on their say so I was ‘harassing’ them?

For the record, I left open the possibility it was the FOA making up stuff based on proximity to a ‘diplomat’. But, his comment on her blog was er, undiplomatic. His posting to all and sundry on those pages that he worked for State was foolish.

But as soon as all these false reports in the media showed up again, I had to act. It is now up to him to deny it, and I will be happy to publish his response.

The fact remains that the media has published rumours the fix is in. We will keep an eye open for THAT.

Pete,

regarding your comment: “No diplomat I ever met secure in his career (third secretary and above) would waste his time with an effort like that. They are way too busy and way too smart.”

I must disagree and many (I cannot write “ALL” only because I’d have to ask to each and every one of them…) diplomats (from the US and about a dozen of other countries I am most familiar with), secure in his/her career, would most certainly disagree with that statement.  It’s not a “waste of their time” because the “main purpose of consulates” is NOT the one you mention (“travel work”).

I could give you so many examples of Consulates and Consulate Generals (from the US and other countries) where “helping out in travel work” is the very last thing they work on. Consulates are not some sort of travel agency handing out passports and work permits.

I hope you actually get the chance to speak to a Head of Consulate to ask him/her what they work on. The list is simply too long for me to type it all here.

Second, you wrote, “diplomats just don’t have the status problems that some in consular have”.  Again, I must disagree.

There are not two different careers (“diplomatic” vs “consular”) so there can be no “status problem”  Also, heads of Consulates have no “status problems” since, in many cases, a Consul General has a higher rank than that of many Ambassadors.

Since you are from NYC, I’ll give you the example of the Italian Consul General to NYC.  His rank is superior to that of about 80% of Italian Ambassadors around the world (where Italy has only small/medium sized embassies).

In general, the Head of a big/important Consulate General will outrank that of many Ambassadors working in less prestigious/important countries (in the US foreign service as well).

Another example: the US Consul General to Naples (she comes to mind since I happened to be in Naples last month).  http://italian.naples.usconsulate.gov/console.html  You should ask HER if she thinks that, as a former special assistant to SEC STATE, she has some sort of “status problem”.

Furthermore, you wrote, “it doesn’t require an advanced degree or law degree, and consulate staff are rather looked down upon by diplomatic staff”. I disagree, of course.

Again, the US foreign service does not have two separate careers (not does any country I can think of): “consular staff” vs. “diplomatic staff”. “Consular staff” will work in embassies and “diplomatic staff” will work in consulates. It’s one staff. No one s looking down on anyone.

Also, the Head of Consulate (part of the “consular staff”) will ALWAYS have an advanced degree: Political Sciences, Law or Economics are the most common in all foreign services.

Lastly, I have no idea who James Moninger is. Don’t care. I can tell you one thing though: he’s not at “consulate level” because there is no such thing as a “consulate level”.

Interesting.

My work has put in touch with people who work in very senior levels of government.

A person who worked directly for me several years ago was later on Secretary of State Clinton’s team in a senior role.  We continue to be very good friends.

And guess what?  I NEVER EVER asked nor did he/she comment on what State might do in the case of Amanda Knox because it would been grossly inappropriate and we both knew it. 

Senior officials who work on sensitive diplomatic matters and who have a trusted relationship with the ultimate decision maker (now Secretary of State Kerry) in a case such as this keep things close to the vest, as they should.

What’s happening now is that someone is trying to create momentum around the idea that extradition is inconceivable and the State Department will never permit it.

I want to remind media that until and unless someone in an official capacity says something on the record (in which case, they ARE speaking for the State Department), it’s all just rumors and gossip.

My prediction?

The State Department will say something interesting when they know what action they’re going to take.  And that requires digesting not just the decision that gets made later this week, but also the reasoning behind it.

For those reasons, I wouldn’t be surprised if an extradition request from Italy is not made until after the legal reasoning behind the decision is available for review.

People who care about the long-term relationship between the United States and its European allies are going to want to get this right.

Hi Clander

Welcome. I am referring to consular sections with a small c within an embassy with the functions I defined and not to consulates the equivalent of an embassy in all but name.  One typical description of a consular section is here:

http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/cspakistan.html

In the capitals the UN had me based in or visiting I was in dozens of embassies for mutual development work which had the functions divided up as I described. I see the same thing in NYC, staff who do UN work, and staff who do work for citizens, though NYC is pretty unusual in that they are more often at separate addresses.

The waste of time I referred to was the AK & RS PR of Moninger not the consular work which in my longer comment on the previous thread, I respected as really needing done.

Hi Media Watcher

It seems to me you have all of that exactly right. No foreign office insults another friendly foreign office anonymously in the media ever. For 100 reasons they try hard to get along.

So what appeared in the UK as allegedly being from some sort of anonymous State spokesman was extraordinary and didnt ring true. It may already have key officials both in the Foreign Office in Rome and in State a bit ticked.

Ergon has made a great move to try to flush out this seeming moonlighting and private hijacking of US foreign policy.

While arrest warrants could be issued this week any extradition request might indeed take a few weeks till after the sentencing report is out. If State resists, and I really dont see why or how, an Interpol Red notice might be next. Plus Italy can apply directly to local courts to expropriate property from Knox including money Patrick is owed.

What happens under local sex offender laws seems to be only a matter for Washington State officials and I think Italy maybe has no role.

Hi Pete,

I don’t see how you could have been referring to a consular section. In any case, the consular section of an embassy (or a consulate) is just one of the many offices present in an embassy/consulate and the employees who work in those offices are not diplomats. My points regarding alleged “status problems” and consulate staff being “looked down upon” remain.

I do see however how the “waste of time” was referred to the PR effort. I’d add this to my previous comment then: no diplomat (no need to mention if he/she is secure in his/her career or not) will waste time in that sort of effort. Not because they are “too busy” or “too smart” but simply because this case is still in the hands of the judiciary. So, instead of being “too smart” I’d just say that they’re not stupid.

Even when this case will be handed over to the executive branch, no diplomat, especially the ones that might do the actual work in the extradition process, will speak/write about this outside of official channels.

Thanks, Peter.

We should remind people that Amanda Knox supporters lawyer Anne Bremner and Judge Heavey both assured us the Secretary of State would NEVER extradite Amanda Knox.

Were they lying? Was the media mistaken in accepting their assurances at face value? Or did they actually verify their sources?

I should point out I wrote to the Express and Daily Mail as well as the State Department when these reports first came out. Never received a response to my written requests.

The fact remains that even the perception, propagated by the media that there is a secret deal to protect Amanda Knox, is harmful to the cause of justice. And, the work of the State Department.

‘There is a secret deal to protect Amanda Knox’...

This is so typical of the mindset surrounding a narcissist and their entourage : ‘she’ is special - really special, and so exempt both from normal laws and normal treatment or procedure.
Also requires endless attention and consideration,(and discussion), being a ‘special’ case.

Methinks Sollecito is trying to claim his own ‘special’ status, in the latest interviews too.

Even if Knox knows full well a ‘normal’ extradition must legally follow a final conviction, anything that keeps her in the news as special and exceptional will operate as a plus.

Of course, someone who really does have an exceptional gift or nature or talent is usually the first person to ‘muck in’ (as we say!), and demonstrate co-operation and humility…

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your insights into diplomats and those with status issues. Seems to me there is always a pecking order.

Response From State Department Employee James Moninger

Hi Naseer,

“I am writing in response to your post about me on the TJMK site.  You grossly overestimate my support for Knox as well as influence in any matters concerning her.  I have no information about this case that is not available to the general public and have never, as you know, made claims to the contrary. 

I have read the same material over the past few days that you have regarding “assurances” that Knox will never be extradited.  My personal response would be that this is nonsense. Note that the articles do not actually quote anyone, much less offer a specific source.  Anyone in the government who made such a statement, even anonymously, would ultimately look like a fool.

My interest in the Roundtable forum is pretty much limited to moderating.  I am not interested enough in Knox or her case to even research the facts of the crime.  I see Facebook as a social experience; nothing more.

I would appreciate your removing references and links to my personal FB page, but realize that this is at your discretion.  As far as the case is concerned, I assure you that references to me are a dead end. 

It also seems fair and appropriate for me to say, in hindsight, that you were right about the person who claimed you had “harassed” her.  Subsequent behavior from this person and additional claims of harassment from others eroded her credibility and she was removed from the forum.  I misjudged you and made the wrong decision.  For this I am sorry.”

Regards,

James Moninger

PS Naseer,

“I noticed that I neglected to answer one of your specific questions. 

You can be ABSOLUTELY assured that I have never had any contact with the Knox family, its attorneys, or its flag-wavers.  I am quite certain they would want nothing to do with me, and that works just fine for me.  I have argued with Knox family insiders such as Joe Starr, but it has been anything but supportive of Knox.

*** *** can give you an unbiased opinion regarding my view of Knox that would probably be more meaningful than anything I could proffer here.  Better yet, why not join our forum and you can judge for yourself.  The group is so slanted toward supporters right now that your input would be quite balancing.”

Best, James

55 minutes ago

REPLY TO STATE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE JAMES MONINGER

“Hi, James, thanks for your response, which I will be publishing in full. I appreciate and accept your apology for the way I was treated. No ill feelings there. I had planned to reduce my online activities on the case so thanks for the invite but I’ll think about it. There was more than one person who complained about me after all. I do have a concern about your comment on Knox’s blog which still hasn’t been addressed. Still, wish you all the best.”

Sincerely,
Naseer

——

For the readers of this site, since I prefer to deal with this openly: James Moninger is always welcome to comment here and on PMF at any time as well. I appreciate his response, but note it was three months since I queried him.

He still has not explained his comment on Amanda Knox’s blog “I am hopeful that the State Department is watching this case carefully and is prepared to choose the correct path, whatever that may eventually entail, to protect a US citizen from <u>any further violations of human and legal rights</u>.”

I will point out he still has not replied to my question “Are you, as a State Department employee, stating that Amanda Knox’s human and legal rights were violated? In a G7 country? Would you like to retract it?”.

I will also point out he made these comments while “owning”, as he said, a Knox discussion site in which his ‘private’ Facebook page showing his employment with State was displayed. I’m sorry he doesn’t see it as the conflict it was.

For the record, the claim I called someone and ‘harassed them at work’ is based on ONE phone call to a TV station to complain about an anchor, Melanie Moon, who repeatedly called us “haters” on a Twitter account which showed her employment with FOX TV in St. Louis.

I was put through to her and we had a discussion in which she agreed to stop using that term and also changed her account to reflect those were her personal views. Fair enough, I thought. She then turned around and complained about me to the likes of Steve and Michelle Moore. My phone records show I spoke to her over an hour. If I were ‘harassing’ her, would she not have hung up?

I am pleased to see that James Moninger has also altered his FB page to no longer display the State Dept. logo, and I hope this will put an end to media rumours of a secret deal with Amanda Knox to not extradite her.

it is a truism in life that if a guilty person is cornered with no avenue of escape then that person and their supporters will scream loudly because they recognize their own impotence and inability to change the inevitable.

It is therefore a forgone conclusion that such desperate statements as the one by Frank Sforzo for example, will become more outlandish. look to howls of blame being placed in all directions.

Tick…tick…tick…I wonder what Raffy is doing this evening. I checked his FB page and see he hasn’t “liked” and of the post of encouragement and prayer he has received lately…

Good work Ergon!  That was enjoyable to see Moninger hastily back peddling in a reply that likely would not have come had it not been forced by confrontation.

It is telling that some questions were ignored, some statements not retracted, but they are in print and cannot now be denied, may have to be addressed in the future.

Hi Ergon and Clander

So it was this same Moninger that was extensively moonlighting while quite openly wearing a State Department hat. A huge conflict of interest. I really doubt that that would get the nod from any immediate supervisor or head of mission or State Department lawyer.

His proclaimed persona is that of a mere wallflower, because he actually hasnt met with Knox yet. Let’s see here.

Moninger is a key member of a pack that is highly abusive of a key ally - in effect a private citizen highjacking foreign policy which State hates, only he is not just a private citizen.

Moninger is a key member of a pack that goes to massive ends to falsify and misrepresent the real evidence both on websites and in the media.

Moninger is a key member of a pack that goes up in English against a judiciary which is mostly only allowed to explain itself in cleared documents in Italian.

Moninger is a key member of a pack that abuses police and prosecutors and works very hard to damage their careers - while falsely claiming that it was Knox’s civil rights that were abused.

Moninger is a key member of a pack that seeks very big bucks (world-record blood money) and uses them to warp media and public opinion.

And Moninger is a key member of a pack that illegally stalks and harasses the family and friends of the victim.

Some wallflower…

This guy Moninger needs to be reported, and should expect big trouble to be coming his way. To say the things he wrote on Knoxs blog is a violation on an ongoing case

I never really did become a supporter of Ayn Rands philosophy although I read her extensively. However she came up with a phrase, I think in the Fountainhead, in which she called the populous “Second and Third Raters” since they would always descend to the lowest common denominator. Sadly these are the people who in spite of overwhelming evidence to the contrary and in an effort to enhance their own self image, support convicted murderers such as Knox and Jodi Arias. There are those who still support Karla Hamolka and Casey Anthony convinced that they are innocent. These are people who demean the human race.

okay, it is the Daily Fail, but still—you knew this was coming

Raffaele Sollecito blows a hole in her alibi at time of Meredith Kercher’s murder - on eve of final appeal

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3008936/Foxy-Knoxy-s-ex-love-Raffaele-Sollecito-blows-hole-alibi-time-Meredith-Kercher-s-murder-eve-final-appeal.html#ixzz3VKPQU359

And then there’s the small matter of the DNA clasp plus the footprint on the bathmat. Major crack which I imagine will be blown wide open sometime in the near future. Good

Ayn Rand? Please Grahame, your education here is lagging! They are in very small numbers and can be best isolated by getting the compelling facts out there to capture the broad middle. Ayn Rand, a Russian emigre, was highly elitist, suggesting that only a few brilliant minds would save us (save themselves anyway) and the rest were rabble.

Well with second and third generation billionaires siphoning off absolutely all of the fruits of growth how is that working out?! Growth and human advancement is now seen to work best as a group process on man levels with millions of minds all putting their best ideas in. You know well what it is like to be part of a high performing group. Now think macro.

It now appears that Moninger is not even in the Department of State. He is in the General Accounting Office. Did he make that clear to Ergon, or to all his followers on the internet? I dont see it.

The Department of State takes very seriously such dangerous misrepresentation. In the currect inflamed context there may soon be more of it. The appropriate office for a tip to head it off is the Inspector General.

DOS hotline: https://oig.state.gov/hotline-form

No Peter Sorry that was not what I meant. I was talking about the Rand idea that apart from the elitist saviors of the world the rest was rabble who couldn’t survive unless they were led like sheep. Sort of like the GOP candidate Rand Paul who espouses such belief. If you interpreted my comment as to the Knox crew being brilliant minds. I don’t think so since my belief is that they are at best the latter as in sheep.

Hi Grahame. No I understood who you meant by the rabble. You have had much better group insights, back to the hamster wheel.

Well, until 3-4 days ago he was listing himself as “Works at US Department Of State” and he did present himself to his FB friends as a diplomat, Peter.

Aside from that, the person at GAO may or may not be the same person, but many State Department employees are seconded to GAO to carry out assessments of their operations.

My concern is not with him personally, but find out who gave those assurances to the Knox family and peddled it to the media. Or allowed it to be spread about, if that is a lie.

No Peter that was Ayn rand interpretation not mine since it is always wise to never underestimate anyone.

THIS LATEST FROM ANDREA VOGT TWITTER:

” Tune into UK’s @bbc5live, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales tomorrow a.m. for my dispatches on #AmandaKnox high court ruling in Rome.”

https://twitter.com/andreavogt

It has been quite a ride for the last almost 5 years I have been involved in this case, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be here, and the many good friends I have made in the Meredith Kercher community.

To reply to what Vivianna said on ORG, the Universe does ‘conspire to right wrongs’. It may take time, it may require great effort, but sooner or later, one way or the other, it rights itself.

You have all done great work, and you did it selflessly, to help a young, wonderful woman should not be forgotten as so many other victims of murder are forgotten.

Our thoughts are with the Kerchers, and, whatever happens tomorrow, know they will always have our admiration for their courage and sheer decency with which they inspired us.

You are all good people.

I’m anxiously awaiting tomorrow’s court decision and hope to drink a toast to celebrate True Justice for Meredith Kercher as The Machine says to do.

Peter Quennell above all deserves many many thanks for his unstinting efforts to enlighten the public for Meredith’s sake.

He produced this long-running website dedicated to such a great cause, a humanitarian cause.

Thank you, Mr. Quennell. Thank you for all your hard work and persistence.

Let’s trust the Court in Rome to make a wise decision that brings peace to the Kerchers’ hearts and to our own. May we trust Heaven in all circumstances no matter what decisions men make, but we trust most eagerly for a GUILTY VERDICT that is correct based on years of judges and good minds sifting the facts.

Get your champagne glasses ready or whatever beverage helps you celebrate.

I’ll be thinking of all the posters on this site and PMF sites with fondness when the verdict is broadcast.

This was my first interactive website ever, and what great people shared their personalities and knowledge. TJMK has been a tremendous learning experience for so many years. It shares its values gently and persistently in the way good things are imparted to human lives.

Hey, all you early pioneers who haven’t commented in a long time, please return and celebrate Justice tomorrow. Maybe you were meant to contribute to TJMK for only a season, everything has a season.

Here’s to Meredith’s victory in the courts.

Let’s see the guilty ones face “Leavenworth” and the stockade for killing that innocent lady who tried to befriend them. They should forfeit the rights they stole from Meredith.

May the Kercher family get closure and peace. John, Arline, John Jr, Stephanie, Lyle—Meredith is not forgotten but greatly remembered for her sweet kindness. She will never grow old but remain beautifully smiling as a symbol of decency, familial love and good deeds.

And now she is known around the world thanks to sites like these and loved by many for her genial nature and innocent pursuit of learning, things she pursued second only to her love of friends and kinsmen.

Meredith is a white rose, a white feather, a bright light.

Hopeful, you have a beautiful soul.

I’ve sent two tweets about Anne Bremner to BBC Radio 5 live:

https://twitter.com/harryrag/status/580627971163230208

https://twitter.com/harryrag/status/580628934263496704

Please tweet and retweet. Thanks.

Another biased Guardian article, from our friends Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome and Nicky Woolf in Seattle: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/25/raffaele-sollecito-amanda-knox-retrial-high-court-ruling

There’s a fairly disappointing quote from Barbie Nadeau, who thinks that splitting defenses would “placate” everyone and that a separate Sollecito trial would take pressure off the extradition process because he wouldn’t be incarcerated in the meantime. 

Ms. Nadeau would do well to remember that the courts have no responsibility to placate murderers, their families, and their paid supporters, and that Sollecito had the option of a separate trial from the beginning. 

Many FoA hard at work in the comment section, with the omnipresent and tireless ElizabethBathory delicately batting away creepy compliments while defending the indefensible.  I saw some of you were fighting the good fight, but this hydra has many heads.

As far as today goes, does anyone know when the proceedings are supposed to start?

This report isn’t too bad, given the quality of what’s gone before.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/eight-years-on-will-amanda-knox-have-to-face-italian-justice-again-10131285.html

The Friday hearings will start @9:00AM, Vivianna, to allow Bongiorno time to bring in all her props.

“Elizabeth Bathory” is a man with ‘issues’, as they say. Seen him on other forums, with “Lindy Chamberlain” as his recognizable verbal tic.

Where next:

Or to next entry Supreme Court Appeal By RS And AK Against Florence Court Rejection Of Their First Appeal

Or to previous entry Probable Final Cassation Ruling In 10 Days: Likely Scenario For The Immediate Future