### WordPress - Web publishing software Copyright 2011-2019 by the contributors This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA This program incorporates work covered by the following copyright and permission notices: b2 is (c) 2001, 2002 Michel Valdrighi - m@tidakada.com - http://tidakada.com Wherever third party code has been used, credit has been given in the code's comments. b2 is released under the GPL and WordPress - Web publishing software Copyright 2003-2010 by the contributors WordPress is released under the GPL --- ### GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991 Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. ### Preamble The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This General Public License applies to most of the Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by the GNU Lesser General Public License instead.) You can apply it to your programs, too. When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things. To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid anyone to deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. These restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it. For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their rights. We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and (2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy, distribute and/or modify the software. Also, for each author's protection and ours, we want to make certain that everyone understands that there is no warranty for this free software. If the software is modified by someone else and passed on, we want its recipients to know that what they have is not the original, so that any problems introduced by others will not reflect on the original authors' reputations. Finally, any free program is threatened constantly by software patents. We wish to avoid the danger that redistributors of a free program will individually obtain patent licenses, in effect making the program proprietary. To prevent this, we have made it clear that any patent must be licensed for everyone's free use or not licensed at all. The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and modification follow. ### TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION **0.** This License applies to any program or other work which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the terms of this General Public License. The "Program", below, refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program" means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it, either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term "modification".) Each licensee is addressed as "you". Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does. **1.** You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program. You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee. **2.** You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions: **a)** You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the date of any change. **b)** You must cause any work that you distribute or publish, that in whole or in part contains or is derived from the Program or any part thereof, to be licensed as a whole at no charge to all third parties under the terms of this License. **c)** If the modified program normally reads commands interactively when run, you must cause it, when started running for such interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on the Program is not required to print an announcement.) These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program, and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it. Thus, it is not the intent of this section to claim rights or contest your rights to work written entirely by you; rather, the intent is to exercise the right to control the distribution of derivative or collective works based on the Program. In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this License. **3.** You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following: **a)** Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or, **b)** Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or, **c)** Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.) The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable. However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies the executable. If distribution of executable or object code is made by offering access to copy from a designated place, then offering equivalent access to copy the source code from the same place counts as distribution of the source code, even though third parties are not compelled to copy the source along with the object code. **4.** You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, parties who have received copies, or rights, from you under this License will not have their licenses terminated so long as such parties remain in full compliance. **5.** You are not required to accept this License, since you have not signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute the Program or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by law if you do not accept this License. Therefore, by modifying or distributing the Program (or any work based on the Program), you indicate your acceptance of this License to do so, and all its terms and conditions for copying, distributing or modifying the Program or works based on it. **6.** Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License. **7.** If, as a consequence of a court judgment or allegation of patent infringement or for any other reason (not limited to patent issues), conditions are imposed on you (whether by court order, agreement or otherwise) that contradict the conditions of this License, they do not excuse you from the conditions of this License. If you cannot distribute so as to satisfy simultaneously your obligations under this License and any other pertinent obligations, then as a consequence you may not distribute the Program at all. For example, if a patent license would not permit royalty-free redistribution of the Program by all those who receive copies directly or indirectly through you, then the only way you could satisfy both it and this License would be to refrain entirely from distribution of the Program. If any portion of this section is held invalid or unenforceable under any particular circumstance, the balance of the section is intended to apply and the section as a whole is intended to apply in other circumstances. It is not the purpose of this section to induce you to infringe any patents or other property right claims or to contest validity of any such claims; this section has the sole purpose of protecting the integrity of the free software distribution system, which is implemented by public license practices. Many people have made generous contributions to the wide range of software distributed through that system in reliance on consistent application of that system; it is up to the author/donor to decide if he or she is willing to distribute software through any other system and a licensee cannot impose that choice. This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be a consequence of the rest of this License. **8.** If the distribution and/or use of the Program is restricted in certain countries either by patents or by copyrighted interfaces, the original copyright holder who places the Program under this License may add an explicit geographical distribution limitation excluding those countries, so that distribution is permitted only in or among countries not thus excluded. In such case, this License incorporates the limitation as if written in the body of this License. **9.** The Free Software Foundation may publish revised and/or new versions of the General Public License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the Program specifies a version number of this License which applies to it and "any later version", you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that version or of any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the Program does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation. **10.** If you wish to incorporate parts of the Program into other free programs whose distribution conditions are different, write to the author to ask for permission. For software which is copyrighted by the Free Software Foundation, write to the Free Software Foundation; we sometimes make exceptions for this. Our decision will be guided by the two goals of preserving the free status of all derivatives of our free software and of promoting the sharing and reuse of software generally. **NO WARRANTY** **11.** BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. **12.** IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. ### END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS ### How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs If you develop a new program, and you want it to be of the greatest possible use to the public, the best way to achieve this is to make it free software which everyone can redistribute and change under these terms. To do so, attach the following notices to the program. It is safest to attach them to the start of each source file to most effectively convey the exclusion of warranty; and each file should have at least the "copyright" line and a pointer to where the full notice is found. one line to give the program's name and an idea of what it does. Copyright (C) yyyy name of author This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. Also add information on how to contact you by electronic and paper mail. If the program is interactive, make it output a short notice like this when it starts in an interactive mode: Gnomovision version 69, Copyright (C) year name of author Gnomovision comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details type `show w'. This is free software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; type `show c' for details. The hypothetical commands \`show w' and \`show c' should show the appropriate parts of the General Public License. Of course, the commands you use may be called something other than \`show w' and \`show c'; they could even be mouse-clicks or menu items--whatever suits your program. You should also get your employer (if you work as a programmer) or your school, if any, to sign a "copyright disclaimer" for the program, if necessary. Here is a sample; alter the names: Yoyodyne, Inc., hereby disclaims all copyright interest in the program `Gnomovision' (which makes passes at compilers) written by James Hacker. signature of Ty Coon, 1 April 1989 Ty Coon, President of Vice This General Public License does not permit incorporating your program into proprietary programs. If your program is a subroutine library, you may consider it more useful to permit linking proprietary applications with the library. If this is what you want to do, use the [GNU Lesser General Public License](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html) instead of this License. GOP operatives ordered to provide records in Engels libel suit – Orlando Sentinel - sinth.info

GOP operatives ordered to provide records in Engels libel suit – Orlando Sentinel

[ad_1]

Several powerful GOP political operatives, including former Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran, will have to turn over a bevy of records, including any showing payments or messages sent to far-right blogger Jacob Engels, as part of a libel suit filed by a former Republican House candidate against Engels.

Elizabeth Cornell, who lost her race for a Central Florida House seat last year, is suing Engels, a Proud Boys associate and publisher of the Central Florida Post, after the website published articles accusing Cornell of carrying on an extramarital affair and preying on an elderly client in her financial advising business.

As part of the suit, Cornell and her attorney, Ricardo Reyes, seek to obtain a slew of records and to subpoena nearly two dozen individuals, including several GOP operatives and elected officials.

Orange County Circuit Judge James Craner ruled during a hearing last week that a pair of high-powered consulting firms, Rapid Loop Consulting and Right Aim Media, will have to comply with Cornell’s requests. James Blair, the firms’ founder, provided documents to Engels that he later used to write the two posts attacking Cornell that are the subject of her suit, one of his former employees said earlier this year during a deposition.

Blair’s firms produced mail ads that used the same graphics featuring Cornell’s image that Engels published on his blog. The mailers were paid for by a committee operated by Stafford Jones, a Gainesville Republican consultant.

Blair’s companies also “text-blasted” a link of Engels’ blog posts to voters, Reyes said.

An experienced operative, Blair led campaigns for governor, U.S. Senate, and Congress across the country in 2022, according to his profile on the American Association of Political Consultants’ website. He also served as deputy chief of staff to Gov. Ron DeSantis and was a senior advisor during his 2018 campaign.

In addition to producing records, Blair is to be deposed in the libel suit.

Blair is a longtime consultant for Corcoran, who previously served as education commissioner and is now the president of New College of Florida, according to a court filing arguing for the release of the records.

Corcoran also has been ordered to produce records in response to the suit, including communications with Engels about Cornell and evidence of payment sent or received related to Cornell or the posts referenced in her suit.

Reyes argued in a court filing that Corcoran should have to comply with a subpoena because he “was directly and personally involved,” in helping the eventual winner of the race to represent the Lake County-based state House district, Rep. Taylor Yarkosky.

But Corcoran’s attorney, former Senate President Bill Galvano, countered that Reyes’ request was too broad and the information he seeks could be obtained from other sources. Corcoran does not have first-hand knowledge of the issues raised in the suit, he wrote in a court filing.

“In addition to the undue burden that would be placed on Mr. Corcoran in requiring him to search for the broad scope of materials requested, the subpoena seeks information that is clearly intended to ’embarrass and oppress’ this non-party,” Galvano wrote.

Because the documents are to be produced as part of a civil suit, rather than a criminal case, they will be provided to the plaintiff but won’t necessarily become public after they are filed.

Reyes also is seeking records from Jones, including his communications with the campaign of Yarkosky of Montverde, who defeated Cornell in the Republican primary, and with more than a dozen political committees and firms. Jones has filed an objection to the request, which the judge is to consider during a hearing scheduled for next month.

Blair’s firms worked for several Florida House candidates during the 2022 election cycle, including Yarkosky, whose campaign paid them more than $31,000  for services such as advertising and consulting. GOP candidates and political committees across the state paid $927,347 to Rapid Loop and Right Aim during the last election, state campaign finance records show.

Alan Perlman, a Fort Lauderdale-based attorney working for Blair and his firms, argued against the release of the records last week during a hearing, describing Reyes’ attempts to obtain them as “improper” and “outlandish.”

“This has nothing to do with Engels and everything to do with a political rival harassing another political rival,” Perlman said. “They’re not entitled to our methodology, our techniques and our process when our candidate wins and another candidate loses.”

But Reyes denied his inquiry was a “fishing expedition” and said his client is not seeking trade secrets.

“I think this information goes directly to the question of whether or not Engels was acting with malice — what did he know, when did he know it, did he know the information was false and did their communications indicate they were taking information out of context deliberately from the public record to misconstrue it,” Reyes said.

Craner said the records sought by Cornell and Reyes are “voluminous but limited,” noting they had honed in on the consultants’ communications with Engels. He granted the request, adding that he could review the records privately to ensure no trade secrets would be exposed, as Perlman said his client feared.

Cornell first filed the libel suit against Engels in August 2022, shortly before she lost to Yarkosky in the Republican primary. She and Reyes also have sought records from Engels, but he has not provided the documents they requested nor answers to their questions, months after they requested them, Reyes told Craner during a hearing in August.

Craner ordered the arrest of Engels, who was held in contempt of court, if he did not provide the records and information within 10 days, and a warrant was issued for Engels on Sept. 21.

Engels has not been arrested, though the judge’s order still stands.

That same day the warrant for Engels’ arrest was filed, he filed a four-page, response to the defendant’s inquiries, acknowledging speaking to some of the other people cited in the suit, including Yarkosky.

But he said his blog posts largely were based on public records, including liens and lawsuits filed against Cornell, and he described himself as “an independent journalist and publisher.”

“Jacob Engels was responsible for the authoring, publication, and publishing of the posts,” Engels wrote to the court.

anmartin@orlandosentinel.com

[ad_2]

Source link

Previous Article

What Is a Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC)?

Next Article

CENTIER BANK WELCOMES STEVEN SWINGLER AS INVESTMENT EXECUTIVE