Carly Fiorina’s campaign includes the rare job: “body woman”
In her six months working for Carly Fiorina, Rebecca Schieber has learned to always have a Sharpie pen handy for autographs. She’s found ways to order the right vegetable-loaded meals on the road and become an expert at whisking her boss out of a room. She’s still working on keeping the candidate’s favorite “crunchy gum” in her bulging bag. Fiorina’s Republican presidential campaign has served as a whirlwind political education for the 22-year-old, who graduated from Northwestern University in the spring. “I don’t think the books I read in college at all prepared me for this experience,” says Schieber, a native of the Chicago suburbs who studied political science and American studies before coming to work for the GOP’s lone female presidential candidate. Schieber has landed in a rare position on the presidential campaign trail— working as a “body woman.” The job isn’t to provide security, but rather to act as more of a personal assistant, adviser and sidekick. It is typically held by men, perhaps because most candidates in both parties are male. And this remains the kind of up-close-and-personal gig where gender still plays a role in hiring decisions. It’s not unusual for the aide to spend long days with the candidate, and late nights conferring in a hotel room. Perhaps the best known “body man” around is Reggie Love, the college basketball star who became President Barack Obama‘s aide in the 2008 campaign. He wrote of his experiences in a memoir: “Power Forward: My Presidential Education.” Huma Abedin, who held the role on Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s staff in the White House and during Clinton’s 2008 presidential race, is now a top adviser to Clinton’s 2016 campaign and travels with her frequently. Fiorina said that Schieber plays a key role in her campaign — and she’s aware if the message it sends. “Young women, I’m sure, look at Rebecca and say, ‘Wow isn’t that cool?’” Fiorina said. “And I think that’s great because it opens up another window of possibility for them.” Since Schieber joined the campaign in March, Fiorina has steadily risen in the pack of Republican candidates. Fiorina’s popularity surged after two strong debate performances, and polls show she is now in the top tier of candidates. She has also been among the most vocal critics of Clinton, arguing she is in the best position to take Clinton on in a general election. Schieber, a Republican who studied the 2012 presidential race at college, admits she didn’t know all that much about Fiorina when she first spoke to the campaign about the job. But she read the candidate’s books and started following the media coverage. Her responsibilities include whatever the candidate needs: minding the schedule, keeping Fiorina on time for events, helping remember names, taking photographs — and sometimes the impromptu sing-a-long in the car. Some things have gotten easier, like food. “Any day I can find a salad, a salad with extra vegetables, maybe a little goat cheese, those are good days,” Schieber said. In dealing with crowds and campaign events, Schieber’s secret weapon isn’t her academic credentials, but the social skills she picked up from her mother, who teaches etiquette classes. Schieber says that poise helps her when she has to cut off a meeting or talk over people who are older or more experienced. As the campaign heats up, Schieber is on the road a lot, but says her parents like the fact that “they can follow my life via Twitter and random news articles that I appear in the background.” After months of logging 12-hour days together on the road, Schieber is able to anticipate Fiorina’s needs. In Iowa recently, she toted two purses — her black bag and Fiorina’s brown one — as they attended tailgate festivities at the University of Iowa. Schieber had hairspray, mints, pantyhose, hand sanitizer, trail mix at the ready and alternated seamlessly between offering water, a pen or taking photographs as Fiorina shook hands and posed for photos. “I couldn’t do it without Rebecca. I really couldn’t,” Fiorina said. “She just takes on a set of things that I don’t have to worry about any more.” For now, wherever Fiorina is headed, Schieber says she’ll be right behind her. Next up, is to “be the personal assistant for the president of the United States.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
U.S. House of Representatives: Oct. 5 – Oct. 9
Monday morning Speaker John Boehner postponed the election of majority leader and majority whip until next month, a move many consider a direct blow to Rep. Steve Scalise who announced Sunday night he had the votes necessary to win the race for majority leader. The election was scheduled for Thursday. Instead, on that day, the 247-member Republican caucus will select a speaker to replace Boehner, who announced his resignation last month. The U.S. House of Representatives returns Tuesday to consider several bills under suspension of the rules. A full list of bills can be found here. This week the house will consider: H.R. 538: the Native American Energy Act. The bill provides for the expedited review and consideration of energy projects on Native American lands, and it limits federal fracking regulations on Indian trust lands, vesting Indian tribes with more authority over energy and natural resources activities on their own tribal lands. H.R. 3192: the Homebuyers Assistance Act. The bill provides a temporary safe harbor for lenders from from enforcement of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s integrated disclosure requirements for mortgage loan transactions, prohibiting enforcement of the rules and lawsuits against lenders until then as long as the lender makes a good-faith effort to comply with the rules through Feb. 1, 2016. H.R. 702: a bill to Adapt to Changing Crude Oil Market Conditions. The bill allows the export of crude oil produced in the United States by repealing the outdated ban on crude oil exports imposed by the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act (PL 94-163). Alabama co-sponsor: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01) Next week, the House is in recess.
Judge sets hearing in Mike Hubbard ethics case
A judge has set a hearing on House Speaker Mike Hubbard‘s claims of prosecutorial misconduct and argument that the ethics law is unconstitutional. Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker scheduled the hearing for Oct. 26. Walker said for Hubbard to prevail, he must prove misconduct that substantially impacted a grand jury’s decision to indict Hubbard. Hubbard faces 23 ethics charges accusing him of using his public offices to benefit his businesses. Hubbard’s defense has argued that it is a selective prosecution and the ethics law is both unconstitutionally broad and being misapplied by prosecutors. Walker will hold a separate Oct. 20 hearing on defense efforts to subpoena witnesses. Defense lawyers are seeking additional testimony from Attorney General Luther Strange and others. Strange recused himself in the early days of the investigation. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Landmark settlement with BP over 2010 Gulf oil spill finalized
The Justice Department and five states have finalized a settlement worth more than $20 billion arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, federal officials announced Monday. The deal resolves all civil claims against BP and ends five years of legal fighting over the nearly 134 million-gallon spill. It requires the company to commit to a widespread cleanup project in the Gulf Coast area aimed at restoring wildlife, habitat, water quality and recreation. “BP is receiving the punishment it deserves, while also providing critical compensation for the injuries that it caused to the environment and the economy of the Gulf region,” Attorney General Loretta Lynch said at a Justice Department news conference. “The steep penalty should inspire BP and its peers to take every measure necessary to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again,” Lynch said. The settlement filed in federal court finalizes an agreement first announced in July. The next step is a 60-day public comment period. Among other requirements, BP will be forced to pay $5.5 billion in Clean Water Act penalties and nearly $5 billion to five Gulf states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It also requires the company to pay $8.1 billion in natural resource damages, with funds going toward Gulf restoration projects such as support for coastal wetland and fish and birds. The spill followed the April 2010 explosion on an offshore rig that killed 11 workers. BP earlier settled with people and businesses harmed by the spill, a deal that’s so far resulted in $5.84 billion in payouts. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Presidential Primary Brief: 400 days until Election Day
146 days until AL Presidential Primary 400 days until Election Day Convention Dates: Republican July 18-21 2016, Democratic July 25-28 2016 Weekly Headlines: Nation’s largest teacher’s union endorses Clinton for President Poll: While Clinton struggles with ‘liar’ tag, voters find Biden ‘honest’ GOP voters prefer fresh ideas to experience Press Clips: Clinton raises $28M but Sanders’ haul is too close for comfort (Politico 9/30/15) Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton’s campaign barely outpaced Bernie Sanders’ in the third quarter of 2015, a surprising development that shows the insurgent candidate’s strength while the former secretary of state struggles. Clinton’s operation raised more than $28 million in the third quarter after a grueling fundraising schedule, compared with about $26 million for the Vermonter — who raised his money largely from online donations, and few in-person fundraising events. Al Gore blames the 2016 election craziness on television (The Atlantic 10/1/15) Americans have sought technological explanations for their politics longer than they’ve been Americans. It’s no coincidence that the First Amendment guarantees the freedom of assembly, religion, and “the press,” which, in the 1790s, meant the freedom to operate a discrete technology. And surveying today’s deeply divided political parties, Americans still do the same. Many have blamed not only Citizens United for the strangeness of the 2016 president election, but also the Internet and social media. After all, Donald Trump runs a thoroughly unfiltered Twitter account, and Ezra Klein has written about how Fox devoted more coverage to Bernie Sanders once it discovered how well stories about him did on Facebook. Rand Paul raises just $2.5 million in third quarter (Politico 10/1/15) Sen. Rand Paul will report raising just $2.5 million in the third quarter of this year, Paul’s campaign confirmed Thursday. That haul is a precipitous drop from the $7 million that the campaign raised during the April-June fundraising period. The number comes as the Paul campaign has struggled with lackluster polling numbers, and disarray in both his campaign operation and in some of the super PACs that have supported his run. Forbes’ 2016 Presidential Candidate Wealth List (Forbes 9/29/15) Forbes put together the definitive wealth list of the 2016 presidential candidates. Looking at both major parties, we have come up with net worth estimates for the 20 top Republican and Democratic contenders. Beyond Donald Trump, whose $4.5 billion net worth dwarfs the rest combined, we find that several candidates are worth more than $30 million, including Lincoln Chafee, Hillary Clinton, and Carly Fiorina. At the same time, we found that only three of them aren’t millionaires (Bernie Sanders, Marco Rubio, and Martin O’Malley). Jeb Bush calls for ending crude oil export ban (CBS News 9/29/15) The former Florida governor is calling for ending the 1970s-era law prohibiting the U.S. from exporting crude oil at a time when domestic petroleum production has grown rapidly over the past decade. Calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Bush said in a piece posted today on the website Medium that reversing the export ban and widening U.S. natural gas markets would benefit U.S. consumers with lower energy costs, create a new manufacturing sector and generally fuel more rapid growth in the nation’s economy. Jeb Bush on gun violence, “Stuff happens” (Politico 10/2/15) A day after a massacre on a U.S. college campus, Jeb Bush said “stuff happens” but that does not mean gun restrictions should be tightened. “We’re in a difficult time in our country and I don’t think more government is necessarily the answer to this. I think we need to reconnect ourselves with everybody else. It’s very bad to see,” the former Florida governor said. Then he added: “Look, stuff happens and the impulse is always to do something and it’s not necessarily the right thing to do.” From healthcare to taxes: The 2016 election and its impact on small business (HuffPo 10/2/15) While small businesses are a major source of employment in America and huge contributors to the nation’s GDP, when it comes to the election, so far they’ve been a bit of a non-‐story. Small businesses need the right mix of leadership, policy and support to thrive. There are about 28 million small businesses spread across America, each with its own set of agendas and priorities, so it is almost impossible to lump them all into the same bucket. None-the-less it’s a critical voting bloc for any presidential candidate. Koch brothers, other 2016 mega donors warm to Carly Florina (Reuters 10/4/15) Carly Fiorina has emerged as the Republican candidate of the moment in conservative fundraising circles, drawing the notice of the billionaire Koch brothers and other wealthy donors who could instantly remake her shoestring presidential campaign. Fiorina’s show-stealing performance in a Republican presidential debate last month, and her subsequent surge in the polls, has prompted industrialists Charles and David Koch to take a “serious look” at the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, according to three sources close to the brothers. Club for Growth warns fiscal conservatives about Kasich’s ‘mixed record’ (Politico 10/1/15) A new white paper by the conservative group the Club for Growth concludes that Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s economic record should make fiscal conservatives nervous. “While there are pro-growth steps along the way in his political career, there are enough big government missteps to send a clear warning to fiscal conservatives,” the paper concludes.
The Twitter follow lists of the 2016 candidates
Jeb Bush follows Donald Trump on Twitter but that’s a one-way street: Trump mainly follows people with a connection to himself. Ted Cruz‘s follow list is a big tea party, though he keeps an eye on President Barack Obama, too. Marco Rubio seems open to following everyone under the sun — Democrats, fellow Republicans, insiders of every type and an odd assortment of outliers who offer advice on body-piercing, playing craps and getting out of debt. Using Twitter to get a message out is now a must-do for presidential candidates, but looking at the accounts they follow can be instructive, too. Their follow list can reflect not only their personality and interests, but sometimes their strategy. In Rubio’s case, it seems to reflect a bit of a problem with spam, too. Overall, their choices reflect an interest in people who think like they do. Few Republicans or Democrats want to follow what people on the other side say. And most — Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bernie Sanders among them — don’t follow most or any of their party rivals. Some candidates rely on hired help to tend their social media affairs, especially those with lots of money and staff, so it’s not always clear who’s doing the tweeting or the following. Trump, though, is known to spend the wee hours lobbing rhetorical bombs on Twitter. Cruz, said spokesman Rick Tyler, “does follow Twitter virtually all day long between events.” John Kasich has orderly lists of Ohio political and media groups, like a clothes closet organized by style and color. A flood of first-person tweets from others, too, suggests a personal interest in the platform; Jeb Bush, for example, has been tweeting about policy and family since long before his campaign. A recent snapshot of whom the leading presidential candidates are following on Twitter, listed in order of who has the most Twitter followers: ___ Hillary Rodham Clinton (@HillaryClinton) Followers: 4.38 million Following: 290 Last account followed: Singer Marc Anthony (@MarcAnthony). Whom she follows: Until a few weeks ago, Clinton almost exclusively followed campaign-related accounts and staff. Since then, she’s expanded her follow list and added several new celebrities. Whom she doesn’t follow: Her Democratic rivals, reporters or media accounts. Notable: Actor Tom Hanks (@tomhanks), singer Katy Perry (@katyperrry), singer Mariah Carey (@MariahCary), comedian Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) ___ Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Followers: 4.35million Following: 44 Last account followed: Katrina Campins (@KatrinaCampins), who appeared on the first season of “The Apprentice” with Donald Trump. Whom he follows: Nearly half are accounts linked to Trump properties and companies. Many of the rest are national news figures or celebrities. Whom he doesn’t follow: His opponents in the presidential campaign, Fox newswoman Megyn Kelly. Notables: Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT), NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson), World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player (@garyplayer) ___ Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) Followers: 886,000 Following: 2,554 Last account followed: Ethan Demme (@EthanDemme), CEO of a company that provides material for homeschool parents. Whom he follows: Just about anybody and anything. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, tea partyers, business leaders, Florida capital insiders, and a how-to-quit-smoking account. Whom he doesn’t follow: Jeb Bush, his political mentor and 2016 rival. Notables: Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nolan Carroll (@CarrollCity), Miami Dolphins running back Jonas Gray (@jgray_ND25) ___ Rand Paul (@RandPaul) Followers: 693,000 Following: 393 Last account followed: Elizabeth Landers (@ElizLanders), a CNN producer. Whom he follows: Republican politicians and strategists, very heavy list of news organizations and national reporters. Unlike most of the GOP candidates, he follows President Barack Obama. Whom he doesn’t follow: Jeb Bush. Notables: Actors James Woods (@RealJamesWoods), Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacy) and John Cusack (@JohnCusack). ___ Ben Carson (@RealBenCarson) Followers: 700,000 Following: 48 Last account followed: Budding Nihilist (@JGreenDC), Independent Journal editor. Whom he follows: A mix of conservative news and political accounts and veterans and Christian accounts. Whom he doesn’t follow: Republican presidential rivals, other than Ted Cruz and Rand Paul. Notables: Former NFL coach Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy), boxer Evander Holyfield (@holyfield), Chip Gaines (@chippergaines) of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.” ___ Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) Followers: 518,000 Following: 13,840 Last account followed: Lauren Beieler (@laurenbeeliner), whose profile reads, “I heart Jesus. Plain and simple. and i like cheese. A lot.” Whom he follows: Lots and lots of people who have one or more of the following as a profile or background photo: an American flag, a Confederate flag, a Don’t Tread on Me Flag or a bald eagle. Whom he doesn’t follow: Nonconservatives, except President Barack Obama — a rare exception. Notables: Old Southern Moonshine Revival (@OSMRmusic), Classic Rock Lyrics (@RockWsdm) ___ Carly Fiorina (@CarlyFiorina) Followers: 579,000 Following: 689 Last account followed: American Airlines (@AmericanAir) Whom she follows: A lot of Iowa Republican groups, politician and media. California tech industry. Whom she doesn’t follow: Republican presidential candidates. Notables: Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers), Maria Shriver (@MariaShriver) BOTeleprompter (@BOTeleprompter), a parody account that pretends to be President Barack Obama’s Teleprompter ___ Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) Followers: 616,000 Following: 1,281 Last account followed: Lauren Dezenski (@LaurenDezenski), reporter. Whom he follows: News media, celebrities, labor unions. Whom he doesn’t follow: Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and politicians in general. Notables: Movie director Spike Lee (@SpikeLee), actress Rashida Jones (@iamrashidajones), Go-Go’s lead singer Belinda Carlisle (@belindaofficial) ___ Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) Followers: 411,000 Following: 495 Last account followed: Katie Couric (@katiecouric) Whom he follows: Christians, flat tax supporters, 2016 rivals Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, John Kasich, Bobby Jindal Whom he doesn’t follow: 2016 rivals Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, Rick Perry, Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz, Chris Christie, Ben Carson, Rick Santorum Notables: Arnold Schwarzenegger (@Schwarzenegger), Bill Clinton (@billclinton), Actor and veterans advocate Gary Sinise (@GarySinise) ___ Jeb Bush (@JebBush) Followers: 325,000 Following: 193 Last account followed: South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (@AGAlanWilson). Whom he follows: Florida and national Republican politicians, many of his opponents for president. Many of the Bush clan, including his father. Whom he doesn’t follow: Democrats. Notables: Rapper Pitbull (@pitbull), Pope Francis (@Pontifex), golfer Greg Norman (@SharkGregNorman) ___ John Kasich (@JohnKasich) Followers: 111,000 Following:
Lieutenant Gov. Kay Ivey endorses Jeb Bush for president
Alabama Lieutenant Gov. Kay Ivey is endorsing Jeb Bush for president. Ivey made the announcement Monday when filing papers with the Alabama Republican Party to qualify Bush, the former Florida governor, to run in Alabama’s Presidential Preference Primary. “Jeb Bush was a strong Governor who provided conservative leadership in Florida. He has a positive vision for the future of America and is a leader who will restore us to greatness by increasing economic growth through his plans to reduce regulations and reform the tax code,” Ivey said. “He is the only candidate capable of providing leadership on an international level to handle the many crises the current administration has fumbled. I’m proud to run as a delegate for Jeb Bush and submit his qualifying papers.” Ivey adds her name to the list of Alabama Bush supporters, which includes former Gov. Bob Riley, Congressman Mike Rogers, Mary Scott Hunter, who serves as a representative for the Board of Education District 8, and state Sen. J.T. Waggoner. Alabama has become a more important player in the presidential nominating process, thanks in large part to what has been tagged the “SEC Primary.” Alabama joins Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia for the Southern Super Tuesday on March 1.
At Miami climate summit, Al Gore and Debbie Dooley make strange political bedfellows
A group of environmentalist political activists – “diverse,” to say the least – continued their conference at the Hyatt Regency in Miami on Wednesday. Continuing subsidies for solar and defeating the Koch Brothers were common themes center stage at a panel entitled “Solar Energy in Florida.” The panel, which included former Vice President Al Gore, Sierra Club leader Tom Larson, and Tea Party-turned-environmental activist Debbie Dooley, spoke stridently in favor of the environmentalist group’s amendment to liberalize state law regarding residential solar panels – and against Consumers for Smart Solar‘s counter-amendment. Speaking about the key strategic importance of allowing third-party sales via purchase agreements with outside vendors, which is illegal in Florida, Larson said “We are literally in a war. Solar is expanding, but there are lots of people who want to choke it in the crib. They want to kill it off early.” Despite claims by Floridians for Solar Choice that they are not for subsidies and mandates, Larson was quick to point out how important and necessary they are saying, “One of the things that matters most right now is the federal Investment Tax Credit, the ITC. It’s going to be up for renewal next year – we have got to be engaged in that debate.” “That is where people have been able to get a 30 percent federal tax credit if they put solar on their homes, which dramatically decreases the cost of solar, to incentivize this.” “There are forces that are trying to roll back the Investor Tax Credit next year and we have got to stand up and fight for that.” “The other thing that net metering – that’s where you put solar on your home and you sell [the energy] back to the grid – but now the utilities have decided ‘wait, wait wait – we’re in the business of selling electrons. Now all the sudden we’re reversing the flow’?” Larson cited a poll commissioned by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) which he says showed 82 percent of Floridians “want solar,” though they may or may not want his amendment. A recent Florida Chamber poll showed his group’s amendment was less popular among likely voters than that of rival group Consumers for Smart Solar. “There is no better time to run something like this in Florida than in a presidential year,” said Larson, referring to the more liberal orientation of voters in those years than in mid-term cycles. Larson said the group is on track to meet the requirements for inclusion on the 2016 ballot. Next it was former Vice President Al Gore‘s turn to assess the solar energy debate in Florida. “All over the world, there is this battle by the old, dinosaur, coal-burning fuel elites to keep their monopoly,” said Gore, who compared the utilities’ opposition to Floridians for Solar Choice’s amendment to that of Big Tobacco’s stance in the 20th century that cigarettes are not dangerous. In the beginning of mass electricity utilities, governments developed “Regulatory compacts, so that they would try to organize things in the right way, and see that it was fair and just for [utilities] to have a monopoly on all these power lines, because you don’t want a bunch of Gumbys plugging up all the holes in the lines, so there’s a natural monopoly there.” “But they also have a monopoly on the source of all the electricity flowing into that grid and their relationship with customers and all the services that are involved. But the world has changed in the last hundred years. There’s no longer a reason to give them a monopoly on the source of all the energy that flows into the grid.” “It really is outrageous,” said Gore. Next up to have her say was Debbie Dooley, founder of the Green Tea Coalition or as Gore calls it, “the Green Tea Party.” Dooley is a self proclaimed Republican activist who spends nearly all of her time these days speaking on behalf of conservatives alongside some of the nations most liberal environmentalist. Dooley who says her conservative principles led her to join the fight, along with natural enemies like Gore and the environmentalist movement, for increased access to residential solar panels. “I would just like to say one thing,” said Dooley when opposition from Americans For Prosperity was raised by another speaker. “Americans for Prosperity is a Koch-funded group. A lot of these groups throw principles out the window. 60 Plus, they’re very active in Florida. This is a group, on a national level, that complains about excessive regulation yet in Louisiana and in Florida they complain that solar isn’t regulated therefore consumers are not protected.” “Recently, Florida Power & Light wrote a million-dollar check to Jeb Bush’s super PAC,” noted Dooley, who later said in a question-and-answer session that her favored candidate in the 2016 GOP primary was “whoever the Koch brothers are not supporting.” She went on to say that both Florida natives Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush get Koch support. After a brief back-and-forth discussing strange political bedfellows between Dooley and Gore briefly she said, “Three activists and the regional director of 60 Plus crashed [a recent event where Dooley was speaking]… I gave the talking points and called out the hypocrisy that they oppose solar subsidies but didn’t say a word about the subsidies fossil fuels has received…” “Forty-four times larger than solar,” Gore interrupted. “At the same meeting, I had two activists come up to me who said ‘You changed our minds’,” said Dooley, who was met with a “Yay!” from Gore and cheers from the Miami crowd. Florida Politics reached out to 60 Plus Association‘s Apryl Marie Fogel about Dooley’s comments who responded saying, “If Debbie Dooley spent half as much time fighting for consumer protections and lower energy rates as she does fighting her personal war against the Koch brothers and shilling for solar companies she could possibly not have to resort to such baseless lies and far fetching stories.” Fogel explained that the event she “crashed” was open to the public and that she and guests politely listened to the presentation along with about 6 other general guests and two dozen solar employees and
