Beck smears judge as “corrupt” for not recusing himself in Creamer case -- but prosecution reportedly didn't voice concerns

Written by Eric Hananoki

Published

Glenn Beck charged that late U.S. District Judge James Moran was “corrupt” because he failed to recuse himself in a case involving progressive activist Robert Creamer, who has been the subject of frequent smears by Beck. However, the Chicago Tribune reported that “neither defense attorneys nor prosecutors voiced concerns about Moran's connections to Creamer.”

Beck: Judge didn't recuse himself because it's “Chicago. Is anyone in Chicago not corrupt?”

From Glenn Beck:

BECK: Creamer is so well connected in Democratic circles that even the judge in the case was considering recusing himself because he used to be a former Democratic state representative whose son-in-law, you know, worked with Creamer, but that's it. I mean -- he didn't recuse himself. Come on. It's Chicago. Is anyone in Chicago not corrupt at this point? Really? You're not? When you leave, turn off the lights, will ya? [Fox News' Glenn Beck, 12/08/09]

Prosecution reportedly voiced no concerns about judge

Chicago Tribune: "[P]rosecutors didn't voice any concern" about judge. The Chicago Tribune reported in an April 9, 2004, article that “Ann Tighe, one of Creamer's lawyers, said she saw no conflict that should force Moran from the case, and prosecutors didn't voice any concern.” The Tribune similarly reported on April 6, 2006, that “neither defense attorneys nor prosecutors voiced concerns about Moran's connections to Creamer.” Moran died in April.

Creamer subject of false and hypocritical attacks by Beck

On his December 7 program, Beck falsely claimed that Creamer was imprisoned for “ripping off the non-profit entity that he's working for.” But Moran reportedly said Creamer's motivation was to actually keep his non-profit alive, not steal from them. While repeatedly attacking Creamer as a “convicted felon,” Beck further displayed selective and hypocritical outrage: Beck's Fox News colleague is felon Mark Fuhrman, and his program runs advertisements featuring Watergate felon G. Gordon Liddy.