Concerning Barrett Brown

Notice, however, that Brown speaks of my colleague Michael Hastings, expressing a collegiality that probably exists mainly in Browns mind. Brown and Hastings both had blogs at True/Slant, the now-defunct site which, despite funding from Forbes Media and Fuse Capital, flamed out in 15 months after publishing such memorable works as Rick Ungars Send the Body to Glenn Beck. But while Brown and Hastings were both True/Slant contributors, it wasnt like they were hanging out around the office coffee machine, swapping stories.

So here is Brown, staring into the camera and addressing Rich as if he were talking to a buddy, while referring to Hastings as his colleague, in a video recorded July 15 three weeks after the June 23 publication of theVanity Fair piece that Brown references, and two weeks beforeTrue/Slants July 29 shutdown. The timing seems significant, as if this were a cry for help.

You might get the idea that Barrett Brown is kind of a moody loner, isolated and alienated, attempting to invent a social context for himself where none exists.

You state, as supposed fact, that Barrett Brown and MIchael Hastings are not colleagues or friends and rather that Barrett Brown is in essence a fraud who uses a false association with Hastings to 'invent a social context for himself.' Any amount of investigation on your part would have quickly and easily determined this to be false. Brown and Hastings' relationship is professional, substantial, and well documented.

Your post falsely insinuating that Brown is fraudulently representing himself and his professional relationships is especially damaging as Michael Hastings wrote the blurb for Brown's upcoming book and their relationship is integral to the development of ProjectPM, Brown's soon to be launched site. You have published lies, claiming to be fact and not unambiguously labeled as opinion, that if taken seriously substantially damage the financial interests and professional reputation of my client. As these lies are quite easily disproved it can be assumed that either you printed with malice what you knew to be false or you wrote your article with reckless disregard for its veracity.

My client would like to resolve this matter quickly. You may print a retraction to the passage above or simply link his response to your article so that he may defend himself. I'm sure you will write in your next article that my client is simply trying to gain more page views through all this. Please be informed that if this situation is not resolved we are prepared to begin legal proceedings to protect my client's interests.

Lawyer, Mediator in New York & Texas

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