The Worst of Philip Klein: Cyberstalker

All links on Operation Kleinwatch that point to Philip R. Klein's websites are anonymized, including the Southeast Texas Political Review and Find Patrick McDermott. I've mentioned this in passing several times on this blog, but here's a more detailed explanation and a look at Klein's propensity for online harassment and cyberstalking.

As confirmed in his MSNBC-TV segment, Beyond the Sea, Philip R. Klein tracks the IP numbers of visitors to his websites. From Philip's purported "sworn affidavit" recently posted to the SETPR:

On or about April 6, 2005, in conjunction with PNX Communications of Orange, Texas, who was the host of the websited known as www.setpoliticalreview.com was placed on notice that a filter and tracking of the said site would be undertaken.


On or about August 2007, the system was changed from PNX to GOWEB systems in Houston, Texas.

On or about August 3, 3007 [sic], such postings continued and simply were tracked.

Klein didn't explain how GOWEB could track traffic to the SETPR almost 1000 years in the future, why the notary's jurat is missing, or why this "sworn affidavit" has apparently never been filed in any Texas court, perhaps because filing a false affidavit is a felony. From his "Lawsuit page:"

A third web site agrees to cooperate in giving the legal team and investigators all IP addresses passed through their site from Operationkleinwatch over the past four months since the site posted a link to an anonymous IP address block site. Such was received on October 5, 2009 in an agreement not to litigate.

Ignoring PRK's techno-gibberish, he's referencing Anonymouse.org, a company which operates an anonymous proxy server in the Seychelles Islands.  Since the server and company are located offshore, they are not subject to the laws of the United States, nor do they even keep the records that Klein alleges he obtained:

Logfiles: Anonymouse does not keep records of site accesses. Usage logs will only be created during technical problems and are immediately destroyed after the technical problem is solved.

While Klein's statement is a blatant lie, he's clearly trying to intimidate those who visit his site with this anonymous link. Other examples of Klein's online harassment and cyberstalking are legion, dating back until at least 2003.  My favorite to date: the $1,000 reward that Klein offered for the identity of Sam the Eagle.

I've already mentioned Klein's alleged anonymous postings on the Beaumont Underground blog in the Wrath of Trog and To Black (Caution: Obscene Language). In response, PRK posted the sci-fi and fantasy piece referenced above, "Sworn Affidavit of Philip R. Klein, TPLI-PPO."

The Daily Telegraph in Australia reported that Yvette Nipar, former wife of Patrick McDermott, filed a complaint against Klein with the Van Nuys division of the LAPD:

McDermott's ex-wife Yvette Nipar, 45, formally complained that Mr Klein had been harassing her after the two exchanged a series of emails in April.

Philip responded on his FindPatrickMcDermott site:

"We can confirm for the media that on April 27, 2010, Yvette Nipar, Mr. McDermott's former wife, filed cause / case # 100910585 with the Los Angeles Police Department, the accusation being "unwanted emails."  Accordingly, the LAPD opened an investigation regarding this matter. The allegation was that Investigator Philip Klein was sending Yvette Nipar "unwanted emails."

Nipar called it "harassment," while Klein called it "unwanted emails."

PRK invaded a Facebook page devoted to the book If the Devil Had a Wife with more "unwanted emails:"

Philip R. Klein: And now for the real truth.

Where The Real Truth Starts
www.thestarktruth.org

The Stark Foundation operates this site to counter charges made in this book. 

Author of the Book: I understand that Phillip Klein, a private investigator hired by the Stark Foundation, has posted on this page...

FB One: Hmm, looks like The Devil has it's own personal troll. The Devil has a personal interest in all this, while the protaganist is merely a paid minion, doing the bidding of whomever signs their paycheck. Nuff said. Who does sign your paycheck?

Philip R. Klein: I sign my paycheck through our company. Name calling is not necessary. Just telling another side to the story. Maybe you should take time and read the stark truth, then read the book again and form your own opinion. This is America - right?

FB One: Ok, so you're independently wealthy, and proselytizing on the boards of those whom you have a beef with is merely your hobby. I think you just offered me a bit of insight into the "truths' I might find on the link you're attempting to peddle here. Run along, now. Guess you don't know how to cut and paste a power link, either.

Philip R. Klein: Thanks. No - I am just a working guy that works about 70 hours a week. I wish I was independently wealthy. I am not "peddling" here - just posting the other side to a very important issue. Thanks for the smile this morning.

FB Two: Just to clarify then....Mr. Klein, have you been hired by the Stark Foundation to investigate supporters of this book, this fan page or anything else associated with the book? I have been under the assumption that you are and if you are not I have some apologizing to do. If my memory is correct, I seem to remember you coming on here one day (or night) and stating that the Foundation had hired you and you were watching this site and downloading information from it on an hourly basis. Am I misremembering (thanks to Mark McGwire for that great word)?

Philip R. Klein: [no response]

While I have no opinion on this controversy, PRK tried to bully patrons with his standard bag of tricks:

FB Three I am so ticked... I received the following:

Philip R. Klein
May 12 at 10:47am 

You have made an accustion of felony criminal activity on my behalf. You have two choices - 1) take down your post, 2) present the facts and back up publicly to your accusations or I will be forced to file legal action.

In no way shape or form have I - nor my staff ever committed any criminal act. To suggest such without evidence is considered slander.

Philip R. Klein, TPLI-PPO
President
Klein Investments, Inc.
Klein Investigations and Consulting

FB Three: Just received this email thru FB from Mr. Klein's account. Apparently I have said things that are considered to be slanderous without proof of evidence. Please let me make it clear... I am not and never did intend to indicate that Mr. Klein is the one that did the hacking into a FB account, but rather was implying it would be simple for one to do so... hmmm... do I need a good lawyer??? BTW, did anyone else receive such said emails from the account of Mr. Klein??

FB Four: We are still living in America, but you would never know it (these days).

FB Five:  Yes, I received an email from him also. I chose to not respond to him.

While FB Three was clearly worried by Klein's spurious charge, FB Five had the proper response to a cyberbully. Ignore him and he'll go away, unless one uses a cattle prod like Sam and Gus.

Klein is right, however: this is America and this social network has a reasonable expectation to express their opinions without harassment by a fat private investigator with NPD. In this exchange, Klein responded through private email, while the patron posted to the FB page. 

FB Six: It is beyond comprehension that a $500 Million Foundation would not only hire, but admit to hiring such an amateurish "detective" as Mr. Klein? His stalking Rebecca on this site and his crassness has told me more about The Stark Foundation than the book does! Orange is not a "Hick Town" with a bunch of Hillbillies roaming the streets. These people are responsible for a half billion dollar fortune, and in their eyes the "Promotion of Orange Texas"? If they use the same due diligence they did in accessing Mr Klein's character on investment and grant decisions, the Foundation is in DEEP trouble.

FB Six: It only took Mr. Klein 7 minutes to respond to my post with a private email (get it, he is a "Private Detective").... I wonder how he found me? Why he must be a regular Hercule Poirot or perhaps Sherlock Holmes...but I'm guessing Maxwell Smart!.....BTW - Mr. Klein, if you are attempting to INTIMIDATE ME with your creep factor, you are wasting your time buddy....and The Stark Foundations money. You actually have Staff monitoring this site 24/7 on some type or cyber stakeout? That is just sick and very sad....but hey, if they would rather pay some hack PI instead of commissioning a study on how to prevent storm surge from another Hurricane from decimating Orange, it's their money.....Well at least they act like it's their money!

FB Six: That was a whole 10 minutes Mr Klein...your are wasting the Foundations Money waiting that long to send me yet another private email. But hey, you know you are right! I do not know you. Never met you. Never even heard of you (hope your pride recovers). But I saw your posts, read the tone of your posts, and noticed the lack of maturity and class in your posts....and that I DO KNOW!.....Thank you so much for your concern about how this little tit of tat will weigh upon my worried mind as the Sun sets in the West and rises in the East in glory of the morrow. But I can guarantee you my troubled friend, I will not wake up and regret a single word I wrote, and I shall sleep like a baby until that wonderous moment.........Sorry to disappoint you!

I'd love to have a copy of Philip's off-list responses. My favorite from the page:

FB Seven: I would love to know how they can defend this hired gun they have wasting money on here attempting to intimidate the public - is that really the job of a "charitable foundation"?? Perhaps someone needs to take out an ad as a follow-up to their letter, notifying the general public just what their local foundation is up to on here so there's no doubt about all the charity in their hearts...just so those not on FB get to fully appreciate their intentions, as well. As Klein likes to remind everyone, this is a 'public' site, so let's just make all this as public as possible!

What exactly are they hoping to discover on here anyway- that Rebecca's fans are all plotting against them?? And they resort to amateurish scare tactics to keep others in their place- surely not this group of righteous do-gooders!?!

I think Leslie Nielsen should play the foundation CEO in the movie... and if only Don Knotts or Peter Sellers were still alive, either could play Mr. Klein quite well.

Since dead celebrities are open, I think Fatty Arbuckle would be a more appropriate choice to portray Philip R. Klein.

I do have an opinion on the question above concerning potential payments for Klein's time as a private investigator. According to the most recent guidelines by the Federal Trade Commission (emphasis is mine):

The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other “word-of-mouth” marketers.

If the Stark Foundation indeed bankrolled Klein's operation, I believe this failure to disclose is an egregious breech of ethics.

Here's another example from several years ago. I've often wondered if someone paid for Philip's involvement, and if so, who? Published on the Southeast Texas Political Review in January 2005:


In reality, Recall Carl was never identified.