In May 2012 FBI interview Taaffe denied any talk of race with Zimmerman

We wrote yesterday about the “October Surprise/Get Out the Vote” announcement by a flailing Obama administration that the Department of Justice will be holding a Grand Jury hearing next Wednesday regarding possible federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman.

The only named witness for Wednesday’s hearing is Frank Taaffe, a self-declared “friend” for George Zimmerman.

Earlier this year Taaffe suddenly announced that he believed Zimmerman had a racial, not merely self-defense, motive in killing Trayvon Martin.

This would be more than two years after the shooting occurred.

One wonders why Taaffe waited so long to speak to the FBI on this matter.

Except that, of course, Taaffe had long ago spoken with the FBI on this matter, way back in May 2012 when he was interviewed by FBI Special Agent Oliver following the shooting. (h/t to Legal Insurrection commenter P4R4L3G4L for the reminder.)

At that time he denied any racial discussions with Zimmerman, although he wasn’t shy about expressing his own arguably racist sentiments.

Oliver’s notes of that interview (embedded in full below) provide that:

Taaffe only knew GEORGE ZIMMERMAN as an acquaintance. They never spoke about the complexion or racial makeup of the community.

and

On the night of the shooting if Taaffe would have seen Treyvan [sic] Martin he would have kept a visual on him.

and

The quote by Taaffe, “If you plant corn you will get corn,” was meant as a metaphor for the [black] crime in the area.

Congratulations, Department of Justice. You found your own Rachel Jeantel for your Grand Jury.

Nice job. #golfclap

Here are the FBI interview notes in full:

Color me cynical.

–-Andrew, @LawSelfDefense

Andrew F. Branca is an MA lawyer and the author of the seminal book “The Law of Self Defense, 2nd Edition,” available at the Law of Self Defense blog (autographed copies available) and Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle). He also holds Law of Self Defense Seminars around the country, and provides free online self-defense law video lectures at the Law of Self Defense Institute and podcasts through iTunes, Stitcher, and elsewhere.



