The Smoking Gun
The Smoking Gun website launched in 1997. William Bastone started the project alongside his wife Barbara Glauber and Daniel Green. Barbara worked as a graphic designer while Daniel had previously written for The Village Voice newspaper. Their goal was to publish legal documents that mainstream media ignored. They used Freedom of Information Act requests to gather arrest records from federal agencies. State and local law enforcement offices also provided public court documents. This process allowed them to build a massive archive of police mugshots featuring current and historical celebrities.
Cable network truTV purchased The Smoking Gun in 2000. The company also acquired Crime Library during this transaction. A television series bearing the site's name premiered on Court TV in 2005. That show mixed actual stories with sketch humor using string puppets. Time Warner bought Court TV in 2006 and moved the program to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. The site released its second book titled The Dog Dialed 911: A Book of Lists from The Smoking Gun in October 2006. In June 2014, William Bastone bought the website back from truTV. He returned it to private ownership after fourteen years of corporate control.
The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest ran on truTV from March 2008 until January 2011. Originally called World's Dumbest Criminals, the title changed to cover other topics beyond crime. William Bastone appeared as a cast member alongside writer Andrew Goldberg. Both men left the production after the first season concluded. The program received another re-titling in January 2011 to become truTV Presents: World's Dumbest. An animated version of the Court TV show also existed before the live-action format took over. These adaptations brought the site's content to a broader television audience across multiple networks.
August 2009 marked the public exposure of members within the online community known as Pranknet. This virtual group tricked hotel and fast-food employees into setting off fire alarms. They engaged fire-suppression systems and performed humiliating acts against staff. Two convicted child molesters belonged to this group. Members threatened telephone harassment and placed fake Craigslist advertisements. They shouted racial epithets and obscenities at people responding to those ads. One specific tactic involved targeting young mothers selling household goods. After obtaining an address through exchange, they threatened to rape the seller and murder her children.
The year 2006 saw the uncovering of widespread fabrication in James Frey's memoir A Million Little Pieces. The book described alleged years of drug and alcohol abuse followed by recovery. It contained numerous descriptions of criminal or outrageous incidents that proved false. Oprah Winfrey had previously endorsed Frey's work for her Book Club. Her public rebuke of the author followed the site's investigation results. This event changed how readers viewed celebrity memoirs and their claims of personal struggle. The revelation forced a re-evaluation of truth-telling standards in nonfiction publishing circles.
A 2010 report revealed financial irregularities within Yéle Haiti. Rapper Wyclef Jean established this charitable foundation after the earthquake struck Haiti. He publicized successful fundraising efforts for disaster relief before the scandal broke. The New York Times reported that the foundation failed to file several years of tax returns. Investigators found funds illegally diverted to the personal use of Jean and family members. Jean admitted these irregularities occurred in 2019. The case highlighted vulnerabilities in celebrity-led charity organizations during crisis periods.
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Common questions
When did The Smoking Gun website launch and who founded it?
The Smoking Gun website launched in 1997. William Bastone started the project alongside his wife Barbara Glauber and Daniel Green.
Who purchased The Smoking Gun in 2000 and when did William Bastone buy it back?
Cable network truTV purchased The Smoking Gun in 2000. In June 2014, William Bastone bought the website back from truTV after fourteen years of corporate control.
What happened to Pranknet members exposed by The Smoking Gun in August 2009?
August 2009 marked the public exposure of members within the online community known as Pranknet. Two convicted child molesters belonged to this group and they engaged fire-suppression systems while threatening telephone harassment and placing fake Craigslist advertisements.
How did The Smoking Gun expose James Frey's memoir A Million Little Pieces in 2006?
The year 2006 saw the uncovering of widespread fabrication in James Frey's memoir A Million Little Pieces. It contained numerous descriptions of criminal or outrageous incidents that proved false and Oprah Winfrey had previously endorsed Frey's work for her Book Club before issuing a public rebuke.
What financial irregularities were revealed about Yéle Haiti in 2010?
A 2010 report revealed financial irregularities within Yéle Haiti. Rapper Wyclef Jean established this charitable foundation after the earthquake struck Haiti but investigators found funds illegally diverted to the personal use of Jean and family members.