So Who Filmed Romney's 47% Video?

Mother Jones/YouTube
Alexander Abad-Santos 11,785 Views Sep 19, 2012

There's only one mystery left regarding Romney's "47 percent" debacle: Who filmed it? From what we've heard from James Carter IV, Mother Jones, and the guy who owns that lavish pad where it all went down, here's our best guess: It was the bartender, with the iPhone, at the hedge fund manager's wet bar. "Before Mitt Romney spoke at the fundraiser, guests were reminded that Mitt Romney's comments were off the record. Those present were asked not to repeat his remarks to the press," writes blogger Laura Goldman, who also reports that Marc Leder, the wealthy hedgefund manager who owns the house where the "47 percent" tape was born, has apologized to Romney and "believes that the video was made by someone who was hired to work the party." Hmmm ... blaming it on the help.

Well, that makes sense, since the video, yes all 49-minutes of it, seems to be primarily shot on what seems to be a marble-topped (or maybe it's granite) table or bar, complete with a short stack of napkins and votive candles. A meticulous video investigator at ABC News even notes that, "at one point, a waitress can be heard placing an order with the bartender, saying, 'four martini glasses, please.'"

Of course there are at least two people who know who the actual videographer is, one of which is Jimmy Carter's grandson, James Carter IV, who vaguely told MSNBC that "it was fair to assume" that the cameraman (or woman) wasn't one of the people who paid $50,000 to eat with Romney that night. The other person who knows, Mother Jones editor Monika Bauerlein, told ABC she'd be keeping the source's name safe, but did add that the video "did not come from opposition researchers or a political campaign." Leder of course isn't pleased, and Goldman reports, "He is in the process of narrowing down the suspects and is contemplating contacting law enforcement."

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