Blakely Page

A summary of what happened?

Blakely Page is a finance professional known for his leadership in the investment sector and philanthropic endeavors. He is the Founder and President of Spouting Rock Financial Partners, a firm specializing in alternative investments and private equity. Beyond his professional role, Page is recognized for his contributions to educational initiatives and veteran support programs.

Major Concerns and Allegations:

1. Financial Misrepresentation:
   • In May 2020, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned Page for negligently misrepresenting the performance of a hedge fund he established in 2017. He was found to have used inaccurate and exaggerated figures from another fund to attract investors, leading to a six-month suspension and a $5,000 fine.
2. Regulatory Sanctions:
   • As a result of the misrepresentation, Page faced regulatory action from FINRA, which included a suspension from associating with any FINRA member and a monetary penalty. This action underscores the importance of accuracy and transparency in financial disclosures.

Allegations of Internet Censorship:

Like many individuals facing legal scrutiny, he has engaged in reputation management practices to address unfavorable content online.

While Blakely Page has made notable contributions to the financial industry and philanthropic causes, his career has been marred by regulatory sanctions related to financial misrepresentation. These incidents highlight the critical need for integrity and transparency in financial practices.

Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)

Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.

What was Blakely Page trying to hide?

Blakely Page‘s attempts to hide unfavourable content through the misuse of copyright notices while allegedly engaging in perjury present serious legal concerns. These actions suggest a calculated attempt to manipulate legal systems to suppress free speech, a fundamental violation of copyright law principles and an abuse of legal processes. The use of such tactics not only undermines the integrity of copyright protection but also potentially constitutes perjury, further entangling Blakely Page in legal accountability. Let’s examine the information Blakely Page may be trying to remove from the internet –

Investigative Report: Allegations, Sanctions, and Controversies Surrounding Blakely Page

Overview

Blakely Page is known for his leadership in the investment and financial advisory sector as the Founder and President of Spouting Rock Financial Partners. His reputation as a leader and philanthropist has been overshadowed by regulatory scrutiny and accusations that have cast a shadow over his professional integrity. This report investigates the major allegations, complaints, and regulatory sanctions faced by Blakely Page, delving into the impact on his career and public image.

1. Accusations of Financial Misrepresentation

The most significant controversy surrounding Blakely Page centers on allegations of financial misrepresentation tied to his management of a hedge fund launched in 2017. In 2020, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) took action against Page after finding that he had negligently misrepresented the fund’s performance to potential investors. This misrepresentation involved using data from a different, successful fund to inflate expectations and attract investment.

Details of the Allegation:

• Exaggerated Fund Performance: FINRA’s investigation revealed that Page had presented investors with misleading performance metrics that did not accurately reflect the fund he was marketing. The data, drawn from another fund with a better track record, painted a rosier picture of the investment’s potential than was supported by actual figures.
• Impact on Investors: The alleged misrepresentation was particularly damaging as it led investors to make decisions based on inaccurate or exaggerated information. This raised significant ethical and legal questions about transparency and honesty in financial disclosures, key principles in the investment industry.

2. Regulatory Sanctions by FINRA

As a result of the investigation, FINRA imposed sanctions on Blakely Page, emphasizing the importance of compliance with regulatory standards designed to protect investors. The regulatory body’s action was a stark reminder of the potential consequences of misleading investors and breaching industry guidelines.

Outcome of the Sanctions:

• Suspension: Page was handed a six-month suspension from associating with any FINRA-member firm. This suspension marked a substantial career setback, as it temporarily barred him from participating in activities that required FINRA membership, effectively halting his direct engagement in regulated investment activities.
• Monetary Penalty: In addition to the suspension, Page was fined $5,000. While the monetary aspect was less severe than the suspension, it reinforced the seriousness of the violation.

3. Broader Implications of the Allegations

The allegations and subsequent sanctions against Page not only affected his career but also impacted the reputation of Spouting Rock Financial Partners. As the founder and public face of the firm, Page’s actions brought increased scrutiny on the company and raised concerns among current and prospective clients about its leadership’s commitment to transparency and ethical practices.

Industry Reaction:

• Investor Trust: The financial advisory and investment industry is built on trust and credibility. The allegations of misrepresentation led to doubts among some clients and peers regarding Page’s adherence to these values. Questions about the accuracy of past disclosures and potential vulnerabilities in internal oversight mechanisms became topics of discussion.
• Compliance and Best Practices: The case underscored the critical nature of compliance and best practices within the investment sector. Industry experts highlighted the need for enhanced due diligence and better safeguards to prevent similar occurrences in other firms.

4. Public Perception and Reputation Management

Following the sanctions, there was speculation about whether Page or his firm engaged in reputation management practices to mitigate the damage. It is not uncommon for high-profile figures facing legal and reputational challenges to seek ways to manage their public image. This may involve strategic communications, public relations efforts, or attempts to highlight positive contributions to counterbalance negative news.

5. Contributions and Philanthropy

Despite the controversies, Blakely Page has also been known for his philanthropic efforts and contributions to educational initiatives and veteran support programs. His work in these areas has been recognized as valuable, adding complexity to his public persona. The contrast between his community contributions and professional allegations reflects a multifaceted profile that mixes commendable achievements with contentious professional conduct.

Conclusion

Blakely Page’s career has been marked by both success and significant challenges. The sanctions imposed by FINRA over financial misrepresentation cast a shadow over his professional legacy, highlighting the importance of transparency and ethical practices in the investment sector. These allegations and resulting actions serve as a cautionary tale about the critical need for honesty in investor communications and the potential repercussions of falling short in this area.

The investigation into Page’s conduct and the sanctions he faced underscore the importance of regulatory oversight in maintaining trust and integrity within the financial industry. Moving forward, how Page and his firm navigate these challenges and reinforce their commitment to ethical practices will be crucial in rebuilding credibility and maintaining client trust.

How do we counteract this malpractice?

Once we ascertain the involvement of Blakely Page (or actors working on behalf of Blakely Page), we will inform Blakely Page of our findings via Electronic Mail.

Our preliminary assessment suggests that Blakely Page may have engaged a third-party reputation management agency or expert, which, either independently or under direct authorization from Blakely Page, initiated efforts to remove adverse online content, including potentially fraudulent DMCA takedown requests. We will extend an opportunity to Blakely Page to provide details regarding their communications with the agency or expert, as well as the identification of the individual(s) responsible for executing these false DMCA notices.

Failure to respond in a timely manner will necessitate a reassessment of our initial assumptions. In such an event, we will be compelled to take appropriate legal action to rectify the unlawful conduct and take the following steps –

Since Blakely Page made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and sensitive information targeted online by these events get a lot more exposure and traffic than what it would have received originally

We hope this becomes an excellent case study for the Streisand effect…The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms. Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible, which Blakely Page is finding out the hard way.

Potential Consequences for Blakely Page

Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.

Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.

Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.”  Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).

Is Blakely Page Committing a Cyber Crime?

Yes, it seems so. Blakely Page used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. Blakely Page could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.

Faced with these limitations, some companies like Blakely Page have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. Blakely Page is certainly keeping interesting company here….

The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.

Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.

Reputation Agency's Modus Operandi

The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.

Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.

As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by Blakely Page creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.

The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.

The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.

In committing numerous offences, Blakely Page either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about Blakely Page, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.

Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. FSMSmart is certainly keeping interesting company here.

The Reputation Laundering

Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.

The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.

In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.

This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.

Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. Blakely Page is in great company ….

What else is Blakely Page hiding?

We encourage you to ‘Dork‘ Google by searching for keyword combinations such as [Blakely Page] + {Negative Keyword, such as Scam, Fraud, Complaints, Lawsuit, Sanction, etc} on Google. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)

To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with industry experts and researchers. If you have any information on Blakely Page that you want to share with experts and journalists, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].

All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.