The Smoking Gun

The Smoking Gun ( to German as: " The Smoking Boomstick " as a synonym for an unequivocal proof ) is an English-language website, the daily documents, records and photos published that provide information about court proceedings, police investigations and political processes. Frequently half-truths or claims by celebrities in a kind of dossier are compared with the actual searchable written and pictorial evidence.

History

The site was founded in 1997 by William Bastone and Daniel Green, who had previously worked as a reporter for the New York weekly The Village Voice. They decided to publish only actual documents and photos instead of a standard in the media, constantly expanding mass of rumors and quotes.

Concept

The Smoking Gun published court records, arrest records and mug shots that are often surprising or humorous, but occasionally the statements of certain persons (often celebrities ) qualify or refute. Also, historical documents and dossiers in which is extensively dealt with a particular issue will be published.

Examples of the work of The Smoking Gun, the detection of inconsistencies in the alleged autobiography of U.S. author James Frey or the demonstration of the fact that many politically active actors such as Ben Affleck have never even found it necessary to exercise their right to vote.