Jim Robinson

Jim Robinson is the founder and primary owner of Free Republic, a conservative internet forum based out of Fresno, California

Controversy

Robinson's activites on Free Republic are the subject of extensive controversy. In 1998 Free Republic was successfully sued by the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times for copyright infringement of their news stories, which were posted to the site.

Free Republic's finances and Robinson's involvement with them have long been the subject of internet criticisms. The website is allegedly run on quarterly fundraiser drives that reportedly collect as much as $100,000 from member contributions. Many critics on sites such as Liberty Post and Democratic Underground, as well as former Free Republic posters who have since fallen out with the site, have expressed suspicion with the site's fundraising and Robinson's activities. Frequent allegations of financial impropriety include the claim that Robinson uses member donations as a source of substantial personal income. One frequent allegation suggests that Robinson used money collected for Free Republics operations to purchase a large recreational vehicle for his personal use.