On the latest episode of “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver turned his attention to the topic of undercover law enforcement officers and government agents involved in controversial sting operations.
During the show, Oliver delved into how sting operations have increasingly become a staple of policing over the last forty years. He criticized some of the questionable methods employed in these operations, highlighting how they often unfairly target specific ethnic groups and individuals with learning disabilities.
One particular example provoked a strong response from Oliver:
“In one instance, [ATF] agents created a fictitious smoke shop in Portland and paid a 19-year-old with mental disabilities, along with his friend, to advertise their fake store. They did this by, and this is true, having them get a large tattoo of the fake shop’s logo, a giant squid smoking a joint, on their necks, which is absolutely appalling.”
Oliver criticized a judge who had described the incident as merely “not a good idea.”
“Not a good idea? There are times when politeness is appropriate, but discovering that agents used taxpayer money to tattoo a mentally disabled teen is certainly not one of them. In fact, I checked Emily Post’s book of etiquette for this exact scenario, and her advice was, ‘Fuck those fuckers sideways with a rusty fork.’ I didn’t say that. Emily Post did, so you know it’s official.”
