Report Suggests Laws Broken in Attorney Firings

[Demeter]

Source: Washington Post


By Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 25, 2007; A03



House Democrats, preparing for a vote today on contempt citations against President Bush's chief of staff and former counsel, produced a report yesterday that for the first time alleges specific ways that several administration officials may have broken the law during the multiple firings of U.S. attorneys.
The report says that Congress's seven-month investigation into the firings raises "serious concerns" that senior White House and Justice Department aides involved in the removal of nine U.S. attorneys last year may have obstructed justice and violated federal statutes that protect civil service employees, prohibit political retaliation against government officials and cover presidential records.

The 52-page memorandum, from House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), seeks to explain why Democrats are trying to overcome an effort by the White House to shield officials and documents from the congressional inquiry through a claim of executive privilege. The report also provides the first written account of the Democrats' interpretation of the firings and the administration's response to the controversy. The investigation "has uncovered serious evidence of wrongdoing by the department and White House staff," Conyers says.

The memorandum says the probe has turned up evidence that some of the U.S. attorneys were improperly selected for firing because of their handling of vote fraud allegations, public corruption cases or other cases that could affect close elections. It also says that Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and senior Justice aides "appear to have made false or misleading statements to Congress, many of which sought to minimize the role of White House personnel." In addition, the memorandum asserts repeatedly that the president's top political adviser, Karl Rove, was the first administration official to broach the idea of firing U.S. attorneys shortly after the 2004 election -- an assertion the White House has said is not true.


In the memorandum, the Democrats provide the first legal justification for countering the White House's view, saying that the 1984 legal opinion "does not apply here." For one thing, the Democrats contend, Bush has not invoked the privilege properly because he has not furnished a signed statement or "privilege logs" specifying the documents being withheld. In addition, the memo says, "there is not the slightest indication" the 1984 opinion would apply to a former executive branch official, such as Miers.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/24/AR2007072402311.html

[dmosh42]

1. Repubs wanted to see the evidence beforehand.........

-and many are lawyers? As the chairman tried to explain, there is a report to congress on the surrounding proceedings, but the 'contempt' is charged for their failure(Bolten & Meiers) to show up in violation of Congressional subpoena power. At least that's my take after watching this very windy meeting.

[Supersedeas]

2. Pubbies spinning in the wind

[Deep13]

3. "...Suggests Laws Broken..."

Gosh! Do yah think!

[loyalkydem]

4. now

all I want to see happen are some arrest made and this stupid little man's legacy ruined.

[abq e streeter]

5. Not too worry

I'm taking a wild guess that his legacy is pretty shot anyway. Of course criminal convictions would an appropriate exclamation point on it , wouldn't it...

[Miss Chybil]

6. What legacy?

His only legacy is death and destruction. Those are the only two things he's done that can't be undone in January 2009.

[L. Coyote]

7. Plenty of law-breaking by Rs, but no sherrif in the office.

Again today, the Rs threw the immigration witch-hunt torch at Carol Lam. Every time they do that I'll bring up their nefarious conduct and question who was complicitous in the scheme. One of the conspirators seems to be Darrell Issa. Was his conduct criminal too? He knowingly distributed false information to besmear Carol Lamb's reputation. And yet, they still drag out that same torch. Must be all they have!!

May 18, 2006 - Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) provides false information to AP that Lam has prosecuted only 6% of 289 suspected immigrant smugglers.

Fit that into the timeline:

Oct. 2005 - 18 Republican lawmakers criticize Lam's handling of immigration cases (letter signed by Cunningham while under investigation).
Mar. 2006 - Bush signs the USA Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act.
Apr. 2006 - Second mistrial in Lam's illegal-kickback trial of Alvarado execs.
May 05, 2006 - CIA director Porter Goss resigns unexpectedly.
May 10, 2006 - Lam notifies DoJ she planned to serve search warrants on Kyle Foggo, who resigned two days earlier as No. 3 official at the CIA.
May 10, 2006 - HHS announces forthcoming termination of Medicare payments to Alvarado/Tenet
May 11, 2006 - Kyle Sampson e-mails deputy White House counsel William Kelley, re "the real problem we have right now with Carol Lam ....
May 11, 2006 - LA Times reports Cunningham probe expanded to House Appropriations Chair Jerry Lewis (R-CA).
May 12, 2006 - FBI agents seizes records from Foggo's CIA offices and his suburban Vienna, Va.
May 17, 2006 - Tenet Healthcare Agrees to Divest Alvarado Hospital. Tenet will not lose Medicare money, civil settlement with the federal government.
May 18, 2006 - Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) provides false information to AP that Lam has prosecuted only 6% of 289 suspected immigrant smugglers.
Jul 31, 2006 - London Times quotes Prakash Sethi "GPOs extract extra profits of $5 billion to $6 billion" illegitimately
Dec 07, 2006 - Michael Battle, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, calls seven U.S. Attorneys to ask for their resignations.
Dec 13, 2006 - AAG McNulty curbs USAs' prosecutorial powers, centralizes corporate fraud charging decision making.
Feb 15, 2007 - Carol Lam resigns as U.S. Attorney for San Diego just days after filing indictments in public corruption case.

Also, read more at: 30 U.S. attorneys investigate BILKING BILLIONS, Medicare, Medicaid, Military’s Healthcare
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x877011

Where's the Sheriff? Who put the STOP to law enforcement for corporate fraud?

[Demeter]

8. Bush Is Asking for Mob Rule

and if Congress doesn't get it in gear, that's exactly what the Boy Wonder will get.

[DCKit]

9. Why are they still talking about "voter fraud?"

We all know the real issue is election fraud.

ReElect Gore!!!

[L. Coyote]

10. Like all good attorneys, they know you have to work with what is in evidence.

Knowing 2000 and 2004 were stolen and providing clear and irrefutable proof are not the same animal. One is all bark, and the other takes a huge chunk out of your back side.

[Demeter]

11. From Your Lips to God's Ears