Prosecutor in Terror Case Sues Ashcroft

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=703&e=3&u=/ap/20040217/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terror_ashcroft_sued

WASHINGTON - A federal prosecutor in a major terrorism case in Detroit has taken the rare step of suing Attorney General John Ashcroft (news - web sites), alleging the Justice Department (news - web sites) interfered with the case, compromised a confidential informant and exaggerated results in the war on terrorism.



Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino of Detroit accused the Justice Department of "gross mismanagement" of the war on terrorism in a whistleblower lawsuit filed late Friday in federal court in Washington.


Justice officials said Tuesday they had not seen the suit and had no comment.


The suit is the latest twist in the Bush administration's first major post-Sept. 11 terrorism prosecution, which is now in danger of unraveling over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.

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[hedda_foil]

1. Holy Crap!

This is amazing.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Agreed. Never thought I'd see that happen!

[Bozita]

3. Repugs moving into position for circular firing squad

Wow!

[madrchsod]

4. most if not all

the jd cases have or are falling apart. the case in germany fell apart because the us refused to release information to the german prosecutors and defense teams. these guys are incompetent

[reprobate]

5. And the Calico Cat Award goes to......Richard Convertino!

[Jacobin]

6. Hot Damn. Another link here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-17-ashcroft-sued_x.htm

Convertino came under internal investigation last fall after providing information to a Senate committee about his concerns about the war on terror. His testimony came just months after he helped convict some members of an alleged terrorism cell in Detroit.

The government now admits it failed to turn over evidence during the trial that might have assisted the defense, including an allegation from an imprisoned drug gang leader who claimed the government's key witness made up his story.

Convertino is seeking damages under the First Amendment and Privacy Act, alleging he has been subjected to an internal investigation as retaliation for his cooperation with the Senate and that information from the internal probe was wrongly leaked to news media.

The lawsuit states Convertino first complained to his superiors more than a year ago about Justice's interference in the Detroit terrorism trial, saying Washington supervisors "had continuously placed perception over reality to the serious detriment of the war on terror."

The lawsuit includes excerpts of an e-mail from another prosecutor in the case that Convertino says "identified some of the gross mismanagement which was negatively impacting the ability of the United States to obtain convictions in a major terrorist case."

Times are bad for the Tittiphobe.

[waterman]

7. "Times are bad for the Tittiphobe."

Now that, I must say, is simply hilarious.

[Jacobin]

9. I wish I could send him a rubber titty in the mail, but

then I'd end up in Gitmo

[Zhade]

17. Well, yeah, if you put a return address on there!

It's very easy to ship something more or less untraceably, though.

Of course, with RFID tags, maybe not...!

[Just Me]

8. WOWIE!!!

Justice in the horizon!!!

This is awesome!!!

[Gman]

10. The wheels had to start coming off this entire charade

Nothing that is so full of lies as the alleged "war on terror" can stand for any length of time without the wheels coming off for lack of any truth.

It happened to the WMD argument, its happening here.

More wheels will come off. More train wrecks are about to happen.

[Mandate My Ass]

11. Finally, a whistleblower!!!

And what a bombshell he dropped:

Convertino also accused Justice officials of intentionally divulging the name of one of his confidential terrorism informants (CI) to retaliate against him.

The leak put the informant at grave risk, forced him to flee the United States and "interfered with the ability of the United States to obtain information from the CI about current and future terrorist activities," the suit alleges.

The Bush administration has now blown the cover of a WMD undercover operative and an informant who could nail terrorists operating in this country. I seriously think messing with the spooks is the only thing that can bring down this bunch of loons.

[Zhade]

18. These traitors are going to fall HARD when they go.

I'm talking Fench Revolution-style.

[Lugnut]

22. Hmmmm.....

This bunch has a nasty habit of doing this sort of thing. This couldn't possibly be a twisted game of chicken could it?

[papau]

12. nterfered w/case-compromised a confidential informant- exaggerated results

WOW!!

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA94TC6SQD.html

Prosecutor at Center of Controversy in Terror Case Sues Ashcroft
By John Solomon
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)

- A federal prosecutor (Convertino) in a major terrorism case in Detroit has taken the rare step of suing Attorney General John Ashcroft, alleging the Justice Department interfered with the case, compromised a confidential informant and exaggerated results in the war on terrorism. <snip>

Convertino came under internal Justice Department investigation last fall after providing information to a Senate committee about his concerns about the war on terror. His testimony came just months after he helped convict some members of an alleged terrorism cell in Detroit.

The government now admits it failed to turn over evidence during the trial that might have assisted the defense, including an allegation from an imprisoned drug gang leader who claimed the government's key witness made up his story.

Convertino is seeking damages under the Privacy Act, alleging he has been subjected to an internal investigation as retaliation for his cooperation with the Senate and that information from the internal probe was wrongly leaked to news media. <snip>

[truthspeaker]

13. "continuously placed perception over reality"

Sums everything wrong with this administration. We don't have to BE successful as long as we LOOK successful.

[CatWoman]

15. kick

:kick:

I heard about this story on the radio a few minutes ago as I was driving to pick up lunch. I was like :wow:

Should have known it would be posted here in LBN :D

[BeFree]

14. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino

Can you say Future Supreme Court Nominee Richard Convertino?

Isn't he the type of legal people we need as keepers of American Justice?

[Zhade]

19. AMEN TO THAT.

Guy's a freaking hero, it looks like!

[AVID]

16. usatoday link

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-02-17-ashcroft-sued_x.htm

edit url

[Beetwasher]

20. The Incompetence is Astounding

I used to think that the incompetence wasn't really incompetence, merely part of the plan, but now, it really looks like they are, or at least Ashcroft is, totally incompetent. He's like Colonel Klink without the monacle...

[yellowcanine]

21. CNN Reporting that John Ashcroft's Head Just Exploded

FBI is investigating it as a possible terrorist attack and also questioning old girlfriends.
An unnamed aide tells CNN that Ashcroft was reading the Washington Post in his office when the explosion occured.

[maggrwaggr]

23. I don't see this story anywhere today (Wednesday)

WTF?

You'd think this would be a huge damn story.