Cheney suppressed evidence in CA energy crisis

[groovedaddy]

Chalk up another major crime for this administration. Who will hold these people accountable?

Cheney Suppressed Evidence in California Energy Crisis
By Jason Leopold
t r u t h o u t | Investigative Report

Thursday 19 July 2007

In-depth investigation shows how Vice President Dick Cheney pressured federal energy regulators to conceal evidence of widespread market manipulation by energy companies during the California electricity crisis in 2001.

In March 2001, while California's two largest utilities were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and the state's electricity crisis was spiraling out of control, Vice President Dick Cheney summoned Curt Hebert, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), to his office next to the White House for a hastily arranged meeting.

Cheney had just been informed by his longtime friend Thomas Cruikshank, the man who handpicked the vice president to succeed him at Halliburton in the mid-1990s, that federal energy regulators were close to completing an investigation into allegations that Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams Companies and AES Corporation of Arlington, Virginia had created an artificial power shortage in California in April and May of 2000 by shutting down a power plant for more than two weeks.

Cruikshank was a member of Williams's board of directors, and perhaps more importantly, had been one of many energy industry insiders advising Cheney's energy task force on a wide-range of policy issues, including deregulation of the nation's electricity sector, that would benefit Williams financially.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/071907J.shtml

[jazzjunkysue]

1. We know this happened, and it's about "executive privilege."

"Truthout spoke with more than a dozen former officials from the Energy Department and FERC as well as current and former energy industry executives all of whom were involved in personal discussions with Cheney relating to the National Energy Policy."

Ok. The first question by reporters and congressional investigators will be WHO?

Let's hope Leopold really has their permission to name names, or this could make alot of people look bad, in addition to Leopold.

If this has legs, Leopold is out of the Karl Rove indictment doghouse.

The real question is, why didn't lawmakers insist on following up on this the first time Cheney claimed executive privilege?

[marmar]

2. Of course he did.....

This was one of the biggest political/corporate frauds ever committed against a state and its citizens. That there was not more outrage about it shocks and saddens me.

[datadiva]

3. Oh, there was outrage,

trouble was, nobody listened to us or reported it. My bill quadrupled in that period. We complained to deaf ears. Then when they had to pay up, they got to settle for way less than they had taken. It's all about sucking the life out of us.

[glitch]

5. Arnold was sure given a pass on that one wasn't he? Settled a $9 billion suit for what? $3 million?

Whatever, it was the real reason for getting rid of Gray Davis. That plus making the election process safe for riggers.

[laststeamtrain]

4. K&R -

I have friends & relatives in California. At that time their household energy bills tripled.

[seafan]

6. Cheney suppressed evidence of California Energy Crisis? Dang, that *liberal media* failed AGAIN.

So it's emerging that Dick de facto President Cheney suppressed evidence in the California Energy Crisis?? Who would've guessed....


Too bad corporate media never wanted to talk about it.



Here's more backstory, thanks to our tireless Greg Palast:

Enron Played Central Role in California Energy Crisis

Amy Goodman with Greg Palast
May 26th, 2006

(contains exerpts of the Enron tapes)

Schwarzenegger Accused of Involvement in $9B California Swindle with Enron’s Ken Lay

Amy Goodman with Greg Palast
October 6th, 2003

Arnold Unplugged - It's Hasta la vista to $9 Billion if the Governator is Selected
By Greg Palast

Friday 03 October 2003

[Demeter]

7. Big Surprise (Yawn)

Pretty soon they'll discover that the elections were stolen.

[BridgeTheGap]

9. Do I detect a hint of "scandal fatigue?"

It is overwhelming, isn't it?

[Felix Mala]

8. Surely impeachment can now move forward... How much more does

it take?

[BridgeTheGap]

10. Kucinich introduced the impeachment resolution on Cheney

Let's hope he's well enough to latch onto this one and see what kind of legs it has.