Flanigan gets some DeLay all over him, withdraws as DOJ nominee

[BurtWorm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/07/politics/07cnd-lobby.html?ei=5094&en=67e209536c14d6a9&hp=&ex=1128744000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print


Justice Department Nominee Tied to Lobbyist Withdraws
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 - President Bush's pick for the second-ranking position at the Justice Department abruptly withdrew his nomination today after facing weeks of questions over his ties to the lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his role in formulating torture policies, officials said.

The nominee, Timothy Flanigan, was scheduled to face yet another round of questioning next week from senators who had grown increasingly skeptical about his nomination as deputy attorney general.

Of chief concern to Democrats and some Republicans was Mr. Flanigan's role at Tyco as general counsel in overseeing the lobbying work of Mr. Abramoff in pushing for Tyco and other companies to maintain their tax-exempt status.

Officials say Mr. Flanigan's withdrawal reflects the fact that Mr. Abramoff has become so tarnished that anyone connected to him risks significant political damage in Washington, including Tom Delay. .

[malaise]

1. Now I'm beginning to understand

all the terra alerts. WIll there be anyone left in the government when this culture of corruption is exposed.

[driver8]

2. It blows my mind to think of how much corruption has NOT yet

been uncovered.

It makes me wonder how much of the DeLay laundered money found its way back to Shrubby? How much of the "Coingate" money ended up with Chimpy?

I have a feeling that the deeper people dig and as more people start to squeal, we are going to find out just how dirty this administration is.

[Anywho6]

3. Molly Ivins wrote about Flanigan this week

This is great news! However, I'm sure there's another corrupt "follower" waiting in the wings.

<http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/1/2005/1223>

<snip>

Tim Flanigan, Bush's nominee to be deputy attorney general, left the White House Office of Legal Counsel in December 2002 to become the top lawyer for Tyco. Flanigan hired Abramoff to lobby for Tyco. He was to work against proposed legislation that would take away tax breaks from "Benedict Arnold" corporations that locate in tax havens outside the United States in order to get out of paying corporate taxes. Tyco is based in Bermuda.

Abramoff told Flanigan he would use his contacts with both DeLay and Karl Rove, "Bush's Brain," to lobby for keeping the tax breaks for Tyco.

Think about it. Bush now proposes to put in as second in command of the Justice Department, which is investigating this whole mess, the man who is Tyco's lawyer and who hired Abramoff. If Flanigan is confirmed, that will mean the five top appointees at Justice have zero prosecutorial experience among them. But Flanigan does have the only quality that truly matters in a Bush appointee: absolute loyalty to the administration.

<snip>

The executive branch scandals seem to me to be a new and more sinister level of corruption. I can't wait to have Tim Flanigan investigate them.

End