Bush administration caught lying again in new FOIA request!

[WesWagner]

A letter we had in our original investigation:


The long-delayed response from the Sect. of Commerce's Office (the State Department previously denied anything so we went specifically to the Commerce Department):
http://www.nwmeridian.com/content/images/foia_sec_com2.pdf

Again in this investigation the Bush administration is caught lying, stonewalling and disrupting the public's right to full disclosure of their government!

This is all related to the Richard Nolan Thomas case - the original thread on the board is located here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2454833&mesg_id=2454833

[Voice1]

1. Glad you posted this Wes

I've been trying to find a way to alter the pdf format into another type of image, i'm useless with these technical things.

[Voice1]

2. Posted at A Logical Voice also

http://logicvoice.blogspot.com/2006/02/evidence-bush-regime-caught-lying.html

Other bloggers here at DU need to post about this, this is black and white evidence.

[WesWagner]

3. No conspiracy theories, or crazy allegations...

Rock hard evidence that this administration does nothing but lies - even when asked a question you already know the answer to!

We deliberately requested information from the Secretary of Commerce office knowing that they should have it - because we already had it - and they still denied they had it.

It doesn't get much more clear than that!

[Voice1]

5. As you say Wes

It's there in black and white, for all those who want to see the truth. This story is obviously getting some attention, but it needs much more.

[WesWagner]

4. Unless you have the tools

someone told me that PDF really stands for "pretty damn final" - anyway - I will post any documentation anyone requests. This needs to have the bright light of day shined upon it far and wide. I have 2200 pages - any general requests for itens of interest related to the article?

[Voice1]

6. Noticed the Gryphon stamp on there

How many more documents are there with this Gryphon stamp on? Is the SEC aware that Bill saxon was linked to Gryphon?

[WesWagner]

7. Most of the stuff from Saxon

Almost everything I have that was faxed by Saxon to someone is stamped Gryphon - it appeared to be his favorite fax machine between 2002 and 2005.

[Voice1]

8. Anything from Saxon to the DA?

Wondered if there were any documents Saxon sent to the DA's office Wes, or even the US DOJ's office?

[WesWagner]

10. Not that I have

My suspicions is that the DA in Austin County spoke mostly to Saxon through Ollie as a proxy - most of the faxes their office received were from Ollie Thomas, and she had forwarded them to the DA from Saxon. So indirectly yes - that is how the DA got the copy of the letter to and from Evans was a fax from Saxon->Ollie->the DA

[Voice1]

16. Ah, right

So it seems Ollie was the "brains" of the outfit, acting as the go between.

[WesWagner]

14. Remembered

The DA claims his first point of contact was the US embassy - yet in his file she ahs all those faxes - apparently he was under alot more influance than just the embassy

[Voice1]

17. Didn't the DA deny that Wes?

I thought the DA said that everything was basically down to Leedy. Surely this proves that the DA was also lying Wes?

[WesWagner]

19. True the DA did say leedy handled everything

He said that to Jim Weber, publisher of the austin county journal.

[Voice1]

23. Austin County Journal now has a good start to the story

Wes, it appears to me then that the Austin County Journal has a good start for any investigations it now wants to make, don't you think?

[WesWagner]

34. I think he can ask some very hard questions of Mr. Leedy

I mean honestly if the US government denies everything, you could have a field day with him... though we really know its the US government that is lying.

[Voice1]

35. Are the newspapers actively pursuing their own investigations?

Or are they basing their reports on an edited version of your article Wes?

[WesWagner]

36. Some investigation

I am hoping the big shop in Houston ties otgether the texas stuff much better than I could. The austin county journal has had more time with Dan Leedy than I have.

[Voice1]

40. It will be interesting to see what they have to say Wes nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. Great work! K&R n/t

[NVMojo]

11. excellent work!

[WesWagner]

12. It has been a team effort

Between Shane Landry a lawyer in LA, Richard Thomas II, a few of his close friends, and several people who saved paperwork from being destroyed by the raid on the Mill that was supposed to wipe everything out.

There were just a couple key things that went wrong with the plan on the other side and that is why we have so much evidence... its dumb luck because honestly, we would otherwise look like we were from the tinfoil hat brigade making the allegations we have without anything to back it up.

Instead we can sit back and let the paperwork do the talking.

I have said before, if someone with power and influence gloms onto this they can hang it like an albatross around the neck of the administration, Bill Saxon, and other parties.

[Supersedeas]

37. a heartfelt salute to the team

[WesWagner]

13. Need more K&Rs...

Please help me light this up the board people ... instead of focusing on something we can't prove - let's hang our hat on something that is already proven!

[magellan]

15. Good work!

It's both blessing and curse that instead of committing one crime well, Bush** and the GOP commit hundreds badly and have left thousands of loose ends to be wrapped around their necks. This is a classic (and particularly repugnant) example of how BushCo operate, from the mafioso style abduction right down to the attempted cover-up.

Thank you for your work -- K&R!

[WesWagner]

22. I am not so sure its a coverup persay

Except for the commerce office - but the rest of the people I think just went rogue, and never documented anything they did.

His abduction from Honduras was done "under the color of law" though protocol was not followed nor was documentation properly done.

[nicknameless]

18. Another K&R

:kick:

[WesWagner]

20. Thanks...

we need all the k&rs we can get!

[WesWagner]

21. JUST RECEIVED ANOTHER THREAT

Well, I just received yet another threat from mr Bill Saxon (again veiled, but a threat none the less) - and he even made material mis-statements of fact in his email to me.

[Voice1]

25. Are you passing these threats onto the Texas papers Wes?

With saying that some Texas newspapers are definitely itnerested in this now Wes, isn't it worth passing on these threats to them? These newspapers obviously have a lot of resources they can use.

[Doctor_J]

27. Are there papers in TX that are objectve and/or interested in the truth?

I guess there may be some interest in the facts in Austin, but I can't imagine any editors in Houston or Dallas going against any Bush on any issue.

[Voice1]

28. Wes has said he's got some interest in Texas

I think he mentioned 2 or 3 newspapers interested in running with this, but can't remember their names, from Texas. Wes posted it on the other thread.

[Voice1]

29. Newspaper interest

Wes any additions to these now?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2454833&mesg_id=2465923

[WesWagner]

30. Pretty much the same...

I am going to try to push the ball forward a little tomorrow. Things are about to get bush here getting close to publication.

[Voice1]

32. Saxon and Co will be going to ground then

Seems like they'll be in bunker mode Wes. Any idea on an approximate publishing date?

[WesWagner]

33. Not known...

Stay tuned :) I am going to try to work on that today.

[WesWagner]

38. Still working on them

Austin County Journal might be doing something this friday (pretty sure)

[Voice1]

39. Interesting visit to a page at A Logical Voice

Just been checking the visitor stats for A Logical Voice, the SEC seem interested in one particular article over there Wes.

[WesWagner]

44. Really.... Good

Could you email me more details in private?

[Voice1]

47. Email sent Wes

Found one there from the US House of Representatives after doing a search for someone called "Bennie Thompson"(?) and the other from the SEC as I mentioned.

On edit - It was Bennie Thompson, not Bennie Thomas

[WesWagner]

50. The name is not familiar

However Ollie's maiden name is Thompson ... not Thomas... Thompson-Bodden ... maybe maybe there is a relation.

[Voice1]

51. Oh, apparently Bennie Thompson is a US representative

Perhaps one of his staff was just searching to see what, if anything was being wrote about him.

[WesWagner]

52. That makes sense

Since you had the list of reps we did our mailing to.

[Voice1]

53. Yes, hopefully a few people have wrote to them

Have you heard anything from any of the reps yourself Wes?

[WesWagner]

54. No not yet

I can only hope their staff that helps process their mail understands what they are looking at. It is hard to get a real message through the noise these days.

-Wes

[Voice1]

62. Yes, I guess there is so much going on at the moment isn't there nt

[WesWagner]

31. There are independent media houses

In Dallas and Ft. Worth and Houston - independent and liberal weeklies (and often large)

[Doctor_J]

24. So what?

who's going to hold them accountable? :shrug:

[WesWagner]

26. Hopefully someone will

This story has been sent to all the ranking democratic leadership and all the democrats on the homeland security committee ( since the justice department now falls under the HSS )

[WesWagner]

41. Some of the fringes are coming out to defend Bush now...

I sent him a reply disputing each point:

Your lead story by Wes Wagner on Richard Thomas is full of errors and misrepresentations. 1. Our poster Wes is the only one pushing this story- only a few vicerally anti-Bush sites have reposted it. The petition online was 41 signatures- most of them invalid and the rest from knee-jerk anti-Bush folks, who describe themselves in ways that give them zero credibility; 2. The blog post by Wes says that Thomas had overstayed his visa, but defends this point was saying his passport was still valid. Two different issues: after 90 days in Honduras, US citizens need a vsia to stay.It is possible that he did not have one, because his c riminal record would have precluded him from getting local approval; folks without viasa can be put on the next plane - totally legal. 3. The FOIA request went to the US Marshal's service - which replied that they did not have ant responsive documents. They did inform the lawyer to send the request to the correct agencies and there is no posted reply from those agencies.... duh! 4. Wes describes Interpol police on the street in Honduras blocked off Thomas' escape- trouble is that Interpol does not have any field operatives; 5. Environmental groups in the US and Honduras have a whole different take on Richard Thomas: "Honduras’ Assistant Attorney General, Yuri Melara, was forced to resign after he blocked investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s office into illegal logging by Tucan, as well as the extradition of Tucan’s owner, Richard Nolan Thomas, to the U.S. Thomas had also reportedly deposited $26,000 into Melara’s Bank of America account.10 The investigations were part of a Honduran presidential crackdown against illegal logging, with Maderas Tucan identified as operating without a license and receiving illegal timber into its facilities at night.11 After Tucan’s owner finally returned to the U.S., the mill was bought and renamed Floor Direct Pine." Link: http://www.eia-international.org/files/reports112-1.pdf This allegation is more consistent with Thomas' record and the known facts. I wonder if all of the 'progressive blog sites" know that they are runing cover for what an environmental group describes as an illegal logger who bribed local officials. The group also describes the extradiction - not a kidnapping. Randy Mott

[WesWagner]

42. My response...

1. Our poster Wes is the only one pushing this story- only a few vicerally anti-Bush sites have reposted it. The petition online was 41 signatures- most of them invalid and the rest from knee-jerk anti-Bush folks, who describe themselves in ways that give them zero credibility

Not true, it is being reprinted and represented in papers in texas this week and following weeks.

2. The blog post by Wes says that Thomas had overstayed his visa, but defends this point was saying his passport was still valid. Two different issues: after 90 days in Honduras, US citizens need a vsia to stay.It is possible that he did not have one, because his c riminal record would have precluded him from getting local approval; folks without viasa can be put on the next plane - totally legal.

Again - theprint version has a copy of his visa stamp in his passport, it was valid and the Honduras did issue him a visa.

3. The FOIA request went to the US Marshal's service - which replied that they did not have ant responsive documents. They did inform the lawyer to send the request to the correct agencies and there is no posted reply from those agencies.... duh!

The other agencies did respond and the State Department and Interpol both denied having anything to do with Richard. See documents.

4. Wes describes Interpol police on the street in Honduras blocked off Thomas' escape- trouble is that Interpol does not have any field operatives;

It was both Interpol and the Hunduran police outside the bank, and interpol does have field operatives in Honduras - I have pictures of them and names.

5. Environmental groups in the US and Honduras have a whole different take on Richard Thomas: "Honduras’ Assistant Attorney General, Yuri Melara, was forced to resign after he blocked investigations by the Public Prosecutor’s office into illegal logging by Tucan, as well as the extradition of Tucan’s owner, Richard Nolan Thomas, to the U.S. Thomas had also reportedly deposited $26,000 into Melara’s Bank of America account.

There are errors in the report and the newspapers from the time. Please refer to the follwup on indymedia. I replied directly to you there on this matter.

How do you go from 5 to 10?

10 The investigations were part of a Honduran presidential crackdown against illegal logging, with Maderas Tucan identified as operating without a license and receiving illegal timber into its facilities at night.

11 After Tucan’s owner finally returned to the U.S., the mill was bought and renamed Floor Direct Pine." Link: http://www.eia-international.org/files/reports112-1.pdf This allegation is more consistent with Thomas' record and the known facts. I wonder if all of the 'progressive blog sites" know that they are runing cover for what an environmental group describes as an illegal logger who bribed local officials. The group also describes the extradiction - not a kidnapping.

Yes and Levi Cooper, Ollie's Nephew, admits in the report that he sells illegal trees. How actions that happened after Richard was removed from the country fall onto Richard is difficult to understand, but that is the inference the european report makes.

[WesWagner]

43. Also, on Indymedia

This came after I already responded to his obviously poorly informed response on Indymedia:

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/02/333889.shtml

Like Saxon he seems to like to distort facts even after his misrepresantions have been repudiated.

[Voice1]

45. Is this the same Randy Mott Wes?

http://www.cio.com/archive/030102/profile_mott.html

IT'S 6:02 A.M. when Randy Mott reaches his office. He spends an hour checking e-mail and rewriting the agenda for an afternoon meeting before calling Dell Computer's head of IT in Japan. At 8, he has a meeting with HR to coordinate a personnel shift and at 9 a call with a reporter. It's a typical morning—except for the late start.

As CIO for Austin, Texas-based Dell, Mott supports a Fortune 50 company, manages 2,500 IT workers around the world, and keeps 20 strategic and more than 100 other major projects on track.

Apparently, this Randy Mott is a "mover and shaker", A "Chief Information Officer", how interesting, if this is the same man, he appears to be taking a lead in the fight against this story..

http://www.nitrd.gov/pitac/pitac_bios.html
Randall D. Mott serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer. In this role, Mr. Mott is responsible for managing Dell's global information-technology infrastructure, including the backbone of its extensive Internet and Web-based capabilities. Mr. Mott, 47, joined Dell in March 2000 from Wal-Mart where he held numerous technical and management positions. He joined Wal-Mart in 1978 and became an officer in 1991. He was named senior vice president and chief information officer in 1994 and joined the company's executive committee in 1997. Mr. Mott was instrumental in the formation of many of Wal-Mart's systems, including leading the IT strategy for the company's rapid and successful global growth. He was recognized by Information Week magazine as "CIO of the Year" in 1997. Mr. Mott holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas.

Randall D Mott became the Executive Vice President of HP last year apparently:

http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2005/050711d.html

I don't know if Dell or HP has any history with Republicans, coming from "across the pond"?

[WesWagner]

46. Not the same Mott

At least not that I can tell - he gave me a poland address and such. The guy also has a blog that hasn't been updated in a while:

http://mottsblog.blogspot.com/

[Voice1]

48. Just thought it interesting he was from Austin as well really.

Obviously just a coincidence.

[WesWagner]

49. It appears so...

But if it weren't that would have been another 50 feet to the depth of the rabbit hole. This hole goes really deep...

[WesWagner]

56. He has not written me back

Amazing, they just come out and then climb back into their hole so quickly.

[Voice1]

57. They obviously can't respond with facts

Is it tomorrow one of the newspapers is publishing this Wes? I thought I remembered you mentioning something about tomorrow on one of the threads.

[WesWagner]

59. Today

The Austin County Journal - which should put some heat on Leedy with his run for Judge.

[Voice1]

60. Oh today

So people will be reading all about this throughout Austin at this very moment? Great. Any news on when any others may be publishing Wes?

[WesWagner]

61. not austin, but austin county

Just not to cause any confusion, Austin County is a tiny rural county of 20,000 people - which is where Dan Leedy prosecutred Richard... I am really hoping that some of the larger papers in houston and dallas start working on their own stories. I am pushing on them to do so.

[Voice1]

63. Oh Austin County Journal did have a website Wes

Did a search for "Austin County Journal" to see if I could see any references to the story.

A message is showing up saying site not active though when I click on thelink.

[WesWagner]

64. Yeah they are a little paper

austin county ahs about 20,000 residents (it is not where austin texas is) - the paper is a smaller publication for that county and prints about 5 or 6k copies.

[Independent_Liberal]

55. Kick!

[Voice1]

58. kick nt

[WesWagner]

65. kick nt

[WesWagner]

66. Bill Saxon's Assistant is promising me a letter

I have no idea what will be in it, but she has asked me for my fax machine to send a letter. I don't know what if any details I will be at liberty to disclose - but when it becomes public knowledge, I will most it here.

[Voice1]

67. Oh interesting

Has there been any feedback from the Austin County Journal report do you know Wes?