HASTERT IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE FBI -- Yahoo news!!!

[SammyBlue]

House Speaker Hastert under investigation: ABC

1 hour, 3 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives,
Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI, which is probing corruption in Congress, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

ABC, citing high level Justice Department sources, said information implicating Hastert was developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.

Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with those of other tribes.

Hastert's Press Secretary told ABC in a statement: "We are not aware of this." Hastert's spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060524/pl_nm/congress_ethics_hastert_dc

Oh, please. Please let this be true! Please let this be true! Tell me the corruption goes into the Speaker's Office and into the Senate Majority Leader's office! Oh please!!!!

[Sydnie]

1. I share your plea ... PLEASE!!

Take Denny down too!!!! :woohoo:

[proReality]

2. Of course it goes right to the top.

The question is: Will anything ever come of it?

[Imagevision]

13. Will anything ever come of it? - let's see if tweetie reports on it??

[Tinksrival]

28. We could elect John!

Who would you vote for?
GOP Swine


Fighting Dem!


Help John win!
http://www.john06.com/

BROTHERS IN SERVICE
By Susan O'Neill
Elburn Herald 05/18/2006

snip>>

One serves in Iraq, the other runs for Congress

One brother is a soldier serving in Iraq. The other is running for Congress.

Democratic candidate John Laesch would like to serve the 14th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. His campaign puts him in opposition to the Speaker of the House, Rep. Dennis Hastert.

Laesch's brother "Sgt. Pete," home on leave from the war in Iraq, was featured at a fund-raiser for John at Fisherman's Inn in Elburn on May 11.

snip>>

John is a former naval intelligence analyst who served in Bahrain from 1996 to 1999. He said he feels that his previous experience and understanding of the Middle East would be an asset both to deployed troops and the Congress.

John said he did not agree with the president's decision to go to war. He explained that, based on what he learned when he served in the Middle East, he knew the outcome of Iraq, "would not be pretty."

He explained that he is one of 55 Democratic U.S. veterans running for Congress in the November election. He said that all of them are running because they do not like the direction the president is taking America, and they want change. He explained that if he is elected, among other things, he will work for issues that affect veterans.

snip>>

This is a great article in which John's brother, Sgt. Pete talks how he has begun to photograph what he calls "war art," graffiti that soldiers spray-paint on abandoned military tanks and stones.

more here:

http://www.john06.com/news.php?id=47

[Beelzebud]

3. Starting to become clear why he came out so hard against the FBI

raiding a congressman's office.

It has nothing to do with Seperation of Powers with these fucks. It's all about protecting their own criminal behavior!

[cally]

20. That's exactly what I thought when I read the article

after my moment of celebration.

[AlinPA]

4. ...UUhhhhh who is in charge of the Justice Department? Don't hold

your breath. Last I heard Gonzales is in charge.

[lyonn]

18. It says FBI, so Gonzales should not be part of investigation. nt

[AlinPA]

25. FBI is part of DOJ. According to the web page,DOJ is headed by the AG.

http://www.usdoj.gov/02organizations/02_1.html

[AlinPA]

26. oops, forgot the organization chart.

http://www.usdoj.gov/dojorg.htm

[lyonn]

34. You took me to school AlinPA - thanks . nt

[GreenInNC]

5. right behind Rove

Hastert will get indited right about the same time that Rove does........ which is never.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. In 1974, I could feel sorry for Republican congressmen losing seats

That year, the GOP died for Richard Nixon's sins.

This is a little different. I don't want to say that any seat they retain will be more than they deserve, but it's close to that. They know what's going on; they know who's been doing it; they haven't said a thing.

As Tom DeLay kept the machine well greased with K Street money, it was OK with them.

Now they're gonna get religion.

[Justice Is Comin]

7. Hey Denny

Too much stress is when this guy lost it.

[KharmaTrain]

8. The Price Of Being DeLay's Bitch

The other day I laughed when CNN asked if I was prepared for hurricane season. Since I'm in the Midwest, I checked to see if the fridge was stocked with beverages and that there was plenty of popcorn so when I watch their stupid reporters drive into the storms, I'll be properly entertained...but I didn't expect THIS hurricane. Hurricane Abramoff has just hit Illinois.

Gym Teach Denny was installed as Speaker by DeLay and, hopefully, we'll find out that Denny how he manipulated house rules to benefit Abramoff and other GOOP high rollers. How votes were held open late, ammendments allowed to be inserted in bills AFTER their final reading and why the ethics committee was gutted to protect the bugman and now Hastert and others.

Pelosi better get on top of this thing and fast...no "Please Mr. Jefferson"...she needs to promptly strip the dude of all party perks, senority and money and lead the push for Jefferson to step aside pending the outcome of his investigation/indictment (just like we demand of DeLay and soon others).

Having met Hastert (somewhere around here I have interviews I did with Denny when he first went to Congress in '86...might be fun to go back and see if there's any "gems" in those interviews...probably not, he's dumber than a box of rocks), he's not smart enough to be more than a mule for the real big money players here. I even doubt he personally benefitted from the Abramoff transactions...being so indebeted to DeLay and his money machine he'd take "one for the team" to show he was a "good soldier".

The hypocrisy of all this makes one's head spin. Thus time for some more :popcorn: and back to "wait and see" mode.

[KansDem]

9. I'll believe it when I see the FBI kicking in his office door...

...and hauling out all his papers and computer drives.

Oh, and just to expedite the investigation, interrogators should strip Hastert, smear him with pee and feces, beat him, let a vicious dog bite him several times, and rape his family while he watches, since Bush and the GOP have condone torture as a valid tool for obtaining information. After all, if he's got nothing to hide, he's got nothing to worry about! :)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. Oh God Do Do I Hope They Nail His Criminal Ass. Take Em All Down.

This could be very fun to watch...

[hvn_nbr_2]

11. Great news. On to the "greatest" page. nt

[Imagevision]

12. They said 4 weeks ago other top officials will be indicted via Abramoff..

The timing is soooo sweet...

[ShaneGR]

14. This makes sense, the start of Abramoff's problems was the Indian Casinos

But really has nothing to do with Frist.

[The_Casual_Observer]

15. This looks to be bogus. JD is denying it.

[cally]

21. Who is JD?

Is that the justice department and where did you see/hear the denial?

[mcscajun]

23. Look at post #16.

:)

[The_Casual_Observer]

24. Justice Dept. - It's on a number of sources right now, I just saw the one

from Bloomberg.

[cally]

27. Thanks...I read further and figured it out

sorry I asked before reading. :dunce:

[mcscajun]

16. Contrary Report from Bloomberg News from a few minutes ago

Justice Department Denies ABC Report of Hastert Investigation

May 24 (Bloomberg) -- The Justice Department said it isn't investigating U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert in connection with a lobbying scandal.

"Speaker Hastert is not under investigation," said Justice Department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos.

The statement was issued tonight in response to an ABC News report that Hastert had come under scrutiny by prosecutors investigating the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Hastert's spokesman, Ron Bonjean, also issued a statement denying the report.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aiGNp04DLQoY

[Gloria]

17. Schuster on Olbermann said Hastert wouldn't be in any trouble.

[cascadiance]

19. Gotta replace him before the impeachment might go down!

They want someone clean in place in case Bush/Cheney are both impeached/resign before the election, so that a "Gerald Ford-type" can take over then, and keep the "pardon" option open later. Hastert isn't clean enough for that role and Bushco knows it!

[Imagevision]

22. Bush preparing for speech for the good Hastert has done...?

[Imagevision]

29. And they impeach Clintot for lying about a BJ...!!

[Breeze54]

30. House Speaker not under investigation: Justice Dept. Denies Report

House Speaker not under investigation: Justice

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-05-25T001634Z_01_N24347641_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGRESS-HASTERT-JUSTICE.xml&archived=False

Wed May 24, 2006 8:16pm ET6

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday denied a report that the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI in connection with a corruption probe.

ABC News, citing high level Justice Department sources, said information implicating Hastert
had been developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.

But department officials, who asked to not be identified, said the story was not accurate
and that Hastert was not under investigation.
"The story is wrong. Hastert is not under investigation," one official said.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

[Roland99]

31. Posts 41 and 44 here >>>>>>>>>>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1276264&mesg_id=1276264

Something tells me there's more to this.

[Breeze54]

32. I know. Something smells!!

Reuters printed ABC's story and then retracted it within an hour!!
:wtf:

[Breeze54]

33. ABC's Brian Ross Reports:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/doj_statement.html

DOJ Statement

May 24, 2006 9:36 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

STATEMENT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

WASHINGTON, D.C.

"Speaker Hastert is not under investigation by the Justice Department."

May 24, 2006 | Permalink

:shrug: