BREAKING: Hastert Office BLOCKED Corruption Probe

[kpete]

BREAKING: Hastert Office Blocked Corruption Probe
By Justin Rood - October 27, 2006, 7:37 PM
Congressional Quarterly reporting:

Two former House committee investigators who were examining Capitol Hill security upgrades said a senior aide to Speaker J. Dennis Hastert hindered their efforts before they were abruptly ordered to stop their probe last year.

The former Appropriations Committee investigators said Ted Van Der Meid, Hastert’s chief counsel, resisted from the start the inquiry, which began with concerns about mismanagement of a secret security office and later probed allegations of bid-rigging and kickbacks from contractors to a Defense Department employee.

Ronald Garant and a second Appropriations Committee investigator who asked not to be identified said Van Der Meid engaged in “screaming matches” with investigators and told at least one aide not to talk to them. Van Der Meid also prohibited investigators from visiting certain sites to check up on the effectiveness of the work, the investigators said.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001896.php
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001896.php

[Olney Blue]

1. Friday night news dump?

[wordpix]

46. FatsTurd has to go!

[malaise]

2. Surprise

Not! This should be fun and I'm loving it :popcorn: :rofl:

[mom cat]

47. Yes Virginia! ... We can have October surprises too!

:bounce:

[eleny]

3. Oops

[Frustratedlady]

4. Spilling out of the woodwork. Time to start popping that popcorn.

[marmar]

5. I wonder how Bastert will try to spin himself out of this one....

And will his Repug compadres leave him like a (large) carcass by the roadside?

[cascadiance]

32. Yup "Fat Bastert"'s in trouble now!!!

You just inspired me to do some photochoppin'!

[drone]

65. one way

He will eat a dozen steaks at his next snacki

[originalpckelly]

6. HOLY CRAP! 60 appropriations committee investigators were fired last week!

That is probably connected to this!!!!!!!! BIG FUCKING SCANDAL ABOUT TO HIT!!!! And right before election day!

Here is the story about the 60 investigators for the appropriations committee being fired the Monday before last:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001845.php

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. OMG, House Appropriations chairman fired 60 investigators

and basically stopped all of their investigations? Don't they call that obstruction of justice?

[originalpckelly]

22. In reality they do..

in the la la land of Republicans, it's called assisting an election!

[wordpix]

49. OBSTRUCTION of JUSTICE, indeed. Let's fire the ones responsible

[wordpix]

51. "I have no idea why the chairman [Lewis] would do this"

Because HE"S being investigated, maybe? :puke:

[napi21]

21. Gee, that's the way to do it! Ifsomeone investigates you, and they

find problems, just fire THEM and the problem goes away! Yea right.

Well, st least they can't blame any of this on the Dems! I doubt any ofus are linked to Congressional Quarterly!

[lonestarnot]

29. Holy crap!

[TankLV]

41. There was a SHORT blip about is a few days ago - the media whores said it was

"AN" investigator, not "60"...

Nothing on it since...

Liberal media my aunt fanny...

[wordpix]

48. OMG! Let's get this OUT before Nov. 7. We need to work on this, people!

[wordpix]

52. when I get a chance, I'm sending this page and links to Keith et. al.

[The Straight Story]

7. K&R and thanks for posting! (nt)

[orpupilofnature57]

8. 11 day's

[napi21]

23. Well, the Pubs did have one thing right.

a few days ago they were sayingtwo weeks is a lifetime in politics, and you never know what will happen!

[Monkeyman]

9. If True John Laesch will win in Hastert's all red district

Replugs are in a wait an see mood a hell of a lot have pulled Hastert's signs and have John's up. John is 7 points within reach. Hastert let me make that clear Hastert has won in his District by 60 point over all who ran against him it went 89 percent for Bush.

www.john06.com

[alfredo]

25. Not too sure about that. Republicans seem to be very

forgiving of crimes committed by Republicans.

[madrchsod]

34. it will have to happen in the east cause out here

the repugs have been putting up signs all over this last week...

[stevebreeze]

59. While the district is large Kane is still over half of IL 14 in population

Also remember signs don't vote.

[Hepburn]

10. Holy fucking shit!

Ummmmmmmm.......I would was Hasturd has a HUGH problem.

And I am very pleased!

[StrictlyRockers]

12. He had to hold out to see how much disgrace he could heap on his party

before giving up and slinking off to be forgotten, except as one of the enablers of the 2006 Democratic Party revolution.

For hanging on as long as you could, so that you could keep dropping big loads of stinky bombs on the Repukes right up until Election Day...thank you Dennis Hasturd!

[rodeodance]

13. now to get this in the headlines and talk shows. SPREAD it along folks

[Monkeyman]

14. I sent it to KO

[wordpix2]

68. thanks! I was gonna do that but you beat me to it

Here's hoping he features this on Monday night. :toast: :yourock:

[Hepburn]

16. I agree.

This is really bad news for Hasturd and the Repukes...and this needs to get around fast and furious.

Man...what the hell is coming next for the Repuke Party?

ROFPIMPLMAO!!!!! :rofl: What is going on...could not happen to a more deserving group of assholes!

[stevedeshazer]

15. With a little help, John Laesch will kick his ass now. Check it out:

http://www.john06.com/

[madrchsod]

36. great but just about all his district west of the dekalb

have rockford or the quad cities stations..no one will see these ads. like i said it will be up to the east to put john over the top. i`m waiting to see if the telegraph/gazette carries this new story. they have covered the "first" scandal for over 10 days when it first broke...

[katinmn]

17. Jesus. The Appropriations Committee is a freakin MESS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ronald Garant and a second Appropriations Committee investigator who asked not to be identified said Van Der Meid engaged in “screaming matches” with investigators and told at least one aide not to talk to them. Van Der Meid also prohibited investigators from visiting certain sites to check up on the effectiveness of the work, the investigators said.

snip
The Appropriations Committee’s investigation team, formed in 1943, has been in turmoil for several years. The upheaval culminated last week in Chairman Lewis’ decision to dismiss all 60 remaining contractors on the investigative staff, which included many retired investigators from the FBI, CIA and other government agencies. A permanent staff of 16 remains.

Scofield said last week that the contractors’ dismissals were part of a “bipartisan review” of the staff, and said the staff’s work recently “has not been that good.”

Committee Democrats have not commented on the dismissals.

[Disturbed]

19. I copied the kpete post and will re-post it on Mon. if

no one else has done so. This Fri. News Dump can be brought back, ya know. :thumbsup:

[katinmn]

27. Yes, I hope this blows up BIG on Monday morning.

One week before the elections.

But will our mass hysteria media get sucked into another fake terror plot?

[wordpix]

53. let's send these links to EVERY MEDIA outlet we listen to/watch/read

[Hepburn]

20. OMG....

...if there is a tie made between Hasturd, Jerry Lewis and the criminal activity that went on with Puke Cunningham, IMO, there are gonna be a ton of Repukes who have a hell of a lot more to worry about than just losing the election.

I just read that this month alone, in addition to what Jerry Lewis has already paid to Gibson - Crutcher for his defense, he paid ANOTHER $50,000. He has already paid them somewhere around $750K to $800K. Grant G-D is a VERY pricey lawfirm, but...the amount of legal work that is done for that kind of money is astronomical. I am betting there is at least a whole floor of that firm working for Jerry "Man Tan" Lewis.

I just hope they tie in that little puka-toid Ken Calvert next. What a piece of work that fat little ball of shit is. He is "Mr. Born-Again Christian" Repub Congressman and he got busted for getting head from a hooker in the City Park in Corona, CA, and his ex-wife had to sue him because he was not paying his spousal support order to her. What a smarly little bastard this guy is. He hangs with Lewis and his district is right next to Lewis's ~~ in Riverside County, CA.

Jerry Lewis needs to go down and do down HARD!

[TankLV]

42. Committee Democrats have not commented on the dismissals.

That just about says it all to me...

I am hardly surprised by the "leadership" of the Democratic Party...

[katinmn]

43. some say silence is complicity

[glitch]

63. 60 potential whistleblowers right there. nt

[Fleshdancer]

18. It pisses me off that I'm not surprised by this

Damn. The midterm elections can't come soon enough. :grr:

[AlCzervik]

24. lets hope this has legs.

[AlCzervik]

26. huh! It just broke on Congressional quarterly too!

http://www.cq.com/public/20061027-spending.html

[katinmn]

28. The OP story was from CQ

[KoKo]

54. The whole article from CQ is a confusing read but takes it to Jerry Lewis

who took over the Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Who knows what could come out of this with Lewis's ties to the Defense Contract scandals. But there's not enough time when early voting has already started in many states.

Still one hopes...

[Hubert Flottz]

30. Get over here in my belly!

I know Noooooothink...nothink.



"I'm bigger than you, I'm higher on the food chain! Get in ma belly!"

[katinmn]

31. LOL!

:rofl:

[Hubert Flottz]

56. The GOPers are always pointing fingers at everyone else, when

the GOPers are really the perverts, thieves, killers, crooks, liars, hypocrites and mega-geeks.



Soon they'll all be in their hidey holes where they belong. America gave them every chance in the world and they blew it!

[civildisoBDence]

33. Gives new (double) meaning to "DELAY TACTICS"

They delay bad news until a Friday afternoon, or until after the election...

and the corruption all goes back to Tom Delay's despicable tactics, from gerrymandering to intimidating lobbyists.

Newsprism

[neuvocat]

35. Must be those down-home politics.

You know, those ones with the simple values characterized by the folksy charm of a neighborly community.

[usregimechange]

37. kick

[frogcycle]

38. Does the expression

Saturday Night Massacre come to mind?


There has to be a LOT more to this story. What these 60 investigators were about to expose - let's hope thay all start singing fast

[redacted]

39. Somebody needs to come forward IMMEDIATELY

It will do nobody any good if they come forward after the election, or after the missiles start flying towards Tehran. We need to hear from these fellows RIGHT NOW.

[upi402]

40. He'll go to prison for destrying evidence

I'm hoping!

[leveymg]

44. Shades of MZM-Cunningham in this one

Certainly fits the pattern set by the other major GOP defense/intel bid rigging-bribery scandals. I think that the Speaker is about to join Messrs. Ney, Cunningham, and The Bug Man in the Big House

Throw in all the goons tied up in the Abramoff web, and it's gonna get really crowded in there pretty soon.

[KoKo]

55. Yep...the full article from CQ brings in Jerry Lewis, head of Appropriations

Committee after Young of Fla. was kicked off for not being a "team player." So the funny business comes under Lewis's tenure...

[rucky]

45. This drug money thing is starting to sound legit. n/t

[BlueCollar]

50. Let's see if any of our Dems

mention it on the Sunday Talk show circuit....

[spanone]

57. KICK

KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICKKICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK KICK

[Monkeyman]

58. I sent this out to major news print and MSNBC ,CNN

Here is the link I sent

http://www.cq.com/public/20061027-spending.html

let hope it gets picked up

[wordpix2]

69. thank you!

:yourock: :applause:

[Beelzebud]

60. Is "office" a code word for Hasterts fat ass?

[spanone]

61. Keeping Kicked.

:kick:

[IWantAChange]

62. will the 'Liberal' press report the story???

Or will we just get more details on Madonna and her little boy from Africa???

:wtf:

[Up2Late]

64. This is good, but I doubt will have any effect unless it can be shown...

...that he obstructed Mark Foley type investigations. This type of corruption is a way of life for wealthy Republicans.

[Imagevision]

66. Sibel Edmunds was gag-ordered because of Hasterts kickbacks from contractors which

Ashcroft needed to silence Edmunds and eventually fired her.

[rainbow4321]

67. Hastert is coming to help Sam Johnson...

on Monday in Richardson, Texas at a fundraiser luncheon. Wonder if they will sneak him in the back door and not allow the media in??

Not that this will happen cuz the Dallas newspaper is a repuke rag BUT the BEST thing to see would be an article about this blockage and then a big ol' pic of Hastert and Johnson at the "fundraiser" right next to it!

[wordpix2]

70. tell the TX folks to get there with big signs "Hastert blocks investigation"

Anyone have something shorter and more to the point?

[malaise]

71. People will ask

Which one???

[wordpix]

73. I know, I know, there are so many & Dems aren't even IN yet.

[faithnotgreed]

72. kicking