Acting U.S. Atty Fred Black demoted for launching Abramoff investigation?

[SoCalDem]

http://www.topix.net/r/07YhysJ3mJBJnwDvAsFNsovDD8iKWDyGU=2B8vkmS6ezaEh8QPGJBenOY7dugZEZNGRieycVRlgsENHO4mCXd36GA=3D=3D

by Mindy Fothergill, KUAM News
Tuesday, August 16, 2005



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The U.S. Attorney's Office is responding to a recent article published by the Los Angeles Times alleging former acting U.S. Attorney Fred Black was demoted after launching an investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his activities on Guam. According to a press release, the U.S. Attorney's Office says the inaccurate facts were presented in such a way suggesting that U.S. Attorney Lenny Rapadas' nomination and the "demotion" of Black at the time were in retaliation for an investigation underway in Guam.

The press release states "The facts and the timeline of events do not bear out that false premise. Mr. Black was not 'demoted' the day after the supposed subpoena was issued. In fact, he held the position of acting U.S. Attorney in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands until May 2003, a full six months after the White House announced its intention to nominate Mr. Rapadas for the position on a permanent basis. Mr. Black held the position until Mr. Rapadas was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in May 2003."

The U.S. Attorney's Office maintains Black was not demoted but replaced by the Senate-confirmed holder of the U.S. Attorney's Office. Additionally they note that in May 2003, Black was appointed and promoted to the position of senior litigation counsel by Rapadas. The promotion also came with a raise. The release states that Rapadas' nomination was well underway in November 2002.

The release also stated, "The suggestion that any nominee could be named immediately to fill a post in retaliation for a criminal investigation is simply false."

[The Whiskey Priest]

1. The "Guam" incident

has always been overlooked and it has the most potential harm for DeLay and minions.

[dusmcj]

2. if I guess correctly, Mr. Rapadas is Latino ?

judging purely by his name, inaccurate I know.

If this however is true, then this would be yet another win-win(tm) solution, involving the GOP having another opportunity to butter up the Latino vote. I wonder when the Latino community will get tired of old white men in the GOP trying to stick their tongues up its ass. Cheap thrills, but no long-term satisfaction, seems to me.