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The Daily Muck
Separate Trial, Transfer of Venue Sought By Foggo
"Lawyers for former CIA official Kyle 'Dusty' Foggo, who is charged in a corruption case spun from the Randy “Duke” Cunningham bribery scandal, have asked a judge to move his trial to Washington, D.C., and to allow him to be tried separately from fellow defendant Brent Wilkes. In the request for a transfer, filed in federal court this week, lawyers reasoned that the case is centered mostly in the district that includes Washington, D.C., with most of the alleged crimes occurring there." (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Interior Department Official Resigns
"An Interior Department official who was recently rebuked for altering scientific conclusions to reduce protections for endangered species and providing internal documents to lobbyists resigned Monday, officials said. Julie A. MacDonald, a deputy assistant secretary who oversaw the Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species program, also faced conflict-of-interest questions in a report issued by the Interior Department's inspector general in March." (LA Times)
Anti-Fraud Official Faces Fraud Probe
"Johnnie Frazier, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is said to have rigged contract bids for cronies, fraudulently charged the government for improper travel, wasted tens of thousands of dollars on an erstwhile office remodeling and may have destroyed files that were proof of his wrongdoing, according to accounts given to lawmakers by current and former employees. As his department's senior investigator, Frazier is supposed to 'detect and prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement' at Commerce, according to his office's Web site." (ABC's The Blotter)
Renzi Paid Feds, State over $300,000 over 2002 Investigation
"Rep. Rick Renzi paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes to settle charges that his businesses improperly financed his first campaign for office, according to documents released by federal regulators Tuesday. The Arizona Republican already faces a federal corruption probe - as well as a growing political crisis - over allegations that he tried to use legislation for land swaps in Arizona to help a former business partner." (Arizona Central)
Zachares' Murky Path to Capitol Hill
"This much is clear: Mark Zachares, the latest casualty of the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff scandal, worked for a time as a staffer on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. After that, things get hazy." (Roll Call)
Senators Wary of Bush's Wiretap Proposal
"Citing FBI abuses and the attorney general's troubles, senators peppered top Justice and intelligence officials Tuesday with skeptical questions about their proposal to revise the rules for spying on Americans. Senate Intelligence Committee members said the Bush administration must provide more information about its earlier domestic spying before it can hope to gain additional powers for the future." (Associated Press)
Former World Bank Officials Detail Discord Over Wolfowitz
"Two former top officials at the World Bank have issued new statements disputing the contention of Paul D. Wolfowitz, the bank president, that they and others knew about his actions on behalf of his companion, who was employed there when he joined the bank in 2005, according to testimony released Monday night and Tuesday. The officials’ testimony, providing new details of their conversations with Mr. Wolfowitz two years ago, laid bare the extraordinary discord at the highest levels of the bank after Mr. Wolfowitz became president." (NY Times)
Yield Documents, Lawmaker Tells White House
“The chairman of the House education committee asked the White House yesterday to turn over all its communications about the scandal-tarred student loan program and also Reading First, the administration’s $1-billion-a-year reading initiative, which has been besieged by accusations of conflict of interest. The request by the lawmaker, Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, carries his inquiries into education policy-making beyond the Education Department itself and into the Bush White House." (NY Times)
Giuliania Ties to Texas Law Firm May Pose Risk
"And a good part of Giuliani's fundraising success in Texas stems from his affiliation with a well-established and politically connected law firm that is based in Houston and bears his name, Bracewell & Giuliani. However, that affiliation could also pose political risks, as the firm is perhaps the nation’s most aggressive lobbyist for coal-fired power plants, heavy emitters of air pollutants and carbon dioxide." (NY Times)
Deep Pockets Can Hold Stick Details
"What's a politician to do upon discovery that a generous billionaire donor turns out to be a major tax dodger? It's a dilemma already encountered by the Republican and Democratic parties in this season of unprecedented political fundraising." (LA Times)
Former Justice Official Praises McKay
"When James Comey was the second-highest-ranking official at the Justice Department, he says he had "no idea" there was an effort under way to put together a list of U.S. attorneys to fire, which ultimately included John McKay. During an interview Tuesday, Comey characterized McKay, the former U.S. attorney for Western Washington, in a way that is at odds with the Justice Department's explanation that McKay was fired for insubordination and overly aggressive advocacy of an information-sharing plan Comey himself endorsed." (Seattle Times)
Update: We have a few more stories to bring you way.
Fired US Attorneys to Meet in Seattle
"McKay, the ousted U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington, is now a visiting professor at the Seattle University School of Law. On May 9 he's hosting a pair of his fellow fired federal prosecutors for a forum on the mass sackings last year." (WaPo Capitol Briefing)
Delay's PAC Closes Shop
"The political action committee for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was quietly closed last week after a decade-long run as one of the most influential - and infamous - PACs run by members of Congress. With a final $1,400 payment to the Federal Election Commission last month settling an audit dispute, Americans for a Republican Majority then filed its termination papers with the commission April 24." (WaPo's Capitol Briefing)
Comments (11)
Englischlehrer wrote on May 2, 2007 9:56 AM:Moving it to DC? Can we be sure that Jeffrey A. Taylor will be impartial or will he throw the case out?
paul lukasiak wrote on May 2, 2007 10:11 AM:Comey's testimony is going to be deadly tomorrow...
Now according to the article cited about him
"When James Comey was the second-highest-ranking official at the Justice Department, he says he had "no idea" there was an effort under way to put together a list of U.S. attorneys to fire, which ultimately included John McKay.
Comey, deputy attorney general from October 2003 to August 2005..."
Yet according to Sampson's testimony, the idea of replacing "underperforming" US Attoneys started being discussed in early 2005. Hatch cited a Feb 24, 2005 document that recommended Lam for replacement, and there is a March 2 chart that evaluated all the USAs sent to Harriet Miers that included names that were struck out -- indicating those to be replaced.
Comey was known for his independence...and was apparently completely cut out of the process here.
JEP wrote on May 2, 2007 12:05 PM:from the WaPo "The Fix"blog..
No freedom of speech for the troops-
New Army Rules Could Kill G.I. Blogs...
The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.... The new rules require a commander be consulted before every blog update.
Mrs Panstreppon wrote on May 2, 2007 12:26 PM:@May 2, 2007 09:56 AM
"Can we be sure that Jeffrey A. Taylor will be impartial or will he throw the case out?"
After Taylor's disgraceful performance in the Steve Griles corruption case, it is clear that Jeffrey A. Taylor should be investigated for fixing it. Taylor knew Italia Federici was being financed by people other than Jack Abramoff and he knew Fedrici's fortunes were entertwined with her benefactor's, Gale Norton.
The DOJ had been tapping cell phones in DC for at least four months in the Curt Weldon investigation. Taylor was appointed Interim USA-DC at the end of September 2006 and three weeks later, the Weldon investigation was leaked and everyone under investigation knows their phones were being tapped.
Gee, I wonder how the DOJ leak investigation is coming along. Is USA Jeffrey A. Taylor investigating himself?
Marc in Denver wrote on May 2, 2007 1:38 PM:Just today's "Daily Muck" shows how deeply the Power Line folks have their heads in the sand....
XYZ wrote on May 2, 2007 1:57 PM:The defense is proposing to move it to the eastern district of Virginia with this fellow running the show:
"Chuck Rosenberg was appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in March 2006 to serve as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He was subsequently nominated to that position by President George Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate, unanimously, on June 13, 2006."
BJL wrote on May 2, 2007 2:17 PM:Along the same line of Cunningham and referencing the 4/26/07 doc dump how does this grab anyone. Three entries in the withheld index reference emails between K. Sampson and a K. Lee. Entries 3 & 4 reference a voicemail relating to K. Lee's request for information about Carol Lam. Item 109 references a discussion between Sampson and K. Lee about USA McNulty. I haven't been able to find any reference to anyone high up at DOJ or the White House with the name K. Lee. When I Google K. Lee + Department of Justice, K. Lee Blalack comes up, who happens to be Duke Cunningham's attorney. Anything to this?
http://judiciary.house.gov/Media/PDFS/withhelddocs070426.pdf
SPENCER ADAMS wrote on May 2, 2007 2:25 PM:Another resignation at State; are these names connected to any of the scandals?
Rice loses another aide as top Arab-American diplomat resigns
AFP
Published: Wednesday May 2, 2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice lost yet another senior aide on Wednesday when Dina Habib Powell, the highest-ranking Arab-American in the US government, announced her resignation to join a Wall Street investment bank.
The departure of Powell, key architect of a Rice initiative to improve the United States' image abroad, was the third senior diplomat to quit in the past five days and the sixth so far this year -- an exodus that is expected to continue in the final 20 months of the Bush administration.
Powell, who at 33 is also one of the youngest senior State Department diplomats, is taking up a job at Goldman Sachs Group, department spokesman Tom Casey said. She is due to leave her State Department job in about two months.
Powell, whose parents emigrated from Egypt to Texas when she was a child, followed Rice to the State Department two years ago from the White House, where she directed the presidential personnel office.
As the assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, Powell also served as the deputy to Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes, President George W. Bush's former media guru who has been leading a "public diplomacy" campaign to counter anti-Americanism in the Arab world since the US invasion of Iraq.
Powell said her decision to leave government at this time was personal.
"It's the right time for me and my family," Powell told The Washington Post.
"I'm really sorry to lose her. She is fantastic," Rice told the Post of Powell's resignation.
"She had so many ideas. There are people who have ideas but can't execute them. She really executed them," Rice said.
Powell was notably instrumental in creating public-private partnerships to help fund relief efforts, notably in Lebanon following the July-August 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah -- a conflict which fuelled anger in the region against the United States for its backing of Israel.
"Dina's really done a remarkable job for us in helping to build and expand our educational and cultural programs, particularly in working on developing public and private sector partnerships," Casey said.
Powell also managed to resurrect people-to-people exchanges with Iran at a time of high tension between the two states due to Tehran's nuclear program and alleged support for militants in Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinian areas.
"She restarted exchanges with Iran in ways that I thought not possible," Rice said, pointing to programs that saw Iranian doctors visit the United States and a US wrestling team travel to Iran.
News of Powell's resignation followed that of Barry Lowenkron, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, who announced on Monday that he was quitting to join a private charitable foundation.
Friday, one of Rice's two deputies, foreign aid director Randall Tobias, quit after being named in the media as a client of a Washington DC call-girl ring.
Since the start of the year, Rice has also lost her private counselor, Philip Zelikow, planning director Stephen Krasner, former UN ambassador John Bolton and non-proliferation chief Bob Joseph.
A senior State Department official indicated that the spate of resignations could continue as Bush nears the end of his mandate in January 2009.
"It's only natural as you get towards the end of the second term that people are going to be moving on," he said. "The secretary understands."
Giant Teapot wrote on May 2, 2007 4:43 PM:Here's the key:
"Powell ... followed Rice to the State Department two years ago from the White House, where she directed the presidential personnel office."
The Office of Presidential Personnel (OPP) vets and coordinates all Presidential appointees throughout the entire Executive branch. This includes those confirmed by the Senate and those who don't require Senate confirmation.
Deep "loyal Bushie" penetration throughout the government depended on the OPP leaning hard on the various departments and agencies to place true believers in every available slot, and to convert every possible career slot to a political slot. In a sane world, OPP negotiates with departmental HR shops to place favored political candidates who are nevertheless qualified to run particular programs. In Bush world, the ability to destroy a program from within is seen as a virtue, not a drawback.
Giant Teapot wrote on May 2, 2007 4:59 PM:Ms. Powell was certainly a witness and participant in the overall plan to politicize everything. However, her HR counterparts throughout the Executive branch could provide much the same information, without the problem of "executive privilege."
Clarification: OPP is located within the White House. It works closely with OPC (Office of the President's Counsel -- now Fred Fielding and formerly Alberto Gonzales) to find, vet and prep all political appointees.
OPP is where aspiring pols (and thinktanks) send their resumes, and hope to later hear such as "Congratulations, you've been nominated to be the new Deputy Undersecretary of the Interior for Freshwater Invertebrates!" Or US Attorney ....
The Bush vetting operation stumbled badly early in the first term, causing a string of hastily withdrawn embarrassing nominations. They seemed to recover somewhat until the Bernard Kerik nomination, which Alberto rammed through despite all the alarm bells it set off on all fronts: financial, legal and personal character.
epenisa wrote on January 11, 2008 1:39 AM:Hi
Nice work from your side... have a nice time with yoru blog :)
G'night