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House Dems to DoJ Whistleblowers: Send Us Your Tips
Did your supervisor at the Justice Department tell you that he was looking to hire a Republican? Or maybe he altered your performance evaluation in order to punish you for not toeing the line? Or maybe he inexplicably eliminated a large number of job applicants because they're Democrats?
Well, the House Judiciary Committee wants you to know that your complaint is safe with them. The committee has launched an effort to get into contact with Department employees who want to blow the whistle but are afraid they'll pay for it..
"This Web site is designed to receive on a completely confidential basis any information concerning the possible politicization of the United States Department of Justice since 2001," the page, called "Write Congress to Right Justice" and part of the committee's website, reads.
A senior aide to the committee told me that it was launched after the committee got calls from people "who indicated to us fairly strongly that they knew of people currently employed in the Justice Department who had info they wanted to provide us, but they were just scared to do it." If the committee made it clear that such tips would be handled confidentially, the aide was told, "we'd get a lot more information." The most smoke thus far, the aide said, was coming from the Civil Rights Division -- where Bradley Schlozman and Hans von Spakovsky once held sway -- but the committee is looking for tips from throughout the Department.
The site advises potential whistleblowers not to use their Department e-mail addresses to send in their tips -- to avoid "unfortunate retaliatory actions" at which a number of officials have proven adept. Anonymous tips will not be considered, but "similar confidentiality will apply to anyone identifying him or herself and requesting such confidentiality." The information, once verified, "will be included in matters that are investigated by the Committee [such as the U.S. attorney firings] and will be incorporated in the Committee’s reports and in legislative and oversight activities of the Committee."
Note: The TPMmuckraker tip line is, as always, open.
Comments (39)
Billy Pilgrim wrote on June 20, 2007 4:32 PM:Nice. That's the way to bitch-slap Gonzales.
A similar means for reporting intimidation needs to be set up for the staff at ACORN and any other group working to enfranchise voters.
GO wrote on June 20, 2007 4:32 PM:C'mon we need you. America needs you. Speak up now if you know something.
GO wrote on June 20, 2007 4:35 PM:C'mon we need you. America needs you. Speak up now if you know something.
KestrelBrighteyes wrote on June 20, 2007 4:37 PM:Oh man...bet THAT little bit news put a new pucker in some loyal Bushies' tushies!
Rusty wrote on June 20, 2007 4:46 PM:I think bringing contempt or perjury charges against Bradley Schlozman (and others) would make witnesses feel a bit more "cooperative" when they are compelled to testify.
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 4:53 PM:Here's a tip: Ask about the DoJ-EOP online collaborative tools DoJ-WH uses to share files and make updates to written material, and is not related to e-mail.
Ref: Ralson's incomplete denial:
Question: Karl Rove didn't discuss this claim with you?
[Ralston, response]: No.
Mr. Berenson [Ralston Counsel]. Do you want to clarify that last answer?
Ralston. I don't recall. I don't have a recollection of anyone discussing with me specifically that claim.
-------------------
No recollectoni of anyone "discussing" something means that someone could "not discuss" an issue via e-mail, file sharing, or through aa written briefing.
Steve5117 wrote on June 20, 2007 5:01 PM:Is there any one who can create a "WANTED from the DoJ" poster for us along the lines of a FBI "Wanted" poster?
Number one of course would be Gonzo, a picture, alist of the crimes he has committed, etc.
We owe this to the scholars of the future who will study the Dark Ages of American Democracy we are living in now and how the birth of the internet changed politics.
interested litigant wrote on June 20, 2007 5:06 PM:OK I am speaking up. I know something. But you don't want to know it.
interested litigant wrote on June 20, 2007 5:07 PM:OK I am speaking up. I know something. But you don't want to know it.
Xman wrote on June 20, 2007 5:23 PM:Yeah, a reward poster with BIG money rewards.
If we are offering $50 million for Bin Laden, surely we could offer millions and pay legal fees of whistle blowers in order to save our constitution.
Like:
"$50 million dollar reward leading to the impeachment and conviction of (fill in the blank here)."
Xman wrote on June 20, 2007 5:24 PM:Yeah, a reward poster with BIG money rewards.
If we are offering $50 million for Bin Laden, surely we could offer millions and pay legal fees of whistle blowers in order to save our constitution.
Like:
"$50 million dollar reward leading to the impeachment and conviction of (fill in the blank here)."
Xman wrote on June 20, 2007 5:27 PM:Yeah, a reward poster with BIG money rewards.
If we are offering $50 million for Bin Laden, surely we could offer millions and pay legal fees of whistle blowers in order to save our constitution.
Like:
"$50 million dollar reward leading to the impeachment and conviction of (fill in the blank here)."
Michael wrote on June 20, 2007 5:43 PM:This is the only way that we will get the truth and I hope that we do. This is an outrage and Congress needs to act so that it never happens again, regardles of the Party in power in the Whitehouse. This is not a partisan thing, it is a matter of justice.
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 5:59 PM:Here's a tip: Ask about the declinations ASACs in the FBI were making to rebuff informant information. These declinations are not something FBI agents can make, but are decisions up to the US Atty.
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 6:04 PM:Bush would just have the NSA trace who the whistle blowers are, and then target them.
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 6:09 PM:Bush would just have the NSA trace who the whistle blowers are, and then target them.
sailmaker wrote on June 20, 2007 6:12 PM:Former attorney Eubanks (litigated and won the Tobacco Case) will be able to fill their ears full. She was denied her annual review, and thus her chances for promotion or bonuses, so she quit.
sailmaker wrote on June 20, 2007 6:12 PM:Former attorney Eubanks (litigated and won the Tobacco Case) will be able to fill their ears full. She was denied her annual review, and thus her chances for promotion or bonuses, so she quit.
sailmaker wrote on June 20, 2007 6:16 PM:Former attorney Eubanks (litigated and won the Tobacco Case) will be able to fill their ears full. She was denied her annual review, and thus her chances for promotion or bonuses, so she quit.
tbhull wrote on June 20, 2007 6:35 PM:If there is anything a bureaucrat clings to more than silendced loyalty it is the mother's milk produced by their incessant suckling of the tits of government. Therefore, if Congress wants whistleblowers from DOJ to streep forward it needs to completely cut-off DOJ's funding.
If Congress took this step, the door to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees would look like a depression era soup kitchen with a line leading out to the mall with J.D. songbirds singing brother can you spare a dime or at least turn the spicket back on to the direct deposit of my $120K a year salary.
molly wrote on June 20, 2007 8:04 PM:How many years was Scooter Libby investigated? Does anybody besides me think all the convictions will be coming in in about ten years. Condi just refuses to show up for her hearing. Rove can't come either unless there are no oaths, tape recorders or pens and paper in the room. Why get excited with the tips. Dictators don't do the justice thing...that's for everybody else. Rush Holt(D) has a bill in the House now that will keep crooked elections going strong. That's the elephant in the room nobody wants to see.The crooked elections are the reason we have a dictator.
molly wrote on June 20, 2007 8:06 PM:How many years was Scooter Libby investigated? Does anybody besides me think all the convictions will be coming in in about ten years. Condi just refuses to show up for her hearing. Rove can't come either unless there are no oaths, tape recorders or pens and paper in the room. Why get excited with the tips. Dictators don't do the justice thing...that's for everybody else. Rush Holt(D) has a bill in the House now that will keep crooked elections going strong. That's the elephant in the room nobody wants to see.The crooked elections are the reason we have a dictator.
molly wrote on June 20, 2007 8:06 PM:How many years was Scooter Libby investigated? Does anybody besides me think all the convictions will be coming in in about ten years. Condi just refuses to show up for her hearing. Rove can't come either unless there are no oaths, tape recorders or pens and paper in the room. Why get excited with the tips. Dictators don't do the justice thing...that's for everybody else. Rush Holt(D) has a bill in the House now that will keep crooked elections going strong. That's the elephant in the room nobody wants to see.The crooked elections are the reason we have a dictator.
molly wrote on June 20, 2007 8:08 PM:How many years was Scooter Libby investigated? Does anybody besides me think all the convictions will be coming in in about ten years. Condi just refuses to show up for her hearing. Rove can't come either unless there are no oaths, tape recorders or pens and paper in the room. Why get excited with the tips. Dictators don't do the justice thing...that's for everybody else. Rush Holt(D) has a bill in the House now that will keep crooked elections going strong. That's the elephant in the room nobody wants to see.The crooked elections are the reason we have a dictator.
molly wrote on June 20, 2007 8:08 PM:How many years was Scooter Libby investigated? Does anybody besides me think all the convictions will be coming in in about ten years. Condi just refuses to show up for her hearing. Rove can't come either unless there are no oaths, tape recorders or pens and paper in the room. Why get excited with the tips. Dictators don't do the justice thing...that's for everybody else. Rush Holt(D) has a bill in the House now that will keep crooked elections going strong. That's the elephant in the room nobody wants to see.The crooked elections are the reason we have a dictator.
casam wrote on June 20, 2007 8:57 PM:I didn't think it was possible to make e-mail completely confidential?
(Folks be patient and your post won't be repeated two and three times)
Anonymous wrote on June 20, 2007 8:58 PM:Can't you guys get a programmer to set up your system so duplicate posts are stopped in their tracks.
It's quite annoying to see posts appear 3, 4 or 5 times because new posters don't realize that the server takes some time to upload the message.
Dennis wrote on June 20, 2007 9:10 PM:If I recall correctly, under the current laws/rules of the Bush administration, a whistle-blower "him/herself" must be able to "prove" intent to break the law before they can/will be protected. Otherwise, they have no protection.
You don't have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
Namtillaku wrote on June 20, 2007 9:42 PM:Hey, I've got a tip for ya - actually DO something, rather than just putting on all these shows.
Namtillaku wrote on June 20, 2007 9:46 PM:Hey, I've got a tip for ya - actually DO something, rather than just putting on all these shows.
casam wrote on June 20, 2007 9:52 PM:test, hitting "stop" to see if this will go up faster.
casam wrote on June 20, 2007 9:56 PM:Nope, but even though I removed all the post it went up when I disconnect? So it looks as if it will post when you leave the site EVEN if you erase all your words?
MillionthMonkey wrote on June 20, 2007 11:44 PM:Now I know you can write PHP code to detect duplicate posts... someone needs to get off their butt and fix the bug because this is a serious problem in the message boards across the entire TPM empire. It's an hour of work for somebody. At least ask for some volunteers who know PHP and JavaScript.
anon wrote on June 21, 2007 1:07 AM:Yup, you guys need to fix the multiple posts/long delays thing. Please.
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