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Stalled Lewis Probe Rolls Backwards
The U.S. attorney office in Los Angeles just can't seem to muster the manpower needed to investigate senior Republican appropriator Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA). In fact, it seems that the Justice Department is handicapping itself.
The veteran prosecutor who'd been heading up the Lewis case has been forced into retirement, The Los Angeles Daily Journal reported yesterday (not available online). It knocks the investigation, already stalled, further off course.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that budget shortages and the departure of top prosecutors from the office had caused the investigation to slow down since last fall. But the Journal noted that the interim U.S. attorney George Cardona (the prior U.S.A. Debra Yang left last year under questionable circumstances) had tapped veteran prosecutor Michael Emmick in June to "jump-start" the investigation.
So much for that.
Robert Iafolla reports in the Daily Journal:
Because of civil-service rules, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. attorney's office who just recently took over the probe of Rep. Jerry Lewis must exit the office for good by the end of September, marking the third significant departure from the office's corruption unit since Lewis first came under suspicion last year.Michael Emmick, who first joined Los Angeles's U.S. attorney's office in 1982, has been serving under one-year appointments since 2004, after he triggered a contractual clause that will allow him to collect retirement benefits immediately upon leaving the office.
"I was under the impression I could continue to work as long as I liked" after taking early retirement status, Emmick said. "The [Los Angeles U.S. attorney's] office made requests, but DOJ said three years is enough."
Interim U.S. Attorney George S. Cardona said internal policy is designed to limit extensions. The Justice Department "extended it for important cases, but it finally got to the point that it was no longer willing to extend the temporary appointments," he said.
It's not clear from Cardona's remark why the Lewis case, which centers on whether Lewis abused his position atop the House appropriations committee, wouldn't qualify as an "important" case.
The AP picks up the story today and puts the news, fittingly, in the broader context of the U.S. attorney firings scandal. Remember that Yang left office just before the firings, leading Democrats to question whether she'd been forced out -- speculation stoked by news that then-White House counsel Harriet Miers had discussed replacing her. The fact that she'd joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, the firm that's defending Lewis, intensified the scrutiny. Yang herself has insisted that she left voluntarily in order to cash in (she's a single mom, she explained) and that she'd been recused from the Lewis case at her new firm.
Comments (31)
footsore wrote on September 7, 2007 10:58 AM:Son of a Bitch. Son of a Bitch
regular lurker wrote on September 7, 2007 11:03 AM:footsore
Seems like they're hoping to just run out the clock.
Must be some really juicy connections in Lewis' closet.
And you know what? If we weren't bogged down in Iraq , there'd be a lot more attention on creeps like Lewis, the botched Katrina response, where's Osama bin Laden, etc.
Hey, I'm noticing a pattern....
standingup wrote on September 7, 2007 11:27 AM:It's a good thing the U.S. Attorney's office in the District of New Jersey hasn't suffered from the same budgetary constraints. What a shame it would have been if they hadn't been able to charge 11 public officials for corruption just a couple of months before the elections for the state Senate and General Assembly. How many of those charged were Democrats?
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 11:47 AM:"Starve the beast, eh?"
RandyR wrote on September 7, 2007 12:17 PM:No republicans were taken in New Jersey, so one might assume that there is only money to prosecute the Democrats.
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 12:32 PM:Security Code: Flag Just think a big US flag with a 'R' across the stripes.
"Yang herself has insisted that she left voluntarily in order to cash in"
Guess it worked, didn't it...
It was the probably the only job opening available at the pay scale she was requesting...heh heh heh...
workaday joe wrote on September 7, 2007 2:02 PM:It's hard to be too mad at someone who looks that much like Leslie Nielson.
workaday joe wrote on September 7, 2007 2:04 PM:It's hard to be mad at someone who looks that much like Leslie Nielson.
Areduyba wrote on September 7, 2007 2:41 PM:I was thinking Peter Graves myself.
hettiemae wrote on September 7, 2007 4:44 PM:Wonder if his name is on the Madam's list. The DOJ doesn't want the attorney's to prosecute anyone but Dems.
IanA wrote on September 7, 2007 5:33 PM:Peter Graves, definitely. I always hear the _Mission Impossible_ theme when I see his picture.
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 6:51 PM:Jerry Lewis:
I'm ashamed to say that this little turd is my congressman, and as big a poltroon and buffoon as his namesake.
I called his office to learn his position on the Rep Holt bill to provide paper trails nationwide for voting machines. His aide told me Lewis regarded it as a "local issue" -- whatever the fxxx that means -- and no reason to support it. This is the level of this man's intellect and political character.
I suspect, like many, that this case is stalled and will remained stalled because it leads right to the White House.
Even seen this turd in person? Under his dime store toupee he has that florid look that drunks and hypertensives wear.
bjobotts wrote on September 7, 2007 6:51 PM:So she could cash in...she's a single mom?...and yet she could retire on the million dollar signing bonus.
David wrote on September 7, 2007 6:55 PM:Doesn't look suspicious to me.
Lewis is a slippery culprit in one of the strongest positions of power in the House as chairman of the appropriations committee, and the one position where corruption means big bucks. How coincidental that his investigation keeps getting snow-balled. He must have a lot on some powerful players as I believe he is one of the main reasons the USA firings happened, to block his investigation. Remember Harriet Miers and the Texas lottery scandal. She immediately jumped on this one so there is a big scandal involving huge funds tied to this one. Lewis should be removed from the committees until the investigation is resolved...bet that would speed things up a bit.
The Grinch?
Randall E. Reagan wrote on September 7, 2007 7:05 PM:This is nothing short of obstruction of justice.
bmaz wrote on September 7, 2007 7:12 PM:The loss of continuity sucks, but Emmick himself is no loss whatsoever. Emmick is a clone sidekick to Ken Starr and is more than happy to jade an investigation for his political masters. He won't be missed. The fact that it gives cover for further stalling and obfuscation is depressing however.
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 7:37 PM:Lewis is still chairman? He USED to be,
now that his party is in the minority I don't think
so.
Those Republicans, rotten to the core, most all of them.
According to Mike Rogers the most feared man in DC, 30 Reps. in Congress are closet gay and Republicans, 3 are
TheOtherWA wrote on September 7, 2007 8:30 PM:Dems.
Don't forget, last October Lewis fired 60 investigators working for the Appropriations Committee.
GTK wrote on September 7, 2007 8:34 PM:Does anyone else think Lewis reminds them of Moe Green? With all the corruption in the GOP, I half expect him to get shot through the eye while getting a massage.
Earl wrote on September 7, 2007 8:59 PM:He definitely looks like the albino freak in The DaVinci code......he is every bit as evil.
JimBob wrote on September 7, 2007 9:06 PM:You mean Lewis isn't an outed gay? He sure looks it, and that ain't a bad thing, it's just...he looks gay as hell.
mr.ed wrote on September 7, 2007 10:35 PM:Just another reminder that mother is half a word.
westcoaster wrote on September 8, 2007 12:27 PM:Lewis must have done some big favors to pay for this type of protection. Shame there are no State prosecutors who have the balls to pursue this one. The DOJ blunders smell of Dick Cheney and his band of fascists manipulating events again from the West Wing. This needs a special prosecutor.
jeffgee wrote on September 8, 2007 8:12 PM:Lewis reminds me of Peter Graves in "Airplane!"
psyopswatcher wrote on September 8, 2007 11:07 PM:"Timmy, did you ever see a grown man naked? Do you like gladiator films?"
That they don't have a prosecutor to follow up a retiree's cases is pure and utter bullshit. No one does business like that, not even as incompetent as they'd like to make government offices look.
Shift the blame to Gonzo now that he's gone.
Jane wrote on September 9, 2007 10:59 AM:1. So could the Dems rehire the 60 Lewis fired?
2. My preference is that Rogers out all of the 30 closeted Repub gays after the primaries and about 6-3 weeks before the general. Even if an individual Repub is good, they vote to organize with the Rethugs which is terrible.
Out the 3 closeted Dems if they are bad on the issues about 2 -3 months out from the primaries. If they can make it in the open, they can't be blackmailed.
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