White House conducted election briefings

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON - The White House acknowledged Thursday it has conducted about 20 briefings recently for federal agency employees on the election prospects of Republican candidates — the sort of meetings that sparked an investigation into whether Bush aides engaged in illegal political activity.

~snip~

Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said no laws were broken and that the White House counsel's office signed off on the effort.

"It's not unlawful and it wasn't unusual for informational briefings to be given," Perino said. "There is no prohibition under the Hatch Act of allowing political appointees to talk to other political appointees about the political landscape in which they are trying to advance the president's agenda."

She added: "These briefings were not inappropriate, they were not unlawful, they were not unethical."



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070426/ap_on_el_pr/white_house_probe

---

from the presser:

Q How about this political interference by the Hatch Act, in the Hatch Act?

MS. PERINO: There wasn't political interference within the Hatch Act. What you're talking about is --

Q Use of the government agencies?

MS. PERINO: No, what -- it is perfectly lawful for the political appointees at the White House to provide informational briefings to political appointees at the agencies. And no laws were broken, and we provided more information about that last night.

Q Was that all vetted through the Counsel's Office prior to those sorts of sessions happening? What sort of oversight was done within the White House?

MS. PERINO: Yes, generally -- because it's not unlawful and it wasn't unusual for informational briefings to be given. They were run by Sara Taylor and Scott Jennings.

Q But there's a higher standard, obviously, at the White House than no laws were broken. Aren't there ethical questions, as well?

MS. PERINO: There were no -- what ethical would have been broken?

Q No, in terms of using federal resources, federal people to encourage people. The allegation is out there that people --

MS. PERINO: There's no --

Q -- were being encouraged to help Republicans.

Q Targeting certain Democrats --

MS. PERINO: No, political -- there is no prohibition under the Hatch Act of allowing political appointees to talk to other political appointees about the political landscape in which they are trying to advance the President's agenda. None.

Q You say it's not a violation of the Hatch Act.

MS. PERINO: Not a violation of law, or of ethics.

Q So why is the Office of Special Counsel investigating it, if you're still saying that it's clearly --

MS. PERINO: That you'll have to --

Q -- fine, why would they be investigating?

MS. PERINO: You'll have to ask them. You'll have to ask them.

Q How many of those meetings did --

MS. PERINO: I think there was an average -- we had records from the 2006-2007 cycle. It was around 20.

Q Dana, could --

more:http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/04/20070426.html

[Lerkfish]

1. amazing hubris, is it not?

they basically are saying "we did it, and screw the lot of you for bringing it up"

[underpants]

2. Oh okay if Dana says so

:eyes:

[BOSSHOG]

3. Our lawyers signed off on it

No doubt the ku klux klan had lawyers too. Dana Perino you ignorant slut. Being a fucking lying whore for a drug addicted criminal does not look very good on a resume.

[aquart]

4. How is an "election briefing" NOT a political activity?

How is a federal office NOT a federal office?

[maddezmom]

5. the Hatch Act only applies to Dems

:sarcasm:

[maddezmom]

6. White House: PowerPoint presentation was legal

White House: PowerPoint presentation was legal
By Klaus Marre
April 26, 2007
A White House spokeswoman said Thursday that a controversial PowerPoint presentation that has attracted the interest of congressional investigators is not illegal but that it would not be released.

The PowerPoint presentation in question was given by White House aide Scott Jennings to political appointees of the General Services Administration. At the end of the presentation, GSA Administrator Lurita Doan, according to participants, asked those at the meeting how they could use her agency to “help our candidates” in 2008.


Democrats charge that this is an improper use of government funds.

“These briefings were not inappropriate, they were not unlawful, they were not unethical,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters. “It is perfectly lawful for the political appointees at the White House to provide informational briefings to political appointees at the agencies.”

more:http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/white-house-powerpoint-presentation-was-legal-2007-04-26.html

[LiberalFighter]

7. If they want to give information briefings that are political in nature the RNC is available

Their headquarters is in Washington.

[liberal N proud]

8. PERINO: What, Huh, What are you talking about...

She is treading water.

[catgirl]

9. White House held GOP election briefings

Source: AP


WASHINGTON - The White House acknowledged Thursday it has conducted about 20 briefings for federal employees on the election prospects of Republican candidates — the sort of meetings that have led to an investigation into administration political activity.

ADVERTISEMENT

An independent investigative unit, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, this week began a probe into a presentation by Bush aide J. Scott Jennings to political appointees at the General Services Administration. At issue is whether the January session violated the federal Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political activities with government resources or on government time.

The Office of Special Counsel, led by Scott Bloch, is in charge of enforcing the Hatch Act. At the same time, Bloch himself is being investigated by the Bush administration on separate matters, including his enforcement of the Hatch Act.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said briefings were held at other federal agencies besides the GSA, for a total of about 20 — most in 2006 and a couple in 2007. They were conducted by White House political director Sara Taylor or Jennings, her deputy. It had been known that other briefings had been held, but not how many.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070426/ap_on_go_pr_wh/white_house_probe;_ylt=At7.A0EbrMHy7T53ke8B1RCs0NUE

---

Get out the popcorn!

[catgirl]

10. Others were held in previous years as well

"but the White House hasn't kept a count".

[0rganism]

11. well, looks like it's time for Sara Taylor to testify for a committee or two...

I suspect we're very very close to getting that impeachment wagon rolling.

[Massachusetts]

14. YES! Long overdue.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

20. From Yesterday's Washington Post ...

In an article about the House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoena for Rice (page two, paragraph six):

"The Senate Judiciary Committee, which grilled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales last week about the ousted prosecutors, authorized a subpoena for Sara Taylor of the White House office of political affairs."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/25/AR2007042501639.html

[shanti]

12. the fox guarding thehenhouse..

omg...

The Office of Special Counsel, led by Scott Bloch, is in charge of enforcing the Hatch Act. At the same time, Bloch himself is being investigated by the Bush administration on separate matters, including his enforcement of the Hatch Act.

[SpiralHawk]

13. Your TaX dollars at work

keeping the republicon cronies in their stolen offices of power
so they can cheat, steal, lie
and destroy the US Constitution.

republiconism -- it's a disease of the soul

[rodeodance]

15. Dana P. kept saying today they were "informational" only.

[displacedtexan]

18. And here's the "information":

Once that GSA power point presentation got out,
it was difficult for BushCo to defend it.

[yardwork]

19. Are those slides for real? Is there a link?

[displacedtexan]

21. Yep, they're real. From the GAO Power Point Presentation.

They're at TPM Muckraker, but I can't get into the site. Too busy, I guess.

TPMmuckraker March 28, 2007 01:20 PM
Bruce Braley (D-IA) grills her on a PowerPoint presentation (pdf) given by Karl Rove's deputy Scott Jennings to GSA personnel in January. The slides (13 ...
www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002896.php - 91k -

[yardwork]

22. OMG! This hasn't been publicized at all. Naturally.

[AndyA]

16. This really is beginning to sound like 1973 Watergate.

Everything is falling apart on the Republicans.

Aren't they always the party involved in the really nasty scams and illegal activities?

Republicans gave us Watergate, Iran Contra, and now this. What do we call it? There are multiples - Bushgate?

The Republicans also brought us Monicagate, which was a Dem President, but it could be dwarfed by Gannongate if the info ever came out about all those nights spent in the Bush White House. What was he doing there? Where was he? And who was he with?

[UpInArms]

17. the bushwhackers

:D

[Heidi]

23. Kick.

:kick:

[Hissyspit]

24. White House Held GOP Prospect Briefings

Source: New York Times

White House Held GOP Prospect Briefings

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 26, 2007
Filed at 10:32 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House acknowledged Thursday it has conducted about 20 briefings for federal employees on the election prospects of Republican candidates -- the sort of meetings that have led to an investigation into administration political activity.

An independent investigative unit, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, this week began a probe into a presentation by Bush aide J. Scott Jennings to political appointees at the General Services Administration. At issue is whether the January session violated the federal Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in political activities with government resources or on government time.

The Office of Special Counsel, led by Scott Bloch, is in charge of enforcing the Hatch Act. At the same time, Bloch himself is being investigated by the Bush administration on separate matters, including his enforcement of the Hatch Act.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said briefings were held at other federal agencies besides the GSA, for a total of about 20 -- most in 2006 and a couple in 2007. They were conducted by White House political director Sara Taylor or Jennings, her deputy. It had been known that other briefings had been held, but not how many. Others were held in previous years as well, but Stanzel said the White House hasn't kept a count of how many.

MORE

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-White-House-Probe.html

[truthisfreedom]

25. Of course they haven't kept count. They never wanted it revealed that it ever happened. They knew

all along that it was completely, utterly illegal. They thought that Congress would be kept under republan control for the duration of the bush administration... they thought they had the elections all doctored up. But when it all went to hell, they changed tactics and decided to claim that it is all perfectly legal, and claim that they had "run it past legal" so it MUST be legal!

Too bad the Hatch act only lets us dismiss the people who held these talks. We should be able to dismiss the people who ordered them... would that be rove?

[19jet54]

26. and make things right...

... they can also order the fired US Attorneys be re-instated with back pay too. Ouch, that might hurt too?

[AlCzervik]

27. tell me this illegal---please.

[frogcycle]

28. being illegal is only 1/100th of the battle - but yes, it is n/t

[global1]

29. Fox Meet Henhouse - Henhouse Meet Fox......

An independent investigative unit, the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, this week began a probe ....

an investigation of the WH into administration political activity.....

At the same time, Bloch himself is being investigated by the Bush administration on separate matters, including his enforcement of the Hatch Act......

[Thor_MN]

30. The trancript is off, it was more like...

Q How about this political interference by the Hatch Act, in the Hatch Act?

MS. PERINO: Therewasn'tpoliticalinterferencewithintheHatchAct.Whatyou'retalkingaboutis --