Lawmakers Urge Investigation Into Administration’s Prosecutor Purge In Abramoff Case (GUAM!)

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/13/abramoff-purge-attorney/

Lawmakers Urge Investigation Into Administration’s Prosecutor Purge In Abramoff Case

In recent weeks, Congress has investigated the Bush administration’s recent purge of qualified, well-respected U.S. attorneys. But one former prosecutor — Frederick A. Black — has received little attention. The administration fired Black shortly after he began investigating Jack Abramoff’s dealings in Guam.

Today in a letter to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Nick Rahall (D-WV) urge Congress to investigate “the potential political manipulation by Jack Abramoff and his allies in Congress and the Administration” in the Black case:

At the time, we viewed the replacement of the Acting U.S. Attorney as an example of the overly zealous and improper, if not illegal, conduct by the now disgraced and convicted lobbyist, Jack Abramoff.

In light of more recent revelations about political interference with the work of other U.S. Attorneys, however, it is necessary now to re-examine the case as it may represent the beginning of a pattern of behavior by some members of Congress and officials in the Bush Administration to politicize the work of U.S. Attorneys and to quash their independence.

In 2002, Black launched an investigation into Jack Abramoff’s “secret arrangement with Superior Court officials to lobby against a court reform bill then pending in Congress.” On Nov. 18, 2002, Black issued a grand jury subpoena to the Guam Superior Court to turn over all records involving the lobbying contract with Abramoff. The administration swiftly punished Black:

A day later, the chief prosecutor, US Attorney Frederick A. Black, who had launched the investigation, was demoted. A White House news release announced that Bush was replacing Black.

The timing caught some by surprise. Despite his officially temporary status as the acting US attorney, Black had held the assignment for more than a decade.

An internal Justice Department investigation concluded that the White House did not improperly retaliate against Black for raising allegations against Abramoff. But the probe into Abramoff’s activities in Guam died shortly after Black stepped down.

(Full letter from Miller and Rahall HERE (.pdf):

http://websrvr80il.audiovideoweb.com/il80web20037/ThinkProgress/2007/Miller%20Rahall%20to%20Judiciary.pdf

[fooj]

1. YES!!!

Shit meet fan.

[babylonsister]

2. They're lifting up and looking under the rocks now!

:bounce: :toast:

[Monkeyman]

4. Worms, Bugs and Replugs oh my

[solara]

3. Indeed! A hearty k&r

:kick:

INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT INCARCERATE :patriot:

[annabanana]

5. Every thwarted investigation will be reopened...

Can this filthiest of administrations ever be properly called to account for the massive damage done to our system? I personally don't think there are enough hours in the day.

[babylonsister]

6. No, but it will be fun for us to watch while they try. I much

prefer stories like this to watching while nothing is done.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Some of the firings require an official independent investigation - immediately

. any firings where the Judge had been involved in Abramoff cases - Guam, CA
. any firings where the Judge had cases pending and received pressure - AZ
. any firings where the Judge was replaced for acknowledged job placement reasons - AR

They should not try to go after all the firings - they should target these three to begin with and get some actions going.

Hooray for Kerry and all the other's who are speaking out.

[autorank]

8. K&R Very nice babylonsister. This is the predicate for the rest of their

fiddling around with federal prosecutors. You mentioned this previously and it's a great post topic.

How about this. Who has a fantastic enough imagination to make this up:

The timing caught some by surprise. Despite his officially temporary status as the acting US attorney, Black had held the assignment for more than a decade.

An internal Justice Department investigation concluded that the White House did not improperly retaliate against Black for raising allegations against Abramoff. But the probe into Abramoff’s activities in Guam died shortly after Black stepped down.

Give me a break...Justice investigating Justice says, hey, no problem AND then the investigation ends.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Thanks for this post, it's very cool.

[grannylib]

9. "Internal DOJ investigation" is worthless...the fox guarding the henhouse.

The more anyone digs, the deeper the shit will go with this sorry-assed mis-administration.

[sofa king]

10. What about the "why isn't Abramoff in jail yet?" scandal.

The sonofabitch still hasn't reported to prison yet. I guarantee you that he's promised to tell all kinds of interesting stuff if his ass ever touches a concrete bench, and the FBI is keeping him out of prison until November, 2008 when he can be safely pardoned.

[babylonsister]

11. Poop! I thought he was in jail.

He's still confessing? :eyes:

[robinlynne]

12. I think Sofa is saying that he is conveniently out of jail so that he WONT

talk. like Libby.

[sofa king]

13. Oops. My bad. He went in November 15.

I was under the impression that to this day he was still cooling his heels at the Justice Department, "helping" with the various investigations which of course aren't going anywhere, lest the US Attorneys be fired for prosecuting.

[Mnemosyne]

14. This is music to my ears! My rep, P. English, PA 3rd, has had

some lovely visits there.