Hastert Investigation Rumor is probably FALSE, Dept of Justice says No!

[Robbien]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2001359

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday denied a report that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dennis Hastert, is under investigation by the FBI in connection with a corruption probe.

ABC News, citing high level Justice Department sources, said information implicating Hastert had been developed from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.

But department officials, who asked to not be identified, said the story was not accurate and that Hastert was not under investigation. "The story is wrong. Hastert is not under investigation," one official said.

[Beelzebud]

1. LOL Whats with the freeper link?

http://www.freerepublic.com/%5Ehttp://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2001359 <-- WTF?

Is that where you got this scoop? :D

[Robbien]

2. Sorry, I corrected the link

Yes, I went over to freeperville to get their reaction to the Hastert rumor and found that the rumor was denied.

Sorry, I replaced the link with the orginal story link. Don't want the freeperfreaks following the link back to here.

[mcscajun]

3. Here's a link to the Bloomberg News story...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=aiGNp04DLQoY

And Hastert is now demanding a full retraction from ABC News.

[Roland99]

6. See my second reply to you here >>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1276264&mesg_id=1277417

I think we're dealing with a very carefully-worded denial.

[rocktivity]

4. Don't forget, these guys are the word-parsing champs

But department officials, who asked to not be identified, said the story was not accurate...

"Not TRUE" and "The story is FALSE" would sound a little more absolute. And if the story ISN'T true, WHY deny it anonymously?

:headbang:
rocknation

[Robbien]

9. Something is going on there. Hastert was first in line for the dough

being handed out by Abramoff so something is fishy.

The investigation is going slow on the Abramoff trail, so maybe someone just jumped the gun on this one.

[warrens]

17. just the phrase "under investigation" leaves wiggle room

It's like "there are no war plans on my desk." No, Georgie, they're on your credenza, right? Do I win a prize?

You're not officially under investigation until they're about to arrest your ass. Until then, you're just a person of interest, or someone whose name came up during an investigation. So they could very well be telling the truth, and ABC could be dead right at the same time.

[leveymg]

19. It means no US Attorney has been assigned - not that FBI aren't investigat

ing Hastert's role in several cases.

It's a political decision to assign a USA to a case. Central Justice is under occupation, recall.

[Skip Intro]

5. They're fucking with us - (the language only gets worse -> -> )

the same gang who gave us the fucked up elections, the fucked up wars, the fucked up policies, the fucked up propaganda and mind fucks

they're fuckig with us

[Imagevision]

7. Duh!... Libby and Delay say the truth will be known also!!

[Imagevision]

8. P-R-O-B-A-B-L-Y... cute word...

[Old and In the Way]

10. Maybe Hastert's real problem is what Sibel Edmunds

was refering to...Hastert's ties to Turkish money.

[MADem]

15. Well, that would certainly put a right church, wrong pew spin to the leak

He's corrupt, just not in the way the leaker averred!

[Imagevision]

11. Sybil Edmunds right now is Hastert's worse nightmare if her information

is finally public record!!

[salib]

12. I just think this is the "shot across the bow" of Hastert

He is demanding the return of documents from Justice. They are just reminding him that he needs to shut up and play. The BFEE and all the rest (more will probably ooze out of the woodwork as this all plays out) are CERTAINLY willing to let Hastert fall just like DeLay, if it will shut him up about separation of powers.

We need to keep our eye on the ball. Just as they are obviously doing. Only, we do not know what their game is. We know what ours is, though, so let's get back to saving this democracy.

[AnarchoFreeThinker]

13. the indignation over a breech of Separation of Powers still looks like CYA

[Supersedeas]

14. wow! they can really give definitive answers when THEIR guys is subject

[MADem]

16. So much for not commenting on ongoing investigations! n/t

[gatorboy]

18. I think this is why he was so quick to defend Cong. Jefferson

Any other time he would be all over the Jefferson story because of the corruption. But he was complaining pretty hard about the FBI raid of Jefferson., going as far as demanding that the agents who conducted the Jefferson raid be taken off that case...Perhaps he knew he might be next?

[lostnfound]

20. Starting to wonder if someone, somewhere is testing for leaks.

Anybody else see a parallel between the Truthout 'Rove indicted' story and this one?

Not questioning the validity or in-validity of either. Just wondering if this is bait to zero in on leakers.

[file83]

21. Either that, or someone is trying to discredit ABC news with disinfo.

I wish I were a fly on the wall at ABC right now - the reporter that had the "high level source" is probably a little more than pissed at said source.

[lostnfound]

22. True.

How I long for the days of simpler worldviews.. :<

And I'm hoping that both stories turn out to be true, of course.

[donbrunton]

24. Should ABC be Leopoled?

But should ABC and the reporter be taken through the grinder like Leopold then?

Same scenario.

Anonymous sources. Story not unfolding exactly as written.

The big difference is that Hastert is likely going to sue for Libel.

Why didn\\\'t Rove sue Truthout and Jason Leopold?

Think about it.

[file83]

25. Good questions....and WELCOME to DU!!

:hi:

[Snivi Yllom]

23. this is why watching the news is an exercise in futility

get your act together guys