Threats led Bush to intervene in FBI fight

[cal04]

The constitutional showdown that followed the FBI's search of a congressman's office came down to this: The House threatened budgetary retaliation against the Justice Department. Justice officials raised the prospect of
resigning. That scenario, as described Saturday by a senior administration official, set the stage for President Bush's intervention into the fight over the FBI's search of the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., an eight-term lawmaker being investigated on bribery allegations.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his deputy, Paul McNulty, were said to be ready to quit if the Justice Department was asked to return the Jefferson documents, the senior administration official said on condition of anonymity. The resignation of FBI Director Robert Mueller also was implied, the official said. During contentious conversations between the Department of Justice and the House, top law enforcement officials indicated that they'd rather quit than return documents FBI agents, armed with a warrant, seized in an overnight search of Jefferson's office, the administration official said. Until last Saturday night, no such warrant had ever been used to search a lawmaker's office in the 219-year history of Congress.

FBI agents carted away records in their pursuit of evidence that Jefferson accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for helping set up business deals in Africa. After the raid, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, lodged a protest directly with Bush, demanding that the FBI return the materials. Bush struck a compromise Thursday, ordering that the documents be sealed for 45 days until congressional leaders and the Justice Department agree on what to do with them. "But none of these guys ever said to the White House that they were going to take that action," the official said, playing down any implication that the threatened resignations were the reason the president decided to seal the documents.

"You didn't have them (the law enforcement officials) marching up and threatening insubordination," said the official, who is familiar with discussions between the House and Justice Department. "It was more like `Well, if that happens, then this will happen.'" The House was threatening to go after the Justice Department's budget, and with both sides taking entrenched positions, the president stepped in as a mediator, the official said. "In one of the conversations, both sides sort of backed off, even," the official said, adding that with a cooling-off period both sides have an interest in resolving the dispute.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060527/ap_on_go_co/raid_on_congress

[savemefromdumbya]

1. ..yes but what ELSE is in those documents?

I have a post on that

[ContraBass Black]

2. And then, the Decider brought peace...

Forgive me for being skeptical of anything that suggests the President was a positive or productive influence.

[tularetom]

3. I don't believe one word of this

It implies that a Solomon-like * stepped in and imposed a wise but fair compromise among his childish feuding underlings. You KNOW he hasn't the brains or balls to jump in and knock heads together in a dispute like this. Somebody told him what to say probably right down to the word. News stories that attribute wisdom or other grownup qualities to * are simply not credible.

[Drum]

4. You took the words outta my mouth.

The whole scenario is utter bullshit, forgive my French.

[Disturbed]

6. What will happen after 45 days?

This situation has not been resolved. The Justice Dept. under Executive order and a duly signed Court Order has taken a bold move on the Legislative Branch. This move will change the relationship between Congress, Justice Dept. and the Executive, no matter what agreement will be reached.

[Rex]

5. HAHAHA! It is phuny watching Repukes fight with each other.

Shows their total petty nature. And they also control the SCOTUS! Scary shit! Constitution? Try Prostitution! They all break the law and then laugh at us when we demand justice.