« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
DoJ: Prosecutors Helping State Dept. on Passport Breach Investigation... But Not Investigating
So is the Justice Department investigating the breach of Barack Obama's (and Hillary Clinton's and John McCain's) passport files or not? CNN quotes a Department spokesman as saying that prosecutors have "met with officials from the State Department Inspector General's office on this matter, and are coordinating with the Office of Inspector General on its investigative efforts."
But at this point, the Department of Justice can't be said to be actually investigating, just sort of keeping stock of things, apparently. "A knowledgeable official" tells CNN that it's too much to call this a "joint investigation" -- which is the same stance that the State Department had on Friday.
Advertisement
Josh
Zachary
It's curious the State Department is reluctant to investigate alleged illegal activity of US contractors overseas in Iraq, but they might take an other view on domestic investigations inside the US. These are contractors involved with these data access issues. Yet, in Iraq, the "contractor issue" was the excuse for inaction and no oversight by the State Department. Curious how we're asked to believe that the State Departmetn will have a different view on other contractors.
Multi-jurisdictional criminal litigation is not something that is new. There are attorney standards of conduct which apply to thise type of criminal litigatgion. Why does DOJ appear to not quite understand what to do?
- The State Department investigators seemed wanting on issues of US contractors in Iraq; why should we believe they'll do a better job against other contractors in the US?
- Has someone told FBI not to investigate; or is the State Department conducting an internal investigation inside the United States against US contractors; why didn't these same investigators target US contractors in Iraq for alleged fraudulent conduct and contracting using US funds?
- Is it the view of State that FBI agents are not able to assist or lead this investigation?
- Who within the State department is considered the "lead" criminal investigator for these alleged crimes: State Department IG?
- Which specific investigative unit assigned to state, outside DOJ, is conducting this alleged criminal investigation?
- What is DOJ AG's comment on State Department relying on an investigative unit above and beyond what DOJ provides through the FBI, DEA, or ATF?
- If the State Department IG says they are the "lead" criminal investigator, what's the excuse of other inspector generals like DOD IG not investigating alleged war crimes by the President, DoD personnel, and others?
March 25, 2008 6:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it curious that they only "discovered" that all three candidates' files had been violated days after they were exposed on the Obama files? Part of me laughs. What were they expecting to find? That Obama had...what?! Gone to Kenya and visited? Gone to Russia and been sworn in as a commie? Gone to someplace with a mosque, thus proving he was a muslim??? Curriouser still, the offenders seem to have mysteriously faded into the woodwork.
March 26, 2008 10:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
What ARE they investigating? Spitzer's undies but not national security breaches? Speigalman, but they won't get Harriet and Card or Rove up before Congress? What are we paying them for?
March 26, 2008 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not just limiting themselves to allow torture, they refuse to subscribe to most other Constitutional definitions of justice.
W. & Company has effectively outsourced the DOJ jobs Americans used to do.
March 26, 2008 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, the Justice Department doesn't investigate things. It writes legal memos.
You're thinking of the old Justice Department.
March 26, 2008 12:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
We may be missing bigger problem, and the passport electronic files are only part of what's outsourced. The US passports themselves are processed in Thailand in some cases. Despite the problems in Iraq, are we to believe the State Department going to conduct investigations overseas; if we can't trust US-based contractors, why are we moving the passport-processing outside the US?
March 26, 2008 5:27 PM | Reply | Permalink