The Daily MuckDetails about Dick Cheney’s interview under oath with Patrick Fitzgerald about the vice president’s role in the outing of Valerie Plame may soon become public, thanks to a lawsuit filed by a non-profit watchdog group. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing the Department of Justice for failing to release records related to their investigation of the Plame leak. The House Judiciary Committee has sought access to these records for more than a year. (CREW)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) appears likely to win the Republican nomination for re-election to Congress despite ongoing allegations of corruption, and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has won the Republican party’s nomination for re-election to the Senate despite a criminal indictment. Both congressmen have gotten into hot water for failing to report gifts from the the VECO corporation. (New York Times)
The fate of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick could be in the hands of Michigan’s Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm. Granholm has scheduled a hearing to determine whether Kilpatrick should be removed from office. Kilpatrick currently faces 10 felony charges, including bribery and misconduct in office. The hearing will begin September 3. (AP)
To no one’s surprise, the courting of high-end fundraisers is in high gear at the Democratic National Convention, as the biggest donors enjoy greater access to candidates, tremendous amenities and special private events. Rewards for big donors at the Convention include a private, invitation-only concert at Red Rocks featuring Sheryl Crow and Dave Matthews, a plush hotel private breakfast with the candidates, and luxury skyboxes for Obama’s acceptance speech at Invesco Field. “The more donors chip in, the more access they buy,” according to Craig Holman of Public Citizen. We can expect a similar scene at the Republican Convention next week. (USA Today)
There will be no free Kanye for House staffers, according to the House Ethics Committee. Congressional staff members had been offered free tickets to tonight’s highly anticipated concert to kick off the One Campaign, an effort by a group of musicians including Kanye West to end global poverty. However, the Ethics Committee has determined that accepting the tickets would constitute an illegal gift. (Washington Post)
A former marine took the stand Tuesday in the ongoing trial of Jose Nazario, the Marine on trial for the murder of four unarmed Iraqi detainees. Cory Carlisle testified for the prosecution that Nazario killed the Iraqis while the Marines were conducting a house search, and after they had already searched the house for weapons. (AP)