« previous | MUCK HOME | next »
Waas: DOJ Probe Has Expanded to the White House
Murray Waas confirmed today something we've suspected for a long time: that the Justice Department has widened the net in the Inspector General's U.S. attorneys firing probe to include allegations that senior White House officials made false statements to Congress.
From the Huffington Post:
The Justice Department investigation into the firings of nine U.S. attorneys has been extended to encompass allegations that senior White House officials played a role in providing false and misleading information to Congress, according to numerous sources involved in the inquiry.. . . Federal investigators have obtained documents showing that Kyle Sampson, then-chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Chris Oprison, then an associate White House counsel, drafted and approved the letter even though they had first-hand knowledge that the assertions were not true.
The letter referenced was sent from the Justice Department to Congress on February 23, 2007 and denied Karl Rove's involvement in the replacement of fired U.S. Attorney Bud Cummins by Rove protege Tim Griffin.
Just a month later, however, the DOJ was forced to admit that the February letter had been "contradicted by Department documents."
Most notable in those "Department documents," was an email between Sampson and Oprison on December 19, 2006 in which Sampson wrote that getting Griffin appointed was "important to Harriet, Karl, etc." The email from Sampson, who was chief of staff to Alberto Gonzales at the time, directly contradicted the DOJ's earlier denial.
Sampson bumbled his way through an explanation of this discrepancy during his testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee in March of 2007.
We pulled the video from our archives. Take a look:
Josh
Zachary
Educated guess:
Because we are now in the "safe zone" for some actual oversight by Congress (minimal: no tipping over the boat please, just rock it slightly, froth at the mouth, and appear to be somewhat functional)... and because oversight is clearly heading straight for the pack of liars and crooks from the current maladministrator on down... it's time that the DOJ appear to be something other than the maladministrator's personal lawbreaking agency.
Therefore, to deflect blame or at least stop it from reaching the top, it's deemed in the best interests of those who might not find prison a good option to thrown certain underlings (hacks) under the bus with orders to take the fall and otherwise shut up. Hence DOJ is now "investigating".
This is, of course, the old exercise of politics that falls under the heading, "Crimes will be committed. Others will be blamed".
This pattern does not fare well for all the others not yet sacrificed. Some may consider themselves in similar peril. Therefore we may very well see from a few of the less-strident, less religious, less strident, and more intelligent few, an attempt to save themselves by grabbing the rug that leads to the scene of the crime and yanking hard while they still can.
In other words, the maladminstration may find itself in a rather inconvenient position where previous blood pacts of secrecy and silence are abandoned in favour of reason and sanity.
Of course, with emails lost and documents shredded (maybe) it might come down to one word against another. Who do believe?! What a quandry.
Irony - those on the inside may well do the job Congress cannot find the balls to do on their own which is to reveal the crimes and force "justice", and correction, to come at long last.
August 7, 2008 5:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
It we wanted Congress to do anything aobut this wicked administration, we should ahve sent more Democrats to the House and the Senate. An impeachment charge takes a super majority in the Senate to convict. As I recall the House presently has 234 Democratic Party Members. Not the 290 votes necessary for impeachment. That there is no impeachment is due to the 2006 election results. The answer, send more Democrats and elect a Democratic President and then their Justice Dept. cah bring charges against this mob in the White House now.
August 8, 2008 4:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yet again, it don't mean a thing unless Congress does something as result of these findings.
August 7, 2008 6:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
If the documents give the investigators Sampson and Oprison, do they give them Rove?
August 7, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
No justice will ever come, as far as Bush toadies are concerned. Bush will pardon the lot of them as he leaves office. Any he forgets will be pardoned by Obama to avoid the long distraction such an investigation and trial would entail. We might as well be ready to accept that they all got off scott free, and many will show up in high positions in the next Republican administration.
August 7, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would note that a presidential pardon must be specific... hence, a generic pardon by Dubya doesn't work and further, I cannot agree that Obama would attempt derail any investigation or trial as it can only benefit the party and hence, the country to have the GOP in the dock. Something to keep in mind, only a sitting president can assert executive privilege... hence, come 1/20/09, Dubya's assertions die by default.... I don't Obama asserting executive privilege to protect the GOP and/or the Dubya crowd... he merely steps back and allows the justice process to do its work as it is only to his benefit to do so.... Obama is no a institutionalist in the vein of Cheney... he is a constitutionalist....
August 7, 2008 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oprison was an unsuccessful candidate for the Virginia State Assembly in 2002 or 2004. He lost but landed in the White House Counsel's Office. His candidacy brought in donations and consultants who were involved in the 2004 voter suppression schemes, including Jill Holtzman-Vogel. Do a little Googling and you'll see how Oprison was selected to do the White House's dirty work.
August 8, 2008 12:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
That is one of the myriad reasons to elect a Democratic President whose Justice Department can charge the liars with all their crimes.
August 8, 2008 4:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
If the Democratic Party gains complete control of both the House and Senate, then we may see the results of all the letters for information that is being sent out now.
But by using inherent contempt charges, congress (both chambers) can use the Sgt. at arms to arrest people. Why they aren't doing so is a very good question.
August 8, 2008 7:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
What's in a name? Someone named Oprison should not be released into a field of clover...no, he and his cabal of lying liars deserve a lengthy sentence.
August 8, 2008 10:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
By her actions and testimony you can see Monica Goodling is the weak link, a real lightweight, I'd go after her and try to get her to turn. She'll cave easily.
August 8, 2008 10:39 AM | Reply | Permalink