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Stevens Case 'Whistle-Blower' Revealed To Be FBI Agent
We now know that the federal employee alleging government misconduct in the Ted Stevens case is a special agent with the FBI, according to a heavily redacted version of the agent's complaint released today.
While working on Operation Polar Pen -- the wide-ranging probe into public corruption in Alaska whose most prominent catch has been Ted Stevens -- the agent "witnessed or learned of serious violations of policy, rules, and procedures as well as possible criminal violations."
Among the agent's more eye-popping charges -- which you can read here -- is that an unnamed government employee "accepted multiple things of value from sources," including "drawing/artwork, house-hunting assistance and employment for ___."
TPMmuckraker can't help but wonder how the artwork in question compares to Ted Stevens' salmon statue -- one of the unreported gifts that led the government to prosecute the elderly senator in the first place.
Another of the agent's charges: that a member of the DOJ Public Integrity Section "inappropriately created [a] scheme to relocate [a] prosecution witness that was also subpoenaed by defense during trial." This charge -- which involves witness Robert Williams, the manager of the makeover of the Stevens family chalet -- also emerged during the trial.
And it looks like the government is playing the role of the ill-prepared pupil yet again in the case, as Judge Emmett Sullivan points out in a fairly devastating footnote accompanying the complaint. (Keep in mind here that the complaint was due to be posted on the publicly available electronic docket at 4 p.m. today):
Despite having had the Court's redactions for nearly 48 hours, the government contacted the Court at 3:00 p.m. on December 22, 2008, an hour before posting, with additional requests for redactions. ...The remaining two [of the government's] requests pertain to an individual's name that was not redacted by the government in the government's own proposed redactions. [emphasis Sullivan's]
This is from the same crack government team whose major typo -- in the official indictment -- was caught by the jury during deliberations.
Josh
Zachary
Lucky for them that they are all civil servants and exempt from actual penalties (like firing).
Lucky for Stevens that this country has devolved so much that we actually have clowns like this working at ALL levels of the government...
Unlucky for the common folks out here in the real world who, once again are getting screwed by a corrupt government in all areas, and...
Unlucky for this democracy of ours which is only holding on by a shoestring...
December 22, 2008 7:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's looking more and more likely that Stevens is going to get a new trial.
I'm sure this time he won't exercise his right for a speedy trial, he'll choose to drag things out as long as possible. At the very least, it should keep him out of jail for another year or so.
If and when he does get a new trial, I expect he'll have a pretty good shot of beating the charges. There will probably be further sanctions against the prosecution, perhaps even disallowing some of the evidence presented in the first go round.
Additionally, Stevens should be smart enough to keep his angry ass off the stand the second time around. The jurors were very clear about Stevens testimony, they said it was a prime factor in their decision to convict. Hell, if I were Stevens lawyer, I'd be up front and tell him that if he insists on testifying again, he needs to find a new lawyer.
In the end, Stevens may not die a convicted felon and I could care less. I'm just glad he's out of the Senate and will be too old to run again against Begich in six years.
Then again, if he were to get a new trial and beat the charges before the 2010 elections, I wonder if he'd try to run against Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary? That would be a hell of a primary, Palin, Murkowski, and Uncle Ted.
December 22, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it too late to sell Alaska back to the Russians?
December 22, 2008 8:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
How about we sell it for 20 trillion dollars? Wipe out our entire debt, make a profit and lose the lamest state (in terms of citizenry) in the nation - all in one fell swoop.
December 22, 2008 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Russians have to take Sarah or no deal. Otherwise, let's move on this, it's a firm go.
December 22, 2008 11:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
wtf?
I hoped the incredible screwups in the trial that almost got Stevens set free(isn't he convicted and walking free now?)were just a fluke. Looks like someone may have grounds for appeal. Could that have been the point all along? Or could a US Attorney be that stupid or have a staff that inept?
I know its Alaska and all but still.
December 22, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't you remember that in the last eight years every department and agency under the Executive Branch's control has been stacked with incompetents? For Monica Goodling to hire you to the US Attorneys' office, all you really needed was to have voted correctly (i.e., Republican) and never done anything at all controversial.
So even if the US Attorney in charge is sharp, the chances are that numerous underlings don't know one end of a prosecution from another.
And this isn't an Alaskan US Attorney: This was tried in DC. What better place to load in the Republican tools, knowing that if a Repub senator or congressman needed to be spanked, it would likely go to a DC federal court.
I'd like to see every person hired at Justice (which includes the FBI) ousted by the Obama administration. Even if some of them are competent, it's better to err on the side of caution.
I want all of the ideologues gone. Let hiring be done on a nonpartisan basis and with competence and experience as the guiding criteria for anything but the most political of positions. Wouldn't that be a nice change?
December 22, 2008 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn. I didn't realize this was tried in DC. So this was the DC US Attorney?
I'd like to see them clean house too. I'd like every burrowing scumbag to be fired. It won't be hard to sort out the Monica Goodlings ,the people with degrees from small bible colleges and sending mass emails about bible study after work, the ones lying, cheating, stealing and breaking every rule they study.
I can't wait for the switch over. They've ruined the entire government from top to bottom.
December 23, 2008 12:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
I would settle for a reduction in force which would be extensive enough to get rid of everyone hired in the last eight years. That would even get rid of those moles with civil service status.
It is past time for the adults to take over.
.
December 23, 2008 7:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
The craven motherfuckers would hand you a political loyalty form to fill out, and if you objected because you were applying for a non-partisan Civil Service job, they'd "check" and report the form wasn't necessary after all even though they had "thought" it was. Then you wouldn't get the job. "What I want to know is what has got you so excited about coming to help George W. Bush?!"
December 23, 2008 8:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
TM, stupidity and ineptitude is almost guaranteed, especially in this ideologically stacked DoJ. Yes. A complete-sweep house cleaning is necessary.
However, I suspect that -- more than just attempting to screw up this case to set Stevens free -- the DoJ "screw-ups" were just as likely designed to disguise the tendrils of corruption extending to other Repubs in DC, and maybe even directly into the Bush admin.
That level of corruption is their style.
I work for an Indian Tribe that was near ground zero in the Abramoff corruption scandal. I personally know the former chief and his legislative affairs officer that were directly tied to both Abramoff and Mike Scanlon. I personally handled the photo of the chief shaking hands with Bush just off the WH drive, with the legislative affairs officer standing in the background.
I remember that LAO telling me how Abramoff arranged all sorts of such meet-and-greets, and also remember him suggesting that pipeline ran through Rove.
I know these dots don't necessarily connect in the same way as here with the Stevens case. But it's a pattern of corrupt influence peddling that the Repubs of the past eight years have wallowed in, with tendrils leading to shocking -- though not surprising -- heights.
And it's a pattern this government hating crew of criminals will go to any lengths to hide.
December 23, 2008 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
I like "BVD"'s idea above the best.
Let's get some dough for Alaska, mourn the loss of a few citizens, and apply the money to rebuilding the remaining 49.
December 23, 2008 12:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Every organization has some folks who are not the best. Is it possible that the Gonzo Justice Dept. deliberately gave this case to its loser team in anticipation of a failed prosecution?
December 23, 2008 1:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Dumping Alaska is a great idea. Give it back to the caribou and the wolves. They were there first.
December 23, 2008 1:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
The document is basically illegible, not even counting the redactions. I see no reason to assume this report is credible or substantive at this time.
And sell Alaska to Canada, please.
December 23, 2008 1:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ads per usual with the Bush administration, I have to wonder if these DOJ screwups were done accidentally on purpose.
-AF
Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud
December 23, 2008 6:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
hmmm this is very interesting. Makes us all wonder if that other fbi guy who just got jacked up over that hollywood thing was on to something as well..he must have stepped on somebodys toes...shoot man....read between the lines...wow talk about a cult of self-serving goodie two shoes
December 23, 2008 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink