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Report: Angry Intel Officers Tipped Pelosi To Harman Wiretap
Another day, another advance by CQ's Jeff Stein on his Harman-AIPAC story...
Late last night, Stein reported that, after Alberto Gonzales quashed the FBI probe into Rep. Harman for political reasons, intelligence officials, angry about Gonzo's move, told Nancy Pelosi about the wiretap that had picked up Harman talking to a suspected Israeli agent -- defying the AG's order that Pelosi not be informed.
That was how Pelosi learned about the wiretap -- not through an official briefing, as she implied yesterday in comments to reporters.
"She knew. We made sure she knew," one of the former intel officials told Stein, chuckling.
It's unclear how informing Pelosi -- then the House minority leader -- would have served the interests of the intel officials who wanted to investigate Harman. Perhaps they felt that, if they couldn't continue the probe, they could at least make sure Harman paid a political price.
They may have been successful in that regard. Pelosi didn't appoint Harman to the job she was seeking -- House Intelligence chair -- and there have been suggestions that this was in part because Pelosi knew about the wiretap issue.
In another development yesterday, the office of Rep. Silvestre Reyes, who got that intel chair job Harman wanted, announced that he'll begin an investigation into the Harman incident, as well as that New York Times report from last week about another incident of a member of Congress being wiretapped.
Josh
Zachary
Here's some tinfoil hat, wild speculation- how many other cngressmen and women were neutralized by Gonzales with revelations of taped conversations to make sure Bush policies sailed through unchallenged?
It sounds to me like Harman was blackmailed as an asset of Israeli Intelligence.
Crazy, I know.
April 23, 2009 11:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep it is looking more and more like black mail.
April 23, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your aren't wearing a tinfoil hat. We know that after Gonzo took over as AG the DOJ was turned into the political arm of the Republican party (at least Bush's branch.) That Gonzo would wiretap members of Congress and use the information for the administration's political purposes should not surprise anyone. It is what happens when there is no oversight and the folks in charge lack any kind of integrity.
My guess is we are all well and truly screwed. We will never again live in a free society. Freedom is an antiquated historical artifact. The folks at the top are utterly unaccountable and uncontrollable.
April 23, 2009 12:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nope. Not surprised in the least. And yeah, this is what you get when your government (and we have to implicate both parties here) decides that surveilling its citizens is the Thing To Do.
But Ron, as any prisoner knows, freedom is in your head :) Privacy OTOH, at least as it existed prior to say oh the 1990's, is probably a thing of the past.
April 23, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe Gonzo wanted Pelosi to be influenced by an Israeli agent to name Harman to the intelligence committee.
Any USATTs want to speculate about what charges could be brought against Pelosi if this had happened?
April 23, 2009 2:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
This actually sounds like the old J. Edgar Hoover days, when he had secret files on every member of Congress (and the executive branch as well). Whenever J. Egdar wanted something, he just reminded the person he wanted it from that there was a file sitting in his office . . . .
April 23, 2009 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
And Bush sits in Texas, unscathed.
April 23, 2009 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
And always will.
The Bushies truly are the American version of the Duvaliers.
April 23, 2009 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reyes, the epitome of useless Congressmen, seems more pissed that anyone of his august institution should be captured in a wiretapped conversation, then the ethics or illegality recorded.
April 23, 2009 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is this how AIPAC works? Have prominent political contributors threaten members of congress? Do our bidding or we'll cut off the money? Are bribery and coercion crimes? AIPAC, not just Harman, should be investigated by both the DOJ and Congress.
April 23, 2009 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, this is how AIPAC works.
This has been another another simple answer to a simple question.
April 23, 2009 12:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I would kind of like it if our politicians didn't have to bow down to AIPAC. I remember being appalled during the primaries that John Edwards had to make nice with them. Then I found out how powerful they are. It explains a lot, unfortunately.
April 23, 2009 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Do our bidding or we'll cut off the money"
If Bibi keeps flapping his jowls about ignoring Palestinian talks until we do something about Iran, this may be his next message from Obama.
Bout goddam time.
April 23, 2009 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, some of us dirty fucking hippies suggested that the Bushies' warrantless domestic wiretapping could easily have been used to spy on political opponents and give valuable political intel to the GOP *cough Kerry 2004 cough*.
We were dismissed as tinfoil hat loonies. We may soon find out that once again the DFH's were proved fucking right.
April 23, 2009 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've always had a sneaking, if unspoken, suspicion of this too. After initially suggesting that the Ohio results would be contested, Kerry caved very suddenly a few hours later and, as if he was a butler, handed the win to Bush on a silver platter. After such a brutal campaign, with the momentum and numbers going his way, it seemed way too conciliatory for Kerry to just quit without challenging the outcome, even if only for appearance's sake. When I saw that happen, I thought immediately that the Bush campaign had an ace-in-the-hole that they pulled out to get Kerry to concede...
April 23, 2009 12:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know about that - outright blackmail - though it is certainly a possibility. I am thinking more along the lines of the Bush/Cheney 2004 campaign getting political intel on what the Kerry campaign was up to.
Karl Rove is very well-known for dirty tricks in his campaigns, just like some football coaches are well-known for using trick plays on the field.
April 23, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dude. The DFH track record is looking entirely too good in the 21st century...
April 23, 2009 1:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look, please try and understand what could have happened in this particular case, and not maybe what you would have liked to happened in this particular case.
What could have happened in this case is our NSA, FBI, maybe even CIA were actually trying to do their job and was tracking an individual that was suspected of espionage -- that Harman got caught exposing herself to a 'completed crime' while this is going on -- doesn't look to me to be the the fault of the NSA, FBI, or even CIA.
Another important point, in this case, it appears -- the wiretap[s?] DID have a warrant Goss signed off on it/them... Probably didn't happen alot with the Bush administration, but for those actually wanting to protect our intelligence and to follow protocol and try and carry out a 'legitimate' investigation it looks like they were trying to follow the book with Harman?
So, you taking about warrantless domestic wiretapping, which is bad [although Harman seemed to like the idea] doesn't appear to be the case with this wiretap. And the result of that wiretap, if true, shows me that woman shouldn't be anywhere near US 'intelligence' matters -- that includes where she currently sits on the Homeland Security Commmittee on Intelligence and as CHAIRPERSON no less... god..
At the end of the day, the 'CONTENTS' of this wiretap should not be dismissed -- and IMVHO there should be an investigation into the context and contents of those wiretaps asap. But to have solely an investigation by the Intelligence committee trying to looking into a case featuring one of its own -- that is some joke!
Basically, as it stands now one of their own has been caught [on tape] peddling influence over an freaking espionage case -- and all they appear to want to go do is go over whether the warrant covered her? Hello... She's a congresswoman saying she was prepared to interfere in a intelligence case -- did she notify any of you guys?, especially when she was dealing with highly sensitive material? -- and nobody wants to address this? Do they have any idea bad how this really looks -- on THEM?
April 23, 2009 1:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to Woodward -- they did have some help from Carville.
April 23, 2009 1:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Screw forward looking. Everyday there is a new revelation of some crime committed by the Bush administration. It is time we unwound the entire criminal enterprise.
April 23, 2009 12:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
We always wondered why so many Dems cut the Bushies so much slack. Now we know why for certain. Harmon should go. Pelosi, Reid, Conyers, Leahy, Rockefeller, et al. - I say get rid of the whole lot. They're no good.
Besides that, the real story is the Bush WH/DOJ blackmailing Dems in Congress. I'm sure there's a lot more of that waiting to come out. Their lawlessness touched every nook & crannie of government.
April 23, 2009 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can Pat Leahy clean up this mess? Not confident about a special prosecutor like Pat Fitzgerald because he let Rove skate away.
April 23, 2009 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think Fitz would be a poor choice. For all the advance kudos the guy got, I think in general he did a poor job of it.
April 23, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agree. He was more overhyped than New Coke or the first Amazon kindle.
April 23, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
No wonder those on the right hate Pelosi...she wouldn't play nice with them, wouldn't give them what they wanted, a spy that could be blackmailed...my approval of the House Speaker just went up....
April 23, 2009 1:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe the intel folk who leaked to Pelosi wanted to make sure she didn't nominate as chair of a powerful intelligence committee an Israeli agent in Dior.
April 23, 2009 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
The motivation doesn't really seem that mysterious, eh?
April 23, 2009 3:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I had worked on several committees of the US House before I became aware of AIPAC's power.....phone calls to them are returned like lightning.....members jump through hoops to accommodate them....it is sickening.
I once asked the boss why they seemed more important than constituents from his own district....he didn't have an answer for me and he only lasted 1 term.
To me, I have contempt for all lobbyists (with the exception of citizen groups) but especially for AIPAC....the should not tell us how to conduct policy, foreign or domestic.
April 23, 2009 2:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
AIPAC and the NRA.
April 23, 2009 2:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, a warrant for wiretaps of a known Democratic fundraiser and contributor.
Wait - are you saying Porter Goss had the authority to approve FISA warrants?
Oh, OK - he signed off on submitting the warrants to a FISA ruling. I wonder why he was so interested, to the point of actually creating a paper trail, when the order of the day was to simply circumvent FISA altogether.
Don't you?
April 23, 2009 2:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you need to caught up on the news...
According to sources the identity of the suspected 'Israeli agent' is still unknown:
Maybe Mueller needed a personal day that particular day?:
I think Goss is a dick, [ok happy?]. I'm sure he didn't like handing out warrants as he probably wanted most of the spying to go warrantless -- however, it seems from Stein's reporting that this particular investigative team wanted to try and do their investigation by the books[?] and got lucky that day, maybe coz Goss had a thing about Harman -- Not a lucky break for Harman, but if the results from the wiretap turn out to be true -- then the investigative team sound as if they had a legitimate concern. And, I'm sure there are many other congresscritters on both sides of the aisle that deserve to be legitimately investigated for influence peddling, but c'est la vie -- that's the way government seems works -- Maybe they should start thinking about appropriate oversight for everybody rather than just voting to save their own skins -- not holding my breathe tho'.
At the end of the day, it doesn't change what is alleged to be on the tape and that were are told she committed a 'completed crime,' and it was concerning a a high profile espionage trial. That's not small fry.
So, it doesn't look to me, in this particular case, the investigative team wanted to circumvent FISA?
Now, what Gonzo wanted to do with what was on the wiretap -- that could be a whole other matter.
April 23, 2009 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Catch" up on the news...
April 23, 2009 3:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe you are correct. I did find more info the following day, but have since lost track of the current state of information.
I would be suspicious of the monitoring of someone who's involved in Democratic party fund-raising.
Republican administrations have a poor track record of following the law and conventions of human decency where this subject is concerned.
Cf. Watergate
May 13, 2009 1:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Porter Goss. Sounds like a used car salesman from Wichita Falls. "Y'all come on down, got great deals on some used Ford F-150s heah ... and we'll wiretap ya for free!"
April 23, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Whoa, hang on a minute... _Harman_ was not wiretapped.
She talked on the phone to an AIPAC agent who _was_ wiretapped. Obviously, if you talk on the phone to somebody whose phone is tapped, you get recorded.
This nonsense about Harman having been wiretapped needs to be nipped in the bud.
April 23, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just lost a shitload of typing because of this dumb preview feature... god.
Anyways...
Yes you're right... I wish there was an edit function whereby I could edit some of what I've edited above...
That Harman was captured during a FISA wiretap. Although FISA warrants can be signed after a wiretap as well can't they?
April 23, 2009 4:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
...edit some of what I've written above.
April 23, 2009 4:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
"That Harman was captured... "
Brings to mind her being frogmarched off to jail or to Gitmo.
Her voice was captured, not her.
April 25, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
What I wouldn't give to know who the supposed Israeli agent is...
April 23, 2009 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Since that Israeli agent's phone was wiretapped, it is unrealistic to believe that the FBI doesn't know who it is.
To believe that, you would have to believe that all the phones at AIPAC are wiretapped and all the conversations are recorded.
It would be possible that the FISA warrant was only asked for after Harman got caught on tape. This would give cover for any future action by the FBI in developing a case against Harman.
Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.
April 24, 2009 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
"..."It would be possible that the FISA warrant was only asked for after Harman got caught on tape. This would give cover for any future action by the FBI in developing a case against Harman..."
Apparently not according to the New York Times today:
So, again it appears Harman's 'deal-making' with the suspected Israeli operative was "captured" on a wiretap under a legitimate FISA warrant tracking their target, i.e. the suspected Israeli operative.
Then, for the FBI to formally start an investigation on Harman, it would make sense for the FBI to then obtain a separate FISA warrant to carry out future wiretaps on Harman -- to track her phone calls to see how she intended to carry out the deal -- It is my understanding, that it was then that Gonzo intervened and told the investigative team to stand down and not to proceed with the investigation -- note, for political reasons, not for justice reasons -- as Harman was useful to them.
Also, I think it's worth noting that Harman had already been, of a own accord, a reliable defender and cheerleader of Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, as well as the many other anti-democratic, and usual Bush/AIPAC Iraq/Iran war type legislation -- All this well before she was caught on tape. So, to say she was blackmailed to follow orders from Bush due to the tapes doesn't seem that credible to me.
Also, from witnessing all her shock and outrage over the last few days, it appears she had 'no idea' she had been taped until only a couple of days ago.
April 24, 2009 9:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ouch just thought... would it really be a FISA warrant request for Harman? -- I'm wondering maybe a normal surveillance warrant, like in Blago's case? -- Although what happens if they wanted to track calls going to a embassy etc, wondering if there is any cross-over issues there.
Anyways.
April 24, 2009 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
"when the government was renewing its requests to a special court".
Why wouldn't the NYT identify that "special court"?
The NYT knows that the FISA court exists to approve wiretaps. Why the "special court" euphemism unless this was a different court?
.
April 25, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you are so concerned on semantics why don't you email the journalists at the NYTimes and find out?
April 25, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not so concerned about the semantics used by the New York Times as I am about the possible false interpretation of the lack of clarity in the wording used by the NYT.
April 26, 2009 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
'lack of clarity'
Yeah -- funny that...
and that's not the only lack of clarify they have in their piece.
April 27, 2009 2:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
arh... clarity
April 27, 2009 2:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Where is the speculation as to motives coming from? The CQ article says:
Sounds like Gonzalez's order went against the protocol, no?
April 23, 2009 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
What to do with Jane Harman? If she stays, you may as well put up a 'For Sale' sign outside every Congressmember's door and every voting booth. You know why they're called Democrats?
April 23, 2009 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
"you may as well put up a 'For Sale' sign outside every Congressmember's door "
The only thing missing are the signs. Anyone following the news knows that votes in the US Congress are for sale - either in return for favors, for votes on other bills, or just for cash.
.
April 25, 2009 10:00 AM | Reply | Permalink