Media

Report: Before Congressional Run, Scarborough Represented Killer Of Abortion Doctor

Zachary Roth | June 5, 2009, 6:07PM

Over the last week, MSNBC has led the cable-news charge in covering the George Tiller murder -- and the questions it's raised about how implicated the wider anti-abortion movement is in the violence. Rachel Maddow, Keith Olbermann, and Chris Matthews have all covered the story -- Maddow with particular distinction. But until today, one MSNBC show has been conspicuous for its reluctance to touch this major story. That would be Morning Joe, hosted by Joe Scarborough.

This morning, Scarborough publicly addressed the story, for what appears to be the first time. But what he talked about was his own past ties to an anti-abortion killer. And his comments -- which seemed designed largely to minimize those ties -- appear to conflict with other reported facts about the incident.

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New York Times

NYT: We Made Big Mistakes On Front-Page Gitmo Story, But We Did Not Get Spun

Justin Elliott | June 5, 2009, 3:54PM

The New York Times has published a lengthy "Editors' Note" rolling back key claims in its front-page story on Guantanamo "recidivism" last month, and the paper's Washington bureau chief concedes it wouldn't have been a Page 1 story if the paper realized the errors in the story when it ran.

"It's something that we thought we needed to explain to readers to amplify the story and to correct something we got wrong," Dean Baquet, NYT Washington bureau chief, told TPMmuckraker.

Baquet added that, given the factual errors, "I'm not sure it would have led the paper" but still believes that the piece was "a legitimate news story."

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FBI

Justice Department To Probe Tiller Killing

Zachary Roth | June 5, 2009, 3:34PM

The Justice Department has announced an investigation into whether federal crimes were committed in connection with the murder of Dr. George Tiller.

In a press release, DOJ writes that it will probe whether there were violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act or other federal statutes in the case.

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Pete Hoekstra

Hoekstra: Leaking Classified Info Is Terrible -- Except When GOP Does It

Zachary Roth | June 5, 2009, 12:59PM

Now this is some chutzpah....

You might remember that a few years ago, Washington's Republicans were all up in arms over the fact that classified information about the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program had been leaked to the New York Times. The Justice Department began an investigation into the leak, and congressional GOPers gravely declared what a serious crime this was.

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Alaska

Stevens Prosecutors Messed Up Other Alaska Corruption Cases

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 6:19PM

It looks like it wasn't just the Ted Stevens case in which Justice Department prosecutors screwed up.

Attorney General Eric Holder has found similar missteps in the convictions of two former Alaska state representatives, Victor Kohring and Peter Kott, and has asked that the two be released from prison, reports the AP.

Those convictions sprang from the same wide-ranging probe of corruption in Alaska politics. It was also the same DOJ prosecution team. Five of the six prosecutors in the Stevens case -- William Welch, Joseph Bottini, James Goeke, Nicholas Marsh, and Edward Sullivan -- ran the Kohring and Kott prosecutions.

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FBI

FBI 9/11 Whistleblower: Bureau Dropped The Ball On Tiller Case

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 5:51PM

We told you earlier about questions over whether the FBI responded aggressively enough to detailed information it got about Scott Roeder, who's charged with killing Kansas doctor George Tiller.

And one prominent former bureau veteran says the answer is no.

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PMA

Hoyer: PMA Issue "Ought To Be Looked At"

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 1:50PM

Rep. Steny Hoyer wants an ethics probe of lawmakers' ties to PMA.

Yesterday, the House number two pushed through a resolution requiring the Ethics committee to disclose whether it's investigating members who took money from the now-defunct lobbying firm. And speaking at a breakfast event today, reports The Hill, Hoyer made clear that the true intent of the measure was a declaration that "this is a serious matter and ought to be looked at." He also said Speaker Nancy Pelosi supported the move.

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FBI

Before Tiller Murder, FBI Got Detailed Info On Roeder's Illegal Activity

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 11:56AM

Earlier this week, we raised questions about whether the FBI acted aggressively enough after getting a tip about Scott Roeder, who's been charged with murdering Kansas doctor George Tiller.

And those questions are only getting louder. Last night, the abortion clinic worker who had provided that tip went on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show, where he laid out Roeder's various efforts to vandalize the clinic -- starting in 2000 and culminating the day before Tiller's murder -- as well as the detailed information that the FBI received about the incidents.

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Duke Cunningham

Cunningham Crony Charged In $92 Million Mortgage Fraud

Zachary Roth | June 4, 2009, 11:09AM

It looks like laundering bribes on behalf of Duke Cunningham may not have been the only shady activity that Thomas Kontogiannis had going on.

The politically connected Greek real-estate developer -- who's already serving jail time for his role in the Cunningham scheme -- has been indicted, along with eight others, for an alleged mortgage fraud scheme, which swindled Washington Mutual and a unit of Credit Suisse out of $92 million.

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Lobbyists

Riches To Rags For Abramoff Clan?

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 6:07PM

Jack Abramoff's wife and five children are living "just above the poverty line" in a house with a leaky roof which they can't afford to live in but, given its depressed price, also can't afford to sell.

That's according to lawyers for the disgraced former lobbyist, who are arguing in court that Abramoff should be allowed to keep spending a tax refund of more than $520,000 to pay legal and other bills. Last month, the Justice Department moved to stop Abramoff from using the refund to pay the bills, arguing that he first must pay $23 million in restitution to the Indian tribes he swindled.

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Pete Visclosky

Ethics Committee Must Reveal Whether It's Probing Lawmakers' Ties To PMA

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 4:57PM

Drip, drip.

We should soon know whether the House Ethics committee is probing any lawmakers' ties to the now-defunct PMA lobbying group. The House has passed Rep. Steny Hoyer's resolution to force the committee to disclose the issue, reports Roll Call. The vote was 270-134.

Federal investigators are looking into whether PMA gave campaign contributions in exchange for earmarks. Two powerful Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Pete Visclosky and John Murtha have received the most scrutiny for their ties to PMA. Last week, Visclosky acknowledged that he had been subpoenaed in connection with the probe.

John Murtha

Is Ethics Panel Probing Lawmakers' PMA Ties? Hoyer Wants To Know

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 2:37PM

The PMA story is starting to become a major headache for congressional Democrats.

RollCall reports that Rep. Steny Hoyer, the House number 2, plans this afternoon to offer a measure designed to force the House Ethics committee to reveal whether it's investigating senior Democratic appropriators' ties to the now-defunct lobbying firm.

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Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi Directs That Lawmakers' Expenses Be Posted Online

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 2:11PM

It's been tough times for investigative journalists lately. But is Speaker Nancy Pelosi coming to the rescue?

In a letter to the Chief Administrative Officer of the House posted on her blog, the Speaker has directed that the quarterly disbursement statements of members of the House be posted online. The statements document the expenditures of every congressional office. Currently, they're only available by going in person to Congress's Legislative Resource Center.

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Dick Cheney

Cheney's Campaign To Keep Lawmakers In Line On Torture

Zachary Roth | June 3, 2009, 12:11PM

The Washington Post reports today that, during 2005, Dick Cheney sat in on several of those CIA torture briefings, in an effort to persuade wavering lawmakers to keep backing the torture program.

The news doesn't really come as a shock -- indeed, some close observers had already guessed that the then-veep was involved in the briefings. But it does add to the picture of Cheney embarking during the middle years of the Bush administration on a focused, stealthy campaign to make sure the US didn't give up what he saw as its right to torture.

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Guantanamo

Gitmo Detainee Dead In "Apparent Suicide"

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 6:33PM

A Guantanamo detainee has died in what the military are calling an "apparent suicide" -- and civil liberties groups are calling for action.

Guards found 31-year-old Muhammad Ahmad Abdallah Salih, known as Al-Hanashi, unresponsive and not breathing in his cell Monday night, U.S. military officials announced, according to the AP.

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FBI

Did FBI Fail To Act On Roeder Tip?

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 5:50PM

Did a failure of law enforcement help lead to the murder of Kansas doctor George Tiller?

Earlier today we told you about evidence that the FBI may have failed to follow up on a tip it got about Scott Roeder, who this afternoon was charged with Tiller's killing. CNN reported that, just a day before Tiller was slain, a worker at a Kansas abortion clinic had seen Roeder trying to tamper with the building's locks, and reported the incident to the Feds. He said he was told in response that the bureau couldn't do anything unless a grand jury was convened.

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Lobbyists

Visclosky's Top Aide "Retires" Amid PMA Probe

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 4:41PM

Not a great day for Rep. Pete Visclosky.

First, he announces that, amid a federal probe of a lobbying firm to which he has close ties, he's handing off responsibility for a key appropriations bill. Now, the Northwest Indiana Times reports that, according to a spokesman for the Indiana Democrat, his top aide has unexpectedly "retired."

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Ricardo Sanchez

General Sanchez: We Asked For Help On Interrogations, But "It Didn't Come"

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 4:27PM

General Ricardo Sanchez, the former top commander of coalition forces in Iraq, has added a bit more detail to his claim last night that his soldiers were "abandoned on the battlefield" by civilian leaders in the Bush administration.

Speaking this afternoon to CNN's Rick Sanchez (no relation), General Sanchez repeated the charge that he and his soldiers were abandoned on the battlefield on the issue of harsh interrogations. General Sanchez explained that this occurred "because of a lack of policy guidance, a lack of structure, a lack of training." He added: "And even when commanders were asking for this help, it didn't come."

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Pete Visclosky

Visclosky Hands Off Key Bill, Citing PMA Probe

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 2:27PM

It looks like Rep. Pete Visclosky is starting to pay a political price for his ties to the now-defunct PMA lobbying firm.

Last week, we told you that the Feds have subpoenaed the Indiana congressman for documents relating to the firm. And now Visclosky has announced that he'll hand off to a colleague responsibility for a key appropriations bill on the subcommittee he chairs.

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Cyril Wecht

Wecht Charges To Be Dropped

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 1:40PM

The charges against Dr. Cyril Wecht, the celebrity forensic pathologist and prominent Pittsburgh-area Democrat, will be dismissed.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, a Bush appointee who had been accused of pursuing a politically motivated prosecution against Wecht, this morning filed a motion to drop the charges, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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Scott Roeder

Roeder Called Himself "Citizen Of The Republic Of Kansas"

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 11:49AM

Yet more details about the extremist background of Scott Roeder, the suspect in the George Tiller murder.

USA Today reports that Roeder "called himself a citizen of the Republic of Kansas who didn't want to pay income or Social Security taxes or register his car."

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Ricardo Sanchez

Gen. Sanchez: My Soldiers Were "Abandoned On The Battlefield"

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 11:23AM

As we told you yesterday, General Ricardo Sanchez, the former top commander in Iraq, called Sunday night for a truth commission to investigate torture, and declared that the practice never produced actionable intelligence.

And last night, speaking to MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, Sanchez repeated his call for the commission. He added that, in the aftermath of the effort, "we must have all options open, from commendation to prosecution," so that we can "move forward and regain the moral high ground that we have lost."

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Right-wing extremism

Source: Roeder Tried To Vandalize Abortion Clinic Saturday

Zachary Roth | June 2, 2009, 10:01AM

It looks like Scott Roeder, the suspect on the murder of George Tiller, was targeting other abortion providers in the days before Tiller's slaying Sunday.

A worker at a clinic in Kansas City, Kansas at which Roeder regularly demonstrated told CNN that early Saturday morning, he "actually chased after" Roeder after catching him trying to pour epoxy into the facility's locks two weekends in a row.

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Barack Obama

Nadler To Hold Hearing On State Secrets

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 6:47PM

We've told you about one way in which President Obama has so far continued his predecessor's tactics: by invoking the state secrets privilege to argue for the dismissal of lawsuits in the war on terror.

And now Congress will consider reforming the State Secrets Act, in an effort to make it more difficult to invoke it when national security concerns are not truly at take.

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George Tiller

Tiller Is Eighth Murdered In Attacks On Abortion Providers

Justin Elliott | June 1, 2009, 6:36PM

The killing of George Tiller in Kansas Sunday was the latest act in three decades of violence aimed at abortion providers. Although the violence dates back to the years immediately following Roe v. Wade in 1973, the first murder occurred in 1993.

Tiller is the eighth person killed in attacks targeting abortion providers, according to data compiled by the National Abortion Federation, the association of U.S. and Canadian abortion providers.

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Department of Homeland Security

DHS Report On Right-Wing Extremism Looking Better After Tiller Murder

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 4:00PM

Remember that report by the Department of Homeland Security about the potential for a rise in right-wing extremism thanks to the election of President Obama and the economic crisis?

It triggered so much outrage on the right that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was forced to apologize. RNC chair Michael Steele said it accused peaceful conservative activists of being "terorrists." Michelle Malkin called it a "hit job" and a "piece of crap" that offered a "sweeping indictment of conservatives." And Andrew McCarthy of National Review called it "appalling" and "nakedly political."

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Scott Roeder

Tiller Suspect "Suffered From Mental Illness"

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 2:41PM

Scott Roeder, the suspect in the George Tiller murder, had suffered from mental illness in the past, according to his family.

In a statement to the Topeka Capital-Journal, Roeder's brother Dave Roeder said:

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Scott Roeder

Tiller Murder Suspect's Wife: He Was Involved In "A Lot Of Anti Stuff"

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 1:03PM

Here's a bit more on Scott Roeder, the suspect in the George Tiller murder. Wichita, Kansas-based KAKE reached Roeder's ex-wife by phone.

According to the woman, who asked that her name not be used, the two have been divorced since 1996, and have a 22-year-old son together. The woman said that one reason for the couple's split was what she called Roeder's radical views. It was in 1996 that Roeder was charged for having bomb-making materials in his car.

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Scott Roeder

Tiller Murder Suspect's Ties To Right-Wing Extremism

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 12:10PM

So who is Scott Roeder, the suspect in the George Tiller murder?

The 51-year-old resident of Merriam, Kansas has a record as a fanatical anti-abortion activist, who had made at least one other threat against an abortion provider. And he also has had ties to the a violent right-wing extremist group that came to prominence in the 1990s.

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Torture

Former Top Iraq Commander Calls For Truth Commission

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 10:54AM

General Ricardo Sanchez, the former top coalition commander in Iraq, has called for a truth commission to investigate abusive interrogation practices.

At an event last night at the Times Center in New York City, reports the Huffington Post, Sanchez blamed the Abu Ghraib abuses on a failure of civilian and military command at all levels, declaring "and that is why I support the formation of a truth commission."

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Torture

Taguba: Rape Photos Not At Issue In Lawsuit -- But They Do Exist

Zachary Roth | June 1, 2009, 9:09AM

Last week, the Daily Telegraph reported that, according to the retired major general who led a probe into torture at Abu Ghraib, some of the photos whose release the Obama administration is trying to block in the ACLU's lawsuit show rape and sexual abuse by members of the US armed forces.

The administration quickly and strongly denied that the photos in the lawsuit showed such acts -- but appeared not to rule out the possibility that other photos did, prompting speculation that the Telegraph might have gotten its photos mixed up.

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