Comments (79)

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 4:31 PM:

Julie Doolittle ran "Sierra Dominion" as her consulting company.

Ex-Congressman, now Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' wife Dawn ran "Sierra Nevada" as her consulting company.

Both turned lots of questionable money.

The Doolittles and the Gibbons' are good friends. Connection?

freepatriot wrote on April 18, 2007 4:33 PM:

raided ???

as in SERVED A VALID SEARCH WARRANT IN THE COURSE OF THEIR OFFICIAL DUTIES ???

is that what they mean by "RAIDED" ???

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 4:34 PM:

Doolittle's toast.

Skeptic wrote on April 18, 2007 4:37 PM:

Attempt to take the heat off of Gonzo-gate and the various e-mail scandals? You decide.

Scare tactic to other Republican members at the hearing tomorrow? A "we've got the goods on you" shot across the bow?

The FBI is part of DOJ and the DOJ is part of the RNC.

EH wrote on April 18, 2007 4:38 PM:

freepatriot: yes, that's usually what constitutes a raid in this country (the united states of america).

Brooklynite wrote on April 18, 2007 4:41 PM:

Hell yeah! Last Congressman I recall being raided like this was one Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

freepatriot, I don't see the problem with the term "raided" . . . it is the standard shorthand for this type of thing. Been used as long as I can remember.

The GOP house of cards keeps on crumbling.

dqueue wrote on April 18, 2007 4:43 PM:

The article at TheHill.com reads: "The FBI searched the Virginia home of Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) last Friday in its investigation into the ties of the congressman and his wife, Julie, to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to law enforcement and other Congressional and K Street sources."

That's some good message control if it's just now breaking...

j swift wrote on April 18, 2007 4:44 PM:

EH, you could make the argument that "serving" a warrant is complete when you hand it to the adult on site.

The search would more proper be termed the "raid" when it is carried out with some stealth and urgency.

You know, no one called up Doolittle's office and said, "Hey Congressman Doolittle we want to search your house. Can you meet us there in say an hour and let us in?"

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 4:47 PM:

Who is the US Attorney in charge of this part of the investigation? Anyone know?

profmarcus wrote on April 18, 2007 4:49 PM:

the bushco/republican/corruption ship of fools has a fire below decks... in addition to the speculation on ring, do you suppose this turn of events has anything to do with information provided by our friend, jack, who is seeking to have his sentence reduced based on his cooperation with the fbi, huh, do ya, huh...?

http://takeitpersonally.blogspot.com/

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 4:49 PM:

I'm not sure who the USA is on the case, but I certainly wish they'd concentrate more on border cases and voter fraud.

Mookie wrote on April 18, 2007 4:56 PM:

And the raid was conducted on the 65th anniversary of THE Doolittle Raid over Tokyo...

bordersmuggler wrote on April 18, 2007 4:58 PM:

I'm not sure who the USA is on the case, but I certainly wish they'd concentrate more on border cases and voter fraud.

Posted by:
Date: April 18, 2007 04:49 PM

Don't forget about protecting our kids.

anon wrote on April 18, 2007 4:59 PM:

I can't imagine what the FBI will find anything interesting at this point. It's been what? nearly two years since we've know that Doolittle was under investigation. Surely, that's enough time to clean up your desk and dip your hard drives in boiling oil. What could Doolittle possibily have at home that would be of interest to investigators? I'm sure it would have been an interesting raid a few years ago but now?

OTOH, if one of those RNC-sponsored blackberries showed up in the raid, that would be interesting.

Code: judge

regular lurker wrote on April 18, 2007 5:01 PM:

Quick question, who is next?

chimpeach wrote on April 18, 2007 5:01 PM:

"Attempt to take the heat off of Gonzo-gate and the various e-mail scandals? You decide."

Busting (eventually) a GOP congressman doesn't exactly take the heat off of Gonzales or the administration. It just reminds everyone of how incredibly corrupt the GOP is. It reinforces what most people already think of Bush and Gonzales.

This just shows that there are still some career DoJ employees who aren't guided by partisan politics or fawning devotion to Bush.

TheOtherWA wrote on April 18, 2007 5:06 PM:

Ooooo, progress. This is good. Something had to have happened for Ring to resign suddenly, and now we know what it was.

I only hope that despite 6 years of Bush, Inc. hiring flunkies, there may be enough professionals left in the DOJ to get the job done.

RandyBastard wrote on April 18, 2007 5:09 PM:

Mookie: That's pretty cool. Thanks for the tid-bit of info. I can maybe win a bar bet on that one. ;-)

ohiomeister wrote on April 18, 2007 5:11 PM:

I think it's whoever is the (interim) U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. Lam had Cunningham in San Diego, and the U.S. Attorney who left the L.A. office to go to the private law firm representing Doolittle (Gibson Dunn?) had been in charge of the Doolittle investigation, IIRC.

Doolittle's actions were probably too blatant for even a total GOP stooge U.S. Atty to ignore, esp. since the career prosecutors would already have known whether they have the goods on Doolittle or not before the interim U.S. Atty arrived.

Mrs. K8 wrote on April 18, 2007 5:12 PM:

Finally, some GOOD NEWS today!

Thanks, Muckrakers, for staying on top of this and every other outrageous ethical swamp you report on!

Security code: "every" -- As in, "Every one of these bastards will be taken down by their own nasty karma sooner or later."

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 18, 2007 5:30 PM:

This will be way too cool for me if it has anything to do with Julia Doolittle's interest in Tech Travelers and an $8 billion Dept of Commerce IT contract (link below):

VIRGINIA STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION
Company Name: TechTravelers, Inc.
Business Address:
TECH TRAVELERS INC ATTN: JULIA DODITTLE;105031 MEREWORTH LN
OAKTON, VA 22124
Type: CORPORATION
Status: REVOKED-AUTOMATIC
Status Date: 8/31/2005
Filing Date: 4/23/2003
Duration: PERPETUAL
State or Country of Incorporation: DELAWARE
Registered Agent:
THOMAS MURRAY
Status: ACTIVE
Creation Date: 6/7/2004
Registered Office:
6531 MEREWORTH LN
OAKTON, VA 22124

Kimberly wrote on April 18, 2007 5:33 PM:

This happened on Friday, so how come we have heard nothing about it for the past 5 days? Were they just waiting for a bigger story, such as the VA Tech shootings, to slip it in unnoticed?

The major newspaper here, the Sacramento Bee, published a story on its online paper at 2:21 pm PDT today. They did print a story about Ring resigning on the 16th, but nothing else until this afternoon.

Great message control indeed!

Punchy wrote on April 18, 2007 5:34 PM:

Good luck finding a single mention of this on any major news organization's website or broadcast.

C 92 wrote on April 18, 2007 5:41 PM:

Brings back memories, doesn't it Mrs. P?

Explosive Logorrhea wrote on April 18, 2007 5:43 PM:

"Were they just waiting for a bigger story, such as the VA Tech shootings, to slip it in unnoticed?"

Not likely; stories like the VAT shootings are once-in-a-blue-mooners (offer void in Iraq).

Although I wouldn't put it past this admin to have tried to squelch the story, only to have insiders with a conscience leak (on the other hand, though, who on K Street has one of those?).

Kyle wrote on April 18, 2007 5:44 PM:

Before the November elections, I gave my parents all this information to show them how corrupt Doolittle is. It is sad how willingly they just brushed it off...and still voted for the man. Lets hope this story gets bigger in the close coming weeks. More ammo for me to show my parents and say "SEE!".

I think my parents were too scared, also, to be represented by a man who would be viewed as a comic strip character, Charlie Brown.

Sharon A wrote on April 18, 2007 5:44 PM:

My favorite analogy is the Black Hole theory.

So that's how I see it, the mass of the Bushies' corruption is increasing by leaps an' bounds. Now if they'll just pass on by that event horizon and disappear into infamy, that would be greaaaat.

larry wrote on April 18, 2007 5:44 PM:

FBI raids Doolittle's Virginia home
By David Whitney - Sacramento Bee Washington Bureau
(2:21 pm today)

WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Virginia home of Rep. John Doolittle and his wife Julie on Friday, executing a search warrant for materials related to Julie Doolittle's company, Sierra Dominion Financial Services.

The raid apparently is in connection with the ongoing federal investigation of the political corruption scandal stirred by Jack Abramoff, a one-time Republican star who had a close relationship with the Roseville Republican.

Republican Party sources told The Bee the raid occurred on Friday as a former Doolittle staff member and lobbying colleague of Abramoff, Kevin A. Ring, abruptly resigned his job with a Washington law firm, raising the prospect that the FBI was focusing on Doolittle.

Doolittle's attorney, criminal defense lawyer David Barger, said Wednesday he could not comment on the investigation.

"Because of the pending Abramoff investigation, I am not going to confirm or deny that the Doolittle's home was raided," Barger said. "The congressman continues to be fully supportive of his wife Julie and believes that the truth ultimately will prevail."

Doolittle, R-Roseville, has been linked closely to the Abramoff scandal. He has spent more than $100,000 in campaign funds to pay for the services of lawyers specializing in white-collar crime to, as he has said, "clear my name."

Nine people have been convicted in the Abramoff lobbying scandal, and officials have said that the Department of Justice continues to investigate Doolittle, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas and former Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Montana. None have been charged and all have denied wrongdoing. Former Ohio Rep. Bob Ney pleaded guilty and is imprisoned.

In Abramoff's signed factual basis for his plea to corruption of public officials, he admitted to offering "things of value to public officials in exchange for a series of official acts and influence and agreements to provide official action and influence."

Among these "things of value" were election support, employment for relatives and campaign contributions, all of which Doolittle received.

Doolittle accepted $14,000 in direct campaign contributions from Abramoff and $130,000 more from the lobbyist's clients and associates. Doolittle also used Abramoff's skybox at the MCI Center for a 1999 fundraiser in conjunction with a Washington-Sacramento NBA game.

Additionally, Julie Doolittle's company was hired by Abramoff's law firm from September 2002 to February 2004, receiving more than $66,600.

Her company was initially hired to raise money for a fundraiser for an Abramoff charity; she stayed on the payroll for months after that event was canceled.

A federal grand jury investigating Abramoff subpoenaed records related to her work for Doolittle. But John Doolittle has said that federal investigators later asked for information about his wife's other clients, which would have included him since his campaign pays her a commission for fundraising work.

Doolittle may have been trying to get his wife on Abramoff's payroll as early as 2000, according to an e-mail written by Ring, Doolittle's former legislative director who later was hired by Abramoff.

In the e-mail to Abramoff, Ring quotes Lopez as saying the congressman was excited about the possibility of his wife taking a job for an Abramoff charity and was eager to talk to the lobbyist. The Doolittles say they have no recollection of that.

In addition, Doolittle assisted Abramoff's efforts to win renewal of a contract in 2000 representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Abramoff admitted in his plea deal that he had provided travel for senior members of Ney's staff to go to the Northern Mariana Islands in January 2000 to help him "in obtaining and maintaining lobbying clients."

But three months earlier, in October 1999, Doolittle had publicly worked to elect the commonwealth politician responsible for helping Abramoff get the $100,000-a-month lobbying contract.

Charlie Brown, the Democrat who Doolittle beat 49 percent to 46 percent in his re-election bid last November, hammered Doolittle on ethics, saying he did Abramoff's bidding on behalf of Indian casinos in Iowa and Massachusetts.

DiFi Fan wrote on April 18, 2007 5:45 PM:

Yippee!!! I bet the FBI kept the Doolittle raid a secret until they ascertained they had indeed gathered evidence of criminal wrongdoing during the raid.

From a 1/25/99 LA Times story by Fay Fiore about Rep. John T. Doolittle's boycott of President Clinton's State of Union address in 1999:

"When Rep. John T. Doolittle decided he would boycott the president's State of the Union address last week, he didn't fire off a blistering press release and stomp out of the Capitol in righteous indignation.

He went to the dry cleaners, picked up his shirts and called his wife. "I'm not going to the speech. Do you have something planned for dinner or do you want me to bring home some chicken?"

Across the country, conservatives like this ultra-right Republican from the small Northern California town of Rocklin are coming to terms with reality: William Jefferson Clinton will not likely be removed from office.

For six years they have despised this president. When the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal surfaced, they were the driving force that kept it alive. Their zeal to see Clinton brought to justice gave the House the thrust to pursue impeachment even when the majority of Americans wanted it gone.

But every time they think they have Clinton on the ropes, he pops back to the center of the ring, stronger than ever. And once again, as the Senate trial threatens to descend into a partisan slugfest, the GOP is on the defensive for pressing the case.

For Doolittle, it's like some perverse parable that teaches the wrong lesson. The king breaks the law but he isn't punished--he's praised! It runs against the grain of everything he believes is right, every teaching of his Mormon faith. And sometimes it's just too hard to watch.

So after considerable deliberation, the four-term congressman made sure he was miles away from the Capitol before Clinton took the podium to, in Doolittle's view, disgrace the honorable House with his very presence. Had Doolittle stayed, he would have had to sit without applauding to show his disdain, and what would be the point of that? Better to just get the shirts, pick up the chicken, get on with life.

"I must say, were I in the Senate, I would vote to convict, to remove this man who is not fit to hold office," Doolittle said in his characteristic slow burn, a simmering anger that rarely boils. "But I must admit at this point, it does seem like an uphill battle."...

There is a matter-of-factness about the anger expressed by Doolittle, a former enfant terrible of the California Senate who brought his propensity for legislative insurgency from Sacramento to Washington. If you ask him whether "detest" is too strong a word to describe his feelings for the president, he pauses for a moment and says, "No, not too strong." He compares Clinton to O.J. Simpson--"guilty as sin"--and to Juan Peron--"a popular dictator."

"It's a very sad commentary on the state of the country when our country will tolerate a man who has broken the law," he simmers.

"Am I frustrated? Yes.

"Am I angry? Yes.

"Am I shocked? No."

He blames the Democrats. If there were a popular conservative Republican president who committed these crimes, his party wouldn't wait for the Democrats to impeach him, they'd give him the boot..."

Eat shit, Doolittle.

Saguaro wrote on April 18, 2007 5:46 PM:

it's time to move his residence from Va. to K Street.

Karen Johnson wrote on April 18, 2007 5:48 PM:

Bah! That's funny; Mrs. Doolittle was the sole employee of a company receieving funds for services like "event planning" & "book keeping"! Really, ya think!

I don't think this is meant as a distraction from the other issues. I think they are connected. Perhaps some new info from Gozales' DOJ docs?

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 18, 2007 5:51 PM:

C92, This is so much fun! BTW, my alternate ego here is DiFi Fan like you hadn't already guessed, I'm sure.

Another BTW - I posted about Beth Sturgeon in the TPM Cafe just now. Sturgeon has been a Bush fundraiser since at least '98.

DF wrote on April 18, 2007 6:03 PM:

The biggest corruption case since teapot dome and only now is a second investigation clearly underway. At this rate they will conduct their raid of Delay at the retirement home. NPR did a story on this last week and concluded that they were just being thorough. I hope so.

Paul wrote on April 18, 2007 6:05 PM:

Once again the repugs are making us less safe. If the FBI didn't have to investigate all their illegal and corrupt activities, they could investigate potential mass shooters.

Mrs Panstreppon wrote on April 18, 2007 6:08 PM:

Speaking of Tom DeLay, I've been posting some golden oldie news stories about him at the TPM Cafe (link below).

Mooser wrote on April 18, 2007 6:20 PM:

It's a security word, not a color-blindness test!

Are you trying to prevent access by the color-vision-deficient? How will that help your demographics?

pre-Amerikkkan wrote on April 18, 2007 6:27 PM:

It's only the beginning of the end, it seems as if this plays out even more Shakespearean than nixon/haldeman/dean and way more destructive to everything we thought we believed in. time to take a break, sheesh.

kmsor wrote on April 18, 2007 6:29 PM:

So which US Attorney is going to be hosed by the Bushies for the raid on Doolittle's home?

RW wrote on April 18, 2007 6:29 PM:

Kyle:

That behavior by your parents is highly psychological, denial of facts to maintain a belief system. Voting often is highly psychological in its imprint and association to a group than the reality that your group's person is corrupt. Deeper is the psychological warfare that the RIGHT has engaged that mimics some of the same tactics that Fascism did in Europe...

Much is about nationalism, (fear of threat against the State), threat and loss of the middle class, causing regeneration to return back to affluence (translated as "American Way of Life"), fueled by external perpetual enemies threatening the State making for aggressive even militaristic foreign policy, threats of deviants and dissendents as internal enemies allowing the loss of civil rights.

My parents are now divided, one was a GOP Judge of traditional Goldwater/Ike ilk, now he is opposed to the Bushies...he sees the threat, and realized it with the Medicare Drug Program as a classic bait and switch. It opened his eyes to come to terms with all the transcretions. My mother is full of fear and holds that even a corrupt RIGHT is better than anything the vilified LEFT or moderates have to offer for she fears the loss of society and State. It is psychological.

Turn as in turning the world back as in the security code

Youffraita wrote on April 18, 2007 6:31 PM:

Apparently the USA on the case was (drum roll):

Carol Lam

Check out this link:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/4/17/104318/408

whidbeygrl wrote on April 18, 2007 6:32 PM:

Folks asked who is the USA in Virginia..

for Western Va it is John L. Brownlee

for East. Va it is Chuck Rosenberg, who replaced Kyle Sampson in DOJ, thus is one of the USAs who are pulling double suty jobs.

Sorry that I do not know what part of Va Doolittle falls under. but....it has been know that a USA will go out of their own district to prosecute someone, as we remember from Milwaukee US Attorney Steven Biskupic 's pathetic attempt to charge someone, anyone, for a crime to make DOJ happu.

tekel wrote on April 18, 2007 6:43 PM:

whoa. I wonder if Rep. Johnny has a peecee at his house?

regular lurker wrote on April 18, 2007 6:44 PM:

If the US Attorneys are as partisan as the White House expects them to be, can most of them really be trusted not to sabotage the prosecution?

Sonam wrote on April 18, 2007 6:51 PM:

Does anyone else wonder whether this might help the WH and DOJ argue that Lam's firing *was not* intended to interrupt an investigation?

"See! This investigation is moving along smoothly, even after we canned Lam. No political interference here!"

Just a thought.

Memory, as in: Someday this will all be a disturbing but distant memory.

tekel wrote on April 18, 2007 7:05 PM:

Skeptic: Attempt to take the heat off of Gonzo-gate and the various e-mail scandals? You decide.

I bet Doolittle was a sender/recipient of at least a few of those GWB43 or RNCHQ emails. I bet the FBI seized all of his computers and files.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see which master they're serving: If Conyers gets the email, the FBI is making a bid to retain its last vestiges of trustworthiness. If the White House gets it, we can stop making allusions to dictatorships and police states, becuase we'll have clear factual proof that we're living in one right now.

Uncle Don wrote on April 18, 2007 7:07 PM:

Someone above asked, "Who's next?"

I believe the answer is Jerry Lewis, R-CA, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 7:14 PM:

Jerry Lewis and his wife have a house just off of Folger Park in DC. Captiol Hill residents, keep an eye out.

Buck wrote on April 18, 2007 7:28 PM:

I wonder why the King of K Street isn't embroiled in this mess. Santorum. Surely he partook of the apple from that tree in the garden.

Zeno wrote on April 18, 2007 7:40 PM:

If Doolittle resigns his House seat or declines to run for re-election on the grounds that he wants "to spend more time with his family," it's going to be hard to believe, isn't it? He and his wife have already spent so much time together in the money laundry.

Kyle wrote on April 18, 2007 8:18 PM:

Doolittle's District:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:United_States_House_of_Representatives%2C_California_District_4.png

Most of his support comes from the communities just noth of Sacramento, such as Rocklin, Roseville, and Granite Bay.

The only county he lost was the one in which I grew up, Nevada County and barely won Placer County, which is the most populated.

larry wrote on April 18, 2007 8:23 PM:

Brown Issues Statement In Response To FBI Raid Of Rep. Doolittle's Virginia Home

By: charliebrownforcongress.org

In response to the reported FBI raid on the Northern Virginia home of Rep. John Doolittle, purportedly in connection with the ongoing Jack Abramoff corruption probe, Lt. Col. Charlie Brown issued the following statement:

"This is a sad day for the people of the 4th District, for our Congress, and our country. It is my sincere hope that the ongoing investigation will bring the era of corruption and scandal ridden politics to a close, so that we can move forward on addressing the real priorities of the American people: like ending the war in Iraq, winning the war against terrorism, securing our borders, keeping faith with our veterans, expanding economic opportunity, and achieving energy independence."

Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. Ret spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a rescue helicopter and reconnaissance pilot in support of military operations around the world. He is also a credentialed California teacher, former professional staff-member at the Roseville Police Department, and was the Democratic Nominee for Congress in California's 4th District in 2006.

***********************

I'm wondering if the doo doo goes to the big house or he resigns as someone suggest, will the schwarzenegger replace him until a special election (not sure of CA law in this respect even though I live in San Francisco -- maybe someone reading this knows). I'm sure the CA repug party will be pressuring him to do same. If I recall correctly there was a DOJ leak just before the election that DOJ was sitting on an indictment at the direction of WH repug appointees at DOJ...

I suspect this story will become eclipsed by other repug issues (gonzales, hundreds more dead caused by repugs' iraqi madness, etc.) -- but if not I'll post what I find tomorrow...

maxbaer(not the original) wrote on April 18, 2007 8:53 PM:

Paul at 6:05 has an idea similar to the thought I've had. That is, it's not Lam's fault she couldn't pursue the immigration cases. It's just that there were so many corrupt repubs, she didn't have time for both.

Al in Austex wrote on April 18, 2007 9:49 PM:

I would be wondering out loud right now if I was one of these corrupt Neo Thugs such as Con. Lewis who ,what , how, when :
Who has ratted me out
What did they rat me out about
How much documenation do the Select Committees now have on my criminal activity,(hard drives et al )
When will the FBI be raided my office/home
And the other when - when will I be indicted.
Maybe Potter Goss ought lawyer up about now too- Remember kids - all roads lead to earmarks, kickbacks & MZM ...follow the Money-
Also wonder when Jefferson gets his - his aides are being talked too as well...
My hats off to TPM . This site ROCKS !!

C Turner Joy wrote on April 18, 2007 10:16 PM:

DiFi Fan said:

"Yippee!!! I bet the FBI kept the Doolittle raid a secret until they ascertained they had indeed gathered evidence of criminal wrongdoing during the raid."

That is an interesting theory. I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously, I like this idea so much better than my own. I was going with the whole cynical they timed it right before the Gonzo show so that they could point to it as evidence to counter what we are saying about Lam. Then I figured a couple of months from now it would get quietly swept back under the rug.

I like your way.

C Turner Joy wrote on April 18, 2007 10:25 PM:

Hate to follow up my own post but I'm thinking about this a little more. How likely is it that they found anything in Dolittle's house? Really. I'm sure he's an idiot but he cannot be enough of an idiot not to have cleaned up by now. He knows they've been sniffing around. I found it almost impossible to believe he hasn't cleaned up behind himself.

I'm back in the camp of this is giving cover to Gonzo tomorrow.

Anonymous wrote on April 18, 2007 10:42 PM:

From the Sacbee article posted above:

"...Doolittle's attorney, criminal defense lawyer David Barger, said Wednesday he could not comment on the investigation.

"Because of the pending Abramoff investigation, I am not going to confirm or deny that the Doolittle's home was raided," Barger said. "The congressman continues to be fully supportive of his wife Julie and believes that the truth ultimately will prevail."..."

Is Doolittle distancing himself from his wife? Cad!

seedyrum wrote on April 18, 2007 11:24 PM:

Nothing can give cover to Gonzo and his mouth. When one hasnt earned one's right to hold the job of AG ( as in practive law and as well as public speaking ), one cant fake it. He will stutter and stip, hem and haw, say "I dont remember, i am not aware of that, I wanst present). The senators will get turn off by that and ask those pointed questions requirling just a yes or no answer from Gonzo. Either way Gonzo answers or not answer, it will mean he isnt qualified to lead the attorneys or do due diligence to the court of the land. It means he doesnt take his job seriously. If he does answer pointed questions, he puts himself in the slammer with Bush, Rove, and Cheney as his cellmates.
It hard for me to see why the Democrats are tolerating so much B.S. from Bush. Bush has committed so many impeachable offenses. Let the Republicans stand and support Bush, they lose at the election time. Either way the Republicans go they are toast as they let Bush commit these impeachable offenses on THEIR WATCH. The Neocons must think we are all indiots. They stack the courts with their people so they wont get investigated and steal the country blind. I wonder how much of that billions and billions of CASH dollars went directly to Bush and Cheney for their "Iraq War"? I know Cheney got some from his Halliburton Connection.

Slippery Slope wrote on April 18, 2007 11:58 PM:

Am I slow here or what?

Larry writes: “If I recall correctly there was a DOJ leak just before the election that DOJ was sitting on an indictment at the direction of WH repug appointees at DOJ...”

Further up-thread ohiomiester wrote: “Lam had Cunningham in San Diego, and the U.S. Attorney who left the L.A. office to go to the private law firm representing Doolittle (Gibson Dunn?) had been in charge of the Doolittle investigation, IIRC.”

That would be Debra “Yang got $1.5 million dollars to go to work for Gibson Dunn. Ted Olson, the former US Solicitor General, works there too. And the Assistant US Attorney for LA, Douglas Fuchs, joined her.”
http://www.soapblox.net/california/showDiary.do;jsessionid=83F635AC76BF3A67F300BC42C9A1FCBA?diaryId=2178

And then there’s Tekel’s: “I bet Doolittle was a sender/recipient of at least a few of those GWB43 or RNCHQ emails. I bet the FBI seized all of his computers and files. “

Abramoff’s contact (or would conduit be a better usage?) in Rove’s office, Susan Ralston, was Abramoff’s former assistant. She quit suddenly. Wasn’t there an email connection / usage issue?

Seems that there could be a few dots connecting here. Are there emails (DoJ, WH, Abramoff) that further clarify this sudden promotion of the L.A. USA to a high paying position with a firm that is defending Doolittle?

Could there be a family relationship between the James A. Gibson, co-founder of the Gibson Dunn law firm and this Duane R. Gibson?

“Duane [R.] Gibson, who was a senior counsel on Rep. Don Young’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, lobbied on 20 contracts with Abramoff. Gibson gained notoriety during the 2000 presidential recount fight, when he was one of the GOP operatives whom the media portrayed as “an angry mob” of Floridians demanding a halt to Miami’s recount. After Greenberg, Gibson set up GovBiz Advantage, a firm catering to extractive industries operating in Rep. Young’s Alaska. Gibson does considerable subcontracting for the Livingston Group of former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA).”
http://www.tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=944&pubid=708#notes

I’m not sure how I’d research if there is any Gibson family ties. It is likely this is pure coincidence, but can anyone help?

How do you hide an elephant? Cover it with Blackberrys and place it Right there in the middle of the room; ‘cus everyone knows you never talk about the elephant in the room.

Oh, and suddenly there is a nation wide Balckberry system failure that knocks out their entire US based email system for 12 hours. Just how many times has that happened since its launch?

Guess I’m putting on my tin hat too.

KYJurisDoctor wrote on April 19, 2007 12:56 AM:

Doolittle blames his wife. What a man!

OsiSpeaks.com

Dubya DoBeDo wrote on April 19, 2007 1:01 AM:

RAIDED?
And all this time I thought the Doolittle House was just voted out of their offices along with the Doonothing Senate. %^)

Awwww..... come one..... rent a sense of humor.

Okay... how many Republicans does it take to change a lightbulb?
Sorry, to get a lightbulb you have to have an idea.

grmjak wrote on April 19, 2007 9:08 AM:

I like your site. Keep up the good work, our best weapon against tyranny is an informed public. The days of this absolute corruption are coming to a head. I wonder how much of our country will be left after the smoking ruin of these debasers are exposed. I understand how peoples own self interest can lead them down the wrong path, however with the undeniable evidence mounting, how can our officials continue to rend and tear America apart? How much death is necessary to act as a side show of corruption cover-up? This political bullying must stop. Thanks to all of you who are posting for helping me get off my ass.

Bozzytiger wrote on April 19, 2007 9:53 AM:

Its just mindboggling how the entire GOP will overlook, help cover up, or participate in corruption by other members. This isnt politics as usual, this is unprecedented. I cant believe honest evangelicals dont recognize these corrupt, lying, cheating, thugs are just playing the part to get their votes.

Martha wrote on April 19, 2007 10:06 AM:

In the words of William Bendix on the TV "Life of Riley" show (this was many years ago)
"WHAT A REVOLTING DEVELOPMENT THIS IS!"
MARTHA

larry wrote on April 19, 2007 10:06 AM:

(latest SacBee article:)

FBI raids Doolittle house
Fundraising company run by congressman's wife is called the target of search warrant served in Virginia.

By David Whitney - Sacramento Bee Washington Bureau

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, April 19, 2007

WASHINGTON -- FBI agents who raided Rep. John Doolittle's Virginia home were searching for information about his wife's fundraising business, the congressman's attorney said Wednesday.

The FBI served a search warrant Friday on the Doolittle home, where Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions is based.

The raid wasn't the first time federal officials, engaged in an ongoing probe of political corruption stirred by former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, sought records from the company.

A grand jury investigating Abramoff, who last year pleaded guilty to three felony charges of defrauding Indian tribes and corrupting political officials, also subpoenaed Sierra Dominion records in 2004.

Rep. Doolittle's attorney, criminal defense lawyer David Barger, said Wednesday that Friday's raid stemmed from a search warrant for Sierra Dominion records and not anything directly related to the congressman.

"The congressman continues to be fully supportive of his wife, Julie, and believes that the truth ultimately will prevail," Barger said.

Doolittle echoed his attorney's comments in a statement later Wednesday.

"My wife has been cooperating with the FBI and the Justice Department for almost three years and that cooperation is going to continue in the future," he said in the statement. "I support my wife 100 percent and fully expect that the truth will prevail."

Abramoff was a close friend of the Doolittles. The congressman helped several of Abramoff's clients, and Julie Doolittle earned $66,600 from Abramoff's law firm in payments for planning events, including a fundraiser at the Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.

The 2003 event for the Capital Athletic Foundation was canceled due to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and never rescheduled.

The congressman, meanwhile, has denied any personal wrongdoing in his dealings with Abramoff, from whom he received $14,000 in direct campaign contributions and $130,000 more from Abramoff clients and associates.

But his campaign last year ran up $104,000 in legal fees in an effort he said was intended to "clear my name" in the Abramoff matter. His committee listed debts of $24,138 still owed to a prominent Washington, D.C., law firm specializing in election and ethics law, one of two firms Doolittle hired in the aftermath of the investigation of people associated with the disgraced lobbyist.

Justice Department spokesman Bryan Sierra had no comment Wednesday.

But Sacramento attorney Donald Heller, a former federal prosecutor, said the search warrant served on Doolittle's house likely signals a significant uptick in the investigation.

"It's gratifying to see the congressman standing beside his wife," Heller said. "But he may well be standing beside her in a federal courtroom sometime in the future.

"A lobbyist giving money to a wife of a congressman makes you wonder why. If she was Julie Smith, why would Jack Abramoff have anything to do with her?"

Heller said federal prosecutors could get a search warrant for Julie Doolittle's business only by introducing evidence to a judge "that the government believes Julie Doolittle committed a crime."

Her attorney, William Stauffer Jr., told the Washington Post on Wednesday that "Sierra Dominion Financial ... and its owner, Mrs. Julie Doolittle, have cooperated for years and continue to cooperate in the ongoing investigation of the Jack Abramoff matter."

Stauffer earlier told The Bee that Julie Doolittle continued to get paid by Abramoff after the Spy Museum fundraiser was canceled. He said she was paid for events at two Abramoff restaurants, including one that Doolittle regularly used, but it was unclear exactly what Julie Doolittle did for the lobbyist.

In a solidly Republican district he has dominated, Doolittle squeaked past Democratic challenger Charlie Brown, winning re-election by 49 percent to 46 percent last November.

In a statement, Brown said the search of Doolittle's home marked "a sad day," saying he hoped the "investigation will bring the era of corruption and scandal-ridden politics to a close."

**********************************

Doolittle denies wrongdoing after FBI search
Placer County GOP congressman linked to lobbyist Abramoff

John Wildermuth, SF Chronicle Political Writer

An FBI search of Rep. John Doolittle's Virginia home has turned up the heat on the embattled congressman, who barely won re-election last November after being linked to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

An attorney for Doolittle, a Republican from Roseville (Placer County), said Wednesday that the FBI search last Friday focused on records of Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, a company run by Doolittle's wife, Julie. Julie Doolittle worked closely with Abramoff, who pleaded guilty last year to charges that included conspiracy to bribe public officials.

Doolittle, 56, denied wrongdoing in a statement released Wednesday after news of the search became public.

"My wife has been cooperating with the FBI and the Justice Department for almost three years and that cooperation is going to continue in the future,'' he said. "I support my wife 100 percent and fully expect that the truth will prevail.''

Other Republicans weren't nearly so confident.

"It's difficult to overstate the seriousness of the FBI executing search warrants at an elected official's home,'' said Kevin Spillane, a Sacramento-based Republican consultant. "It's a catastrophic political event for any member of Congress.''

When the FBI raid is added to reports that Abramoff is cooperating with federal investigators in hopes of having his sentence reduced, the picture for Doolittle is bleak, he added.

"It would be surprising to see him in Congress in January 2009,'' Spillane said.

Republican officials weren't rushing to Doolittle's defense.

"At this time we're still in the process of sorting out the facts,'' said Hector Barajas, a spokesman for the state GOP.

Doolittle, who was first elected to Congress in 1990, represents the Sacramento suburbs and a big chunk of the Mother Lode country in the Sierra foothills. Republicans have a 48 percent to 30 percent advantage in voter registration.

Still, Doolittle won just a 49 percent to 46 percent victory last November over Democrat Charlie Brown, a retired Air Force officer from Roseville who is planning a 2008 rematch.

Doolittle had links to Abramoff that go beyond his wife's job. He held a fundraiser in Abramoff's skybox at a Wizards-Kings pro basketball game in Washington, D.C., and accepted more than $60,000 dollars in campaign contributions from Abramoff and the Indian tribes he represented.

Doolittle also accepted campaign contributions from defense contractor Brent Wilkes and worked to get Wilkes' company millions of dollars in government contracts. Wilkes was indicted in February for providing former San Diego Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham with more than $700,000 in bribes in exchange for help getting federal contracts. Cunningham was sentenced to prison for corruption.

Kevin Ring, a former aide to Doolittle who later worked for Abramoff, abruptly resigned from his job at a Washington lobbying firm Friday, the same day Doolittle's home was searched by the FBI.

***********************************

Yellow Dog wrote on April 19, 2007 1:04 PM:

C. Turner Joy: On the chances of Doolittle still having evidence of corruption at his home, I say extremely high, even for obvious paper, non-computer stuff.

First of all, like all criminals, these corrupt repugs simply are none too bright.

Secondly, as loyal bushies, they never imagined - even after Cunningham - that the FBI and the US Attorney would dare come after THEM.

They still think the loyalty in this maladministration is a two-way street.

Gonzo's about to prove again that it runs only one way.

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