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The Daily Muck
FBI Raids Renzi Family Business, Congressman Leaves Intelligence Panel
"In a second blow to House Republicans this week, the FBI raided a business tied to the family of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) Thursday afternoon as part of an ongoing investigation into the three-term lawmaker. Details of the raid on Patriot Insurance Agency in Sonoita, Ariz., were not immediately available." (Roll Call)
Gonzales Lied To Senator About Plan To Install Rove Protege As U.S. Attorney
"In today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Attorney General Aberto Gonzales tried to claim that he never intended to take advantage of a Patriot Act provision that allows the administration to indefinitely name “interim” U.S. attorneys and avoid Senate confirmation. But in a Dec. 19, 2006 e-mail, Gonzales’s then-chief of staff Kyle Sampson wrote an e-mail explaining the administration’s plan for installing Karl Rove’s protege Tim Griffin as U.S. attorney in Arkansas." (Think Progress)
Gonzales Says He Didn't Know Why Two Were Fired
"Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales testified yesterday that when he approved the firings of seven U.S. attorneys on a single day late last year he did not know why two of the prosecutors were on the list. Gonzales, summoned to Capitol Hill to clarify the murky rationale for the dismissals, said he was not surprised by the names of five prosecutors presented to him by his then-chief of staff." (Washington Post)
David Iglesias Comments on Gonzales Hearing
"Iglesias watched the hearings from a naval base at Newport, R.I. He's finishing a naval reserve deployment and called the hearings 'painful to watch.' 'I can only liken Mr. Gonzales' testimony to a bloodied swimmer in a shark tank. He's really getting beat up,' Iglesias said." (KOAT Albuquerque)
Ruling Congress, Dems Rolling in Special Interest Cash
"The campaign coffers of the new Democratic House committee chairmen have seen a big jump in contributions from lobbyists and special interests since the Democratic takeover of Congress, according to new campaign finance filings available on PoliticalMoneyLine.com. In some cases, Democrats in powerful posts are raising more money from special interest groups than the Republicans they replaced." (ABC's The Blotter)
World Bank Confers on Wolfowitz
"The World Bank's board met privately Thursday to discuss President Paul Wolfowitz, whose leadership has been thrown into turmoil by revelations that he helped his girlfriend get a high-paying job. It was unclear what action, if any, the 24-member board would take in the matter. Many of the bank's employees, aid groups and some Democratic politicians want Wolfowitz to resign." (Associated Press)
Wolfowitz Backed Friend for Iraq Contract in 2003
"Paul D. Wolfowitz, while serving as deputy secretary of defense, personally recommended that his companion, Shaha Ali Riza, be awarded a contract for travel to Iraq in 2003 to advise on setting up a new government, says a previously undisclosed inquiry by the Pentagon’s inspector general. The inquiry, as described by a senior Pentagon official, concluded that there was no wrongdoing in Mr. Wolfowitz’s role in the hiring of Ms. Riza by the Science Applications International Corporation, a Pentagon contractor, because Ms. Riza had the expertise required to advise on the role of women in Islamic countries." (NY Times)
Foley Paid Legal Bills with Leftover Campaign Cash
"Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley is racking up huge legal bills defending himself against potential criminal charges in the Internet teen sex scandal that led to his resignation and is paying them with leftover campaign contributions. Foley spent $206,000 in campaign cash on lawyers from November to January, according to recent filings with the Federal Election Commission." (The Ledger)
Testimony Alleges Mismanagement of Federal Reading Program
"Federal advisors mismanaged President Bush's $1 billion-a-year reading program and profited from close ties to the Bush administration, according to testimony released Thursday — in one case repeatedly rejecting one state's funding proposal until state officials dumped a successful reading test and bought one written by a top Bush advisor. In the first of two expected hearings, scheduled for Friday, House lawmakers will probe alleged mismanagement of Bush's $1 billion-a-year Reading First program." (USA TODAY)
Three Days After Guilty Plea, Griles Ties the Knot
"The union of former Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles and Sue Ellen Wooldridge could have implications for the investigation into Griles’s ties to ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. They were married March 26, three days after Griles pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about his relationship with Abramoff and a previous romantic partner. Wooldridge was the top environmental prosecutor at the Department of Justice (DoJ) before she resigned in January." (The Hill)
Audit: Martinez Campaign Exceeded Federal Contribution Limits
"Sen. Mel Martinez's 2004 campaign contributions exceded federal limits by over $300,000, the Federal Election Commission said Wednesday in its final audit of the campaign. The FEC does not impose penalties, but it did say in its report that it could take enforcement action at any time against the Republican senator." (Pensacola News Journal)
Exiting From the Game Doesn't Dispel Clouds
"FBI agents continue to interview aides to former Rep. DeLay, offering immunity in exchange for testimony, individuals close to the investigation say. Justice officials ask whether former aides paid the Texas Republican’s wife $3,200 a month for a no-show job at their lobbying firm. DeLay, who retired last year, is on a book tour." (Wall Street Journal)
Justice Department Given Two Weeks to Weigh Use of Classified Data in Espionage Case
"The Justice Department yesterday was given until May 2 to determine how it wants to proceed in the controversial prosecution of two former pro-Israel lobbyists charged with violating the 1917 Espionage Act after the federal judge in the case turned down prosecutors' attempt to close from public scrutiny a substantial portion of the trial in order to protect classified information." (Washington Post)
Comments (15)
Crust wrote on April 20, 2007 9:55 AM:Two raids on the homes of Republican Congressmen this week. I can't help but wonder if it is fortuitous that this is happening at the same time that Gonzales is trying to hold onto his job. Needless to say an important part of the issue -- especially in reference to the Lam firing -- is how aggressively they're going after Republican corruption. Admittedly, this is the FBI not the DOJ.
bordersmuggler wrote on April 20, 2007 10:16 AM:For even-handedness, there's also Freezergate.
Anonymous wrote on April 20, 2007 10:17 AM:Might we not be seeing the professional law enforcement people doing what they've wanted to do for a long time, thinking that in this atmosphere the political appointees won't dare to stop them.
Anonymous wrote on April 20, 2007 10:27 AM:I'm beginning to think that something similar to the Doolittle/Sierra Dominion commission scam may also play out with Renzi. Remember his family business is an insurance broker. Insurance brokers earn commissions. If you take a look at his company they specialize in insuring a right wing favororite which he is a big supporter of.
bobh wrote on April 20, 2007 10:30 AM:Whatever happens the repugs and their cronies will get sweetheart plea agreements.
bordersmuggler wrote on April 20, 2007 10:35 AM:Have we reached the critical point yet? Is this the independent DoJ executing its official mandate, or is this still merely bone-tossing by the Rove shop for media consumption only?
Gregory X wrote on April 20, 2007 10:52 AM:I'm just spitballing here, but might not an insurance brokerage be a nifty vehicle for shifting money around? OK I'll just come out an say it, money laundering.
steambomb` wrote on April 20, 2007 11:03 AM:hmmm wasn't there an Arizonan U.S. Attorney on the chopping block lately? Or am I mistaken. If so. Is Renzi in his/her district?
bobh wrote on April 20, 2007 11:10 AM:from wiki
"In 1989, Renzi started Renzi & Company (now called the Patriot Insurance Agency),[4] a company that offers insurance to nonprofit organizations such as crisis pregnancy centers, pregnancy care clinics, maternity homes, PTAs, PTOs, and local service organizations. [5] In 2006, Renzi said that he decided to enter politics because of his experiences as a member of National Association of Professional Insurance Agents. Renzi was a property/casualty agent and a member of PIA of Virginia & D.C. He said his first taste of the political process was attending a PIA Federal Legislative Summit. "I had a chance to interact with a lot of the congressmen and Senators, and I fell in love with it", Renzi said.[6]
Where Renzi lived and what he did in the 1986-1997 period is unclear. In a letter to the Arizona Daily Sun in July 2002, Renzi said "The only time I have not lived in Arizona is when I served our nation overseas on a Defense Department program, or when I entered law school at age 39" [which would be 1997 or 1998].[7] But according to an August 2002 Associated Press article, Renzi said that between college, starting in the late 1970s, and his return some 20 years later, he had lived in Flagstaff for only a total of seven years. "
bobh wrote on April 20, 2007 11:13 AM:Anyone know where he was?
also from wiki:
Campaign finances
Renzi spent $436,590 of his own money on the election. In addition to large donations from his father's defense company, Mantech International executives, were the largest single source of outside money for the campaign.[16]
In 2004, the Federal Election Commission completed an audit of Renzi's campaign committee, "Rick Renzi for Congress." The audit found that Renzi's campaign overstated its cash on hand by about $64,000, and that employers or occupations for 200 contributors were not listed, though required by law. The FEC also concluded that the committee had illegally financed much of the campaign with $369,090 of loans that came from "impermissible" corporate funds. Most of those loans were part of the $436,000 that Renzi put into his own campaign. [17] Renzi was fined $1,000 in November 2005 by the FEC for underreported receipts stemming from what his campaign called a software glitch.
bobh wrote on April 20, 2007 11:14 AM:sounds like he went to the delay school of extra territorial finance........very interesting
"FEC allegations dropped
After further investigation, the FEC determined that Renzi had not used "impermissible" corporate funds for his campaign, and dropped its case against him.[18]"
wow. this guy was protected quick by the repugs - must ahve decent connections
Herb wrote on April 20, 2007 11:40 AM:Pardon me, but I've been watching the Mexican boy squirm out of every question the adults asked him... He really should be tested for drugs! Poor kid, looks a bit strung-out too.
powkat wrote on April 20, 2007 11:46 AM:See if he thinks peeing in a cup, supervised, is funny. Weasel. Later, Herb.
OMG - Delay was on Charlie Rose last night - he has twisted everything he did to conclude that the Dems are corrupt and will do anything for power, and he is the victim of a vendetta.
The coup de grace was when he said the answer to the VT shootings is to remove the ban on students carrying guns, because if some other students had been armed, they could have taken out the shooter.
The worst was his smug grin about the Supreme Court decision on abortion. I wanted to smack it off his face.
parrot wrote on April 20, 2007 4:25 PM:Maybe when Gonzalez testifies before the House committee(s) someone can ask him who might know how folks ended up on the list...or who might have had a bigger interest in someone being on the list. I do hope that the Congress actually cares enough to find out.
whizkid wrote on April 21, 2007 12:19 AM:Gawd, is there no end to the shame these gutless wonders will dare bring upon our once proud nation.
They're just plain crooks.
They hyjacked control of the US government to do so.
I think at this point we must impeach simply as advertising and sideshow to prove to the rest of the world we wish to be absolved of the sins of these...absolute f**k-ups.