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Celeb Lawyer Thrown off Wilkes Case
From The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Mark Geragos, the high-profile lawyer for indicted Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes, was removed from the case by a federal judge yesterday because he refused to go through a background check that would allow him to see classified information.
Wilkes, remember, is accused of bribing Dusty Foggo, the former executive director of the CIA. Without access to classified information, Geragos couldn't represent his client, prosecutors said. But Geragos, who represented Michael Jackson, Gary Condit, and other celebrities, took a stand, telling the judge, “I am just not going to, under any circumstances, submit myself to a security clearance so I can represent my client in federal district court." So the judge tossed him off the case. The Union-Trib says that Geragos may appeal.
That puts Wilkes, who's indicted for bribing Duke Cunningham in addition to Foggo, in a jam. Before Cunningham went down in 2005, Wilkes was swimming in government contracts. But it's been a long time, and Geragos, you can be sure, doesn't come cheap. Wilkes told the judge that his resources were "stretched beyond the point of breaking," the SDUT reports.
But that wasn't all the bad news Wilkes had yesterday.
Geragos had launched an offensive against the U.S. attorney's office there, saying that Carol Lam, the fired U.S. attorney who indicted Wilkes just two days before she was forced to step down, had leaked word of the pending indictment to the media in order to strike back at her Justice Department superiors. Geragos argued that the leaks had so prejudiced the grand jury that the case against Wilkes should be dismissed.
Yesterday, the judge revealed that the U.S. Attorney in Sacramento, who'd launched an investigation into the leaks, said that “no further investigation was warranted.”
Comments (9)
Strangely Enough wrote on July 10, 2007 2:54 PM:"Geragos argued that the leaks had so prejudiced the grand jury that the case against Wilkes..."
Never mind the connections to Abramhoff, Foggo and the Dukestir, the hookers, Kontogiannis and all of that other sleaziness...
It's all Carol Lam's fault!
Ayla wrote on July 10, 2007 3:20 PM:Yesterday, the judge revealed that the U.S. Attorney in Sacramento, who'd launched an investigation into the leaks, said that “no further investigation was warranted.”
WTF!!!
Calls and letters to your Congresspersons appear to be having an effect - stay involved!
Sen Snowe calls for binding resolution to bring troops home. breaking MSNBC.
That's 6 republicans in the Senate...isn't it?
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Getting hot in the halls of Congress
People are noticing their calendars with that big red circle around "Election Day"
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I'm guessing they heard earfuls from their constituents on the July 4th break
I know I gave my dem rep an earful.
What did he respond?
"not enough votes to impeach...reps in very red districts aren't hearing the same thing."
The fuck they weren't!
daCascadian wrote on July 10, 2007 3:48 PM:Ayla >"...I'm guessing they heard earfuls from their constituents on the July 4th break..."
Only if they were willing to listen
"First get your facts, then you can distort them at your leisure" - Mark Twain
Phil wrote on July 10, 2007 4:17 PM:Snowe isn't up for election in 2008, but I'm sure she heard plenty from her consituents or she's just smart enough to read the tea leaves.
Rebel wrote on July 10, 2007 6:43 PM:Yes indeed. Republicans are doing the Election Year Scramble, even if the aren't running. Like Snowe, they are doing everything to hold the Republican party together and thanks to Emperor Bush, that will be a nearly impossible task.
The disasters created by the Republicans and Bush will take generations to straighten out. So the Republicans can kiss the White House good bye for the next 20 years.
Sununu, Coleman, Talent and even Stevens could be headed for early retirement.
Rebel wrote on July 10, 2007 6:46 PM:Talent was listed in error. Allard is the one I should have listed.
molly wrote on July 11, 2007 12:37 AM:Snowe knows Collins won't be reelected and she is next. Maine's media and election systems aren't as corrupt as most.
Rick A Hyatt wrote on July 11, 2007 3:21 AM:Geragos should lick my right testicle to see if it tastes like my left one. Why doesn't anyone see through the chaff to see the links with this guy to Condit, Laci, Chandra, and Jonbennet, to say the least? God, his "Sexual Disposal Service" goes back way beyond Vickie Wegerle (Who I knew personally) to murders in the mid 70's.
gtash wrote on July 11, 2007 7:48 AM:www.zazzle.com/rickhyatt* is the way I'm trying to get it out.
Why doesn't the so called "Investigative Media" work, when it was suppossed to do so much with "Watergate," etc. etc?
The Cunningham-Foggo-Wilkes connection is one that I have read about several times here, but still confuses me. Will someone please boil down the central allegations to a simpler form, and then indicate how these court prosecutions will address the allegations and, more importantly, how they will reveal anything new?