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National Journal: FBI Beefs up for Corruption Probes
If it seems like the FBI has been mighty busy investigating public officials lately (and it certainly seems that way to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) and others), it's no accident. As Peter Stone reports in August's National Journal (not available online), the FBI has put a major emphasis on bagging crooked pols:
According to FBI officials, cases involving corrupt government officials are now the bureau’s top criminal priority. The number of FBI agents focusing on public corruption has jumped by more than 40 percent—from 451 agents in fiscal 2001 to 641 in fiscal 2007. In 2005 and 2006, FBI probes were instrumental in the convictions of 1,060 government officials on corruption charges -- 177 federal officials, 158 state officials, and 725 local officials and police -- an increase of 40 percent from the previous two-year period.In an interview with National Journal, Kenneth Kaiser, the assistant director of the FBI’s criminal investigative division, emphasized that public corruption probes typically are lengthy and require “a lot of evidence” to end in conviction. “Corruption cases are the most difficult to investigate and the most difficult to prosecute,” Kaiser said. “A lot of the time, we use very sophisticated techniques to make these cases.”
The increased emphasis, of course, goes beyond just Jack Abramoff, who's at the center of what investigators call "Operation Rainmakers." Stone reports that the Justice Department has hired an expert to train "65 FBI agents in election law nuances so they could better identify corruption." And it means going where the corruption is, even if that means shipping extra agents up to sleepy Alaska:
Although the FBI’s Anchorage office is its smallest nationally, the bureau has flown in necessary manpower from elsewhere. “We had to send significant resources up there,” Kaiser said.
Note: Just something to keep in mind. The FBI's emphasis on public corruption doesn't necessarily mean that there's a Justice Department-wide emphasis on prosecuting corruption. In fact, Stone notes some unhappiness among investigators at the slow pace with which the prosecution of the Abramoff case has proceeded. Stone also says that agents have thought certain guilty plea deals cut by prosecutors were "too lenient."
Comments (23)
pterjy wrote on September 7, 2007 2:15 PM:Can someone tell me why the FBI seems to have maintained its independence in this area. Who sets their priorities? Much has been said about this administration's tampering influence in so many federal agencies, but the FBI keeps plugging along.
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 2:24 PM:Yeah, they keep plugging along but unless the DOJ prosecutes the cases it is meaningless. You don't think Gonzales, Bush and Cheney know this? Just look at the Jerry Lewis (R-CA) investigation that is going backwards as this article describes it: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004093.php.
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chabuka wrote on September 7, 2007 2:36 PM:that agents have thought certain guilty plea deals cut by prosecutors were "too lenient."
Let me guess the prosecuters are Republican and the "perps" are also Republican...
At least it appears the FBI aren't politically compromised to extremes...yet
Eric Ferguson wrote on September 7, 2007 2:54 PM:Remember a few months ago, there was one study indicating that DOJ was prosecuting many more Democrats than Republicans. I also noted that the majority of these FBI investigations were local officials. Maybe they are going first after Democrats, and unavoidably catching a few Republicans.
Anonymous wrote on September 7, 2007 3:18 PM:It is naieve to believe that that FBI isn't just as guilty as the DOJ and the CIA.
NSL abuse? Black bag jobs? Just a show.
And don't forget -- the Jefferson case was a shield for all of this. That case accomplish two things - slimed the Dem party as having corruption too (GOP goal) and insulating Congress from office search and seizure.
So consider the daytraders shortselling in Frist's Congressional office. Consider Stevens' use of Congressional office staff for his alleged payoffs. Anything connected with the official Congressional Office is off limits...
anon wrote on September 7, 2007 4:08 PM:If you want to see where this is going, take a look at the AL Bishop State and community collage mess. Stuff leaks to the press, a bunch of investigations crank up, a whole bunch of people related to Dems end up under investigation for "crimes" that have, generally, never been prosecuted and are probably not crimes at all. I'd guess were going to see a bunch more arrests/stings similar to the recent NJ stings, all a dozen to one weighted toward the Dems. Sure, there's a lot of corruption out there and, duh, a lot of stuff that's borderline prosecutable but I doubt any of this will touch the big GOP fish. Yes, Stevens and Co. are in trouble but it looks like the new programs to go after political corruption were designed by AG to be run by AG appointees to tamp down big GOP crimes and play up all the Dem dogcatchers who are stealing dogfood.
Dave Bowman wrote on September 7, 2007 4:50 PM:This is yet another example of why the next Alaskan earmark should be for the Ted Stevens Minimum Security Penitentiary for White Collar Criminals--it's a great future growth industry!
markg8 wrote on September 7, 2007 4:59 PM:Isn't that really a pic of Justin Rood and not Abramoff? I can tell because Abramoff hasn't smiled at a camera in 5 years.
piggly wrote on September 8, 2007 7:07 AM:Please wake up the FBI has for many years acted as a political police force.
Note that recent civil rights cases are only now being procecuted - at the state level - The Fbi continues to "protect" its sources. Even though the FBI has known for years that such folks as "Dynamite Bob" were murderers and did nothing. FBI men routinely engages in murder, routinely engage in procecution and detention of innocents.
The FBI routinly used pyrotechnics to burn out suspects note thst the use of fire occured not only at Waco but also with the Symbones (sp) liberation group, in Philly, at Whitby Island and so on. Add to this illegal wiretapping, obstruction of justice, curuously timed proscecutions (sp) in the Jefferson case, failure to prosecute white collar crime, criminally skewed lab work and so on.
And don't forget that the FBI was well aware of whom the 911 folks were - Headquarters ignored their own agents, and did nothing. In this case and many others the FBI has been criminally negligent and obstructed justice.
These guys are crooks carrying on the legascy of Edgar J. And note that many of the upper level staf was "handpicked" by Edgar J. so we have a collection of cross dressing closeted synccophants who can do no better than to play at justice.
Don't expect justice here just more politics. Politics to ensure that the FBI can continue to be a law unto it's self.
Congress should take action and cut all funding to the FBI and DOJ. Why continue to pay a bunch of crooks ?
Revend Bob Richardson wrote on September 8, 2007 5:20 PM:There is presently no equal justice. It used to investigate and prosecute the minorities now the FBI and the US Attornys investigate, investigate and keep investigating Democratics then after half a decade try to build a case on bread crumbs. I believe as long as Pres. Bush is over the Department Of Justice that they will have to follow his orders or will be subject to being discharged. Us Alabamians or hoping for a president that believes in justice for all and will enforce our constitution.
aklocal wrote on September 8, 2007 7:44 PM:One of the government's cases in Alaska has crashed and burned. See the link to KTUU reporter Bill McAllister's story by clicking on the link below.
aklocal wrote on September 8, 2007 7:54 PM:More on the federal case in Alaska that crashed and burned. Some pretty funny stuff in the link.
From KTUU.com's Bill McAllister:
"U.S. District Court Judge John Sedwick has ruled that former Reps. Bruce Weyhrauch and Pete Kott did not have to disclose to the Legislature a conflict of interest in regard to their dealings with VECO Corp. "The Legislature clearly knows how to establish a duty to disclose and has done so in several instances. Its failure to include an explicit duty to disclose (in the relevant law) is significant.""
This looks like a ruling in favor of states rights. Alaska law, or lack therof, applies over prosecutorial "honest services" opinion. Prosecutors to appeal to 9th Circuit.
Rev Bob Richardson wrote on September 9, 2007 9:09 PM:The new Mississippi Choctaw Chief in July 2007 said that the Choctaw Indians had paid a total of $13,000,000 to Kill the Alabama Education Lottery (1999) to defeat Gov. Siegelman by getting Riley elected governor and for Riley to oppress the AL. Poarch Indians so that they would not be a threat to the Mississippi Choctaw Indians.
$$$$$$$ Millions of dollars of illegal money came into Alabama and no one has been indicted or prosecuted by the AL. Attorney General, the Al. Bureau Of Investigations, the U.S. Attorneys, the FBI or by the AL. Ethic Commission???
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon used scare tactics to con millions of dollars out of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians making them think that if AL. got its own lottery that they would lose the
Rev Bob Richardson wrote on September 9, 2007 9:12 PM:The new Mississippi Choctaw Chief in July 2007 said that the Choctaw Indians had paid a total of $13,000,000 to Kill the Alabama Education Lottery (1999) to defeat Gov. Siegelman by getting Riley elected governor and for Riley to oppress the AL. Poarch Indians so that they would not be a threat to the Mississippi Choctaw Indians.
$$$$$$$ Millions of dollars of illegal money came into Alabama and no one has been indicted or prosecuted by the AL. Attorney General, the Al. Bureau Of Investigations, the U.S. Attorneys, the FBI or by the AL. Ethic Commission???
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon used scare tactics to con millions of dollars out of the Mississippi Choctaw Indians making them think that if AL. got its own lottery that they would lose the gambling money that came out of AL. and from the southeastern coastal states that drove across AL. to gamble in Mississippi.
Bush has banned Lady Justice from Alabama. The only person that has been prosecuted is the person who was the victim of the Rove/Abramoff's conspiracy, who was then governor of (1999-2002) AL. Don Siegelman (D).
To defeat the 1999 Siegelman's Education Lottery Campaign, these two cons set up several Fake Christian and family Coalitions/groups to act as a front and to laundry money. They got the then congressman Bob Riley to sign letters that they sent out to the AL. churches to oppose the education lottery in the name of Christianity. Riley says that he is innocent and has no remorse for publicly and financially ruining Siegelman.
Laura Canary (the U.S. Attorney who brought charges against Siegelman) was placed over the Class 3 Gambling committee by Riley which regulates the AL. Poarch Indians.
John McCain was the senate chairman over Indian Affairs who conducted the congressional investigation. In the election of 2002 J.A. and M.S. laundered hundred of thousands of dollars of Choctaw money through the Republicans Governors Assoc. Riley denied any wrong doing. The RGA told the McCain committee that it all came from individual donations??? Riley said that he is innocent.
It seems to me that the McCain Senate Committee, the prosecuting U.S. Attorney Hillman and the FBI stopped when the investigation of the biggest U.S. fraud in a decade got to the Alabama state line.
Bob Riley is being groomed for a vice president running mate in 2008. It will be interesting to see if he is McCain’s running mate??? Over the last few months the Republicans have really been pouring billions of dollars of government contracts, ear marks and education grants into Alabama trying to make AL. Gov. Riley look good.
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