Is Ensign Walking Back Extortion Claim?
Did John Ensign's camp try to spin the announcement of his affair by smearing his girlfriend's husband? And is it now trying to walk that back?
Let us explain:
Posts on “FBI”
Justice Department To Probe Tiller Killing
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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FBI 9/11 Whistleblower: Bureau Dropped The Ball On Tiller Case
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.
Before Tiller Murder, FBI Got Detailed Info On Roeder's Illegal Activity
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.
Did FBI Fail To Act On Roeder Tip?
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.
Was Newburgh Plotter Seeking Money To Treat Brother's Deadly Disease?
There's yet more evidence that the government informant in the Newburgh Four case used promises of financial support to lure his targets into participating in the fake terror plot for which they were arrested last week.
Lord McWilliams, the 20-year-old brother of one of the four, David Williams, has told the New York Daily News that Williams agreed to take part in the plot in order to get money to pay for McWilliams' treatment for a deadly liver disease.
Defense Lawyer On Newburgh Informant: "A Real Snake"
The lawyer for a man convicted of a terror-related crime that was engineered by the same government informant at the center of the Newburgh Four case describes the informant an unscrupulous liar who, in both cases, preyed on the ignorance and lack of sophistication of his targets.
In an interview with TPMmuckraker, defense lawyer Terence Kindlon called Shahed Hussain a "treacherous, clever, completely ingenious dissembler," and "a real snake."
Counter-Terror Expert: You Wouldn't Catch al Qaeda With Newburgh Tactics
We wondered earlier, in reference to the Newburgh Four: is sending a government mole out to scrounge up a few dim-witted ex-cons who can be talked -- and perhaps bribed -- into getting involved in a fictitious bomb plot really the best way to use our limited terror-fighting resources?
The picture is still a long way from being clear, but a prominent counter-terrorism expert we spoke to confirms there are legitimate questions about the wisdom of the approach.
How A Government Mole Won The Loyalty Of The Newburgh Four
Reports last week suggested that the Newburgh four -- the men arrested Wednesday for plotting to bomb two New York synagogues -- perhaps weren't the swiftest ships in her majesty's fleet. But over the weekend, people close to the four came forward to describe how the government informant at the center of the case against them -- the man known to the suspects as Maqsood -- aggressively courted the men before luring them into an imagined jihad.
Here's what the New York Daily News, Post, and Times reported about how "Maqsood" (identified as a Pakistani immigrant named Shahed Hussain) won the men's loyalty:
The Newburgh Four -- And The Goverment Mole Who Betrayed Them
There's little doubt the bumbling would-be bombers went far enough with the plot to demonstrate that they had the intention to commit terror, and for that they'll pay the price. But the whole tale comes off perhaps more as a sad glimpse into the lives of a loose group of aimless and obscurely embittered Americans than as a dire illustration of the threat of home-grown terrorism.
Feds: "It's Hard To Envision A More Chilling Plot" Than One Involving Stoner And Schizophrenic
OK, this really puts the nail in the coffin of any claims that those four guys arrested last night in connection with a plot to bomb two New York synagogues were some kind of highly dangerous terror cell.
Calling the men "amateurs every step of the way," the AP reports:
Accused "Terror" Ringleader: I Smoked Pot Before Bust
More evidence that those four guys arrested last night for a plot to blow up synagogues in New York weren't exactly fearsome, highly-trained terrorists.
NBC4 reports:
The ringleader of the four-man homegrown terror cell accused of a plotting to blow up synagogues in the Bronx and military planes in Newburgh admitted to a judge today that he had smoked pot before his bust last night.When U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa M. Smith asked James Cromatie (sic) if his judgment was impaired during his appearance in federal court in White Plains, the 55-year confessed: "No. I smoke it regularly...I understand everything you are saying."
Thwarted New York Terror Plot: How Serious Was It?
So what happened with that failed plan to bomb synagogues here in New York City? Was it a serious, well-organized terror plot, or more like a repeat of the Liberty Six?
First, here's what we know:
Four men, all Muslims living in Newburgh, New York, were arrested last night in what authorities said was a plot to bomb two synagogues in the Bronx and to fire Stinger missiles at military aircraft at an Air National Guard base in Newburgh.
Coleman Wants Campaign To Pay Cost Of Responding To TPM Story -- Even Though It Never Responded
Now this is some chutzpah...
Norm Coleman is arguing that he should be able to use campaign funds to pay his legal bills in connection with the Nasser Kazeminy allegations, citing the need to respond to inquiries on the subject from TPMmuckraker and others in the media. But we're kind of unclear about what expenses the Coleman camp incurred here -- because they never responded to us in the first place.
CORRECTED: Weldon Probe Winding Down Without Charges?
Could the long-running FBI corruption probe into former Pennsylvania GOP congressman Curt Weldon be winding down, without charges?
That's what the Philadephia Daily News suggests, noting the fact that the Justice Department recently sent letters to people whose conversations were intercepted as part of the investigation, including the paper's own reporter, William Bender.*
Parsing Goss's Role In The Harman Story
It's worth trying to clear up some of the confusion on a key point that came out of yesterday's post.
We wrote that, after reading the transcript of Jane Harman's wiretapped conversation with the suspected Israeli agent, then-CIA director Porter Goss signed off on the Justice Department's application for a FISA warrant to wiretap Harman herself.
Secrecy Expert: Harman Leakers Likely Committed Felony
Did the people -- whoever they may be -- who leaked details about Rep. Jane Harman's wiretapped conversation with a suspected Israeli agent, break the law?
The law quite clearly prohibits the unauthorized disclosure of classified information "concerning the communication intelligence activities of the United States or any foreign government." And Steven Aftergood, the director of the Project on Government Secrecy, confirmed to TPMmuckraker: "It seems crystal clear that if this was a FISA wiretap," as appears to be the case, "then whoever disclosed it committed a felony."
Did Harman Break The Law?
We've been wondering about something on this whole Jane-Harman/AIPAC story. (For the background, go here.)
When the Justice Department heard Harman on the wiretap, and as a result started to investigate her (a probe later reportedly shut down by Alberto Gonzales), what was the underlying crime she was suspected of, and how strong does the case against her appear to have been?
Coleman Again Won't Say Whether He's Heard From Feds On Kazeminy Probe
Losing his Senate seat may be the least of Norm Coleman's worries.
It's looking more and more like the former Minnesota senator has heard from federal investigators who are investigating the Nasser Kazeminy allegations.
Asked by the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board whether he had been contacted with the FBI in connection with the probe, Coleman refused to say, instead pivoting to attack the paper:
Stevens Judge Weighing Sanctions Against Prosecutors
The charges against Ted Stevens may be about to be dropped -- but the fallout isn't over.
The judge in the case yesterday ordered the Justice Department to hand over documents relating to allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in the case, reports the Washington Post.
It was because of this misconduct that Attorney General Eric Holder last week decided to ask the judge, Emmet Sullivan, drop the charges against Stevens.
Decision To Drop Stevens Case Was Triggered By Latest Government Fumble To Emerge
It sounds like the decision to drop the charges against Ted Stevens was prompted by a new example of prosecutorial misconduct, which only came to light recently.
Here's the key excerpt from the Justice Department's motion:
The Government recently discovered that a witness interview of Bill Allen took place on April 15, 2008. While no memorandum of interview or agent notes exist for this interview, notes taken by two prosecutors who participated in the April 15 interview reflect that Bill Allen was asked about a note dated October 6, 2002, that was sent from the defendant to Bill Allen. The note was introduced at trial as Government Exhibit 495 and was referred to as the "Torricelli note." The notes of the April 15 interview indicate that Bill Allen said, among other things, in substance and in part, that he (Bill Allen) did not recall talking to Bob Persons regarding giving a bill to the defendant. This statement by Allen during the April 15 interview was inconsistent with Allen's recollection at trial, where he described a conversation with Persons about the Torricelli note. In addition, the April 15 interview notes indicate that Allen estimated that if his workers had performed efficiently, the fair market value of the work his corporation performed on defendant's Girdwood chalet would have been $80,000. Upon the discovery of the interview notes last week, the Government immediately provided a copy to defense counsel.Defendant Stevens was not informed prior to or during trial of the statements by Bill Allen on April 15, 2008. This information could have been used by the defendant to cross- examine Bill Allen and in arguments to the jury. The Government also acknowledges that the Government's Opposition to Defendant's Motion for a New Trial provided an account of the Government's interviews of Bill Allen that is inaccurate.
Murtha: If Loving Constituents Is Wrong ... I Don't Wanna Be Right!
Backing down isn't Rep. John Murtha's style.
The cantankerous House power-broker is under fire for his ties to the PMA lobbying firm, which just shut down amid reports of an FBI probe into its campaign contributions to friendly lawmakers, including Murtha, who have steered millions in federal earmarks to PMA clients.
Flake's Call For PMA Probe Gaining Support
Remember that ongoing FBI investigation of PMA, the lobbying group with close ties to Democratic power-broker Rep. John Murtha?
Well, up until now, House Democrats -- led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who's a close ally of Murtha, the powerful Defense Appropriations subcommittee chair -- have been successful on fending off GOP calls for a congressional probe of the matter. But that may be changing...
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