Suhail Khan

Muslim Ex-Bush Official: 'Intern Spy' Hunt Threatens Careers Of Good Americans

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 5:42PM

Suhail Khan

Suhail Khan has seen this happen before. He was working as a senior political appointee for the Bush White House through Sept. 11, 2001, until this past January.

The same crowd of what he calls "professional bigots" -- people, he says, like Frank Gaffney and Dave Gaubatz -- have launched campaigns against specific Muslims working in the government, accusing them of terrorist sympathies.

The only thing different about the call by four House Republicans this week for authorities to investigate alleged "infiltration" of the Hill by Muslim interns, Khan told TPMmuckraker today, is that "they're not going after individuals by name."

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Muslim Mafia

Interview: Man Who Went Undercover As Muslim Intern Speaks To TPM

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 4:52PM

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad shakes hands with intern Chris Gaubatz, aka David Marshall.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Change your name. Grow a beard and learn the ways of Islam. Present yourself at the Council on American Islamic Relations. Acquire an internship. Wear a wire. Take whatever isn't bolted down.

That's the mission Chris Gaubatz accepted last year. And Gaubatz, who sells insurance for a living, told TPMmuckraker in an email interview that he never once felt guilty during the six months as a Muslim intern spy and that, well, some of the CAIR folks were pretty darn nice, despite any terrorist sympathies.

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Sue Myrick

Myrick's Office Hasn't Submitted Muslim 'Intern Spy' Probe Requests Yet

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 4:00PM

Remember how the House sergeant at arms hadn't heard of the call Wednesday by four GOP lawmakers for a probe of alleged infiltration of the Hill by Muslim intern subversives?

It turns out that's because Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC), the de facto leader of the group, who also wrote the foreword for the book on which the charges are based, hasn't yet submitted a request for an investigation, Myrick's office tells TPMmuckraker.

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David Safavian

Safavian Gets A Year In Prison For Role In Abramoff Scandal

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 1:52PM

David Safavian

David Safavian, the former Bush Administration official who was convicted for the second time in December for lying and obstruction of justice in the Jack Abramoff probe, was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison, the Washington Post reports.

Safavian, who was chief of staff at the General Services Administration, was also convicted of lying on a financial disclosure form about the costs of Abramoff's famous 2002 golf junket to Scotland, which Safavian attended.

The Post reports that Safavian, whose wife is pregnant, made a plea for leniency to the judge today:

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Private Prison Business

The Muni Bonds In The Hardin Jail Project: Who Lost Money?

Justin Elliott | October 16, 2009, 1:41PM

Two Rivers Detention Center

We posted an investigative piece Monday about the back story on the empty jail in Hardin, MT, explaining how a consortium of companies made millions on the project that has netted exactly nothing for the struggling town.

But what about the $27 million in high-risk municipal bonds that were issued to fund the construction of the speculative jail in 2006 and 2007?

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Loretta Sanchez

Sanchez On 'Muslim Intern Spy' Hunt: 'I Am Appalled'

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 6:12PM

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA)

We told you earlier about the strong statements from Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and André Carson (D-IN) denouncing the call by four Republicans for the sergeant at arms to probe whether a Muslim advocacy group planted "intern spies" on the Hill.

But it looks like Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) was first out of the gate on this one.

She released this statement yesterday:

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Dave Gaubatz

Meet The Man Behind The Intern Spy Wars: Muslim Mafia Author Dave Gaubatz

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 5:18PM

Muslim Mafia Co-Author David Gaubatz

Let's take a closer look at the co-author of Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America, just out from WND Books, and now at #16 among all books on Amazon.

That would be David Gaubatz, a former Air Force investigator and Arabic speaker, who dispatched his son Chris to grow a beard and go undercover as a Muslim to obtain an internship at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Gaubatz, who has long warned about the threat of Islamism in the United States, has claimed that he found Saddam's long-lost WMDs while in Iraq and has labeled Obama "Muslim" and a "self-admitted 'crack head.'"

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Kevin Ring

Judge Will Declare Mistrial In Kevin Ring Case

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 2:08PM

Kevin A. Ring

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. plans to declare a mistrial on seven of eight counts in the case of top Jack Abramoff operative Kevin Ring, the Legal Times reports.

Ring was indicted last year on charges of bribing government officials and members of Congress with meals and event tickets in return for help for clients of Abramoff's lobbying firm.

The Legal Times reports:

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André Carson

Right-Wing Spy Posing As Muslim Intern Snagged Pic With Congressman

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 1:21PM

Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and "CAIR intern" Dave Marshall, aka Chris Gaubatz

Chris Gaubatz, who went undercover as a Muslim to infiltrate the Council on American-Islamic Relations for a new book from WorldNetDaily, posed for a picture with Muslim Democratic Rep. André Carson (IN) while under guise as "CAIR intern" Dave Marshall.

The picture with Carson, who became the second Muslim member of Congress when he took office in 2008, was taken at the convention of the Islamic Society of North America in Ohio last year.

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Sue Myrick

GOP Rep Takes Campaign Against Muslim 'Intern Spies' To Fox

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 12:36PM

CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad shakes hands with intern Chris Gaubatz, aka David Marshall.

Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) is today pressing on in the campaign against supposed infiltration of terrorist-linked Muslim interns in key national security committees on Capitol Hill.

As we told you yesterday, the charges are based on a book published by WorldNetDaily, which draws on the work of an actual intern spy, the son of the co-author who went undercover at the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

An animated Myrick complained on Fox News this morning that "quite frankly, [CAIR makes] everybody else look like they're being paranoid by saying anything about them."

Here's the video of the Myrick segment:

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Intern Spy vs. Intern Spy

Citing Work Of Right-Wing Intern Spy, GOP Accuses Muslim Group Of Infiltrating Hill With Intern 'Spies'

Justin Elliott | October 14, 2009, 5:56PM

Reps. John Shadegg (R-AZ), Paul Broun (R-GA) and Sue Myrick (R-NC) at an October news conference about CAIR and Muslim Mafia

Four House Republicans are charging that the Council on American Islamic Relations is infiltrating Capitol Hill with undercover interns, and they're basing the charge on a WND-published book that itself is based on the work of a man who posed as a Muslim to infiltrate CAIR as ... an intern!

In other words, it's Intern Spy vs. Intern Spy.

As Greg Sargent notes, the office of Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) does not have a list of the "Manchurian Interns" that she claims may have penetrated national security-related committees.

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American Private Police Force

Montana AG Suspends Probe Of American Private Police Force

Justin Elliott | October 14, 2009, 10:56AM

Michael Hilton

The attorney general of Montana has suspended a short-lived probe of the American Private Police Force, saying that "Captain" Michael Hilton's failure to answer the AG's questions "speaks volumes about his company's legitimacy."

Attorney General Steve Bullock released this statement last night:

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Steve Buyer

Despite Denials, Buyer Has Close Ties To Questionable Charity

Justin Elliott | October 13, 2009, 5:33PM

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN)

And the award for boldest denial in the face of evidence of financial mischief goes to ... Rep. Steve Buyer!

As we've been reporting, Buyer, Republican of Indiana, is closely affiliated with the Frontier Foundation, an organization that has taken in over $800,000 from industry groups who Buyer is in a position to help. Despite its stated mission, the foundation hasn't given out a single scholarship, but has spent $258,136 over six years on salary, meals, travel, and "fundraising expenses."

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American Police Force

American Private Police Force Faxes One Page Non-Response To AG's Request

Justin Elliott | October 13, 2009, 3:50PM

Michael Hilton

In the least surprising development of the day, American Private Police Force has declined to answer the Montana attorney general's questions seeking information about its (supposed) business and (supposed) past clients.

Attorney General Steve Bullock sent a letter two weeks ago demanding the information, before the deal for APPF to run a jail in Hardin fell apart.

KTVQ in Billings reports:

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Steve Buyer

Buyer-Linked Foundation: Who Gave, And Where Did The Money Go?

Justin Elliott | October 13, 2009, 12:55PM

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN)

Yesterday, we told you about the foundation closely linked to Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) that's taken nearly a million dollars from companies with interest in legislation moving through his committees, but given out nothing for its stated purpose, college scholarships for Indiana students.

Here's a closer look at who has donated to the Frontier Foundation, and how some of the money has been spent.

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Orly Taitz

Orly Taitz Responds To Judge's $20k Fine: Shove It!

Justin Elliott | October 13, 2009, 11:33AM

Orly Taitz

Reached on her cell phone by TPMmuckraker and informed of the $20,000 fine imposed on her by a federal judge this morning, Birther attorney Orly Taitz responded, first, with laughter.

"So he didn't recuse himself?" Taitz asked, after letting out an extended, nervous-sounding chuckle.

Still defiant after months of legal wrangling and, by our count, three written denunciations by federal district court Judge Clay Land, Taitz said she had absolutely no plans to pay the $20,000 fine.

"Are you kidding? Of course not," she said, asked whether she planned to send a check. "This is a form of intimidation."

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Orly Taitz

Judgment Day: Birther Taitz Fined $20,000 For Misconduct

Justin Elliott | October 13, 2009, 11:00AM

Orly Taitz

Finally fed up with Orly Taitz's repeated frivolous and conspiracy-ridden filings in a Birther lawsuit, the judge in the case has fined the crusading attorney $20,000.

Opening with a quote from Justice Cardozo on the privilege of bar membership, Judge Clay Land of the U.S. District Court in the Middle District Of Georgia goes on for some length -- the order is 43 pages -- explaining his reasoning:

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Private Prison Business

Behind Montana Jail Fiasco: How Private Prison Developers Prey On Desperate Towns

Justin Elliott | October 12, 2009, 3:14PM

Two Rivers Authority parade float, 6/27/09

With the unraveling of the deal for the shadowy American Private Police Force to take over and populate an empty jail in Hardin, Montana, it's pretty clear that the small city got played by an ex-con and his (supposed) private security firm.

But an investigation by TPMmuckraker into how Hardin ended up with the 92,000 square foot facility in the first place suggests that, long before "low-level card shark" Michael Hilton ever came to town, Hardin officials had already been taken for a ride by a far more powerful set of players: a well-organized consortium of private companies headquartered around the country, which specializes in pitching speculative and risky prison projects to local governments desperate for jobs.

The projects have generated multi-million dollar profits for the companies involved, but often haven't created the anticipated payoff for the communities, and have left a string of failed or failing prisons in their wake.

"They look for an impoverished town that's desperate," says Frank Smith of the Private Corrections Institute, a Florida-based group that opposes prison privatization. "They come in looking very impressive, saying, 'We'll make money rain from the skies.' In fact, they don't care whether it works or not."

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Denny Rehberg

Musician: Rehberg Didn't Seem Drunk On Night Of Boat Crash

Justin Elliott | October 12, 2009, 12:20PM

The scene of the Aug. 27 accident, Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) inset.

Ever since the boat accident in late August in which Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) and two staffers were seriously injured, the congressman has denied that he had been drinking heavily and has maintained that the driver, who was charged with felonies last week, was not impaired either.

Now, a musician who says he saw Rehberg in Lakeside, MT, shortly before the accident, has come forward to say that Rehberg was not drunk.

Terry Brick, a member of the Toby Stone Duo, playing the night of the crash, said in a letter to the Missoulian Friday that Rehberg was not exhibiting the signs of inebriation:

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Steve Buyer

Corporate Money In, No Money Out: What's Going On At Rep. Buyer-Linked Foundation?

Justin Elliott | October 12, 2009, 9:57AM

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN)

A foundation closely linked to Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) has collected over $800,000 in donations, much of it from industry sources with stakes in legislation moving through Buyer's committees, but has given out just $10,500 in six years and spent a whopping $258,136 in operating expenses, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported Sunday.

Buyer's daughter is the president of the Frontier Foundation, which was set up purportedly to give scholarships to Indiana students, Buyer himself was described as "honorary chairman" in a 2004 solicitation letter, and the organization in June listed Buyer's district office as its office.

Despite all of that, Buyer's office told the newspaper, "It's not Congressman Buyer's foundation," and declined an interview request.

The Journal & Courier reports:

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