Eric Holder

Holder Calls Out Gohmert For 'Grossly Unfair' Statements On CAIR Prosecution

Jillian Rayfield | May 4, 2011, 2:25PM

Attorney General Eric Holder accused Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) of making statements that were "grossly unfair," after Gohmert implied that a U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute the Council On American-Islamic Relations for political gain.

Jim Jacks was the federal prosecutor in the trial over the Holy Land Foundation -- a Muslim charity -- in 2008. A jury convicted five men with ties to the group of providing material support to Hamas. Omar Ahmad, the founder of CAIR, and several other leaders of Islamic groups, were deemed unindicted co-conspirators and never charged.

In April , Rep. Peter King (R-NY) wrote a letter to the DOJ saying that he'd been "reliably informed" that the decision not to prosecute CAIR officials was "usurped by high-ranking officials at Department of Justice" and that prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's office in Dallas objected.

Jacks, now a U.S. Attorney, told the Dallas Morning News that King was "misinformed. That did not happen."

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Topics: CAIR, Eric Holder, Louie Gohmert, Peter King

FBI

GOPer to Mueller: Why Doesn't FBI Have To Reach Out To Baptists or Catholics Like It Does Muslims?

Ryan J. Reilly | March 16, 2011, 1:10PM

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) asked FBI Director Robert Mueller on Wednesday whether the bureau had any outreach programs specifically for the Baptist or Catholic communities like it did with the Muslim community.

"How is your outreach going with the Baptists or the Catholics?" Gohmert inquired.

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Topics: CAIR, Counterterrorism, FBI, FBI Sting, Islamic Terrorism, Islamophobia, Louie Gohmert, Muslim-Americans, Muslims, Robert Mueller

Tom DeLay

Abramoff Cohorts Offered Immunity To Testify Against DeLay At Sentencing

Rachel Slajda | January 10, 2011, 9:49AM

At former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's sentencing hearing today, two of DeLay's former aides and associates of Jack Abramoff -- who pleaded guilty to corruption charges years ago -- may testify against their old boss.

The two ex-aides, Mike Scanlon and Tony Rudy, were offered immunity in Texas in exchange for their testimony, the Austin-American Statesman reports. The two have been convicted on federal corruption charges, and their testimony won't get them off the hook there -- but they could get a state prosecutor to testify on their behalf at their own sentencings.

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Topics: Benjamin Netanyahu, Jack Abramoff, Louie Gohmert, Michael Scanlon, Tom DeLay, Tony Rudy

Texas

How Rep. Louie 'Terror Babies' Gohmert Got A College Art Director Fired

Rachel Slajda | November 16, 2010, 10:32AM

Last month, we told you about a college art galleries director who was fired after calling Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) a "fear-monger," prompting an angry letter from the congressman to the university president.

Now, thanks to a public records request made by TPM to the university, we have a clearer idea of what happened -- including how Gohmert reacted to all the news coverage of the story. (Hint: not well.)

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Topics: Louie Gohmert, Texas

Texas

College Arts Director Ousted After Spat With Rep. Gohmert

Rachel Slajda | October 20, 2010, 12:16PM

The director of art galleries at a Texas university says he was asked to resign after getting into a bit of a spat with Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) in which he called the congressman a "fear monger."

Christian Cutler, who until recently ran the art galleries at the Stephen F. Austin State University, says it all began in early August, when an aide for Gohmert's office called him up and asked him to judge a high school art show. According to Cutler, the aide said the show would be held in Tyler, about an hour and a half away from the Nagodoches campus.

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Topics: Louie Gohmert, Texas

Steve King

Patriot Games: GOP Reps Pick Tea Party Rally Over National-Security Votes

Zachary Roth | November 6, 2009, 12:29PM

When it's a choice between strengthening the Patriot Act, or showing up for the Tea Party Patriots, what's a GOP lawmaker to do? We'll give you one guess...

Several Republican members of Congress yesterday blew off votes on the signature anti-terror legislation of the post 9/11 era to attend Michele Bachmann's Tea Party rally against health-care reform.

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Topics: House Judiciary, Jim Jordan, Louie Gohmert, Michele Bachmann, Patriot Act, Randy Forbes, Steve King, Tea Parties, Teabaggers, Ted Poe, Trent Franks