John Conyers

Rep. Conyers On U.S. Attorney Investigation: 'We Have To Keep The Process Working'

Rachel Slajda | July 24, 2009, 5:16PM

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said today that he's still pushing to question Bush administration officials about the U.S. attorney firings.

"All the breadcrumbs, as we call them, go right to the White House," Conyers said in a speech to the National Press Club this afternoon.

"We have to keep the process working," he said.

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John Ensign

Ensign Communications Director Quits, Following Chief Of Staff

Rachel Slajda | July 24, 2009, 12:01PM

A second senior staffer for Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) has resigned, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Ensign's office announced yesterday the departure of his communications director, Tony Mazzola.

The press release also announced the departure of chief of staff John Lopez, which we first heard about yesterday. He'll be replaced by Aaron Cohen, a health policy lobbyist with Kimbell & Associates and former Ensign staffer. Lopez will stay on through August as he "weighs options in the public sector," according to the release.

Mazzola will be replaced by Rebecca Fisher, who was Ensign's communications director at the Republican Policy Committee. Mazzola is leaving to be Northeast region press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee. He's from New England, the release said, and wants to return as he and his wife expect their first child.

Ensign's office also announced the return of Pam Thiessen, the senator's former policy director who left in January to work for the Republican Policy Committee. She will be returning as a senior policy adviser.

Bowe Bergdahl

Senior Military Officials on Bergdahl: 'He's Not A Deserter'

Rachel Slajda | July 23, 2009, 3:45PM

Yesterday, we reported that we hadn't heard a clear story from the Pentagon about how Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl was captured in Afghanistan. We started looking after a Fox News analyst claimed the soldier deserted (and therefore should be executed by the Taliban).

But last night, an NBC News correspondent reported that Pentagon officials are certain Bergdahl is not a deserter.

"Senior military and Pentagon officials, not only in Washington but there on the ground in Afghanistan, say there's no question he's not a deserter," said Jim Miklaszewski, NBC's Pentagon correspondent.

Video after the jump.

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John Ensign

Ensign's Chief of Staff Quits

Rachel Slajda | July 23, 2009, 11:54AM

The chief of staff for Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is resigning, reports the Las Vegas Sun.

John Lopez has worked with Ensign since the mid-1990s. He was named chief of staff in 2006, replacing Scott Bensing.

But, as TPMmuckraker reported last month, Lopez had to split his chief of staff duties with Doug Hampton -- the husband of Ensign's mistress, Cynthia Hampton, who was also a former Ensign staffer. A source familiar with the situation told us that Lopez was less than pleased with the arrangement, which had him handling political and legislative work and Hampton running the Washington office and staff.

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