Ryan J. Reilly: February 12, 2012 - February 18, 2012

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Ryan J. Reilly

Grimm Not Listed As Guest For Rally That's Meant To Show Support For Him

Ryan J. Reilly | February 17, 2012, 6:30PM

It's been a rough few weeks for Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY), who's facing some big questions based on New York Times investigations into allegations of shady (and possibly illegal) fundraising efforts and, more recently, questionable former business dealings.

The good news for Grimm: there's a party on Saturday that supporters are portraying as an event to demonstrate support for the former FBI agent. The bad news: it doesn't look like Grimm was even listed as a special guest on the original invite, which is actually being held to celebrate the opening of the new headquarters of the Staten Island Republican Party.

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Topics: Michael Grimm

Amine El Khalifi

Man Charged In U.S. Capitol Terror Sting Switched Target At Least Five Times

Ryan J. Reilly | February 17, 2012, 5:05PM

The man arrested in an FBI terror sting just as he was allegedly about to attempt what he thought would be a suicide attack on the U.S. Capitol had several other targets in mind before he eventually settled on his final plan, according to federal authorities.

An affidavit from an FBI agent filed in federal court Friday says that Amine El Khalifi planned to explode a bomb at an office building in Alexandria that contained military offices, then wanted to attack a synagogue, then decided to target an Army general, then a government building, then a restaurant next to that building because it was frequented by military officials.

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Topics: Amine El Khalifi, Counterterrorism, FBI, FBI Sting, Terror Plot, Terrorism

FBI Sting

Feds Say Man Arrested In Terror Sting Wanted To Bomb Capitol

Ryan J. Reilly | February 17, 2012, 1:46PM

Updated 3:19PM

Another FBI terrorism sting operation has led to the arrest of a man who allegedly believed he was plotting an attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Virginia resident Amine El Khalifi, 29, had been under federal scrutiny for around a year and had overstayed his visitor visa for a number of years, the Associated Press reported.

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd confirmed to TPM that there was an arrest of a suspect in connection with a terrorism investigation and that the arrest "was the culmination of an undercover operation during which the suspect was closely monitored by law enforcement."

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Topics: Amine El Khalifi, FBI, FBI Sting, Justice Department, Terrorism

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab

Conservatives Quiet After Saying Civilian System Couldn't Handle Underwear Bomber

Ryan J. Reilly | February 17, 2012, 11:58AM

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the so-called "underwear bomber," was sentenced to life in prison Thursday following his trial in federal court. Two years ago, Republicans insisted trying Abdulmutallab in federal court was a terrible idea.

There was a time when the circumstances surrounding Abdulmutallab's arrest were part of a lengthy national debate about the best way to handle terrorism cases. There were letters, television appearances and press releases calling on the Obama administration to reverse its position and send Abdulmutallab into the military tribunal system due to perceived weaknesses in the civilian court system.

Now that he's locked up for life, it's pretty much radio silence. A search for press releases mentioning Abdulmutallab from members of Congress this week turns up just one, from Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), who said the sentence 'demonstrations that our federal court system is fully capable of bringing terrorist to justice."

Still it's worth revisiting just what critics of the civilian court system predicted. Some examples:

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Topics: Buck McKeon, Jerry Lewis, Joe Lieberman, Kit Bond, Lamar Smith, Michele Bachmann, Miranda rights, Mitch McConnell, Pete Hoekstra, Peter King, Susan Collins, Terrorism, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, underwear bomber

RNC

Did The RNC Consider Mailing Out Illegal 'Census' Forms?

Ryan J. Reilly | February 16, 2012, 6:04AM

A 2010 mailing from the Republican National Committee with the words "Census Document" was so controversial that Congress passed a law making such tactics illegal. In early 2011, the RNC was apparently planning to do it again.

That's according to the Direct Marketing Association, which said in a recent ethics report obtained by TPM that the RNC, under its current chairman, was "likely" to mail out an "identical mail piece" to the one that got them into trouble. The RNC denies such a plan was ever under consideration during the new regime.

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Topics: RNC, RNC Census Mailers

Voting

Virginia's Voter ID Bill A Solution In Search Of A Problem

Ryan J. Reilly | February 15, 2012, 6:09AM

There are no reports of anyone ever signing an affidavit claiming they were another person in order to vote in Virginia. But that isn't stopping Republican Virginia Del. Mark Cole from pushing legislation that would prevent such a scheme from taking place.

His bill -- which would make voters who lack an accepted form of identification cast provisional ballots -- has passed the House. It's raised the ire of Virginia Democrats who say it's just one in a line of legislative measures proposed by Republicans in states across the country who are trying to suppress Democratic turnout.

But Cole told TPM this week that his legislation isn't part of some grand conspiracy by, say, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). He said it's a solution to a potential problem brought to his attention by members of a county election board.

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Topics: Virginia, Voter Identification, Voting

Corrections Corporation of America

Cash-4-Prisons: Corrections Corporation of America Offers To Buy State Facilities

Ryan J. Reilly | February 14, 2012, 12:40PM

Attention states with a corrections budget crunch: the Corrections Corporation of America is here to help. The Huffington Post reports that the for-profit prisons giant sent letters to 48 states offering to buy up their prisons in exchange for a 20-year management contract and the guarantee that the facilities would be at least 90 percent full.

The letter came from Harley Lappin, the former head of the federal Bureau of Prisons who resigned last spring following a drunk driving incident. Lappin wrote that they believed the offer comes at a "timely and helpful juncture and hope you will share our belief in the benefits of the purchase-and-manage model."

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Topics: Corrections Corporation of America, Florida

Guantanamo

Obama's 2013 Budget Gives Up On 'Gitmo North' Proposal

Ryan J. Reilly | February 13, 2012, 3:20PM

It took 20 words for the Obama administration to give up on its proposal to renovate an Illinois prison to render it capable of holding terrorism detainees from Guantanamo Bay.

"The proposed Administrative USP Thomson, IL project was removed as funding was not provided in the FY 2011 Enacted Appropriation," the administration said in their 2013 budget proposal for building and facilities expenses from DOJ's Bureau of Prisons.