Author Topic: We need congressional hearings about these firings  (Read 3859 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Lanya

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3300
    • View Profile
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #15 on: March 02, 2007, 06:05:26 PM »
Recently dismissed New Mexico US attorney David Iglesias gives an interview to NPR. Apparently the offices of Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM) told NPR "no comment" as to whether they pestered Iglesias to indict a Democrat in advance of the November elections. Iglesias said he plans to reveal which two legislators did call him at Congressional hearings on Tuesday.

Update: McClatchy's Marisa Taylor: "Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico pressured the U.S. attorney in their state to speed up indictments in a federal corruption investigation that involved at least one former Democratic state senator, according to two people familiar with the contacts. The alleged involvement of the two Republican lawmakers raises questions about possible violations of House of Representatives and Senate ethics rules and could taint the criminal investigation into the award of an $82 million courthouse contract. ... Wilson was curt after Iglesias was "non-responsive" to her questions about whether an indictment would be unsealed, said the two individuals, who asked not to be identified because they feared possible political repercussions. Rumors had spread throughout the New Mexico legal community that an indictment of at least one Democrat was sealed. Domenici, who wasn't up for re-election, called about a week and a half later and was more persistent than Wilson, the people said. When Iglesias said an indictment wouldn't be handed down until at least December, the line went dead."
http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/005734.html
Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care.

BT

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16141
    • View Profile
    • DebateGate
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 3

BT

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16141
    • View Profile
    • DebateGate
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #17 on: March 02, 2007, 06:23:18 PM »
Quote
Iglesias said he plans to reveal which two legislators did call him at Congressional hearings on Tuesday.

Bout Time. And why didn't he report the improper contact at the time i happened?

Would that be a performance related issue?

Lanya

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3300
    • View Profile
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #18 on: March 04, 2007, 09:20:25 PM »
"Senator Admits Calling U.S. Attorney"

Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.) acknowledged today that he contacted the U.S. attorney in Albuquerque last fall to inquire about the status of an ongoing corruption probe of Democrats, saying he regretted the call but "never pressured him nor threatened him in any way."
............
Domenici also said he had told the Justice Department that U.S. Attorney David C. Iglesias should be replaced, but said that occurred prior to the call about the criminal investigation of Democrats.
........
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/04/AR2007030400507.html
Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care.

BT

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16141
    • View Profile
    • DebateGate
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #19 on: March 04, 2007, 10:21:06 PM »
Quote
"Senator Admits Calling U.S. Attorney"


Which has little to do with the fact that Iglesias didn't have the courage to name names when he made the charges.


Lanya

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3300
    • View Profile
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #20 on: March 05, 2007, 12:52:46 AM »
No doubt, he should have done that but in a small state like NM, not gonna happen. Not if you want to work in government again, ever.  No way.
via TPM
(March 04, 2007 -- 01:23 PM EDT)

Oh, this is good.

One of the fascinating dynamics in the Justice Department for going on 4 years now has been the tension between the Bush loyalists and those loyal Republicans who still have a shred of decency left. The poster child for the latter category has been James Comey, the deputy attorney general for part of John Ashcroft's tenure, who appointed his old friend Patrick Fitzgerald as special prosecutor to investigate the Plame affair. Comey was also the guy who refused to reauthorize the NSA warrantless wiretapping program, forcing the White House to get Ashcroft to sign off on it from his hospital bed. Bush, as is his way, nicknamed Comey "Cuomo."

Comey is two years removed from DOJ, now serving as general counsel for Lockheed Martin. But, as Josh noted, Comey popped up this week singing the praises of canned U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to the Washington Post: "David Iglesias was one of our finest and someone I had a lot of confidence in as deputy attorney general."

You could almost hear the knives being sharpened.

Then yesterday, as Paul noted, the Bush loyalists fired back, telling the Post that Comey had been consulted by his successor as deputy attorney general, Paul McNulty, about some of the canned prosecutors before McNulty approved the final list.

Ooops. Not so, the Post says today:

    In a related matter, administration officials said they were mistaken in saying that Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty consulted his predecessor, James B. Comey, about some of the U.S. attorneys before they were fired. Comey was not consulted, the officials said Saturday.

In a different era, this would call for pistols at dawn. Good stuff.


-- David Kurtz
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/012783.php
Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care.

BT

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16141
    • View Profile
    • DebateGate
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #21 on: March 05, 2007, 01:57:51 AM »
One wonders how close Aragon is to Richardson.

Lanya

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3300
    • View Profile
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #22 on: March 05, 2007, 03:04:07 AM »
Who is Aragon?
Planned Parenthood is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive health care.

Amianthus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7574
  • Bring on the flames...
    • View Profile
    • Mario's Home Page
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2007, 07:32:20 AM »
No doubt, he should have done that but in a small state like NM, not gonna happen. Not if you want to work in government again, ever.  No way.

Hmm, thought he said that he was gonna tell Congress this week.

Why is it ok to wait to tell Congress, but it's not ok to tell who it is when the claims are first made to the media?
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

BT

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 16141
    • View Profile
    • DebateGate
  • Liked:
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: We need congressional hearings about these firings
« Reply #24 on: March 05, 2007, 12:15:31 PM »
Quote
Who is Aragon?

The guy in the probe at the heart of this. Richardson appointee, former senate president pro tiem, big mover and shaker in dem circles.