The Daily Muck

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The easily de-railable federal corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) was thrown off course briefly yet again — this time by questionable head movements. Judge Emmet Sullivan chastised the personal attorney of former VECO CEO Bill Allen for allegedly signaling to his client by making “nodding” motions at Allen to tell him to answer a question either with a yes or no while he was testifying. The government, Allen, and the attorney in question denied that any “nodding” — or as Judge Sullivan called it “borderline obstruction of justice” — was taking place. (Roll Call)

Your company’s so close to the red that it receives an $85 billion bailout and what do you do to recoup? Go to the spa, of course. Shortly after the Fed gave the go ahead to rescue American International Group, company executives beat it to the swanky St. Regis resort, spending nearly half a million dollars — and $23,000 at the spa alone. In the words of an incredulous Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD): “They spent another $10,000 dollars for — I don’t know what this is, leisure dining. Bars?” (The Gavel)

Seventeen Guantanamo detainees were ordered to be set free yesterday, a mere four years after a judge first declared them safe for release. The U.S. had said it could not return the Uighur Muslim prisoners to China because they might be tortured. The detainees will be released in the U.S., into the care of supporters. (New York Times)

Those first years in Washington can sometimes get a little bit lonely. So when John McCain got to D.C. as a congressman in 1982, retired Army Major General John Singlaub, the founder of the U.S. Council for World Freedom, invited him to sit on the board of his group — which was mixed up in the Iran-Contra Affair, supported rightist guerrillas in Nicaragua, and was affiliated with another group linked to Nazis. McCain served on the board through the early 80s — though he says he resigned in 1984, IRS filings list him on the board in 1985. Singlaub said his organization invited McCain to join the board “to make him feel like he wasn’t left out.” (AP)

Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) debated his Democratic challenger Ethan Berkowitz Monday night. Young challenged John McCain’s anti-earmarks policy, saying that he “dare[s]” McCain to veto any of his earmarks. Presumably, Young is threatening to pull out the mink teeth. Or now, with Tuesday’s endorsement by Chuck Norris, maybe he doesn’t even have to. (Anchorage Daily News/WSJ)

A former Army contracter stole almost $40 million worth of fuel — that’s more than 10 million gallons, but who’s counting — from a U.S. military camp in Baghdad last year. For all that, prosecutors said Lee W. Dubois, 32, of Lexington, S.C., who served in the army previously, only managed to squirrel away about $450,000. Dubois pled guilty and could face up to 10 years in the slammer. (Huffington Post)

Another U.S. Attorney has called it quits. Chuck Rosenberg, U.S. Attorney for Virginia’s eastern district is leaving the post after two years on the job. Rosenberg was previously the interim chief of staff for former Attorney Gen. Alberto Gonzales, serving in that position as a replacement for Kyle “Loyal Bushies Only” Sampson after his resignation over the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. (Legal Times)

In other congressional corruption news, four aides to Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) have been subpoenaed to testify at his upcoming corruption trial in December. Jefferson was handed a packed 16-count indictment in June 2007 for bribery, racketeering, fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. (Times-Picayune)

Latest Muckraker
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: