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The new, stronger congressional ethics rules will get their first test in the next 24 hours with the baggage manhandler himself, Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA). The new rules state that any member charged with a crime must be subjected either to a review, or an explanation by the ethics committee as to why a review was unnecessary. Either way, the decisions must be made within 30 days of the incident; that time frame expires tomorrow. (The Hill)

The SEC is on the case of the mysterious campaign financier. After two individuals reported that investments made with Norman Hsu (totaling more than $70 million) have gone missing, investigators are a bit curious what he is actually doing with all of this money. (Wall Street Journal)

Alexis Debat, the discredited terrorism expert and ABC news consultant who had a knack for publishing interviews that he never conducted, was preparing a study on Islamic warfare for a
think tank
(The Center For Strategic and Budgetary Assessments) under contract from Andrew Marshall, head of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment. Debat also had a relationship with the Nixon Center, a think tank that claims to be “America’s realist voice.” (Mother Jones)

A government hearing on two Green Berets accused of killing an Afghan man that the Army considered an “enemy combatant,” has shed light on “some of the most secret Special Operations tactics in Afghanistan, including the hunting and killing of people designated as enemy combatants.” In public testimony, Lt. Col. James Friend, a Special Forces lawyer, asserted that “soldiers can kill any person who has been considered to be an enemy combatant.” Even in situations in which a target could be captured easily, Special Forces are apparently not legally required to do so.

The conservative group Judicial Watch is still asking about Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) role in a questionable real estate transaction last year. To that end, they are suing the Bureau of Land Management for any and all records that might implicate Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). (Associated Press)

The ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va) has asked Henry Waxman’s committee to investigate the NYT’s “possible in-kind political contribution to MoveOn.org in the form of a discounted advertising rate.” The NYT says that the $65,000 ad rate is available to any client who agrees to have their ads run on a stand-by basis. (ABC News)

Oscar Wyatt, the Texas oilman charged with paying Saddam kickbacks in the oil-for-food program, is innocent until proven guilty. Which is why Hillary Clinton has not announced a decision to return the campaign donations made to her by Wyatt. She’s so unlike that impetuous Joe Biden, who’s already returned his cash. (Politico)

The lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers has moved into Abramoff territory. Its new client, the Texas lobbying firm Hard Count Inc., is the public face of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians who are seeking recognition by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs as a prerequisite to opening a casino in Los Angeles. Hard Count President Billy Horton insists his priority is to expand the tribe’s museum but Rep. John Campbell (R-Calif.) smells a rat: “there is nothing charitable about these Indian casino deals — this is all about very, very, very big money.” (Politico)

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