The Daily MuckA high profile trial for two former high-ranking Shiite government officials accused of kidnapping and killing “scores of Sunnis” has ended abruptly, despite intense preparation for the trial and extensive evidence, because prosecutors dropped the case. A U.S. legal adviser believes that this stunning collapse “shows that the judicial system in Iraq is horribly broken” and “sends a terrible signal: If you are Shia, then no worries; you can do whatever you want and nothing is going to happen to you.” (Washington Post)
When Edgar Domenech, the 23-year veteran of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (he was second-in-command for four years), told the Justice Department about mismanagement at ATF, Justice first ignored him but then demoted him, denied him a bonus, and attempted to give him a poor job review. Domenech, who yesterday filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, realizes that “In retrospect, I was naive to believe that the department would welcome my honesty.” (Washington Post)
The White House issued an executive order on Friday that takes some of the powers given to the Intelligence Oversight Board and shifts them to the Director of National Intelligence. The administration says the change is designed to strengthen the office of the National Intelligence Director, while critics argue that it will weaken oversight and “dilute the independent board’s investigatory powers in favor of a member of the president’s administration.” (AP)
In April 2007 the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Malikiâs office issued a directive that “effectively immunize[d] the Iraqi president, the Council of Ministers, and any current or former ministers from being prosecuted for corruption without the Prime Ministerâs consent.” Representative Henry Waxman has requested that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice provide the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with all documents relating to Maliki’s order. (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
Representative Mike Capuano’s (D-MA) proposed ethics review office met stiff resistance from Republicans who mocked the bill as a “silly” (sub. req.) and “pointless new bureaucratic layer” that fails to address problems with the existing Ethics Committee. Capuano asserts that the GOP’s counter proposal is “very troubling” because it makes “no distinction between an allegation of improperly accepting a cup of coffee and an allegation of accepting a million-dollar bribe” and “would refer even violations of House Rules to the Department of Justice, an area over which that Department has no jurisdiction.” (Roll Call)
In the debate over the passage of new FISA legislation, Newt Gingrich has been promoting a survey purporting to show that Americans support the granting of retroactive immunity to the telecom companies who may have participated in the warrantless wiretapping program. But, The Economist‘s “Democracy in America” blog points out, “the two central questions posed to survey respondents were premised on clear falsehoods.” (The Economist’s “Democracy in America”)
John McCain’s “straight talk express” has hired John Green, a top GOP lobbyist, to manage his message and solidify his support from GOP lawmakers. Green will help the maverick McCain align his presidential campaign message with the GOP agenda in Congress. (Politico)
Later this month the National Archives will release Hillary Clinton’s schedules as first lady, but it hopes to delay the release of thousands of the first lady’s telephone records for either one or two years. Though the conservative public interest group Judicial Watch has demanded the release of all phone logs immediately, the National Archives wants more time to review the 20,000 pages of phone records. (AP)
When Governor Eliot Spitzer was campaigning to be governor of New York he vowed to eradicate the influence of excessive money in politics by capping contributions to his campaign at $10,000. But Spitzer is now helping donors skirt his own, self-imposed rules by having wealthy donors give to both Spitzer and the state Democratic party that he essentially controls. (New York Times)
