The Daily MuckJoseph Nacchio, the former CEO of Quest Communications, claimed in a court filing last week that the NSA approached his company six months before September 11th about participating in the government’s secretive warrantless wiretapping program. Nacchio says the government withdrew hundreds of millions in contracts after Quest refused to cooperate. And, as Threat Level points out, Quest wasn’t the only telecom targeted by the new Bush administration; AT&T had budgeted for an NSA room with full access to customer records also before 9/11. (Washington Post, Wired)
This should make you nervous. An unidentified CIA legal official, despite his reputation for being a hardliner, quit in protest over the administration’s use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques against detainees. (Harper’s)
It must be fun trying to skirt new lobbying reform regulation. This week The Washington Post has an article on the convolutions necessary to ensure that lobbyists can still give favors to their favorite lawmakers. Case in point: lobbyists are buying tickets to charity balls, having the charity invite a lawmaker for them, as well as guarantee the company and the lawmaker are seated together. Subtle. (Washington Post)
An FEC audit has found that former Rep. Richard Pombo’s (R-CA) 2004 re-election campaign, which consisted mainly of family members, misused campaign funds. Pombo maintains that the misused funds were obviously used for campaign related reasons, despite that not being reflected in his receipts. (AP)
Sounds like former Gov. Siegeleman may have some company. An editorial in The New York Times this weekend criticizes the partisan circumstances underlying a questionable trial of a well connected Mississippi Democrat. Justice continues to be for sale. (NY Times)
A newly obtained communication shows that, contrary to previous statements, representatives from Hunt Oil did in fact speak with the State Department prior to the company’s investment with Kurdistan’s Regional Government. The State Department maintains that a meeting did take place, but a Kurdish deal was never discussed. (United Press International)
The ACLU has seen redacted copies of around 500 national security letters. They are now claiming that the Defense Department used the FBI’s letters to gather information in violation of their exemptions from domestic law enforcement. (AP)
Remember those archaic rules that require interim U.S. attorneys to serve for a specified period of time before a judge is called in to select his interim replacement? Remember how the administration complained that this would undo the democratic process? Well, last week, the terms of eleven USAs expired. No word yet on their replacements. (Think Progress)
Dick Durbin isn’t ready to hand over retroactive immunity to telecom firms as part of their cooperation with the NSA. First, he wants to know what exactly was going on with the President’s warrantless wiretapping program. (Bloomberg)
