Russert Denies Role in Plamegate
Testifying as the final prosecution witness in Scooter Libby’s perjury trial, NBC News journalist Tim Russert denied ever mentioning CIA officer Valerie Plame’s name, asserting that he discovered her identity only after reading an article by columnist Bob Novak. As the trial comes to its conclusion, the newsman’s testimony stands as a firm contradiction to Libby’s claims of having learned of Plame’s identity through Russert, and could further damage the defense of the former White House official. And by the way, you can hear a recording of Libby’s grand jury testimony here. (The Washington Post)
Budget Committee Demands Accurate Estimate of Such Cost
“Senate Budget Committee leaders yesterday gave Defense Secretary Robert Gates until the end of the month to testify on inconsistent cost estimates for the troop ‘surge’ in Iraq.
They set the deadline amid anger among Democrats that Gates cancelled a planned appearance at next Thursdayâs hearing on the defense budget and offered to send another Pentagon official instead.” (The Hill)
Campaign Giving Replacing Outlawed Types
Ethics rules may have tightened, but lawmakers and lobbyists are increasingly using campaign committees to keep the funds flowing. (The Hill)
Railroad Firms Hiring Relatives of Lawmakers
The railroad industry is hiring relatives of lawmakers and their staffs as lobbyists — a means of getting around the new ethics rules, which don’t address congressional relatives. This comes as Congress is set to overhaul railroad safety laws for the first time in 13 years. (The Washington Post)
Rep. Miller Defends Himself
“Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) passionately pleaded his innocence before GOP colleagues at a closed-door conference meeting Tuesday, nearly a week after several media outlets reported that the FBI is looking into his land deals.” (The Hill)
Corrupt Contractor Sentencing to Be Delayed Again
“The sentencing of Randy Cunningham’s co-conspirator, Mitchell Wade, will likely be delayed again, as the former defense contractor continues to cooperate with federal prosecutors in the ongoing investigation into the Cunningham bribery case, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington said Wednesday.” (North County Times)
Guilty Plea in Voter Registration Fraud Case
A man who worked for an advocacy group that signs up voters pled guilty to voter fraud in federal court Tuesday. “Dale D. Franklin, 44, was hired by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, to work with Project Vote, another not-for-profit group that helps register voters.” (AP)
New Visa Rules Make it Tougher for Iraqis to Enter U.S.
“The US government last month stopped accepting all but the latest version of Iraqi passports, effectively barring hundreds — potentially thousands — of Iraqis with valid US visas from entering the United States.” (The Boston Globe)
Gov. Group Pressures Cheney on Classifications
“In an extraordinary internal challenge to the unruly Office of the Vice President (OVP), the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) has formally petitioned the Attorney General to direct the OVP to comply with a requirement that executive branch organizations disclose statistics on their classification and declassification activity to ISOO.” (Secrecy News)
Pentagon IG Completes Report on Pre-War Intelligence
The Pentagon’s Inspector General has completed a report on the activities of the Office of Special Plans and its activities regarding pre-war Iraq intelligence. The report is expected to highlight the role of Deputy Undersecretary for Defense Policy Douglas Feith. (The Raw Story)
GOP Tries to Stay Ahead of Waxman Hearings
“As Rep. Henry Waxman [D-Calif.] begins a series of high-profile hearings into waste, fraud, and abuse in the Iraq contracting process, Republicans on Capitol Hill are trying not to totally be on the receiving end of the barrage of negative press that’s bound to follow and to appear proactive on the oversight front.” (U.S. News & World Report)
