The Daily Muck

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said yesterday that he was prepared to go to court if the White House did not comply with subpoenas the committee issued for information pertaining to the firing of US attorneys. The White House has claimed executive privilege over documents and over testimony from former White House counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor. (Associated Press)

While the Environmental Protection Agency was considering a waiver that would allow California to implement restrictions on vehicular greenhouse gas emissions, the Transportation Department lobbied against granting the waiver by phoning lawmakers. Emails provided by the Transportation Department show that its employees called lawmakers from states reliant on auto industries and recommended contacting the EPA to say the waiver would hurt the domestic auto industry. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said that the Transportation Department’s actions were inappropriate and possibly illegal. (USA Today)

The transcript for plea hearings for Thomas Kontogiannis, who pled guilty to bribery charges for his involvement in the Duke Cunningham scandal, will remain sealed following a decision by a federal appeals court on Saturday. Federal prosecutors filed to keep the hearings classified. Kontogiannis is expected to be a witness in the trials of his nephew John Michael and defense contractor Brent Wilkes. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A federal judge ruled last Friday that the chairman of the Democratic Executive Committee of Noxubee County in Mississippi, which is in charge of administering Democratic primaries in the county, violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against whites. It was the first such action by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in the history of the act. (Washington Post)

Kanatjan “Ken” Alibekov, a former Soviet scientist who defected to the United States, became a leading and influential figure in Washington D.C. as an expert on bioterrorism with inside knowledge of the Soviet smallpox and anthrax programs. The LA Times has probed into Alibekov’s influence and found that many scientists doubt his credibility. Many suspect he might have overblown the threat of bioterrorism for personal gain. Alibekov has used his position on the Hill to funnel contracts worth millions of dollars towards companies that employ him. (LA Times)

Rachel Brand, a Justice Department official in the Office of Legal Policy who was a possible replacement for the fired US Attorneys, resigned on Friday. Brand was eyed to replace Michigan USA Margaret Chiari and served as associate counsel to President Bush. No reason for her departure was given. (Associated Press)

New Mexico attorney Patrick Rogers, who pressed for the removal of fired USA David Iglesias, was an officer for the non-profit group American Center for Voting Rights Legislative Fund, which aided Republican candidates in 2006 by pushing for tougher voter identification laws. Iglesias said his dismissal was politically motivated because he refused to bring voter fraud charges in cases where he thought there was little evidence. (McClatchy)

The family business might become a liability for likely Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson, as The New York Times takes a look at Thompson’s sons Tony and Daniel, who began lobbying almost as soon as the elder Thompson took office as a Tennessee senator. Both sons had scant qualifications but still managed to become lobbyists, although only at the state level. Tony Thompson insists he did not “trade on his father’s name.” (New York Times)

The Food and Drug Administration’s top officials failed to disclose meetings on their calendars for the past several years, including meetings with drug company executives, lobbyists, and patient groups. (Associated Press)