$2 Million Payment to Former Lobbyist Raises Eyebrows
Several weeks after news of the megapayout to lobbyist/Lewis approps aide Jeffrey Shockey was reported, the Washington Post‘s Jeffrey Birnbaum hits the streets and discovers: yes, even other lobbyists think it’s an unusual amount of cash to pass to a sitting Hill staffer, even if he was a partner in your firm. (WPost)
Norquist Sees His Influence Slip Over Abramoff Dealings
Folks appear to be distancing themselves from the powerful GOP activist, as more details come out about his unsavory dealings with the town’s most disgraced lobbyist. (WPost)
The Gitmo Fallout
A group of State Department lawyers warned in 2002 that the Bush administration was inviting an enormous backlash, both from U.S. Courts and foreign allies, by denying terror suspects rights commonly given under U.S. law or the Geneva Conventions. (Newsweek)
Funds for Colleges Raise Objections
Loma Linda University has received nearly $170 million in earmarks for research by bypassing the traditional grants process and hiring lobbyists to court its representative, Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), chair of the appropriations committee. That may have been a savvy move: according to an unpublished study, “a $1 increase in lobbying expenditures yields a $1.56 increase in earmarks for schools in areas not represented by someone on an appropriations committee and a $4.50 increase in earmarks for schools in areas represented by someone on an appropriations committee.” (Riverside Press-Enterprise)
House, DOJ Not Close to Pact on Searches
“Officials from the House and the Justice Department are not close to working out a deal on future criminal searches of Congressional offices, although a federal judge could rule as early as today on the constitutionality of the May 20 FBI raid on the Capitol Hill office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).” (Roll Call – sub. req., AP)
Lawmaker Says White House’s Failure to Brief Congress on Intelligence Programs May Have Broken The Law
“The White House possibly broke the law by keeping intelligence activities a secret from the lawmakers responsible for overseeing them, the House Intelligence Committee chairman said Sunday. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., said he was informed about the programs by whistleblowers in the intelligence community and then asked the Buh administration about the programs, using code names. Hoekstra said members of the House and Senate intelligence committees then were briefed on the programs, which he said is required by law.” (AP, Raw Story)
FBI Plans New Net-Tapping Push
“The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping.” (CNET)
Priority Shifts to Disruption of Plots
“Policy makers and security experts said the bust illustrates a shift in U.S. counterterrorism policy that has played out in other recent high-profile cases, including the arrest of seven men suspected of wanting to bomb Chicago’s Sears Tower. Law enforcers, they said, are now willing to act swiftly against al-Qaida sympathizers, even if it means grabbing wannabe terrorists whose plots may be only pipe dreams.” (AP)
Recent Arrests in Terror Plots Yield Debate on Pre-emptive Action by Government
“the Miami and New York cases are inspiring a new round of skepticism from some lawyers who are openly questioning whether the government, in its zeal to stop terrorism, is forgetting an element central to any case: the actual intent to commit a crime. “Talk without any kind of an action means nothing,” said Martin R. Stolar, a New York defense lawyer. “You start to criminalize people who are not really criminals.” In the two most recent plots, the authorities have simultaneously warned that the suspects were contemplating horrific attacks â blowing up the Sears Tower in Chicago and setting off a bomb in a tunnel between New York and New Jersey â but then added that as far as they knew, no one was close to actually making such a strike.” (NY Times)
Detainee Rights Create a Divide on Capitol Hill
“The Supreme Court decision striking down the use of military commissions to bring terrorism detainees to trial has set off sharp differences among Republicans in Congress over what kind of rights detainees should be granted and how much deference should be shown the president in deciding the issue.” (NY Times)
Reed Fights Back against Claim He Will Face Criminal Charges
“Former Christian Coalition leader Ralph Reed challenged claims that he could face criminal charges before the November elections at a heated debate Sunday, calling the assertion from his GOP opponent a “low blow.” “It’s a low blow to suggest that somebody’s committed a crime. As far as I’m concerned, you should be ashamed of yourself,” he said, admonishing state Sen. Casey Cagle, his Republican rival in the lieutenant governor race. Cagle has questioned publicly whether Reed will be charged with a crime for the work his lobbying firms conducted with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in a move to lure disaffected GOP voters to his camp before the July 18 primary.” (AP)
Kyl Defends Bogus Brief
“Sen. Jon Kyl said Thursday he did not intend to deceive the U.S. Supreme Court by submitting a fabricated discussion into the Congressional Record.” (East Valley Trib)
Texas Seat in Doubt
If Tom DeLay is forced to remain on the ballot, “22nd district Republicans would be left with three options:
⢠DeLay gets back into politics and campaigns to win;
⢠DeLay officially withdraws and Lampson runs unopposed, guaranteeing Democrats a seat they would have no business winning under normal circumstances and boosting their quest to net 15 seats and take over the House;
⢠Republicans campaign vigorously to elect DeLay, who doesnât campaign himself and vows to resign immediately if he wins, setting up a special election to fill the seat in which the GOP would be favored.
Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace (R), a potential DeLay successor, said Friday that he believes the former Congressman would be inclined to run for the seat if the appellate court ruled that he must stay on the ballot.
(Roll Call – subs. req.)
Harris’ Attacks over Donations Could Backfire
“The latest installment in the soap opera that is the Katherine Harris campaign finds Harris, burned by her connection to defense contractor MZM, trying to shift the focus by claiming that her opponent, Sen. Bill Nelson, accepted illegal campaign contributions several years ago. The problem is Harris’ former campaign manager was named as a co-conspirator in that case. Oops.” (TPM, Orlando Sentinel)
Reform Bill Stalled in Congress
“A free Rolls-Royce, expensive trips to a storied Scottish golf resort, even a freezer stuffed with $90,000 in cash have so far failed to move the U.S. Congress to clean up Capitol Hill. Efforts to tighten lobbying rules have stalled in the months since a series of corruption scandals, creating potential trouble for Republicans who vowed to institute tough ethics reform.” (Reuters)
New Links Between Abramoff, White House
“Lobbyist Jack Abramoff had a half-dozen White House appointments in the early months of the Bush administration, according to logs released yesterday by the U.S. Secret Service.” (WaPo)
Running Hard, Senate Power Seeks a New Image
“The conservative glory days of 1994, when Rick Santorum roared into the Senate at the age of 36, seem a long time ago as he fights for his political life this year, trying to convince Pennsylvania voters that he has not gone Washington.” (NY Times)
McCain’s Out-of-Control Anger: Does He Have the Temperament to Be President?
Check out this broadside on John McCain from the conservative site Newsmax. Newsmax hed Ronald Kessler then hit MSNBC with his story. (Newsmax, MSNBC)
The Swift Boating of Jennifer Granholm
“Putting images of Hitler and a swastika on the same page as former U.S. Presidents to convey your point is far outside the mainstream of acceptable advertising tactics.” (MYDD)
Paradise Lost – Greed, Sex Slavery, Forced Abortions and Right-Wing Moralists
For those of you who don’t know about the Northern Mariana Islands, Jack Abramoff’s client and Tom DeLay’s petri dish of capitalism, here’s an in-depth look from Ms. Magazine. (Ms. Magazine)
That’s What Friends in High Places Are For
“Dallas Austin, 35, who has produced hits for Madonna, Janet Jackson and others, flew home to Atlanta on Wednesday, after being released after midnight on Tuesday from a holding cell in a Dubai jail. Hours earlier Mr. Austin had been sentenced to four years in prison for carrying just over a gram of cocaine with him when he entered the country on May 19 to attend a birthday celebration for Naomi Campbell. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) made numerous phone calls on Mr. Austin’s behalf to the ambassador and consul of the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington â Dubai is one of the seven emirates â and served as an intermediary for Mr. Austin’s representatives, the producer’s lawyers said.” (NY Times)
Navy Data Again Found on Public Web Site
“For the second time in two weeks, Social Security numbers and other personal information of Navy personnel have been discovered on an Internet site, triggering an investigation. The Navy said Friday that information on more than 100,000 naval and Marine Corps aviators and aircrew was on the Naval Safety Center Web site and on nearly 1,100 computer discs mailed out to naval commands.” (AP)
Lobbyist Seen as a Top Choice for US DOT Secretary
“Trucking industry lobbyist Bill Graves has emerged as a top candidate to replace Norman Mineta as U.S. transportation secretary, government and industry sources said on Friday.” (Reuters)
Ky. AG Disqualified from Governor’s Case
“A judge disqualified Kentucky’s attorney general Friday from any involvement in prosecuting Gov. Ernie Fletcher in a state hiring scandal. Special Judge David Melcher ruled that Attorney General Greg Stumbo’s office still has jurisdiction so its prosecutors can remain on the case, but without Stumbo.” (AP)
Ohio Governor Faces Public Reprimand
“Gov. Bob Taft faces a public reprimand for ethics violations under an agreement his attorney has reached with the state office that monitors lawyers’ behavior. Taft, a Republican who has been an attorney since 1976, pleaded no contest last August to failing to report golf outings and other gifts while in office and was fined $4,000. Taft would receive a public reprimand for his convictions on those misdemeanor ethics violations under an agreement forged by the governor’s private attorney and the Ohio Supreme Court’s disciplinary counsel.” (AP)
Defense Firm’s Property Tax Bill Swells
“Property taxes for the defense firm owned by Brent Wilkes, an alleged key co-conspirator in the bribery case of former U.S. Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, now exceed $300,000 and are mounting by $4,000 a month. Wilkes also was reported Thursday to be the target of an ongoing grand jury investigation of his alleged bribes to Cunningham and dealings with other federal lawmakers.” (NC Times)
City of Redlands to Seek New Lobbying Firm
“Redlands has joined a growing list of former Copeland Lowery clients to reassess their contracts with the lobbyists, whose ties to Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, are under federal investigation…. The Redlands City Council took actions similar to aircraft giant Boeing Co., Riverside County and the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, which have all ended their arrangements with the embattled lobbyists in the past week.” (SB Sun)
Authorities Bust Former Florida State Prison Chief and Guards in Corruption Probe
“Florida’s former prison chief, James Crosby, agreed to plead guilty today to a federal charge that he and his right-hand man accepted up to $130,000 in bribes connected to a prison canteen vendor.” (Miami Herald)
Guam Court Probably off The Hook
“Guam taxpayers will not likely see federal authorities hold anyone accountable for the $400,000 that the Superior Court had paid indirectly to lobbyist Jack Abramoff.” (Guam PDN)
Critics of Lawmakers’ Earmarks Say The Best Projects Can Lose out to The Best-Connected Ones
“ach year, senior lawmakers instruct federal agencies to allocate — or earmark — a portion of their budgets for specific projects. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, $2 billion was earmarked for academic research and infrastructure at more than 700 schools in 2003, the most recent year it added the numbers. Critics say academic earmarking is not so much about rewarding the most deserving projects but about political influence, that schools with ties to high-ranking lawmakers on powerful appropriations committees get a disproportionate share of earmarks. ” (PE)
