The Coloradoan follows up on the Musgrave event and her help in violating military regs.
The piece treats it as an open question whether what happened violates the rules. Every JAG officer I’ve spoken to, however, says it’s open and shut.
In any case, check out the piece and see what you think. I’m curious to see this reported out from the JAG/DOD side to see their interpretation of the rules and also from the White House to get their response on their apparent violation of the same.
A White House connection to that Iran-regime-change group set up by Mitch Wade, Duke Cunningham’s chief briber? We found some contracts that have us wondering.
With Abramoff headed to the slammer, anti-gambling bill makes a comeback. That and other news of the day in today’s Daily Muck.
As Josh promised Al Franken on Air America today, here‘s the link to Mitchell Wade’s plea agreement.
Let me try an idea out on you. What if Brent Wilkes is too big to go down?
Wilkes, you remember, is the less-noted but more central contracting crook in the Duke Cunningham scandal. Mitch Wade gets more attention (flashier bribes will do that). But Wade was Wilkes’ protege.
Now, whatever else Wilkes was, he was deep into all sorts of highly classified CIA and other intel agency programs — and don’t be surprised if not just as a ‘contractor’. There are even telling signs he may have been involved in some of the administration’s more creative domestic intelligence activities.
If he’s indicted, what might he threaten to reveal? More prosaically, what might his lawyer say he needs to bring into open court in order to be able to defend himself?
Just something to consider as we keep waiting to see if and when the feds get around to Mr. Wilkes.
Oh, if at first you don’t succeed and all that.
Bob Ney is still looking for a disparagement of choice to use on his one-time partner in (alleged) crime, Jack Abramoff.
Now Ney’s office is saying Jack Abramoff shouldn’t be believed because he’s a “slick trial lawyer.” That’s a good one. This truly has to be the reductio ad absurdum of GOP anti-trial lawyer politics.
And, by the way, has Jack Abramoff ever done any trial work in his life (no, smart alecky looks. I mean as a lawyer.) As far as I know, he got a law degree, but never practiced.
Actually, the whole quote is even better. Ney’s spokesman Brian Walsh rails at one of Ney’s critics for basing “his latest negative attacks solely on the tainted words of a slick trial lawyer and a convicted felon like Jack Abramoff.”
Remember, one of the crimes Jack Abramoff is convicted of is bribing Bob Ney.
Knowing Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) is very, very good for business. That and other news of the day in today’s Daily Muck.
Vanity Fair gets interview with Abramoff; Jack dishes on ex-friends.