The Daily Muck

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that he will return all campaign funds that are connected to indicted Chicago developer Antoin Rezko. Obama has already returned $85,000 in Rezko-related contributions, but news reports have suggested recently that he has not returned all Rezko-related money. (Washington Post)

The Bush administration’s federal mine safety regulators have violated federal law by allowing thousands of health and safety violations to go unpunished. In just the past six years, The Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration failed to act upon approximately 4,000 violations. One of those violations was partially responsible for the 2005 death of a Kentucky miner. (Charleston Gazette)

On New Year’s Eve President Bush signed the OPEN Government Act, legislation that had passed in the House and Senate unanimously. Though the law was supposed to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act, Bush has now taken steps to undermine OPEN by gutting funding for the National Archives and thus, according to Congress Daily, “effectively eliminat[ing] the office.” (Think Progress)

Attorney Geoffrey Fieger may have caught a break in his efforts to fight charges that he illegally contributed $127,000 to John Edwards’ 2004 presidential campaign. Apparently, the Justice Department violated its own regulations and must now turnover information about why a US Attorney and his two top aides were recused from the Fieger probe. This information is believed to be helpful to Fieger’s argument that he is a victim of a political prosecution. (Detroit Free Press)

The Bush administration has, for three years, used national security letters (a form of administrative subpoena) to force businesses to turn over private data to the federal government. Civil liberties groups have vigorously protested the FBI’s issuance of at least 10,000 of these requests and now newly released documents (posted on the ACLU’s Web site) reveal that the CIA has used the tool as well. (Washington Post)

The previously unannounced January 9, 2008 meetings between Mike McConnell, Gen. Michael Hayden, and Mr. Musharraf didn’t go so well. The New York Times has learned that the Pakistani leader has rebuffed the Americans’ efforts to expand their military and CIA presence in Pakisgtan. (New York Times)

House Republicans reached a fragile consensus Friday on the issue of earmarks and they wasted no time in calling upon Democrats to join them in an “immediate moratorium” on “wasteful pork-barrel spending.” Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) believes that “by challenging Speaker Pelosi to join us in ending earmarks as usual in Washington, House Republicans have thrown down the gauntlet of reform.” Pence failed to mention that the Republicans reached their consensus and constructed their ethics manifesto at a retreat funded – at least in part – by the Congressional Institute, a lobbying group. (New York Times, Washington Post’s “Capitol Briefing”)

Representative Jane Harman’s (D-CA) former office manager has pleaded guilty to taking $200,000 in public funds and using fraudulent expense reports. Laura Flores was employed as an office manager for Harman, and also worked for representatives Neil Abercrombie (D-HI) and Jim Costa (D-CA). (Washington Post)

Ailing Alaska state Representative Richard Foster (D) is in need of a kidney transplant, and a state legislative aide has offered to donate one to him. There’s only one problem: the value of a kidney is thought to exceed the maximum value of a “compassionate gift” allowed by state ethics laws. (Anchorage Daily News)

An Army explosives expert told a court of inquiry that a Humvee from a marine convoy involved in a shooting incident last March in Afghanistan that left 19 people dead had been hit by small-arms fire. His testimony supports the testimony of marines in the convoy who say they were fired upon before returning fire. (Los Angeles Times)