The Daily Muck

Bernie Kerik has some serious lawyer problems. One law firm is suing him for over $200k in unpaid fees and now federal prosecutors have asked the judge in Kerik’s trial to disqualify his attorney because of conflicts of interest. It seems that even Bernie’s lawyer has dirt on him that could force the attorney to testify about obstruction of justice charges. (AP)

The U.S. has told England that it can “kidnap” British citizens if they are wanted for crimes in the United States because the Supreme Court has said so. Until now it was commonly assumed that US law permitted kidnapping only in the “extraordinary rendition” of terrorist suspects. This may alarm the British business community as more than a dozen British executives are currently being investigated by US authorities and could face criminal charges in America. (The Sunday Times)

When the Guantanamo detainee Omar Kahdr (who was 15 when he was captured in Afghanistan) goes to trial this spring under the Military Commissions Act, he will not know the identities of the witnesses testifying against him. A U.S. military judge is shielding the identity of witnesses, a move that could hamper the defense’s ability to challenge the credibility of witnesses. (Washington Post)

Paul Wolfowitz is back. Never mind his failures as deputy Defense Secretary and disgraced leadership of the World Bank, from which he departed amidst allegations of impropriety. Wolfowitz will now bring his expertise in his new role as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a prestigious eighteen member State Department panel. One Bush official noted that “we think he is well suited” for an administration job. (Newsweek)

Of the 182,000 individuals working as independent contractors in Iraq, 48,000 are armed and less than one fifth are American. Check out The Salt Lake Tribune’s two great investigative reports on the use and abuse of contractors – including mercenaries – from poor and developing nations. One “U.N. group found ‘irregularities of contracts, harsh working conditions with excessive working hours, partial or non payment of remuneration, ill-treatment and isolation, and lack of basic necessities such as medical treatment and sanitation” among Hondurans employed in Iraq. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Four gay men, who are willing to have their names printed and “whose allegations can’t be disproved,” have come forward since news of U.S. Sen. Larry Craig’s guilty plea and his statement, “I am not gay, I never have been gay.” The men say they had homosexual encounters with Craig. The Idaho Statesman has audio clips from the allegations, but warns that “some of the audio interview excerpts contain explicit descriptions of sex not appropriate for children and listeners who find such content offensive.” (Idaho Statesman)

Though a court ordered the Bush administration to produce all records about Jack Abramoff’s visits to his buddies in the White House, the Secret Service is blocking the release of the records. The agency claims that their release would reveal “sensitive information” about the Secret Service’s protective functions, especially in cases where some visitors require that extra attention be paid to their backgrounds. (Washington Post)

President Bush recently issued his first signing statement since 2006. The statement relates to several requirements about his providing information to Congress about issues such as the transferring of US military equipment to UN peacekeepers. (Boston Globe)

The Wall Street Journal outlines representative Henry Waxman’s (D-CA) allegations about Blackwater’s possible tax evasion. Waxman estimates that Blackwater could owe more than $50 million in unpaid taxes, but Blackwater’s rebuttal alleges that Waxman’s key evidence – an IRS service letter – is flawed. (Wall Street Journal)

Disgraced Clinton bundler Norman Hsu’s business associates emphasized his connections when recruiting clients for their pyramid scheme that promised high returns with no risk. They even claimed that former President Clinton was a Hsu client. The federal criminal complaint against Hsu says he pressured investors to make contributions to Democratic candidates as a condition of doing business with him. (LA Times)

Two of the FEMA public relations employees who pretended to be reporters and asked fake questions at the phony news conference were promoted this week. Cindy Taylor, former deputy director of public affairs, is now head of a new Private Sector Office, and Mike Widomski has moved up to replace Taylor as deputy director of public affairs. (The Loop)