The Daily Muck

The former lead prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay (Air Force Col. Morris Davis) is complaining about the pressure he felt to bring high profile, “sexy” cases in advance of the 2008 election. Davis was also concerned about the use of classified evidence and an emphasis on expediency over thoroughness in the Gitmo cases. He added: “no matter how perfect the trial is, if it’s behind closed doors, it’s going to be viewed as a sham.” (Washington Post, New York Times)

The FBI has been called in to clean up after the CIA. In the terrorism cases against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and 14 other accused Al Qaeda leaders being held at Guantanamo Bay, the FBI has stepped in to bolster the cases for upcoming war crimes tribunals. Much of the CIA obtained evidence is believed to be inadmissible, and officials fear that evidence obtained through torture will shift the focus of the trials. (LA Times)

Senators Orin Hatch (R-UT), Trent Lott (R-MS), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), and Kit Bond (R-MO) have all donated thousands of dollars from their political action committees to Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) despite the fact that Stevens faces a looming FBI corruption probe. According to AP, “the Stevens campaign raised more than $463,000 since July 1, making it one of the senator’s most successful fundraising quarters.” (AP)

Blackwater is the target of yet more accusations. This time, representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) wants to know where two Iraqi airplanes, allegedly taken by Blackwater, are being held. Waxman is also seeking wide-ranging information about Blackwater’s contracts, profits, and payments to families of killed Iraqis, and he has asked Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for everything that they know about these matters. (USA Today)

A Federal Magistrate Judge issued a recommendation that a temporary restraining order be issued that would prevent the White House from destroying back-up copies of millions of e-mails. The e-mails in question were destroyed from White House servers between March 2003 and October 2005 but are believed to be preserved on a back-up system. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing for the e-mails to be preserved. (Citizens For Ethics)

Part of the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal – that involving former aide to Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) Kevin Ring – will be handled by federal prosecutors in Maryland because of possible conflicts of interest at Justice Department headquarters. Ring, who was a former Doolittle aide and then worked for Abramoff, is in jail and is cooperating with the government. Among Ring’s clients – Justice Department officials. (AP)

Valerie Plame to USA Today: Senate Republicans falsely accused me, the CIA didn’t protect me, and certain reporters were used by White House officials to “shoot off propaganda.” And no need to mention that politics trumped national security concerns. (USA Today)