The Daily MuckSenator David Vitter has given a whole new meaning to roll call. Deborah Jean Palfrey (aka DC Madam) placed five phone calls to Vitter while he was a House member from 1999 to 2001, including two during roll call votes in the House that Vitter was present for, according to Palfreyâs phone records and congressional records. Meanwhile, another name has appeared on the list that keeps on giving; this time it is conservative pundit and strategist Jack Burkman. (Boston Globe, Think Progress)
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent was convicted of accepting a $20,000 bribe and sentenced to three years in prison yesterday. Santiago Efrain Valle offered to drop charges for a Mexican national who was in an ICE detention facility in exchange for the bribe, although Valle denies this and plans to appeal. (Boston Globe)
The intrigue into the BAE-Saudi fraud scandal deepens. Weeks before the investigation was called off, the London ambassador to Riyadh informed the British government that continuing the investigation would cripple their diplomatic cooperation on counter terrorism. (Thomson Financial)
U.S. Office of Special Counsel has accused the FAA of covering up reckless mistakes made by air traffic controllers at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. The complaints are nothing new; the OSC says it filed a similar complaint in 2005 whose recommendations have yet to be implemented. (Associated Press)
Rhode Island state lawmakers have found a novel way to save money in the state budget: they are going to start trying minors as adults. From now on, 17-year-olds will be treated as adult prisoners, rather than juveniles. (Boston Globe)
Betty Williams, a noted pacifist and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, has apologized for an off-handed remark yesterday that she would like to kill President Bush. (Chicago Tribune)
Tanvir Vahora contributed reporting.
