RNC and Waxman Battle Over Right to Emails
“In a new letter to the Republican National Committee, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman writes that the RNC has provided only minimal information regarding White House officialsâ use of RNC e-mail accounts. Waxman reveals that the RNCâs response thus far has been to propose that any Congressional requests for emails be filtered through eight search terms, such as âpolitical briefing,â âHatch Act,â and â2008.ââ (Think Progress) Meanwhile, the RNC maintains that they want to work with Congress, but refuse to make available their entire database. “We are drawing a line in the sand on this,” said a party executive. “For the first time, we are saying that we are not going to put up with this.” (USNews)
Top Deputy Tells Wolfowitz to Step Down
“A deputy to Paul Wolfowitz urged the World Bank chief on Wednesday to resign in the interests of the institution during a meeting of the bank’s management, sources who participated in the meeting said. The sources told Reuters that World Bank Managing Director Graeme Wheeler, a bank veteran named by Wolfowitz as one of his two deputies a year ago, raised the issue at a meeting of the bank’s vice presidents.” (Reuters) “Meanwhile, Wolfowitz said he had no plans to resign and that leaving “under the current circumstances” would not help the institution. Instead, he offered to change his management style and the “structure” of his office.” (Washington Post)
“Outstanding Work” in 2005, Fired in 2006
“A Justice Department official involved in discussions about replacing U.S. attorneys sent a letter praising Nevadaâs top prosecutor, Daniel Bogden, for âoutstanding workâ 18 months before he was fired. The letter from Mary Beth Buchanan, former director of the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, provides further evidence that Bogden was replaced for political reasons and not for his performance.” (Las Vegas Sun)
Campaign Against Voter Fraud Fuels Political Tempest
“For six years, the Bush administration, aided by Justice Department political appointees, has pursued an aggressive legal effort to restrict voter turnout in key battleground states in ways that favor Republican political candidates. The administration intensified its efforts last year as President Bush’s popularity and Republican support eroded heading into a midterm battle for control of Congress, which the Democrats won.” (McClatchy Newspapers)
Gonzales Trail of Comments Might Haunt Him
“When Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday regarding his role in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, his previous statements on this subject could come back to haunt him. In particular, Democrats on the committee will zoom in on three different occasions in which Gonzales addressed the controversy. At issue: what he knew, when he knew it, how involved he was in the firings, and why he and others in the department have given conflicting accounts of the decision making.” (USNews)
The US Attorney Scandal Gets Dirty
“Facing a torrent of criticism that the Department of Justice has been tainted by partisan politics, Alberto Gonzales is poised for the defense argument of his life. Gonzales will be grilled about alleged Republican meddling on issues from corruption to cronyism, widely documented in the four months since the purge. But a Salon investigation has uncovered another partisan issue dirtying the U.S. attorneys scandal: adult pornography.” (Salon)
Salazar Steps Down From Probe into Domenici’s Role in Firing
“Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) has recused himself from the ethics inquiry into Sen. Pete Domeniciâs (R-NM) contacts with fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, raising new questions about the circumstances behind the New Mexico prosecutorâs ouster. Salazar bowed out of the Senate Ethics Committeeâs preliminary probe of Domenici because of his friendship with New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid, his spokesman said yesterday.” (The Hill)
Jefferson District Staffer Supboenaed Again
“Indicating that the Justice Departmentâs probe of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) is continuing, Stephanie Butler, the district director in his New Orleans office, has again been subpoenaed for testimony in the case, his office confirmed Wednesday. A Jefferson staffer described the subpoena â which was reported on the House floor Wednesday â as ânothing out of the ordinary,â noting that Butler had been subpoenaed to testify before.” (Roll Call)