Wampum

03/23/07 - Former Interior Deputy Secretary Pleads Guilty to Obstructing U.S. Senate Investigation into Abramoff Corruption Scandal

* Criminal Information
* Plea Agreement
* Statement of Facts

So, has anyone in our government or media raised the question as to why it took John McCain, Chairman of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee (at least from January, 2005, though previously still the lead Senator on the Abramoff investigation for the ten months prior) from March, 2004, when he first received emails and other documents implicating Steve Griles, until late October, 2005 - a full eighteen months, until Senate investigators even "informally" questioned him? And where was the DoJ all this time? They were only able to get Griles on perjury and obstruction of justice due to his lying to Senate Indian Affairs, eighteen months after alleged criminal discovery?

Perhaps we should be looking at the firing and hiring of Department of Justice attorneys in the Public Integrity division - as from 2001 until last week, there have been five new chiefs, and numerous "acting" chiefs (some for as long as a year, as in the most recent case.) (Note: Public Integrity oversees the Abramoff case.)

Note that Grover Norquist, also heavily implicated in the Abramoff emails, has yet to be interviewed, three years later, by anyone from from the Senate Indian Affairs office. I assume the same could be said for the DoJ.

So before returning to my regularly scheduled retirement activities (shuffleboard, bingo, book writing) I just want to nudge all those "the attorney purge is all about voter fraud, yadda, yadda" theorists (cough, JMM, cough) - they might want to be sure to aware of this:

9-85.210 Violations of Campaign Financing Laws, Federal Patronage Laws, and Corruption of the Electional Process -- Consultation Requirement

Consultation with the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division is required in all federal criminal matters that focus on violations of federal or state campaign financing laws, federal patronage crimes, and corruption of the election process. These offenses include, but are not limited to, offenses described in: 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 to 242, 592 to 611; 42 U.S.C. §§ 1973i(c), 1973i(e), and 1973gg-10; 2 U.S.C. §§ 431 to 455; and prosecutive theories that focus on election fraud or campaign fund raising violations using 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341, 1343, and 1346; 18 U.S.C. § 1952; 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957.

With regard to federal campaign financing matters arising under 2 U.S.C. §§ 431-455, United States Attorneys shall consult with the Public Integrity Section before any inquiry or preliminary investigation is requested or conducted. United States Attorneys shall also consult with the Public Integrity Section before instituting grand jury proceedings, filing an information, or seeking an indictment charging a campaign financing crime.

With regard to all other election crime matters (other than those described in USAM 9-85.200 (Federally Protected Activities)), namely, alleged election fraud or patronage offenses, United States Attorneys shall consult with the Public Integrity Section before an investigation beyond a preliminary inquiry is requested or conducted. In this connection, the Department views any voter interviews in the preelection and balloting periods -- other than interviews of a complainant and any witnesses he or she may identify -- as beyond a preliminary investigation. Thus, the Public Integrity Section should be consulted before such interviews.

Finally, as with campaign financing matters, United States Attorneys also shall consult with the Public Integrity Section before instituting grand jury proceedings, filing an information, or seeking an indictment charging an election fraud or patronage offense.