(Scott Bloch)Special Counsel shut down probe of Siegelman case last year

[maddezmom]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Office of Special Counsel last year shut down a previously undisclosed investigation into the federal prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, according to an internal memo made public Wednesday.

The investigation was being conducted by a task force formed at the independent agency a year ago to pursue high-profile political investigations in Washington, most notably whether the White House played politics in firing U.S. attorneys. It began gathering information on the Siegelman case in September and was planning to request documents from the Justice Department in October before Special Counsel Scott Bloch ordered the case closed, according to the Jan. 18 draft memo, made public by the Project on Government Oversight.

The investigation was one of many that the task force had taken up, and the memo shows that Bloch frequently differed with investigators about which cases to pursue.

~snip~
"The question is who told them to shut it down," Siegelman said Wednesday when told of the memo. "Why would you start an investigation and let it proceed and then shut it down? The logical conclusion is that somebody intervened and told them to shut down the investigation ... we need to get to the bottom of this."


Read more: http://www.al.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-35/121019664657870.xml&storylist=alabamanews

---

Special counsel butted heads with staff over inquiries
By LARA JAKES JORDAN – 13 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch repeatedly butted heads with a task force he set up to decide whether to investigate high-profile accusations of political meddling by the Bush administration, draft documents released Wednesday show.

A look at 11 subject areas identified for potential investigation, however, shows no apparent partisan pattern or bias by Bloch in deciding whether his office would pursue accusations that political work was being done on government time and property.

~snip~

The new documents, released Wednesday by the watchdog group Project on Open Government, detail 11 subject areas the Office of Special Counsel's task force identified for potential investigation.

In more than half of the cases, according to the draft report dated Jan. 18, 2008, Bloch and the task force disagreed on whether an investigation should be pursued or closed. They included:


more:http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g7Sv_qIZnQkba2OCUT3T0F8C-HWgD90H3O5G0


POGO's site: http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2008/05/internal-draft.html

documents:
http://pogoarchives.org/m/wi/osc-tf-summary-20080118.pdf

[PSPS]

1. Don't forget that we're living is bushworld

When I started seeing these stories, it was hard for me to believe that any federal agency (here the FBI) would actually be doing its job. Instead, since every agency is run by an incompetent "loyal bushie," I assumed this "FBI raid" was some kind of bush hit job to get back at someone who got in his way.

This story seems to validate that assumption.

[Octafish]

2. That means there was a concerted effort to cover-up DoJ criminality.

Who'd ever of thought that the United States would be led by a gang of crooks?

Thanks for the heads-up, maddezmom!

[maddezmom]

3. if you haven't seen it, read this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3300488&mesg_id=3300488

[maddezmom]

4. and I believe the timing of all this has to do with this: White House tells court of missing emails

White House tells court of missing emails from beginning of Iraq

The White House has admitted in court that it has lost three months of email backups from the initial days of the Iraq war, raising questions about the possible deletion of politically sensitive records.

The disclosure came in a lawsuit filed by the National Security Archive, a non-profit group that specialises in uncovering classified documents.
~snip~

The loss of White House emails also proved an obstacle to Patrick Fitzgerald, the special prosecutor investigating the leaked identity of CIA officer Valerie Plame.

Fitzgerald said in 2006 that he believed some potentially relevant emails sent by aides in vice president Dick Cheney's office were lost in the Bush administration's email system.

more:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/07/usa.usforeignpolicy?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

[annabanana]

12. Maybe YOU can help us unravel this news.

Bloch seems to have obstructed nearly as much as he investigated vis a vis administration messes. Has he been trying to play both sides against the middle? And is it fair to assume that the FBI raid was ordered by the admin?

[Octafish]

23. IMO, nobody from the chimpministration would ever do anything to hurt Bushco.

If limited hang-outs are called for, the pattern of the loyal Bushies is to protect Monkey, Sneer, Rove, the Org and themselves last. Look at Libby and his note to the jailed Steno Judy about the aspens all connected at the roots. Libby knew to keep his wug shut, if he wanted to see his family again.

My guess is the FBI brass probably couldn't derail the investigation, even if they wanted to. The many honest special agents had turned up enough evidence on Bloch, the US Attorney firings and Siegelman to warrant, heh heh, investigation.

The idea of playing two sides off against each other is how warmongers get rich. Perhaps Mr. Bloch, with his balancing act, was bucking for promotion in a future Jebthro monkey house.

The guy heard the news about Ms. Palfrey. And that message is getting through to him loud and clear: He is going to need to get his carcass into the Witness Protection Program ASAFP.

[ShockediSay]

5. And what about NeoCon politics on the Supreme Court n/t

[bamacrat]

6. Go DON!

My dad (a fellow DUer) attended a banquet in Huntsville where Siegelman was in attendance. He said Don was very nice, he even got to meet him. It just shows that the retarded right thought he was a threat, he had said he had national aspirations, which I think caught the care bear stare of KKKarl Rove. Just imagine how many others this has happened too that werent as well connected or liked as much as Siegelman. I am forever saddened by the stupidity of the evangelicals of Alabama that voted down Siegelmans education lottery. I am also angry that as a 10th grader I had to listen to morons preach (not necessarily in church)their lies about the devil that is a lottery, even if its sole purpose is to raise money to provide free college to all eligible high school graduates. I could have been one of those kids, definitely would have given more people I know incentive to try harder in school, especially poorer kids. I now sit here about to turn 25, a college graduate with a full time job whose $21,000 in debt, yay. I know that really isn't much, I was fortunate enough to have parents that were able to pay for a lot of my college.

Why do conservatives, evangelicals, the right or whatever you want to call them, want to hold people back so badly? I guess so they can rule the mindless sheep.

[Peace Patriot]

11. "Just imagine how many others this has happened to...". I can think of one--

Kevin Shelley, former CA Sec of State, who decertified Diebold touchscreens, and sued their asses and demanded to see their source code, six months prior to the 2004 election. He was then hounded out of office on entirely bogus corruption charges, months after that election. They sent him a warning--little blip news items in the corporate press around August 2004. He didn't back off. Then they hit him full blast in late 2004/early 2005, and he was gone by Feb. 2005, with Bushite election feds threatening him with "deep" investigations. They would have found nothing, but they were making it impossible for him to do his job, and furthermore, he had NO PERSONAL MONEY to hire lawyers to defend himself. (Tells you a lot about Shelley--one of the few honest election officials in the entire country at the time; all the rest of them in Diebold & brethren's pockets.)

I think the Bush fascists had plans to turn California "red" that year. Kerry won the state, but not by the margin he should have. Still, he won--and that really nettled them.

I've been wondering about this ever since it happened. Who did it? Of course I smell Rove. But the "dot" connections haven't surfaced that I know of. I just know that Shelley was fighting a lot of corruption in our own party, around the Diebold/ES&S and other vendor contracts, and of course, the corrupt county election officials hated him. But the actual operation--how to take him down--has Rove's M.O.

[defendandprotect]

16. Interesting tale re Kevin Shelley, CA Sec of State . . . re Diebold touchscreens ----

I've been wondering about this ever since it happened. Who did it? Of course I smell Rove. But the "dot" connections haven't surfaced that I know of. I just know that Shelley was fighting a lot of corruption in our own party, around the Diebold/ES&S and other vendor contracts, and of course, the corrupt county election officials hated him. But the actual operation--how to take him down--has Rove's M.O.

This is something we don't often think about re the computers, that the Democratic Party also has
rampant corruption --- I'm from NJ!!! --- and that Democrats also sign the computer contracts???
We need to be reminded of that, often . . . !!!

Meanwhile, interesting observation re California ---

[defendandprotect]

22. We really need Congress to find out ALL that has been going on ... .

and I would imagine that would take putting a lot of Attorney Generals under oath ---

ALL of the prosecutions would have to be closely looked at ---

and ALL investigations dropped ---

PLUS, people like Carol Lam and the other AGs who were fired should have a lot to tell us ---

[defendandprotect]

31. Well, there's a really intersting turn in this investigation . . . Condi Rice/Election 2004!!!!

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/36329.html

[defendandprotect]

32. Push --- and . . .

See: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/36329.html

[Zorra]

7. After Dems control the government in '09, Congress must fund an investigative agency

whose sole function is to investigate and send to trial every corrupt member of the Bu*h cabal, from Bu*h, Cheney and Rove all the way down the food chain. Any Bu*h appointees or loyalists must be removed from their positions.

Due to the insidious and pervasive nature and extent of the corruption by Bu*h loyalists, Congress simply will not have time to investigate, try, and imprison all these criminals. So congress will have to create an entire government agency just for this purpose - maybe something similar to the tribunal that was created to round up and try Nazi war criminals.

This has to be be one of the first acts that the new Dem government undertakes after they take office in January.

The entire Bu*h cabal is a criminal organization, and they must not be allowed to get away with what their crimes, crimes that have undermined the foundation of our democracy. and jeopardized our well-being and national security.

And for any Bu*hie that claims that they were just following orders: Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

[micraphone]

10. Entirely Agree

These idiots have stacked, from the SCOTUS down, every corner, branch, nook and cranny with political appointments. The ENTIRE public service is affected (or should that be INfected?).

Fire the lot of them then start the prosecutions.

[MadMaddie]

15. Agreed...don't forget "If" in the early 1970's when Nixon

resigned, it was decided not to prosecute many of the players back in the day. Rumsfeld, Cheney, and many other Republicans that have been involved in the Mafia like crimes should have been prosecuted in the 1970's but because Congress wanted to move the nation forward they screwed the nation.

Well the lack of prosecution then has led us to where we are today. The truth is in order for America to move forward investigations and prosecutions must occur, 9/11 (how did it treally happen)the war, war profiteering, Oil Manipulation Katrina, all corruption in government offices....sigh...Condi, Colin, Rove, *, Brownie, Bolton, oh yea the Republican Congress Members, possibly even Supreme Court Justices.

We must demand it as citizens of this great country.

[defendandprotect]

18. Agree . . . especially that we are where we are now because

of not fully prosecuting Watergate and, unfortunately, Ford's pardon was an intervention for Nixon
and short-circuted anything that might have been done about prosecutions. Nixon should have been in jail.

And, especially, re 9/11 ---
the longer we permit this to go on the more and more people they move into place.

[tomp]

25. you got it!!!

that's the only way, all of them, from top to bottom. i've made this point many times and there are many people who still don't get it. such poor students of history. in my opinion the pursuit of these crimes is issue #1, tied for first place with securing the voting process.

and note well, these two issues are being studiously avoided by the democrats.

[hootinholler]

8. I wonder what investigation he finally refused to shut down that brought the goons down.

:shrug:

Must have been something pretty bad, he was willing to shut down the Siegelman investigation.

-Hoot

[pacalo]

35. Bad enough to enlist the goonery help of Sen. Tom "Stonewall" Davis (VA)...

"In light of the various investigations into Mr. Bloch's conduct, including the FBI probe revealed yesterday, it's hard to believe he can continue to operate effectively," Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said in a statement. "It's time the OSC put this turbulent period behind it and return to the important work of protecting federal whistle-blowers."

[maddezmom]

9. also see this thread for more details and links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3300488

[L. Coyote]

20. Scott Bloch, WH Special Counsel Says He Won't Provide Files to WH OPM. Showdown time!

A couple of Bush cowboys are facing off in the not-so-O.K. Corral.
One is armed with a flash drive of secret files on his key chain.
The other is reputed to have a fishing reel in hand....
Where's the boss of this gang of crooks anyway? Who's in charge?

It's a real case of the bad guys facing off against the bad guys :rofl:

more ...
Scott Bloch, WH Special Counsel Says He Won't Provide Files to WH OPM. Showdown time!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2378221

[Kaleko]

13. Lordy, this is poking a stick right into the middle of one corner of a huge cesspool.

I don't know how to thank you enough for all the research you're doing!

Threads like these are why I come to DU. We have to rely on you guys to keep digging for the truth.

[downindixie]

14. Siegelman was my only hope

for my state and I hate the republicans for what they did to him!I hope to see bush in prison!

[darue]

17. jail time for every bush crony. we need to send a message to these people n/t

[Lint Head]

19. George Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove are lying criminal

fucks and need to be in prison. :dem:

[Juan_de_la_Dem]

21. There is a term for a someone who shuts down another guy's chance with a potential..."C@ck Bl%cker"

So now we have a "Scott Bloch'er" for those that try to stop whistleblowers/revealers of injustice? Almost poetic.

[Postman]

24. Now we know why the FBI raided the OSC.

FBI investigating OSC's corruption.

[bbgrunt]

26. I'm having a hard time

getting my head around all the intrigues and counter-intrigues going on....can't figure which spy is wearing white and which is wearing black in this slimy mess. Maybe I should just assume they are all in black and cheer when they take eachother out.

this kind of crap has been going on for so long that I wonder if it can ever be cleaned up. J Edgar had everyone blackmailed and under his thumbs since the 1920's. Doesn't sound like we've made much progress.

[Norrin Radd]

27. kr

[halobeam]

28. K and R

[Supersedeas]

29. another case of career staffers being vetoed by partisan Bushian hacks

[progressoid]

30. God I hate this.

I want to be optimistic about this but after 7 years of Bush Inc. corruption and Democratic apathy, it's hard not to expect to be dissapointed...again.

[defendandprotect]

33. Push -- and . . .

See: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/36329.html

[defendandprotect]

34. See:---

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/36329.html