McNulty Resignation May Open White House to More Senate Probing

[maddezmom]

McNulty Resignation May Open White House to More Senate Probing

By Robert Schmidt

May 15 (Bloomberg) -- The resignation of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty may give Democrats a further opening to embarrass the Bush administration over the firing of eight federal prosecutors.

Democrats vow to keep pressing their investigation of the firings by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. A confirmation hearing for McNulty's successor would give them additional leverage to make the White House answer questions about the firings.

``We see a department rife with scandal and another agency this administration seeks to manipulate as a political arm of the White House,'' Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. ``The administration should come clean so that we can begin the process of reconstituting the leadership of the Justice Department.''

Leahy previously said that if Gonzales quits, he won't hold confirmation hearings for a new attorney general until the White House answers more questions concerning the firings.

more:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=ayBNbGKjtvRI

[wakeme2008]

1. Why do I think McNulty will get a Million Dollar signing bonus

and then have problems remembering what he did at DOJ... :grr:

[L. Coyote]

2. McNULTY: USAs, Prosecutors MUST seek approval from senior DoJ officials for corporate fraud decision

Maybe, his work there, centralizing corporate-fraud charging authority, was done!
McKay's "chilling effect" may have been intentional with the seven firings, given
that just a week later McNulty centralized the corporate fraud prosecution authority.

ADD TO TIMELINE right after the firings:
Dec. 7, 2006 - Michael Battle, director of the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, calls seven U.S. Attorneys to ask for their resignations.
Dec. 13, 2006 - McNulty curbs USAs', Prosecutors' powers, centralizing decisions at highest levels w/ immediate changes to corporate-fraud charging policies

This lends some credence to the possible relationship of Sampson's e-mail to the same issue, corporate fraud.

May 10, 2006 - USA Carol Lam's Litigation: Health and Human Services Seeks to Bar Medicare and Medicade Payments to Nation's #2 Hospital chain.
May 11, 2006 - Kyle Sampson e-mails deputy White House counsel William Kelley, re "the real problem we have right now with Carol Lam ....

Timelines are important forensic tools!

New DOJ Guidelines Tone Down Corporate Fraud Prosecutions
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=22930

=============
MORE: US Attorney Firing: Voter Fraud, Medicare Fraud, WHICH IS IT ???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x853813

MORE: 30 U.S. attorneys investigate BILKING BILLIONS, Medicare, Medicaid, Military’s Healthcare
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x877011

[L. Coyote]

3. K&R