ABC: HASTERT UNDER INVESTIGATION IN ABRAMOFF SCANDAL! - rec

[Dems Will Win]

This is from May, but worth bringing up again since the rest of the media BURIED IT. Hastert was bribed by Abramoff and is officially being investigated. There's going to be so many investigations of him, he won't have time to be Speaker.

Officials: Hastert "In the Mix" of Congressional Bribery Investigation
May 24, 2006 6:24 PM

Brian Ross Reports:

Federal officials say the Congressional bribery investigation now includes Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, based on information from convicted lobbyists who are now cooperating with the government.

Part of the investigation involves a letter Hastert wrote three years ago, urging the Secretary of the Interior to block a casino on an Indian reservation that would have competed with other tribes.

The other tribes were represented by convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff who reportedly has provided details of his dealings with Hastert as part of his plea agreement with the government.

The letter was written shortly after a fund-raiser for Hastert at a restaurant owned by Abramoff. Abramoff and his clients contributed more than $26,000 at the time.

The day Abramoff was indicted, Hastert denied any unlawful connection and said he would donate to charity any campaign contribution he had received from Abramoff and his clients.

A spokesman for Speaker Hastert told ABC News, "We are not aware of this. The Speaker has a long history and a well-documented record of opposing Indian Reservation shopping for casino gaming purposes."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/federal_officia.html

PLEASE RECOMMEND IF YOU NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS!

[LTR]

1. And you, kind sir, are kicked to the top of the page

Nice find.

:kick:

[Nimrod2005]

2. News to me....nt

[wicket]

3. Hoo bloy

:popcorn: :popcorn:

[William Bloode]

4. Yet another thing Denny does not recall.

Which begs the question. Should someone with such a bad(or selective) memory be in charge of Congress?

[Cha]

30. John Laesch has something on

his website on this..

"HANDS ON HASTERT", "hands off foley"

"Dennis Hastert is known as a "hands-on" guy in Washington D.C. and he has proven to be a very "hands-on" campaigner.

Several weeks ago, Dennis Hastert drove by our small office that is located on a dead-end street. I was standing outside, taking a break from fundraising calls when a red pick-up truck and a black SUV drove by the office.

I hopped into my Jeep and followed the entourage all the way to Denny's next stop, a hot dog stand. The Speaker rolled out and strolled across the park and probably bought himself a hot dog.

My point here is that Dennis Hastert is a pretty hands-on guy who is playing a very Reaganesque, "I forgot what happened" role.

» john's blog | 19
http://www.john06.com/

[Little Star]

5. K&R Nice reminder. n/t

[mod mom]

6. Hastert's Land Deal Profit Compliments Highway Project w Targeted fed fund

Lawmakers' Profits Are Scrutinized
Hastert and Others Defend Land Gains
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 22, 2006; Page A01



House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) made a $2 million profit last year on the sale of land 5 1/2 miles from a highway project that he helped to finance with targeted federal funds.

A Republican House member from California, meanwhile, received nearly double what he paid for a four-acre parcel near an Air Force base after securing $8 million for a planned freeway interchange 16 miles away. And another California GOP congressman obtained funding in last year's highway bill for street improvements near a planned residential and commercial development that he co-owns.



In all three cases, Hastert and Reps. Ken Calvert and Gary Miller say that they were securing funds their home districts wanted badly, and that in no way did the earmarks have any impact on the land values of their investments. But for watchdog groups, the cases have opened a fresh avenue for investigation and a new wrinkle in the ongoing controversy over earmarks -- home-district projects funded through narrowly written legislative language.

For more than a year, the congressional corruption scandal triggered by former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has focused attention on earmarks secured by lawmakers on lobbyists' and government contractors' behalf. Now watchdog groups are combing through lawmakers' land holdings and legislative activities, searching for earmarks that may have boosted the value of those investments.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE
HASTERT LAND DEAL
2002: House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) purchases 195 acres for his home near Plano, Ill., for $2.125 million, or $10,865 per acre.
Feb. 9, 2004: Little Rock Trust #225 is established, with trustee identified as Dallas C. Ingemunson, treasurer of Hastert's federal campaign committee and chairman of the Kendall County Republican Party.
Feb. 17, 2004: Hastert purchases a quarter-share of a 69-acre parcel in Plano, Ill., for $340,000 through Little Rock Trust #225.
May 2, 2005: Hastert transfers an additional 69 acres of land to Little Rock Trust #225 from the 195 acres purchased in 2002. The parcel was worth $748,598 when purchased.
Aug. 10, 2005: President Bush signs into law a $286 billion transportation bill that includes $207 million for a "Prairie Parkway" to connect Interstate 80 and Interstate 88 in Kendall County, Ill.
Dec. 7, 2005: Little Rock Trust #225 sells Hastert's parcels totaling 138 acres to RALC-Plano LLC, a subsidiary of the Robert Arthur Land Co., for $4.989 million, or $36,034 per acre. Hastert nets a $2.018 million profit. Robert Arthur Land Co. intends to build a 1,635-home residential and commercial development, 5.5 miles from the proposed Prairie Parkway.
SOURCES: Sunlight Foundation, White House


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062102210.html

[sofa king]

18. A juicy hint for the right researcher.

Forgive me for being circumspect about this, but I have my reasons for being so vague. Denny's land-games and Indian bashing go hand in hand, and he's quite the weasel about it.

Some intrepid researcher should take a look at a particular document Denny entered into the Congressional Record on September 13, 2006. There is something very, very wrong with it, but Denny's office is trying to use such behavior to establish his Indian-hating credentials and create a plausible alibi for his accepting Abramoff's bribe.

He's relying upon a very old crime to shield himself from a very new crime. Unfortunately for him, both crimes are still within the statute of limitations; both crimes compound one another, especially on the irony-o-meter. Unfortunately for me, that's all I can say about it.

Someone, please take a look just in case I can't spell it all out myself in time.

[mod mom]

23. Is this what you are referring to?:

Hastert :congressional record Sept 13,2006

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r109:1:./temp/~r109l7V09e:e46730:

[sofa king]

28. Not sure.

I always forget how to properly link to a Congressional Record page, or directly to bills for that matter. Looks like you have the same problem. It's page H6451. It's the thing which he has a copy of "right here."

It's not the first time that document has shown up before Congress. If someone were to discover how and when that document first appeared before Congress, that someone would realize that Denny has made an enormous mistake, a mistake borne of his ignorance of his own job's duties and responsibilities, and perhaps arrogance, too.


To put it more succinctly, Speaker Hastert is ripping off Indians to defend himself against the charge of ripping off Indians--a very Republican thing to do, but a potentially career-threatening time to do it.

[glitch]

7. 2 hour Moyers special on Abramoff tonight on PBS in Seattle.

Maybe other towns. Should be explosive, I do not believe Moyers will pull his punches on what's been going on in the Marianas and the corrupt puke leadership behind it.

[seemslikeadream]

8. Vanity Fair: Turks Boasted of Payments to Hastert

all working links here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2408278&mesg_id=2408688

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1674619


Magazine Article Claims Hastert Took Bribes (his office responds)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

US News & World Report - FBI whistle-blower petitions high court
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

What happened with the Hastert taking bribes from Turkey story?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

Sibel Edmonds on DemocracyNow ...Turkey may have bribed Hastert 500K...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

Dennis Hastert's Turkish Payola - September Vanity Fair
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

Vanity Fair floats allegations GOP chief Hastert took Turkish bribes
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discu...

[mod mom]

12. and you wonder why the Repugs don't want congressional oversight!

[cosmicdot]

25. Let Sibel Speak!

Make Ashcroft apologize to the Nation and World for the gag he put on her; and, then, put him in line with the other traitorous subversives.



The Silencing of Sibel Edmonds

http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0517,webmondo1,63324,6.html

[leveymg]

9. No surprise. The title of this WP article says it all:

Don't Bet on Coincidence
In all, Mr. Hastert received more than $100000 in donations from Mr. Abramoff's firm and tribal clients from 2001 to 2004. On the Senate side, Harry M. Reid ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content ... 005/11/17/AR2005111701469.html

[usregimechange]

kick

[ryanus]

10. I hate to say it, but I think this is theatre

Note I am not denying that there isn't wrong doing. My point is that there is way too much "apparent" damage being done to the Republican Party. This looks to me to be theatre to make it look like the Republicans are in trouble and all these scandals are coming out, but the scandals are on side issues, not that they aren't important issues, but they are not the major issues that affect votes I don't think. This is like professional wrestling.

It's also like in combat where an army stages a unit in an apparently vulnerable position, and the enemy concentrates their forces on this unit and attacks. At the same time, the army takes their large force and strikes the enemy's stronghold, which is not well defended anymore since the enemy has has moved a lot of the forces to go attack the vulnerable unit. Whether that vlunerable unit is real, saved, or sacrificed is less important than the army defeating the enemy. I think this was even used in the movie The Patriot with actual strawmen.

I doubt anything will come of Hastert being investigated, or perhaps maybe they will sacrifice him, too. I could be wrong.

[Hoping4Change]

PBS is airing a Frontline story about Abrahmoff and other

scandals besetting GOP. I think its on tonite.

[mod mom]

11. Speaker of the House Nullified San Diego (50) Congressional Race

Speaker of the House Nullified
San Diego Congressional Race

By Michael Collins
“Scoop” Independent Media
Washington, DC

-snip

So there you have it. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the United House of Representatives, called “the peoples’ House,” now has the authority to nullify elections simply by swearing in candidates and claiming federal privilege based on one narrow section of the constitution, while completing ignoring the others, including the one stating that members of the House shall be elected every two years “by the People,” and not selected in Washington DC. Once again, the country is faced with a Bush v. Gore style selection manufactured in Washington DC, and if only the people did not know which party benefited and which party was hurt by the selection, the country would be unanimous in denouncing this power grab.

-snip
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0608/S00316.htm

[mom cat]

13. Toast!

[Imagevision]

14. Sibel Edmunds had much to say about Hastert BEFORE Ashcroft gagged her

[Dems Will Win]

15. kick

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Abramoff, Foley and Edmonds. Buh-Bye Hasteret.

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. !

:kick:

[fooj]

19. Greasy, oily pig...

Ugh.......

[Dems Will Win]

20. kick

[Rockstone]

26. I was looking at a picture of Hastert when I read that

a close up on a 60 in screen -
it was weird. There was a greasy oily pig right in my face and it was hastert!

[PurpleChez]

27. Holy crud, I'm about to eat here!

That image is better than any weight loss plan

[Arugula Latte]

21. Please, people, this is not a time for glee and schadenfreude ...

Wait, let me rephrase that ...

OH HELL YES IT IS! :bounce: :toast: :rofl: :party: :woohoo:

[Dems Will Win]

22. kick

[chat_noir]

24. K&R

Thanks!

[Cha]

29. Nothing happens when it's abramoff

but when it's a scandal like foley then watch bust wide open!

[Dems Will Win]

31. kick

[jackstraw45]

32. Hastert is more crooked than Lombard Street

[The Count]

33. Watch Moyers documentary on PBS now! (Abramoff)

Amazing!

[Jack Rabbit]

34. Don't worry. Denny will fix the problem by firing gay staffers.

That's how he's going to solve the pedophile problem.

[savemefromdumbya]

35. yes I remember his involvement with the Duke Cunningham scandal

[jazzjunkysue]

36. Uber-kick. Uber-rec. Uber-happy.

:patriot:

I'm singing the star spangled banner and the battle hymn of the republic in the shower.

Honestly, this is so much more fun than Fitzmas.

[donheld]

37. "Dems Will Win" some news never gets old

I hope they get him good.