Feds going after Rep. Conyers wife

[notfullofit]

Saturday, July 5, 2008
Paul Egan / The Detroit News

Bribe probe ensnarls Conyers

Feds: Surveillance evidence suggests councilwoman took money tied to waste pact.

DETROIT -- Federal investigators have electronic surveillance evidence that allegedly links Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers with receiving a payment or payments in connection with a city-approved sludge contract, two people familiar with the investigation said.

Conyers -- who changed her position from speaking in opposition to the sludge contract to voting in favor of it -- and at least one other council member are under FBI investigation in connection with possible bribes related to the $47 million contract with Synagro Technologies Inc. of Houston, one of the people familiar with the investigation said Friday. Bribes allegedly paid to people connected with the city but not members of the City Council also are under investigation, one person said.

Steve Fishman, a prominent Detroit criminal attorney representing Conyers, said any allegations against Conyers should be viewed with skepticism.

snip..

Conyers, the spouse of U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, has been absent from City Council meetings since news of the scandal broke June 28. She declined comment Friday.

"I'm not feeling well right now," she said in a brief telephone interview. "When I get back to work, I'll get back to work."

Former Monica Conyers aide Sam Riddle, who earlier said the FBI had tapped his cell phone and examined his bank records, said Friday that Rayford W. Jackson, a Detroit businessman under investigation in connection with the alleged payoffs, owes him money and wrote him two checks that bounced.


more...

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080705/METRO/807050357

Looks like a witch hunt is underway.

[ColbertWatcher]

1. Agreed, it looks like a witch hunt.

How can we let the Conyers know we're behind them?

[madokie]

11. maybe it'll piss John off enough to start doing something about these crooks in our White House

afterall he be the target here, more than likely.

[EFerrari]

2. I wonder what Mr. Conyers is doing that triggered this.

:shrug:

[AndyTiedye]

3. They Want to Make Sure Impeachment STAYS Off the Table

[Skittles]

5. it's a message to any upstart even thinking about it too n/t

[notfullofit]

8. You got that right, retaliation

snip...

Riddle said that, in his view, the investigation of Monica Conyers is retaliation for her husband's investigation of the Bush administration.

“I’m firmly convinced that there are elements in the U.S. attorney’s office who would love to make a case against anyone whose last name is Conyers, if for no other reason than to embarrass the chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee,” Riddle told the Free Press. Riddle added: “Councilwoman Conyers can do that on her own without the assistance of the FBI. She’s demonstrated that time and time again."

Monica Conyers is a controversial figure, both in Detroit and Washington. The House ethics committee looked into allegations several years ago that Conyers was using his congressional staff to assist his wife's political campaign. The investigation was eventually concluded without any action taken, although Conyers was warned to be more cautious in the future.

Monica Conyers' public outbursts at city council meetings have also been the subject of widespread criticism.

John Conyers' office had no comment for this story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/01/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4225649.shtml

[bluesmail]

4. Give me a break. This is so obvious.

It used to be they'd take time preparing an attack, but oh no not when Rep Conyers is getting a wee too close to the truth about the Chainy-Gang.

[Trajan]

6. While I am sympathetic towards the view that this is a railroad smear ...

IF she took such payments, see ya later alligator ...

[autorank]

7. First of all, don't believe it. Second,

The Feds were threatening Conyers and his wife a couple of years ago. Even if this might have happened
(and there is NO reason to believe even that), it wouldn't have because Mrs. Conyers knew clearly that
she was under close watch.

The sentence about the aid Riddle getting two bad checks and is just sitting there. I wonder if it's
a hint that these are the payments in question and that it's all bogus?

I don't believe any of it and there's real reason to be cautions of anything out of DOJ over the
next few months.

[mod mom]

14. Smells faintly of the Siegelman prosecution-who needs facts with this Administration.

:mad:

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Was there a FISA warrant for that wiretap?

:sarcasm:

One cannot discount the irony of it all.

[notfullofit]

12. You are right, such irony! nt

[DFW]

10. I can't WAIT for the next Democratic Attorney General

If there is ever allowed to be one, that is.

[unblock]

13. "electronic surveillance evidence"???

could they be any more obvious?

how the hell is hollywood supposed to compete with reality if they keep doing stuff like this?

[Faygo Kid]

15. Detroit politics ain't pretty. Let's let this play out; can't call it a "witch hunt" just yet.

Born and raised in the Motor City and lived nearby right up through the Archer administration (he was a class act). Forgive the pun, but this sludge deal stinks to high heaven. Let's see how this plays out. This may shock you, but there have been crooked politicians in Detroit before, and Dems, too (the current mayor is likely on his way out for obstruction of justice).

Nobody is accusing John Conyers of anything, and Monica shouldn't get a free pass because of her last name.

[butterfly77]

22. Yes, I agree...

and she brought it on herself. I have been saying what took so long, I really think she has a screw loose and I can't believe she is his wife..

[Faygo Kid]

23. You're saying what I didn't. But I agree. Monica is questionable.

Let's face it, her track record is screwy, and if her last name wasn't "Conyers," she would be nowhere near elected office.

Thanks for the blunt talk. People here ought to look into her history before blindly supporting her.

[butterfly77]

28. She doesn't resemble the same woman...

who he married, I remember when they were first married. The problem with Mrs.Conyers is that she doesn't have any respect for anyone. If you have seen the city council meetings you know what I mean..

[Michigan-Arizona]

24. Detroit Mayor Archer

Archer sure was the best one to ever hold the office of mayor in Detroit. Let's hope this tick's John Conyer's off enough to set the table with impeachment if this was a witch hunt. Born & raised ex-Michigander here.

[midnight]

16. Another reason to say no to this amended Fisa bill. Lieave

Monica Conyers alone. Sounds like her husband's threat to make Karl testify is stirring up some kind of withes brew....

[SoCalDem]

17. Now matter how this turns out, I can only say that politics is a dirty business

and no matter what party one belongs to, there is always some "quid pro quo" going on.. When money and power to change things get combined, all kinds of nasty stuff goes on.. Local politics, state, national.. it;s all the same..

[Subdivisions]

18. And this is what the warrantless wiretapping program was all

about - finding dirt on political and financial opponents.

The "System" is totally fucked.

[suffragette]

19. A witch hunt and a warning to others

Basically putting Congress on notice - investigate us or try to block the FISA mods we want and we'll use whatever info we've found through "electronic surveillance" to put you and/or your family through the wringer. They don't even need to have something that's really actionable, just enough to start cases and put people through hell.

Similar in some ways to what they did to Siegelman, which was not only a grievous injustice done to him, but a loud statement about what they could do to others, reading if we can put someone who was a governor in jail, what do you think we can do to you.

[spanone]

20. you got to figure if you're investigating bu$hco, bu$hco is investigating you

[struggle4progress]

21. Vague claims. Anonymous sources. Welcome to "Republican Dirty Tricks 2008"

[trashcanistanista]

25. Well, that explains why Conyers has

STFU about impeachment.

[Canuckistanian]

26. Ironic that she's accused of impropriety regarding a "sludge contract"

Her husband has to deal with human sludge on a regular basis.

She should have gone to John for his suggestions.

[DCKit]

27. "...have electronic surveillance evidence..."

'Cause you let them, John (Nancy and Harry).

Just WTF is ON the damn table?