Reply #31: emptywheel: Simpson Claims Rove Worked with Public Integrity on Siegelman Case

[L. Coyote]

Simpson Claims Rove Worked with Public Integrity on Siegelman Case
by emptywheel - http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2007/10/simpson-claims-.html


According to Jill Simpson's testimony, in January or February of 2005, Karl Rove met with the head of Public Integrity at DOJ and got him to assign resources to the Don Siegelman case.

A .... Bill Canary and Bob Riley had had a conversation with Karl Rove again and that they had this time gone over and seen whoever was the head of the department of -- he called it PIS, which I don't think that is the correct acronym, but that's what he called it. And I had to say what is that and he said that is the Public Integrity Section.

......

Q Okay. And did Rob give you the name of the person at -- I'm just going to call it Public Integrity -- that he thought he understood Karl Rove had spoken to?

A No, he said it was the head guy there and he said that that guy had agreed to allocate whatever resources, so evidently the guy had the power to allocate resources, you know.

Q To the Siegelman prosecution?

A Yes. And that he'd allocate all resources necessary.

Set aside the Siegelman case for a second. If Simpson's testimony is truthful, it means Karl Rove had significant sway over the Public Integrity Section at DOJ in early 2005. The Abramoff investigation was in full swing. As was the CIA Leak investigation. Both of which Rove was personally implicated in.

............

Simpson's allegation is tremendously damning with regards to the Siegelman case. But it is potentially even more damning with regards to a number of other investigations that were floating through PIN at the same time.