H
Harry Hope
Guest
Nearly two years ago, just after Abramoff had pleaded guilty in the
influence peddling scandal, Bush told reporters, "I can't say I didn't
ever meet" Abramoff, "but I meet a lot of people."
"I don't know him," Bush said at the presidential news conference in
January 2006.
"I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy."
After Bush's comments, Abramoff wrote an e-mail to the national editor
of Washingtonian magazine saying that Bush had seen him "in almost a
dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including
details of my kids. Perhaps he has forgotten everything, who knows."
Time magazine reported that its reporters had been shown five
photographs of Bush and Abramoff.
..........................................................................................................
The Justice Department probe of Abramoff and his team of lobbyists has
led to convictions of a dozen people, including former Rep. Bob Ney,
R-Ohio, former White House official David Safavian and former Deputy
Interior Secretary Steven Griles.
Abramoff is serving six years in prison on a criminal case out of
Florida.
He has not yet been sentenced on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy and
tax evasion stemming from the influence-peddling scandal in
Washington.
From The Associated Press, 12/2/07:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-abramoff,0,7451990.story
Secrecy Invoked on Abramoff Lawsuits
By PETE YOST
WASHINGTON -
The Bush administration is laying out a new secrecy defense in an
effort to end a court battle about the White House visits of
now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The administration agreed last year to produce all responsive records
about the visits "without redactions or claims of exemption,"
according to a court order.
But in a court filing Friday night, administration lawyers said that
the Secret Service has identified a category of highly sensitive
documents that might contain information sought in a lawsuit about
Abramoff's trips to the White House.
The Justice Department, citing a Cold War-era court ruling, declared
that the contents of the "Sensitive Security Records" cannot be
publicly revealed even though they could show whether Abramoff made
more visits to the White House than those already acknowledged.
"The simple act of doing so ... would reveal sensitive information
about the methods used by the Secret Service to carry out its
protective function," the Justice Department argued.
"This is an extraordinary development and it raises the specter that
there were additional contacts with President Bush or other high White
House officials that have yet to be disclosed," said Tom Fitton,
president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that filed
the suit.
"We've alleged that the government has committed misconduct in this
litigation and frankly this is more fuel for that fire."
A response by White House spokesman Trey Bohn referred to the Secret
Service, saying, "We have nothing to add to the USSS. position as
stated in the court filing."
Sensitive Security Records are created in the course of conducting
more extensive background checks on certain visitors to the White
House.
In sworn statements accompanying the filing, two Secret Service
officers said the extra attention is paid to some visitors because of
their background, "the circumstances of the visits" or both.
The Sensitive Security Records were discovered in the course of
another lawsuit seeking similar records, the court papers state.
Another private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington, also has requested Secret Service records of Abramoff's
White House visits.
On Friday, the Justice Department asked for a consolidation of the two
cases.
Such a move would take the CREW case from U.S. District Judge Royce
Lamberth and give it to Judge Rosemary M. Collyer, an appointee of the
current president who is hearing the Judicial Watch case.
Lamberth, a federal judge for two decades, has taken both Republican
and Democratic administrations to task during his tenure.
________________________________________________
The Bush Crime Family's attempt at hiding its dirty laundry
Harry
influence peddling scandal, Bush told reporters, "I can't say I didn't
ever meet" Abramoff, "but I meet a lot of people."
"I don't know him," Bush said at the presidential news conference in
January 2006.
"I've never sat down with him and had a discussion with the guy."
After Bush's comments, Abramoff wrote an e-mail to the national editor
of Washingtonian magazine saying that Bush had seen him "in almost a
dozen settings, and joked with me about a bunch of things, including
details of my kids. Perhaps he has forgotten everything, who knows."
Time magazine reported that its reporters had been shown five
photographs of Bush and Abramoff.
..........................................................................................................
The Justice Department probe of Abramoff and his team of lobbyists has
led to convictions of a dozen people, including former Rep. Bob Ney,
R-Ohio, former White House official David Safavian and former Deputy
Interior Secretary Steven Griles.
Abramoff is serving six years in prison on a criminal case out of
Florida.
He has not yet been sentenced on charges of mail fraud, conspiracy and
tax evasion stemming from the influence-peddling scandal in
Washington.
From The Associated Press, 12/2/07:
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-abramoff,0,7451990.story
Secrecy Invoked on Abramoff Lawsuits
By PETE YOST
WASHINGTON -
The Bush administration is laying out a new secrecy defense in an
effort to end a court battle about the White House visits of
now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The administration agreed last year to produce all responsive records
about the visits "without redactions or claims of exemption,"
according to a court order.
But in a court filing Friday night, administration lawyers said that
the Secret Service has identified a category of highly sensitive
documents that might contain information sought in a lawsuit about
Abramoff's trips to the White House.
The Justice Department, citing a Cold War-era court ruling, declared
that the contents of the "Sensitive Security Records" cannot be
publicly revealed even though they could show whether Abramoff made
more visits to the White House than those already acknowledged.
"The simple act of doing so ... would reveal sensitive information
about the methods used by the Secret Service to carry out its
protective function," the Justice Department argued.
"This is an extraordinary development and it raises the specter that
there were additional contacts with President Bush or other high White
House officials that have yet to be disclosed," said Tom Fitton,
president of Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that filed
the suit.
"We've alleged that the government has committed misconduct in this
litigation and frankly this is more fuel for that fire."
A response by White House spokesman Trey Bohn referred to the Secret
Service, saying, "We have nothing to add to the USSS. position as
stated in the court filing."
Sensitive Security Records are created in the course of conducting
more extensive background checks on certain visitors to the White
House.
In sworn statements accompanying the filing, two Secret Service
officers said the extra attention is paid to some visitors because of
their background, "the circumstances of the visits" or both.
The Sensitive Security Records were discovered in the course of
another lawsuit seeking similar records, the court papers state.
Another private group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in
Washington, also has requested Secret Service records of Abramoff's
White House visits.
On Friday, the Justice Department asked for a consolidation of the two
cases.
Such a move would take the CREW case from U.S. District Judge Royce
Lamberth and give it to Judge Rosemary M. Collyer, an appointee of the
current president who is hearing the Judicial Watch case.
Lamberth, a federal judge for two decades, has taken both Republican
and Democratic administrations to task during his tenure.
________________________________________________
The Bush Crime Family's attempt at hiding its dirty laundry
Harry
