K
Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names
Guest
As you know, Congressman (and McCain campaign Arizona co-chair) Rick
Renzi has been indicted on charges of "conspiracy, wire fraud, money
laundering, extortion, insurance fraud, criminal forfeiture."
So as you contemplate the state in which the Bush-Cheney
"administration" has left our Department of Justice, you might also
want to keep the flip-side of their slow-poisoning of American justice
in mind:
In September 2006, just weeks before pivotal Congressional midterm
elections, Paul Charlton, US Attorney for Arizona, opened a
preliminary investigation into Republican Representative Rick Renzi of
the state's First Congressional District for an alleged pattern of
corruption involving influence-peddling and land deals. Almost
immediately, Charlton's name was added to a blacklist of federal
prosecutors the White House wanted to force from their jobs. Charlton
is someone "we should now consider pushing out," D. Kyle Sampson,
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez's chief of staff, wrote to then
White House Counsel Harriet Miers on September 13. In his previously
safe Republican district, Renzi had barely held on in the election. On
December 7, the White House demanded Charlton's resignation without
offering him any explanation.
Stacks of internal Justice Department e-mails subpoenaed by Congress
in early March from the White House provided evidence that the
dismissals of Charlton and seven other US Attorneys was a political
purge orchestrated to install "loyal Bushies," as Sampson called them,
into their posts and to protect Republican lawmakers like Renzi from
indictments for corruption.
Renzi has been indicted on charges of "conspiracy, wire fraud, money
laundering, extortion, insurance fraud, criminal forfeiture."
So as you contemplate the state in which the Bush-Cheney
"administration" has left our Department of Justice, you might also
want to keep the flip-side of their slow-poisoning of American justice
in mind:
In September 2006, just weeks before pivotal Congressional midterm
elections, Paul Charlton, US Attorney for Arizona, opened a
preliminary investigation into Republican Representative Rick Renzi of
the state's First Congressional District for an alleged pattern of
corruption involving influence-peddling and land deals. Almost
immediately, Charlton's name was added to a blacklist of federal
prosecutors the White House wanted to force from their jobs. Charlton
is someone "we should now consider pushing out," D. Kyle Sampson,
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez's chief of staff, wrote to then
White House Counsel Harriet Miers on September 13. In his previously
safe Republican district, Renzi had barely held on in the election. On
December 7, the White House demanded Charlton's resignation without
offering him any explanation.
Stacks of internal Justice Department e-mails subpoenaed by Congress
in early March from the White House provided evidence that the
dismissals of Charlton and seven other US Attorneys was a political
purge orchestrated to install "loyal Bushies," as Sampson called them,
into their posts and to protect Republican lawmakers like Renzi from
indictments for corruption.
