Senators Mum on Corruption Probe
EmailABC News’ Jake Tapper Reports: On the same day Democrats were heralding a new lobbying and ethics reform package, both the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate refused to comment Tuesday on the FBI raid on the home of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.
The FBI’s political corruption probe into oil services company VECO, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, has led to recent federal grand jury testimony from Barbara Flanders, a financial clerk for Stevens on the Senate Commerce Committee. Flanders, the AP reported, provided documents relating to the senator’s bills.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was asked about the House GOP policy of removing from committee assignments Members of Congress under investigation, but Reid would have none of it.
"We have to be careful about punishing people during an investigation," Reid said. "Many investigations go nowhere."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, likewise said he would not comment since, after all, "Sen. Stevens has four decades of service in the United States Senate." McConnell said he "will be discussing the matter with my conference."
As the FBI noose began to tighten earlier this month, Stevens said he had received "overwhelming support" from his fellow Senators on the matter since "it’s sort of a family, the Senate family comes around when someone’s got a problem, and they’ve all encouraged me, ‘Don’t get excited about this’ because so many people have been through it in their own states and it’s not an easy thing."
Asked by ABC News what the American people would think about this sentiment expressed by a senator whose home was just raided by the FBI, McConnell said, "I don’t have anything to add to the Stevens matter beyond what I said."
For his part, Stevens slipped out the back door of the weekly GOP luncheon. Followed by industrious reporters peppering him with questions, the 83-year-old lawmaker met their inquiries with a chilling silence, angry glares, and no comment. Stevens, the longest-serving Republican in US Senate history, is up for re-election next year.
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GOP=CORRUPTION
Posted by: waleeg | July 31, 2007, 12:07 pm 12:07 pm
“We have to be careful about punishing people during an investigation,” Reid said. “Many investigations go nowhere.”
- Kind of like all the investigations into the Fired lawyers. Or, the investigations into the Valerie Plame leak. Or, the investigations into the Bush White house. Or, the wire tapping (of suspected terrorist I might add). How about we investigate, how the congress throws away so much of the American tax payer dollars on crap. Or, better yet, let’s investigate how I can get one of those jobs where I work 4 days a week (maybe) and tell everyone else how to live their lives.
And as far as waleeg’s comment (which was wonderfully thought out – I bet you spent all day putting that together) -
- Tax violations by former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros charged that the Clinton administration thwarted his efforts to get to the truth.
- U.S. Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) – possible bribery in exchange for promoting business deals in Africa
- Ernest Newton, a former state Democrat Connecticut senator worked with a reputed mobster to try to stop police raids on businesses and advance their business interests
- Clarence Norman Jr., the longtime powerbroker of Brooklyn NY Democrats – guilty of intentionally soliciting illegal campaign contributions.
- A top aide to Jim Black, the Democratic speaker of the state Legislature of North Carolina – received payments from a company hoping for the lottery contract. ALSO – The State Board of Elections is investigating Black’s campaign finances.
- Perry French Harvey Jr. – conspiring to bribe voters in last year’s Democratic contest
- Former Democat Gov. Donald Siegelman of Alabama was charged in a “widespread racketeering conspiracy” that includes accusations he took a bribe from former hospital executive Richard Scrushy for a key state appointment.
- Frank Ballance – a former Democrat Rep. from North Carolina – conspiring to divert taxpayer money to his law firm and family through a charitable organization he helped start.
- Five Democratic activists in Wisconsin – slashed the tires of vans rented by Republicans on Election Day 2004.
- Chuck Chvala, a Former Democrat Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader – felony misconduct in office and illegally funneling campaign contributions.
- Chvala – directed a state employee to run a political campaign and used an independent expenditure group to funnel campaign contributions to a fellow Democrat.
- Brett Pfeffer, a former legislative director to Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., – aiding and abetting bribery of a public official and conspiracy.
- Raymond Reggie, a New Orleans political Democratic consultant and fund-raiser who is Senator Kennedy’s brother-in-law – bank fraud charges.
And so on, and so on, and so on…..
Posted by: Zakk | July 31, 2007, 12:33 pm 12:33 pm
Democrats have always been more corrupt than Republicans. It is just never publicized as much because the media tries to cover it up or soften it.
Posted by: mamatuffy | July 31, 2007, 1:08 pm 1:08 pm
All this about democrats? How about this Nixon rep president; lied about taping the dems headquarters .
Ford rep. president pardoned Nixon .
Reagon rep president lied about Iran/ Contra .also banking scandal cost taxpayers millions ; trickle down economics need I say more ?
Bush rep. president carried on with Reagon plan of trickle down economics also didn;t finish job in Iraq .
Bush rep. president beat the bill of rights up; Got us into another Vietnam
Now some of these are against the constitution and the founding fathers would have blindfolded some of them you know which ones and put their backs against a wall.
Posted by: dark fall | July 31, 2007, 3:45 pm 3:45 pm
Is this the beginning of finally the “Law” investigating those who contend to be the law…why is the FBI so hated…maybe because there is no way around the new era of the people..for the people by the people…Senators now need to be scrutinized..it has always been said that when there are those who are so great, there is a tril of other insedious crimes that go undetected…hurray for the FBI…they can camp out at my door step anytime…because the poor person is not the one who has sold out this country…its the men of greed, power and the LAW! I know the FBI have had their stalkers from our headsmen but not the full extent of the FBI are derelict in their duties…just the one’s that have deals with the states they may come from to protect their brothers from being fenced…like the old school sheriffs and the KKK, lunch is not lunch anymore…I am not at all pleased that we have along term senator who may be corrupt…maybe ABC you need to come south…”its called brotherly love where I live to beat up women and kids for the sake of solidarity…maybe the feds need more clout and not by President, Senate or any other entity that tries to dismember their truth…maybe the nation needs to see the handwriting on the wall…Apachecheynne
Posted by: Apachecheynne@Yahoo.com | July 31, 2007, 5:19 pm 5:19 pm
Another one(Corrupt Republican) bites the dust. Hey Hey; and another ones gone….
Posted by: cliff jones | July 31, 2007, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
Now I know democrats steal too but the administrations I mention started thier
corruption at the top .I mean the president for God;s sake !!!! Let alone their subordinates .
Posted by: dark fall | July 31, 2007, 8:17 pm 8:17 pm
dark fall
“well they did it too.” The cry baby excuse of the republicans. Grow up! Get some back bone!
Posted by: cliff jones | July 31, 2007, 8:24 pm 8:24 pm
Number of Reagan administration era convictions in the Iran-contra scandal: 14 (two overturned on appeal).
Number of Reagan officials convicted for illegal lobbying: 2 (Michael Deaver; Lyn Nofziger, overturned on appeal).
Number of Reagan officials convicted in Housing and Urban Development scandal: 16.
Total number Reagan era convictions: 32 (the number cited in the strip — 29 — arrived at by subtracting the 3 overturned cases).
In addition, Bush [Reagan's vice-president who later became president] pardoned Reagan’s Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, indicted on 5 charges.
Moreover, the record of actual convictions doesn’t tell the whole story. Over 30 additional Reagan appointees resigned or were fired following charges of legal or ethical misconduct, including Secretary of Interior James Watt, Secretary of Interior Raymond Donovan, CIA Director William Casey and EPA Administrator Anne Burford. Many dozens more were investigated.
Contrast this to:
Number of Clinton officials indicted or convicted in Whitewater, Travel Office, FBI files, Monica Lewinsky, Bruce Babbit, Michael Espy investigations: 0
Asst. Attorney-General Webster Hubbell was convicted of embezzlement, a crime he committed before joining Clinton Administration.
Posted by: Mike Johnson | July 31, 2007, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
cliff jones I don;t get it’ do you mean me to “get a backbone ” If so didn;t you read my other post I hate republicans their all idiots self rightious pompas pr#### ! ! but if you mean do I excuse them no I don;t but I;m not so naive to think that democrats don;t put their hands in the till too .
Posted by: dark fall | August 1, 2007, 12:04 am 12:04 am
Some of you folks just don’t get it. While you are playing their ‘Democrat vs. Republican’ game both sides are fleecing the American people. We look only at ‘the party’, rarely at the individual. Go ahead and blame the other side and talk about how horrible they are. Tell me what your party did that was good for America. Not, “at least my party didn’t….” What DID they do for America?. … The first side to respond gets five points.
Posted by: Royce | August 1, 2007, 2:01 am 2:01 am
Dark Fall;
It wasn’t meant for your. Sorry.It was meant for the excuse makers of the corrupt Republican Congressmen. I didn’t hear any democrats making excuses for Rep Jefferson. As a matter of fact, they striped him of his chair.
Posted by: cliff jones | August 1, 2007, 8:00 am 8:00 am
It amazes me how short memories are. Things like Wilber Mills in the early 70′s. Now that was only a minor sex scandal, but then it wasn’t swept under the rug, spun, disinformationed, and lied about.
Like in the Watergate scandal, there became an inevitability to it all. Now while this is much more widespread, and takes longer to get done, the inevitability is beginning to creep in. And it won’t matter if the president and his cronies are all convicted. They will all be impeached and it will stain everything they have done.
You can begin to see the Republicans distance themselves from Mr. Bush. (Jr.)
Coming soon: The Iraq war dollars and cents cost, from the daily US citizen taxpayers perspective.
Posted by: Carol | August 1, 2007, 8:38 am 8:38 am