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WASHINGTON (ABC/AP) Jan 27, 2006 — Two Senate Democrats asked the U.S. attorney general Thursday to appoint a special counsel to take over the investigation into congressional corruption involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
The letter came a day after the Justice Department announced the prosecutor heading the investigation would step down from the Abramoff investigation.
Noel Hillman, chief of the department’s public integrity section, was nominated by President Bush for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court in New Jersey.
Hillman will step down as chief of the public integrity unit next week, but remain in the Justice Department’s criminal division until he is confirmed, a department official said.
In a letter to the attorney general, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Ken Salazar argued an independent prosecutor “would ensure that the investigation and prosecution will proceed without fear or favor and provide the public with full confidence that no one in this country is above the law.”
The two Democrats said that so far, the public integrity section of the Justice Department, which is in charge of the probe, has “pursued this case appropriately.”
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The White House was poised to nominate Hillman last summer after a deal on Bush’s judicial nominations paved the way for New Jersey’s Democratic senators to weigh in on Hillman. White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said the president makes all his nominations in a timely manner and was ready to move forward.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said, “There is no legal or ethical reason why the attorney general would need to recuse himself from this investigation as it continues to move forward successfully with a career prosecution team.”
● Deputy AG James Comey to top job at Lockheed Martin
● Bush Replaced US Attorney in Guam – 2002 ¶ Abramoff Corruption Investigation Stopped
● Scanlon Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy ¶ Abramoff & Bob Ney Accused ¶ Updated
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Democrats: AG Should Appoint Special Counsel Abramoff Case?
Well…I would if I could…
Oh.
You mean THAT AG.
Fat chance.
Nevermind…
AG
here
re: gwb and photo taken w/Abramoff:
Didn’t read it closely, also something about a ctriminal investigation…(?)
You are following this one more than I am…I love your stuff and hope this is useful…Recomennded!!!
(I’m finding other stuff while digging for Medicare D info!)
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WASHINGTON (WaPo) – A strong bipartisan majority of the public believes that President Bush should disclose contacts between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and White House staff members despite administration assertions that media requests for details about those contacts amount to a “fishing expedition,” according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The survey found that three in four — 76 percent — of Americans said Bush should release lists of all meetings between aides and Abramoff; 18 percent disagreed. Two in three Republicans joined with eight in 10 Democrats and political independents in favoring disclosure, according to the poll.
At a White House news conference, Bush said he did not know Abramoff and would not release photographs in which the two appeared together: “The photographs would be used for ‘pure political purposes’ by Democrats.”
By Matt Frei (BBC News) Washington D.C. – 18 January, 2006
On Washington’s map of power no address is currently attracting more mirth and malice than K Street, the seat of the capital’s most lucrative and crowded profession. Forget politicians, journalists, policemen, spies or lawyers! The city’s most popular guild owes its name to the drafty entrance hall of the Willard Hotel.
‘Scandal of the decade’
As Vin Weber, a former Republican Congressman from Minnesota and now a leading lobbyist told me: “It is not unusual in our profession to make a seven-figure salary. The problem with Jack Abramoff was that he wanted to make eight figures. He was too greedy!”
“Such is the cloying nature of Washington politics that they tend to follow US leaders around the globe like a lingering odour.”
Weber also told me that this scandal – the biggest in 10 years he predicted – was one of those very rare truly bipartisan affairs. Both sides of the aisle were bought.
[Where is Howard Dean’s attack group to counter these lies, repeated on BBC World Radio in their reports during the past three days? – Oui]
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼▼▼ READ MY DIARY ▼
Looks like Hillman stepped down to step up. I’m just saying.
Hoping no one will notice, a promotion appears a tad better than a Saturday night firing.
Doesn’t change the stink. It reeks worse than a piggery.
Really, criminals and addictive gamblers don’t know when to call it a day. Same with this bunch. There’s NOTHING, nothing keeping these thugs in check.
Wanna bet, we’ll get a special prosecutor the day a photo of Abramoff and Bush surfaces?