Scandal

November 9, 2007 -- Upon hearing the news that Bernard Kerik would be indicted on multiple corruption charges, Rudy Giuliani refused to say whether or not he would pardon his long time friend. Having helped shepherd Kerik's career, evidence suggests that Giuliani knew about Kerik's ethical problems and still promoted him from driver in his 1993 mayoral campaign to New York City's Corrections Department Commissioner to the city's police chief to business partner. [Daily News, 11/09/07]    » read more »

November 8, 2007 -- Despite evidence showing that Rudy Giuliani knew about Bernard Kerik's ethical problems and still promoted his once-close friend throughout his career, Rudy astonishingly continues to claim ignorance. As Kerik prepares to surrender to federal authorities tomorrow for tax fraud, corruption and conspiracy charges, Giuliani has yet to explain why he shepherded Kerik's career while an ethical cloud hung over his head.    » read more »

Administration’s Lack Of Oversight Cooperation Overshadowed Mukasey Confirmation Proceedings

WASHINGTON (Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007) – In a letter sent Wednesday to White House Counsel Fred Fielding, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) again requested legal memoranda outlining the White House’s justifications and policies on torture and interrogation. Such documents have long been requested but not provided.    » read more »

11/07/2007 -- Legislation that would phase out the use of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan was unveiled Wednesday by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Jan Schakowsky. The bill would restore vital military functions to the military, reducing the reliance on unaccountable private security contractors in the war zones. As many as 48,000 heavily armed guards are among the private security contractors now operating in Iraq, performing sensitive functions that should be undertaken by U.S. military personnel.    » read more »

Legislation co-sponsored by Senators Schumer, Sanders, Whitehouse, McCaskill, Carper and Obama

November 7, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – In the wake of revelations about 30 trips taken by the current and previous Chairs of the Consumer Product Safety Commission that were funded by industries they regulate, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) today introduced legislation that would prohibit such travel for federal regulators.    » read more »

November 5, 2007 -- After weeks of lackluster campaign appearances, cancellations, and staff defections, today the Washington Post reports Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been traveling to campaign events using the private jet of Philip Martin, a friend and advisor with a criminal record for dealing drugs.

Though Thompson was asked about the story this morning on Meet the Press, he failed to denounce ties to Martin, pledge to stop using his plane, or agree to return the money raised by him.    » read more »

November 5, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and law enforcement officials from four other states have asked the U.S. Senate to reject retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that let the federal government snoop on private telephone calls without warrants.

Blumenthal, with the Vermont, Maine and New Jersey attorneys general and the Missouri public safety commissioner, submitted testimony last week to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging it to reject immunity.    » read more »

11/01/2007 -- WASHINGTON—Today Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) pressed the Bush Administration for more information about how size determinations were made before awarding Blackwater USA federal contracts. Last week, Senator Kerry inquired about a Small Business Administration (SBA) size ruling referenced in a Blackwater press release defending its classification of workers as independent contractors, not employees. The SBA provided some information on the size determination, but Senator Kerry says details on how the determination was made are still needed.    » read more »

November 1, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin issued this statement following today’s guilty verdicts in the federal corruption trial of Vic Kohring, a Republican former state representative.

“Although it is a sad day for Alaska, I applaud the jury for providing a just verdict. Public trust and integrity are the foundation of good government. Mr. Kohring clearly violated those tenets. He not only betrayed the trust of those who elected him, but the trust of those closest to him.    » read more »

October 31, 2007 -- House Oversight Committee Chairman Waxman asks White House Counsel Fred Fielding to turn over more than 600 pages of documents relating to the activities of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff that are being withheld because they involve internal White House deliberations.

Letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding (pdf file)

Source: House Oversight Committee

October 30, 2007 -- Tomorrow, the Democratic Leadership of the House Judiciary Committee will hold an oversight hearing on the Voting Section of the Department of Justice, an office politicized by the Bush Administration to promote their own divisive brand of politics. Testifying at the hearing will be John Tanner, chief of the Voting Section.    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- (Washington, DC)- Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and Reps. David E. Price (D-NC) and Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL) sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Peter Keisler and Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice requesting more information about the immunity deal for Blackwater guards involved in the shooting deaths of 17 civilians in Iraq, which was reported in today's Washington Post. Text of the letter is attached (pdf file).    » read more »

October 30, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) sent the following letter today to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, asking for specific answers regarding the Blackwater investigation and about the Department’s reliance on security contractors in Iraq and elsewhere:

October 30, 2007

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice:    » read more »

30 October 2007 -- An Iraqi government spokesman says Iraq's Cabinet has approved draft legislation that lifts immunity from prosecution for private security firms in Iraq.

The spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, said on Tuesday the measure will subject all security companies to Iraqi law and revoke the immunity given to foreign security contractors by the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in 2004.

He says the legislation will be sent to the parliament for ratification.    » read more »

30 October 2007 -- The State Department said Tuesday that U.S.-hired private security guards accused of killing Iraqi civilians in September may still be subject to prosecution, despite a promise of immunity given by investigators. The case, involving contractors from the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA, has become a major irritant in U.S.-Iraqi relations.    » read more »