Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry on Memo Theft

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/27/po...rint&position=

Justice Dept. Opens Inquiry on Memo Theft
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

ASHINGTON, April 26 — The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into accusations that Republican Congressional aides stole sensitive Democratic memorandums, and the department has tapped David N. Kelley, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to lead the politically charged case, officials said Monday.

The decision to bring in Mr. Kelley, rather than have prosecutors in Washington pursue the case, came after lawmakers from both parties urged the Justice Department to appoint an independent prosecutor to avoid the appearance of a conflict.

The department said in a letter dated Monday that it was confident that Mr. Kelley would conduct the investigation "in a thorough, fair, impartial and professional manner." Several leading Democrats applauded his appointment, with Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York saying it was "a very good first step."

The opening of the criminal inquiry increases the significance of the case, which has provoked open hostilities between Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee in their continuing battle over President Bush's judicial nominations.

In March, the Senate sergeant-at-arms concluded in a 65-page report that two Republican staff aides had engaged in widespread, unauthorized and possibly illegal spying by reading Democratic strategy memorandums on a Senate computer system.

Over at least 18 months, the aides improperly read, downloaded and printed 4,670 files concerning Democratic tactics in opposing many of Mr. Bush's judicial nominees, the report said, and some of the material was leaked to conservative groups supporting the nominees and news media outlets.

The sergeant-at-arms suggested that the unauthorized spying could have violated laws against the receipt of stolen property and lying to investigators, among others. The report also suggested that many other Republican aides might have been involved in trafficking in the stolen documents, and Democrats have questioned whether officials at the Justice Department and the White House were also privy to the material in working to support Mr. Bush's nominees and derail Democratic opposition.

The two aides implicated in the affair have both left the Senate. One, Manuel C. Miranda, who had worked for both the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, and Senator Orrin G. Hatch, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has defended his conduct in numerous interviews, saying he was able to access the computer memorandums because of Democratic negligence in securing them, not because of any theft or criminal wrongdoing.

Some conservative groups have said that the memorandums reveal ethical improprieties by the Democrats in colluding with liberal groups to block Mr. Bush's nominations. But there is no indication that this will be an element of the criminal inquiry by Mr. Kelley, officials said.

Mr. Hatch, who said in March that he was "mortified" by the ethical breach, said through a spokesman on Monday that he "has every faith" that the Justice Department and Mr. Kelley's office "will do the right thing here."

Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the judiciary panel, also welcomed the Justice Department's decision, saying, "With the powers available to a federal prosecutor, this matter can now be more thoroughly investigated, so that those who engaged in criminal conduct may be brought to justice."

Senator Schumer said that while Mr. Kelley, a Democrat, was an independent and capable prosecutor "without conflicts," Attorney General John Ashcroft should still remove himself from oversight of the case to avoid any potential conflicts.

A Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity said, "Ashcroft has a potential conflict on many levels because he has a personal relationship with many of the Republican senators and he has direct control over Justice Department employees who may become involved in the investigation."

Mr. Kelley's office declined to comment. While the letter sent Monday by the Justice Department said that Mr. Kelley had been assigned to the case, it left open whether he would have the type of broad autonomy given to the prosecutor in another politically sensitive case involving the leak of a C.I.A. officer's identity.

In that case, Mr. Ashcroft recused himself after months of complaints from Democrats, and his deputy gave the United States attorney in Chicago, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, authority to conduct an independent investigation.

Shades of Watergate.

Gosh, I remember that now. I think the moral low road was taken by these aides. Kind of like stealing a lawnmower out of someone's front yard, then claiming to be innocent because the mower wasn't in the garage.

Originally Posted by dandylin Gosh, I remember that now. I think the moral low road was taken by these aides. Kind of like stealing a lawnmower out of someone's front yard, then claiming to be innocent because the mower wasn't in the garage.

or helping yourself to the silver and china on your way out....sabatoging computers and granting presidental pardons to felons......

Originally Posted by Txsweeper or helping yourself to the silver and china on your way out....sabatoging computers and granting presidental pardons to felons......

So, two wrongs do make a right, thanks for setting me straight on that one.

Originally Posted by carogonza Shades of Watergate.

So right carogonza, and if I remember correctly, it cost one man his job.

Originally Posted by dandylin So, two wrongs do make a right, thanks for setting me straight on that one.

Just pointing out that others have taken the "moral low road" as well.

The "claim" of Clinton's people trashing the White House was just that, never became more than that, no proof was ever brought before the public or court systems. It never amounted to anything more than rumor and exaggeration

http://slate.msn.com/?id=1006969

Originally Posted by dandylin The "claim" of Clinton's people trashing the White House was just that, never became more than that, no proof was ever brought before the public or court systems. It never amounted to anything more than rumor and exaggeration http://slate.msn.com/?id=1006969

Yes dear, I'm sorry dear :halo:

Originally Posted by pattyepye So right carogonza, and if I remember correctly, it cost one man his job.

Let's hope it costs Bush his job!

Again, I don't really care who is in office. I was all for impeaching Clinton for lying under oath.

I'm tired of excuses that so and so isn't acting up to par so why should we care about this one. I think we should all draw the line and hold people accountable when they deserve it regardless of what others have done or this kind of crap will just increase in volume.

Originally Posted by MrDave I'm tired of excuses that so and so isn't acting up to par so why should we care about this one. I think we should all draw the line and hold people accountable when they deserve it regardless of what others have done or this kind of crap will just increase in volume.

Absolutely! Hold people accountable. Otherwise, the country is really doomed.

Your "Queen of anti-spin" schtick is growing old very fast. That wasn't a "hook", that was a factual statement. The article is very straight- forward. Just because it details Republican wrong doing doesn't make it spin.

Originally Posted by only1lisa The "hook" is the factual statement. The article is not at all straight-forward. The fact that it details a possible wrong doing is not left out of the spin-free version. To say that it "details Republican wrong doing"--your generalizing again. I apologize if my pointing out spin is growing old to you, nevertheless, it's an important exercise in discerning the facts, discovering the underlying reasons for why something is said or done, and coming closer to the truth of the matter.

I'm sorry, but this is laughable.

:laugh: :boring: :boring:

The article was straight-forward. It's called reporting. If you want to call your version "spin-free," though, that's all right by me. By all means continue in your own mini "spin-free" zone.
I'm sure autodafe20 can read a newspaper on their own.

Originally Posted by only1lisa Here is the "hook": Republican Congressional aides are accused of reading, downloading, and printing Democratic strategy memorandums. You've read the "Line"/storyline (the article). By some of your comments I can tell it was a "sinker." Now I'm going to remove the propaganda/spin. The Justice Department is launching an investigation into the claims that two Republican Congressional aides may have broken the law when they read, downloaded, and printed Democratic strategy memorandums. This accusation was prompted by William Pickle's 65-page report that two Republican staff aides had engaged in "widespread, unauthorized and possibly illegal spying" by reading Democratic strategy memorandums on a shared Senate computer system. Remember, this is an election year. How clever it is written too. Very well done. To say that the memos revealed tactics in opposing many of Mr. Bush's judicial nominees amidst an actual tactic (the article) to work in this direction is genius.

Yeah, the "queen of spin" thing is getting old.

What's really wearying, however, is the extreme condescension in all of your posts. We're all adults here. Varying opinions are fine, but when they're cloaked in an environment of "I know everything and you are all idiots," it's offensive.