Abramoff Case & NSA Spying Loom over Gonzales

Abramoff case, spying loom over Gonzales
Ex-colleague’s links to lobbyist scrutinized

WASHINGTON (Chicago Tribune) Feb. 3 —  In the latest challenge to Gonzales’ White House record, two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee asked Gonzales what he knows about ties between convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Timothy Flanigan, a former White House lawyer, who withdrew his nomination to be deputy attorney general last October.

Gonzales also faces scrutiny over his role in justifying a White House policy to conduct domestic surveillance without search warrants. In addition, critics say Paul McNulty, selected as the new choice to be deputy attorney general, has been slow to consider allegations of abuse of detainees held in the war on terror.

Paul McNulty, the nominee for deputy attorney general, faces a confirmation hearing at which he is expected to face questions about how vigorously he has pursued allegations of mistreatment of detainees by the CIA and Defense Department.

Timothy Flanigan pulled out of consideration for the Justice Department’s No. 2 position after questions arose about his business relationship with Abramoff and about his role, as Gonzales’ White House assistant, in crafting Bush administration policies that seemed to justify use of torture for terrorism suspects.

Will Moves at Justice Affect CIA Leak Case? ◊ by susanhu
Fri Jul 29th, 2005 at 08:28:27 AM PST

FACTS:

1. Deputy Attorney General James Comey — who appointed U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald to investigate the CIA leak case — is leaving the Justice Dept. for a private sector job.
2. Pres. Bush has nominated Timothy Flanigan, senior vice president and general counsel of Tyco International, to replace Comey.
3. “[T]he only control Fitzgerald’s Justice handler [Comey, then his successor] has is to fire him,” (WSJ July 29, 2005 Washington Wire, sub.)

[new links due to time lapse – Oui]

Flanigan left the White House in November 2002 for a senior executive post at the Tyco manufacturing conglomerate. In November 2003, Flanigan used information supplied by Abramoff in a successful effort to stave off Tyco’s pending loss of federal contracts, according to court papers in a case involving an Abramoff associate and a company statement.

According to Durbin, Flanigan withdrew his nomination after Durbin declined to meet privately with him to discuss his work with Tyco.

Abramoff recently pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges and is cooperating with federal investigators. Abramoff had ties to numerous prominent lawmakers and Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill.,  said a request would soon be made for a special prosecutor to take over the investigation.

Justice Department spokeswoman Tasia Scolinos said both the detainee abuse inquiries and the Abramoff investigation are insulated from politics because they are being handled by career prosecutors and not by political appointees.

● Judiciary Committee For DOJ Probe of Improperly Accessed Computer Files

Democrats: AG Should Appoint Special Counsel Abramoff Case
Fri Jan 27th, 2006 at 06:25:19 AM PST

Democrats Want Shake-Up in Abramoff Probe

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.”