Alberto Gonzales was involved in the Spitzer investigation

[SoCalDem]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/nyregion/11inquire.html?hp

Revelations Began in Routine Tax Inquiry



By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM
Published: March 11, 2008

The rendezvous that established Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s involvement with high-priced prostitutes occurred last month in one of Washington’s grandest hotels, but the criminal investigation that discovered the tryst began last year in a nondescript office building opposite a Dunkin’ Donuts on Long Island, according to law enforcement officials.

After a report that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had patronized a prostitution ring, officials in Albany greeted the news with shock, and some on Wall Street, a frequent target of his investigations as attorney general, were unsympathetic. There, in the Hauppauge offices of the Internal Revenue Service, investigators conducting a routine examination of suspicious financial transactions reported to them by banks found several unusual movements of cash involving the governor of New York, several officials said.

The investigators working out of the three-story office building, which faces Veterans Highway, typically review such reports, the officials said. But this was not typical: transactions by a governor who appeared to be trying to conceal the source, destination or purpose of the movement of thousands of dollars in cash, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The money ended up in the bank accounts of what appeared to be shell companies, corporations that essentially had no real business. The transactions, officials said, suggested possible financial crimes — maybe bribery, political corruption, or something inappropriate involving campaign finance. Prostitution, they said, was the furthest thing from the minds of the investigators. Soon, the I.R.S. agents, from the agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, were working with F.B.I. agents and federal prosecutors from Manhattan who specialize in political corruption.

The inquiry, like many such investigations, was a delicate one. Because the focus was a high-ranking government official, prosecutors were required to seek the approval of the United States attorney general to proceed. Once they secured that permission, the investigation moved forward.

snip

[elleng]

1. AHA!

The plot thickens!

'not typical: transactions by a governor who appeared to be trying to conceal the source, destination or purpose of the movement of thousands of dollars in cash, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The money ended up in the bank accounts of what appeared to be shell companies, corporations that essentially had no real business. The transactions, officials said, suggested possible financial crimes — maybe bribery, political corruption, or something inappropriate involving campaign finance.'

[SoCalDem]

4. Check the date & topic of this gem

http://www.senatorbruno.com/43/news/07-07-05/senator_bruno_calls_for_investigation_into_governor_spitzer_s_use_of_state_police_to_monitor_elected_officials.aspx

[elleng]

5. 05 Jul 2007

Tailing Bruno!

'According to news reports, the Governor ordered the State Police to keep records of my travels in New York City, records that are not kept for other state officials, including the Governor and the Lt. Governor. The Governor then conspired with the Albany Times Union to concoct inaccurate stories and baseless charges about my trips to New York that media reports have proven were for legislative business.'

[SoCalDem]

6. I know that Bruno was tight with Pataki..and probably Bush too

so they got their buds to start an investigation of their own.,. tit..meet tat

[Horse with no Name]

2. See what happens when you don't cut the head off of a hydra?

This doesn't shock me.

[trthnd4jstc]

3. Is there some way to indict these Republicans? Like Gonzales?

Alberto Gonzales failed to fulfill his duty as Attorney General. He abused his office firing people based on politics. Used his offic to beat up on Democrats. Is there anything that he can be indicted on? Maybe from a state Attorney General?

[SoCalDem]

7. Sadly, the ONLY recourse is to try and make sure that when they snoop

they find nothing.. :(

[tom_paine]

8. Sure their is. Gonzales multiply perjured himself on video tape repeatedly

His own comments were contradicted in sworn testimony by the Director of the FBI.

However, we in Imperial Amerika have the same problem as the opposition in Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, Puin's Russia, Communist China or any other totalitarian state.

Tyrants everywhere uinderstand that civilization is something of a compact between all parties to follow the rules, relatively-speaking. When said tyrant finally decides to not just bend the rules, but to open and shamlessly break the rules, daring the opposition to do something about it, know he is willing to "go all the way", inevitably the oppsition side is mentally disaarmed almost automatically. Stunned by the audacity of open criminality and KNOWING that the only way to stop a Bush or a Hitler is to physically arrest them, and that no piece of paper, no ruling by a puny judge, no ANYTHING can stop them, the opposition always caves.

It is clearly a weakness of Free peoples that they become "soft" and unable to cope with the Tyrant. It has happened so often in human history, most recently here, as the Old Republic of America fell, that I would call it a near constant characteristic of free socities.

Always, once freedom apparently creates the inability to confront shameless tyranny sets, it is only a matter of time until a tyrannical, criminal person or party finally realizes the apple is ripe for the plucking and plucks it.

So, to conclude, of course we could indict, prosecute and convict Gonzales and ALL the Bushie Inner Circle (though Gonzales is the only true slam-dunk, ahving perjured himself dozens of times on video tape in sworn testimony contradicted by many, the Director of the FBI among others), but what we lack is an opposition with cojones to prosecute the broken laws.

Again, as has happened many times before, once it is clear that no such opposition exists, the Tyrants way is clear and the tyrants, such as Hitler or Bush can move forward towards their Penultimate and Final Solutions openly and shamelessly, knowing none wiull stop them no matter how many laws they openly break.

It's not that we can't indict a Hitler or a Bush, it's that we WON'T indict them. Once a Hitler or a Bush realizes that, they have already won, no matter how long it takes to reach the Penultimate and Final Solutions they have for the Liberal Problem.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. K&R!

[SoCalDem]

10. Before this one drops off.. even better stuff

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2988324

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

12. The link you gave me just sent me back to the GD board, and not to a particular thread.

:hi:

[SoCalDem]

15. oops.. here it is

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2988324

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. Thanks! Clicking! :)

[trthnd4jstc]

27. What is Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander

So it seems Poetic justice is served.

[Elspeth]

11. So, they're running a "Political Vendetta" department.

A toady whose ridiculous interpretation of the Geneva conventions led to torture and murder is going after a political enemy with all the force of the law, but to hell with international treaties.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

13. Once again, Shrub makes Nixon look like Mr. Rogers.

[underpants]

20. What do you think all those Regent Univ. grads are doing there?

They have created sleeper cells in DoJ for the next 10+ years. The Dept. of homeland Security is also a dumping ground for political appointees. They have established their wing of the government within the government.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

23. Little doubt thisis another political persecution/assassination.

I do want more details, though.

[Perry Logan]

14. I think they took Spitzer down because of the abortion-rights bill he was promoting.

[formercia]

17. Spitzer: Being made an example

This is what is going to happen to you if you fuck with us.


How many people in Congress are free of any scandal?


This is how tyrants control the system.

[NashVegas]

18. Check Out This Info From Harpers

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002589

(1) The prosecutors handling the case came from the Public Integrity Section.

(2) The prosecution is opened under the White-Slave Traffic Act of 1910. You read that correctly. The statute itself is highly disreputable, and most of the high-profile cases brought under it were politically motivated and grossly abusive. Here are a few:

* Heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson was the first man prosecuted under the act — for having an affair with Lucille Cameron, whom he later married. The prosecution was manifestly an effort “to get” Johnson, who at the time was the most famous African-American. (All of this is developed well in Ken Burns’s film “Unforgiveable Blackness”).

* University of Chicago sociologist William I. Thomas was prosecuted for having an affair with an officer’s wife in France. Thomas was targeted because of his Bohemian social and his radical political views.

* In 1944 Charles Chaplin was prosecuted for having an affair with actress Joan Barry. The prosecution again provided cover for a politically motivated effort to drive Chaplin out of the country.

* Canadian author Elizabeth Smart was arrested and charged in 1940 while crossing the border with the British poet George Barker.

[EFerrari]

19. The dead giveaway is what Bruno says about being targeted

because the Republican mafia always accuses you of what they are doing.

[underpants]

21. Projection is a part of the gameplan

that is for sure

[Cooley Hurd]

24. Bruno's a very powerful (and vindictive) man in NYS politics...

Most recently, he hired Roger Stone to harass Gov. Spitzer and his octogenarian father after the Troopergate thing played out.

Bruno's also the kind of Repug who is trying to name all sorts of things after himself BEFORE he's dead. He's a real piece of crap (who is probably RUNNING his own prostitution rings on the side). His scumbaggedness is legendary here...

[EFerrari]

32. What happened with Troopergate? That went right over my head.

I understand the allegations. Did Bruno get results or just noise to tarnish the governor?

[KharmaTrain]

22. Then Spitzer Should Have Known He Was A Target...

I'll withhold my comments on Gonzo...as his approval would have come if Spitzer had 5 unpaid parking tickets. But that's afterthefact...Spitzer's enemies found a dirty secret of his and when it served their purposes did what usually happens in this type of situation...went to a friendly prosecutor. Spitzer should have had enough of a political radar to realize that there is no such thing as private for a public figure (didn't we learn that in Monicagate?) and by carrying on with his risky behavior he was double stupid for either believing he was smarter than others and wouldn't get caught or he could somehow bullshit or intimidate his way out of this.

Again, details are sketchy, but damning...and attempts by those to find an ulterior motive or some big conspiracy here risk looking like big hypocrites. There's also no justification for breaking laws...especially ones that Spitzer knew and still couldn't resist the thrill or whatever it was he found in this type of behavior. He should have known that every move he made would be watched, any blemish would be exposed...yet he still tempted fate...and it appears he got burned.

In many ways, I hope I'm wrong and others are right. I would be nice to believe this was a frame up and Gonzo and the boooosh cabal were out to get Spitzer...but that's not what the evidence, so far, says. Bottom line is illegal behavior can't be condoned nor dismissed with a tit-for-tat "they do it, too". If anything, in this politically charged times, this is the exact type of behavior that has turned many off the GOOP. Tread carefully with this story...but don't try to put lipstick on a pig.

[SoCalDem]

25. I don't think he was "framed".. He messed up bigtime, but he was stupid to think

he could get away with it..with an enemy like Bruno..and all the long-time connections he has.

bruno would have harassed him if he had unpaid parking tickets..but he hit the jackpot on this one because Spitzer was an idiot.

[KharmaTrain]

26. Bingo...Playing With Fire

It was as if Spitzer was daring someone to expose him. Stupidity in spades...especially since he surely had to know how closely his private life was being watched. You'd think the recent Rudy mess would have sent a real message about that. This reminds me of Gary Hart...he dared to be found out and was. A psychologist may even say Spitzer had some desire to be caught.

Nonetheless, yes, Bruno hit the jackpot, but how does he cash in? His party is still in the hinterlands and two years from the next big statewide election. If there's a real loser here, it could be the candidacy of the state's junior senator.

Cheers...

[onenote]

28. gonzales resigned in sept 2007. The spitzer investigation began in October 07

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the AG involved was Mukasey.

[SoCalDem]

29. Where did you find that date?? I looked all over & only found references to

Last year:)

I based my start date based on the dates in these articles... Gonzo left in October, but these date back to July (also Last year )
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2988324

linkie please..:)

[onenote]

30. link

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/10/spitzer/index.html

Reference to investigation starting in October is about 2/3 down.

And this story specifically mentions that it was Mukasey.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_re_us/spitzer_prostitution

[SoCalDem]

31. Thanks.. dammit though.. it's too late to edit ..Grrrr

:)