DOJ CONCEALED CRITICAL INFO-Rep. Renzi Tied To US Attorney Purge Scandal

[kpete]

(April 24, 2007 -- 10:12 PM EDT)
So it looks like Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) is tied up in the US Attorney Purge scandal after all. And the AP has the story.

..............

Purged US Attorney Paul Charlton was talking to House investigators this afternoon when he made an important revelation. Weeks before election day 2006, word leaked to the press in Arizona that Charlton's office was investigating Renzi. Renzi's top aide Brian Murray then called Charlton's office and asked Charlton's spokesman, Wyn Hornbuckle.

......................

Now, here's the key: after all Congress's document and information requests to DOJ, the Justice Department had not revealed the Renzi-Charlton contact. For some reason, they've held that back.

The AP sources that to a House Judiciary Committee official and I've also confirmed with House Judiciary investigators that the DOJ failed to give this information to congressional investigators.

Renzi's guy Murray released this statement this evening ...

"Reports that I called Wyn Hornbuckle, press secretary to Paul Charlton are true. I called Mr. Hornbuckle seeking information about press accounts which appeared just weeks before election-day, alleging a pending indictment. I left him a message asking for information about these allegations, but I was called back and told they would not comment."

..............
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1152AP_Congressman_Probe.html
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/013821.php

[napi21]

1. UH OH! I smell an email somebody has that DOJ didn't know about.

While listening to Hardball tonight, and the questioning of Igleasus, the former USA said something quite interesting and well worth remembering. "The DOJ papers EVERYTHING! Even the smallest thing is documented." As long as we all remember that, we can have confidence in the Dem Congress to find the info necessary to bring this admin DOWN!

[Kagemusha]

2. Pardon my complete ignorance but, isn't this "related to an ongoing investigation"?

I mean, wasn't it FOR REAL related to an ongoing investigation, and not just a lame excuse not to cooperate with Congress; legitimate oversight interests?

Is there such an argument or am I just completely misreading past actions in light of current results?

[napi21]

3. Not really. It's related to the fact that the DOJ didn't turn over

all the docs that were requested. NOW, it may be related to an ongoing investigation to see why they didn't turn over the docs requested, and how many more there are!

[Kagemusha]

7. That's kind of dancing around the issue.

I mean, yes, I see exactly what you're saying, but isn't the DoJ's position that it shouldn't be handing over information related to ongoing investigations, even (or especially) if they have been requested? Of course, I don't know all the details, including whether the documents were subpoenaed and not simply requested (which is generally the first stage and can be resisted for reasons good and ill).

Would handing over these documents have compromised an ongoing investigation? That's the core of my question but I guess there's no firm answer yet. The committee will have to speak for itself I guess.

[gratuitous]

4. Oh c'mon, the phone memo fell behind the monitor!

Oh sure, you've never lost anything on your desk for a couple of days or weeks. Perfectly innocent, nothing to see here. Murray called up Charlton's office because he heard that Charlton had a dynamite cranberry-walnut stuffing recipe! That's all there was to it. You're not gonna get all stinky about this, are you? Oh sure, what if it was a Democrat? Throw that back in the beleaguered faces of the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer again.

[Captain Hilts]

5. That is NOT cool. nt

[L. Coyote]

6. A sure shot to the foot. Gonzales is soooo toasted now.

"So basically what we have here is a classic scandal harmonic convergence -- new nuggets about the Renzi scandal and the revelation that another of the US Attorney firings may be tied to an investigation of a Republican lawmaker. At a minimum, the DOJ has concealed critical information about the story."

How much more is being covered up? They are forcing the question upon themselves.

Recommended.

[Mind_your_head]

8. Correction: DOJ has concealed critical information about a CRIME!

eom

[malaise]

9. Don't you suspect

that this and similar 'intimidation' was top-down Rethug party policy?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. holding bakc information about a crime

just like our justice department, he?

No one should be surprised

[formercia]

11. Glow Gonzo, Glow!!!

He is so radioactive, Cheney will sell him to the Iranians for reactor fuel.