Senate investigators ARE federal law enforcement! Say good-bye, Ted!

[havocmom]

Stevens is sinking fast. FBI tapes of Senator Ted Stevens (Idiot, Alaska) can be used by the Senate in their ethics probe. (Don't you LOVE using the word 'probe' and Senator in the same sentence?)

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Roll_Call_Senate_ethics_probe_could_1001.html

The tapes, which reportedly contain a conversation between Stevens and oil company executive Bill Allen, were "made as part of a wide-ranging public corruption investigation in Alaska." Allen pleaded guilty to bribing Alaskan legislators earlier this year.

According to court precedent, a committee probe may be authorized to hear the recordings -- even if Stevens is not yet indicted -- although there is no evidence as of yet that it has taken steps to do so.

"In a little-known 1981 court ruling, a federal judge declared that Senate Ethics Committee investigators fall within the legal definition of federal law enforcement agencies and must be granted access to legally obtained wiretap evidence, particularly as it relates to actions involving a Senator," reports Roll Call.

Imagine! Senate investigators ARE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. What a concept!

Now, get after them to use that power to do REAL OVERSIGHT of their own which might clear the way to real oversight of everybody else. If they get rid of all the trash in their chamber, all the crooks who are subject to blackmail from cheney, imagine what they could accomplish!

End the obstructionist tactics; get the blackmail subjects out of the Senate!

[L. Coyote]

1. Will Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Resign This Week? He finally has his road to nowhere.

Why is he still there?

DU Archive Sep-15-07 thread:

Will Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) Resign This Week? He finally has his road to nowhere.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1816831

[havocmom]

2. Adios Ted is a good thing. Being able to actually INVESTIGATE others

priceless!

[Bitwit1234]

3. I hope not. If the republicans were smart they would make him resign

but if he stays...the democrats can point again and again to another corrupt republican. Just like the want Craig out. Since today is October 2nd did he leave. Or did he stay. I have not heard one word about him.

[havocmom]

4. The real issue is not Ted Stevens, but the 1981 court decision re Senate investigators

That ruling says Senate ethics investigators are a Federal Law Enforcement agency and entitled to info gathered by other Federal Law Enforcement agencies. The FBI and others have to share what they have. It makes it more likely more crooks get exposed and could lessen the number of crooks staying in the Senate who could be blackmailed by anyone else with FBI files at their disposal.

It castrates cheney. If the Senate uses this tool, cheney and his ilk, other federal department heads and the like, can't use files to blackmail senators into towing the line. Senate Ethics can ferret out the bad guys and toss their asses out.

We The People have to make sure our senators use this tool.

It's not about Ted. It's about leveling the playing field and making sure the word OVERSIGHT has real meaning.