Feinstein to Mukasey: Explain why Public Corruption office investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis closed

[L. Coyote]

Sen. Feinstein to AG Mukasey: Explain why L.A.'s Public Corruption office (investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis) was closed
http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31328

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) wants the Attorney General to explain why the public corruption unit of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Los Angeles was shut down. That's the office investigation Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress in CREW's report, Beyond DeLay.

According to The Hill (http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feinstein-quizzes-mukasey-about-closed-corruption-unit-2008-03-27.html), Feinstein is demanding an explanation:

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

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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/feinstein-quizzes-mukasey-about-closed-corruption-unit-2008-03-27.html

Feinstein grills Mukasey about closed corruption unit
By Susan Crabtree - 03/27/08

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to explain the decision to eliminate the public corruption unit in Los Angeles that has been investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis's (R-Calif.) ties to a lobbying firm.

The U.S. Attorney for the central district of California in Los Angeles reassigned the 17 lawyers in the public corruption unit and disbanded it earlier this month. The decision has stirred ill will and low morale within the office and raised questions about whether pending and future public corruption cases will be rigorously pursued, according to press accounts.

Attorneys in the Los Angeles office have spent years reviewing an FBI investigation into Lewis's connection to a lobbying firm and the earmarks its clients received. Lewis has doled out more than a million dollars in attorney fees related to the probe.

Attorneys in the special corruption unit were assigned to other sections of the office and were told that their cases against public officials would be mixed in with other cases. ...............

[barbtries]

1. they'll be rigorously pursued if the target is democratic.

republican lawbreakers inspire them to disband the unit. sucks.

[spanone]

2. K&R we would all like an answer....

[Richard Steele]

4. But we already know the answer, don't we? K&R

[babylonsister]

3. Damn fine question; rec'd. nt

[atreides1]

5. Way to Pick 'em Senator

Someone should tell Senator Feinstein that Mukasey has the job now and no longer needs her or Senator Schumer.

[Supersedeas]

9. heckuva job confirming this guy, Feinstein

[L. Coyote]

15. Remember, this IS the lessor of all Bush Evils available for the job. SAYS IT ALL!

[cascadiance]

10. I still sense that one reason Feinstein is doing this is to keep the heat off herself...

With the many suspicions that arose a year ago or so when she first went after the attorney scandal and Carol Lam's firing then too, you had to wonder if she was feeling like the U.S. Attorneys were going to go after her personally and look into her husband's companies benefitting from her committee's appropriations, which she quietly stepped down from her leadership over.

Perhaps before getting approved Bushco insiders were hinting to her that if Mukasey was nominated, she'd be then "safe". Now with other things heating up around Mukasey, the issues with Siegelman being focused on, and now with battles building up over Brent Wilkes being released sometime today or tomorrow on court order on bail even though he's already been convicted waiting for an appeal makes you wonder how much the waters are churning that is forcing her to revisit her earlier efforts to get the U.S. Attorney scandal more visible to protect herself once again.

I also think it wasn't a coincidence that Feinsteins' co-chair, Angela Bradstreet, endorsed Arnold over Angelides in last election. She probably also felt that she'd be safer with a Republican sitting in the governorship (with "replacement" powers over her) instead of a Democrat, in case the Democrats themselves wanted to get "rid of a problem" if she were exposed to be having a lot of legal issues that might happen from such an investigation by the U.S. Attorneys:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/11/141629/994

[L. Coyote]

12. This seems like the disturbing trend of rumor and opinion replcing fact in the news.

[Irishonly]

6. Good question

I guess the DOJ is continuing condoning corrupt republicans and searching for anything to get a democrat. Did she really think he would be any different than Gonzo?

[The Stranger]

7. But Feinstein crossed the aisle to vote with the GOP and break the deadlock CONFIRMING Mukasey.

Did she wink when she asked him the question?

[VP505]

8. Good point and why

bother going through the motion of asking him anything since she and Schumer worked so hard to get him confirmed its obvious they didn't care?

[L. Coyote]

11. She certainly is the one I would have assigned the task to. It is CA an he owes her his job.

[Supersedeas]

13. I'm sure that Muk Muk does not feel beholden to Feinstein

[L. Coyote]

14. I suspect, they think they conned her. Payback will not be fun, if so!!

[L. Coyote]

16. Democratic hopefuls say they're ready to take on Rep. Jerry Lewis

Democratic hopefuls say they're ready to take on Rep. Jerry Lewis in November
April 1, 2008 - MICHELLE DeARMOND - http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_lewis02.4024aec.html


BIG BEAR - Three Democrats vying for the chance to challenge Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, in November debated late Tuesday ... sponsored by the Big Bear Valley Democratic Club ... June 3 Democratic primary ballot. The winner of that election will go on to face Lewis on the November ballot.

Lewis is seeking his 16th term in office for the vast district that stretches from the Riverside County cities of San Jacinto, Beaumont and Banning to the San Bernardino County cities of Apple Valley and Twentynine Palms. Republicans lead Democrats in voter registration in the district.

Tim Prince, a longtime San Bernardino attorney; Rita Ramirez-Dean, a college professor from Twentynine Palms; and Pat Meagher, principal of Fontana Adult School; each made the pitch for being the nominee who gets to take on Lewis. The trio spent more time railing against Lewis and other Republicans than one another, repeatedly arguing that Lewis doesn't have his constituents' best interests at heart.

"I'm not going to be selling my soul for profit or greed," .................