Investigating the Investigators

Very corrupt investigators:

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Office of Special Counsel here, seizing computers and documents belonging to the agency chief Scott Bloch and staff.

More than a dozen FBI agents served grand jury subpoenas shortly after 10 a.m., shutting down the agency's computer network and searching its offices, as well as Mr. Bloch's home. Employees said the searches appeared focused on alleged obstruction of justice by Mr. Bloch during the course of an 2006 inquiry into his conduct in office.

The independent agency, created by Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal, is charged with protecting federal employees and deciding whether their complaints merit full-scale investigation -- a first line of defense against fraud and mismanagement in government. It also enforces a ban on U.S. employees engaging in partisan political activity.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that Mr. Bloch had used "Geeks on Call," an outside computer-service firm, to erase his computer and those of two former staff members in December 2006.

Corrupt from head to toe.

Investigating the Investigators

Very corrupt investigators:

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Office of Special Counsel here, seizing computers and documents belonging to the agency chief Scott Bloch and staff.

More than a dozen FBI agents served grand jury subpoenas shortly after 10 a.m., shutting down the agency's computer network and searching its offices, as well as Mr. Bloch's home. Employees said the searches appeared focused on alleged obstruction of justice by Mr. Bloch during the course of an 2006 inquiry into his conduct in office.

The independent agency, created by Congress in the wake of the Watergate scandal, is charged with protecting federal employees and deciding whether their complaints merit full-scale investigation -- a first line of defense against fraud and mismanagement in government. It also enforces a ban on U.S. employees engaging in partisan political activity.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that Mr. Bloch had used "Geeks on Call," an outside computer-service firm, to erase his computer and those of two former staff members in December 2006.

Corrupt from head to toe.

Corruption, McCain Style

Straight talkin':

Mr. Diamond, for his part, said Mr. McCain had only done his job. “I think that is what Congress people are supposed to do for constituents,” he said. “When you have a big, significant businessman like myself, why wouldn’t you want to help move things along? What else would they do? They waste so much time with legislation.”

Another One Bites the Dust

More Bushco, more corruption (WSJ, subscription required):

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson is expected to announce his resignation Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, a decision that will deal a blow to the Bush administration's efforts to tackle the housing crisis.

The exact reasons for Mr. Jackson's decision couldn't be learned. Earlier this month, two Democratic senators, Patty Murray of Washington and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, sent a letter to President Bush urging him to request Mr. Jackson's resignation, arguing that accusations of wrongdoing had made him ineffective.

Get out and get your pardons while you still can.

Playing Politics

I love how whenever Bush doesn't like something Dems do, he accuses them of playing politics. Like he never does.

After Philadelphia's housing director refused a demand by President Bush's housing secretary to transfer a piece of city property to a business friend, two top political appointees at the department exchanged e-mails discussing the pain they could cause the Philadelphia director. "Would you like me to make his life less happy? If so, how?" Orlando J. Cabrera, then-assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, wrote about Philadelphia housing director Carl R. Greene. "Take away all of his Federal dollars?" responded Kim Kendrick, an assistant secretary who oversaw ac

cessible housing. She typed symbols for a smiley-face, ":-D," at the end of her January 2007 note.

Cabrera wrote back a few minutes later: "Let me look into that possibility."

>:o

Conservative Corruption

Rick Renzi:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury has indicted Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Renzi of Arizona on 35 criminal counts including conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and official extortion, according to court papers unsealed on Friday.

The indictment stems from plan by Renzi and an associate to benefit from a land-exchange plan in order to receive Renzi's support for necessary federal legislation, court documents said.

It also accuses Renzi of embezzling premiums from clients of an insurance business to fund his congressional campaign.

Wow. 35 counts. That ain't light.

Same Old

Just another day for Republicans:

In late July, Sen. Jeff Sessions began promoting legislation that would aid some of the nation's biggest banks -- among them, two institutions in which he and his wife hold shares.

Working closely with allies in the industry, the Alabama Republican championed an amendment that would allow banks to avoid paying what an industry executive says could amount to billions of dollars a year in royalties. The royalties, on a technology that converts paper checks into electronic images, are being claimed by DataTreasury Corp. of Plano, Texas, which holds a handful of patents related to the process.

At Mr. Sessions's urging, the measure was folded into broader legislation aimed at overhauling the U.S. patent system, which is being prepared for debate this fall on the Senate floor.

Mr. Sessions says the amendment reflected his longstanding desire to limit what he considers excessive civil litigation, as well as his concerns about predatory patent suits.

He also has close ties to the banking industry, which has been among his top campaign contributors over the years.

If he's really concerned about patent reform - something that desperately needs to happen - he can focus on it separately, not fudge in some kickbacks. Because he's really concerned about patent reform.

Blackwater

Didn't think it was this ridiculous and corrupt, but that's probably because I wasn't thinking.

We need to make sure Democrats don't capitulate and grant retroactive immunity to any of these [insert expletive(s) here].

Bring on the Subpoenas

Thirteen U.S. lawmakers, including two representing San Diego-area districts, are resisting subpoenas served by an attorney for Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who is hoping their testimony will help in his upcoming trial on charges of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.

Let's clean house. Especially our own.

Link.

Corrupt Republican of the Day

Teresa Shaw - Federal Financial Aid COO.

Thoroughness

Is there any part of the Bush administration that is not tainted by corruption?

Randall Tobias, head of the Bush administration's foreign aid programs, abruptly resigned Friday after his name surfaced in an investigation into a high-priced call-girl ring, said two people in a position to know the circumstances of his departure.

Apparently not.