[DRB]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/23/jefferson/index.html

House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Tuesday that the FBI and the Justice Department "took the wrong path" when they searched a Democratic congressman's office this weekend as part of an anti-corruption probe.

"We understand that they want to support and pursue the process that the Justice Department is trying to pursue," Hastert, a Republican from Illinois, said. "But there's ways to do it, and my opinion is that they took the wrong path."

House Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said Tuesday that "the congress will clearly speak to this issue of the justice department's invasion of the legislative branch. In what form I don't know."

While emphasizing that all lawmakers must obey the law and the rules of the House, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, on Tuesday echoed Hastert's concern that the Constitution's separation of powers had been violated.

Congress is mad that the FBI searched a congressman's office WITH a valid federal warranty issued by a federal judge..... interesting that would make them uneasy.

 

[Tenchiro]

You have to remember, most politicians believe and act as if they are above the law.

 

[Transcend]

Funny how feelinhgs change when you have to lie in that bed you made...

 

[Silver]

Nothing brings politicians from across the aisle together faster than corruption investigations...

 

[MikeD]

Congress is mad that the FBI searched a congressman's office WITH a valid federal warranty issued by a federal judge..... interesting that would make them uneasy.

The jackass himself was whining on TV the other day that this search 'violated the separation of powers between the Congressional [sic] branch and the executive branch.'

Any congressman who'd say that and believe it deserves public humiliation...as if the obtaining of a warrant wasn't a precise example OF the separation of powers. Plus, he thinks there's a "Congressional" branch of the government.

MD

 

[DRB]

The jackass himself was whining on TV the other day that this search 'violated the separation of powers between the Congressional [sic] branch and the executive branch.'

Any congressman who'd say that and believe it deserves public humiliation...as if the obtaining of a warrant wasn't a precise example OF the separation of powers. Plus, he thinks there's a "Congressional" branch of the government.

MD

Sue Myrick ("my" house representative) was whining about this on the local channel this morning. She was going on about how it was in essence an attack on Congress by the Judicial and Executive Branch of the government.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Sue Myrick ("my" house representative) was whining about this on the local channel this morning. She was going on about how it was in essence an attack on Congress by the Judicial and Executive Branch of the government.

Correction: Congressional Branch!!

 

[reflux]

A valid warrant? Wow, maybe there is hope for things after all...

 

[DRB]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/24/raid.on.congress.ap/index.html

Speaker Dennis Hastert demanded Wednesday that the FBI surrender documents and other items agents seized on Capitol Hill in what lawmakers said was an unconstitutional raid.

"I think those materials ought to be returned," said Hastert, adding that the FBI agents involved "ought to be frozen out of that (case) for the sake of the Constitution."

You better give those documents back or else.

I wonder if that would work for the whole Enron thing.

 

[DRB]

I missed the why in all of this....

Justice Department officials said the decision to search Jefferson's office was made in part because he refused to comply with a subpoena for documents last summer. Jefferson reported the subpoena to the House on Sept. 15, 2005.

 

[Silver]

I missed the why in all of this....

I'm outraged now too.

Why the hell did it take so long to search his office? Or do we all get to ignore a subpoena for almost a year?

 

[BurlyShirley]

I like it. They're all scared ****less now that they'll get found out.

 

[DRB]

I like it. They're all scared ****less now that they'll get found out.

How sage of you. And we were all wondering in the back of our minds why Hastert was making such a big deal about this....

From ABC news...

Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is "in the mix" in the FBI investigation of corruption in Congress.

Speaker Hastert said tonight the story was "absolutely untrue" and has demanded ABC News retract its story.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has provided information to the FBI about Hastert and a number of other members of Congress that have broadened the scope of the investigation. Sources would not divulge details of the Abramoff’s information.

 

[dhbuilder]

Funny how feelinhgs change when you have to lie in that bed you made...

well put.

 

[DRB]

It appears that someone is knuckling under to Congress....

Bush orders all material seized by the FBI from a Louisiana congressman's Capitol Hill office sealed for 45 days.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

It appears that someone is knuckling under to Congress....

That is actually quite surprising.

Edit: Unless he just found out that some of his buddies, like Hastert for instance, might also get in trouble.

 

[DRB]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13805924/

A federal judge has ruled that an FBI raid in May on Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson's Capitol Hill offices was legal and constitutional - "There was no impermissible intrusion on the legislature."

Judge Hogan, in a 28-page opinion writes, "No one argues that the warrant executed upon Congressman Jefferson's office was not properly administered. Therefore, there was no impermissible intrusion on the legislature."

He writes that the search which lasted some 18-hours on that weekend in May did not violate the separation of powers, between the Legislative and the Executive branches of government, "If there is any threat to the separation of powers here, it is not from the execution of a search warrant by one co-equal branch of government upon another, after the independent approval of the third separate, and co-equal branch."

In his ruling, Judge Hogan says, "Congressman Jefferson has not been made to answer, either in terms of questions or in terms of defending himself from prosecution, for speech or activities done in furtherance of the legislative process. Therefore, the search did not violate the Speech or Debate Clause."

 

[MikeD]

Congressional immunity, btw, springs from when Andrew Jackson used to use police to harass and detain members of Congress on their way to vote, thus influencing the course of legislative activity. I also believe this to be the origin of the Capitol Hill police force, which exists outside of Executive authority.

There's no precedent of Congressional immunity from investigations of which I'm aware. This whole thing is such a crock...glad the courts see it that way, too.

MD

 

[MMike]

Funny how feelinhgs change when you have to lie in that bed you made...

I HATE lying in the bed I made....I never tuck the sheets in enough and by the time 2am roll around I'm all twisted up and uncomfortable...

 

[Da Peach]

I HATE lying in the bed I made....I never tuck the sheets in enough and by the time 2am roll around I'm all twisted up and uncomfortable...

You should hire Lupe...

 

[dhbuilder]

Funny how feelings change when you have to lie in that bed you made...

i don't think there's ever been a politician in this country that hasn't flipflopped an issue because of that very thing.
whatever it takes to get the office, and then to get re-elected and re-elected.