On April Fool's Day, NPR's Nine Totenberg reported that AG Holder will drop all charges against the felonious Sen. Ted Stevens.
Too bad this wasn't just a bit of April Fool's hilarity on Holder's part; because, while letting Stevens skate, Obama's AG hasn't moved a muscle (publicly) about the plights of Don Siegelman, Paul Minor, Sue Schmitz and the others prosecuted/persecuted by Bush/Rove's DoJ. This is especially remarkable (if typical) in that Stevens actually did break the law, while Siegelman, Minor et al. are obviously innocent. So is the new boss basically the old boss? Or is there a deeper game being played here? My friend hacker212 writes this hopeful email re: the controversy: "Could Eric Holder dropping charges against Ted Stevens be a precursor to an investigation of the Don Siegelman travesty? In other words, if Holder takes an active interest in the case and reverses the US attorney's actions in the Siegelman case it will be harder for anyone to say that's a political fix since Holder just acted apparently honorably in the Stevens case. "Or I'm too optimistic." We'll see. But we can't wait too long before we must decide that Holder does not represent the "change" that Team Obama advertised so brilliantly last year. Below you'll find a number of items on this controversy. MCM Sources: Ex-Sen. Stevens Conviction To Be Voided by <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2101289>Nina Totenberg <http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=3>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818 Morning Edition, April 1, 2009 ยท The Justice Department will drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, NPR has learned. A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate, however, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial. According to Justice Department officials, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to drop the case against Stevens rather than continue to defend the conviction in the face of persistent problems stemming from the actions of prosecutors. The judge in the Stevens case has repeatedly delayed sentencing and criticized trial prosecutors for what he's called prosecutorial misconduct. At one point, prosecutors were held in contempt. Things got so bad that the Justice Department finally replaced the trial team, including top-ranking officials in the office of public integrity. That's the department's section charged with prosecuting public corruption cases. With more ugly hearings expected, Holder is said to have decided late Tuesday to pull the plug. Stevens' lawyers are expected to be informed Wednesday morning that the department will dismiss the indictment against the former senator. Holder's decision is said to be based on Stevens age - the senator is 84 - and because Stevens is no longer in the Senate. Perhaps most importantly, Justice Department officials say Holder wants to send a message to prosecutors throughout the department that actions he regards as misconduct will not be tolerated. Holder began his career in the department's public integrity section; and, according to sources, he was horrified by the failure of prosecutors to turn over all relevant materials to the defense. The attorney general also knows the trial judge, Emmett Sullivan, well. The two men served together as judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before each was promoted to higher office. Holder respects Sullivan and reportedly has watched with growing alarm as Sullivan repeatedly has scolded prosecutors for failing to follow his judicial orders to fully inform defense lawyers about everything from potentially favorable evidence to the travel plans of witnesses. During the trial, prosecutorial missteps led to the judge instructing the jury to disregard some evidence. Sentencing has been repeatedly delayed. By last month, it was playing a back seat to charges of prosecutorial misconduct - as a whistle-blowing FBI agent made complaints about improper conduct by a fellow agent and prosecutors. With a hearing scheduled in two weeks to explore those charges, Holder decided to review the case himself. Justice Department officials say they will withdraw their opposition to the defense motion for a new trial and will dismiss the indictment - in effect voiding the Stevens conviction. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818> Not Siegelman, not Minor... but Stevens... http://www.atlargely.com/2009/04/not-siegelman-not-minor-but-stevens.html Amazing really the priorities the Obama administration has. <http://christyhardinsmith.firedoglake.com/2009/04/01/hulk-smash-indictment/>From FDL: <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818> "NPR's Nina Totenberg reports that DOJ sources say Ted Stevens' indictment will be dismissed this morning by AG Eric Holder. This would, effectively, end pending criminal sentencing from Stevens' trial. "Reportedly, it was allegations of prosecutory misconduct and the withholding of potentially exculpatory information by prosecutors on the case <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102589818>which thoroughly disgusted Holder: "Holder's decision is said to be based on Stevens age - the senator is 84 - and because Stevens is no longer in the Senate. Perhaps most importantly, Justice Department officials say Holder wants to send a message to prosecutors throughout the department that actions he regards as misconduct will not be tolerated." Misconduct won't be tolerated, right? Then someone explain to me why <http://rawstory.com/news/2007/The_Permanent_Republican_Majority_1125.html>Alice Martin and Leura Canary are still US Attorneys? And someone also explain to me why Stevens is the priority? No really, not Don Siegelman, not Paul Minor, not Wes Teel, not John Whitfield, and not countless others. Ted Stevens apparently gets to go to the front of the line. Why? <http://www.atlargely.com/2009/04/not-siegelman-not-minor-but-stevens.html> <http://timlennoxonline.blogspot.com/2009/04/does-ted-stevens-don-siegelman.html>Does Ted Stevens = Don Siegelman? Word this morning from NPR and CBS that Attorney General Eric Holder has decided to <http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5302O820090401>drop charges against Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens because of charges of prosecutorial misconduct. Could this lead the way to charges being dropped against former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman? And what of Healthsouth founder Richard Scrushy? Could Holder have decided dropping the charges against Stevens, a Republican, will ease the way to free Democrat Siegelman? Like Siegelman, Stevens was convicted, defeated for re-election, and was in the process of appealing. If anything, there was much less direct evidence against Siegelman than against Stevens, and similar allegations of misconduct by prosecutors. There have been Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the Siegelman case in which allegations of misconduct by prosecutors have been aired, and in recent weeks Bush White House aide Karl Rove had finally agreed to testify about Siegelman and other allegations involving the Justice Department, though that hasn't happened yet. Siegelman is free on bond pending his appeal. A three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit has upheld all but one of the charges against him, and last week his lawyers asked for a hearing before the full court ( not including former Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor, who has recused himself). <http://timlennoxonline.blogspot.com/2009/04/does-ted-stevens-don-siegelman.html>http://timlennoxonline.blogspot.com/2009/04/does-ted-stevens-don-siegelman.html From: Glynn Wilson [mailto:fast2wr...@charter.net] The Obama Justice Department asked a federal judge to throw out the jury conviction of former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, Wednesday due to the filing of false financial disclosure forms in the case. Attorneys and activists are wondering if Attorney General Eric Holder will afford the same treatment to former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and others caught up in political prosecutions across the country during the Bush years. <http://blog.locustfork.net/2009/04/01/will-holder-afford-siegelman-the-same-release-as-stevens/>http://blog.locustfork.net/2009/04/01/will-holder-afford-siegelman-the-same-release-as-stevens/ The Locust Fork News-Journal <http://www.locustfork.net/>http://www.locustfork.net/ <http://blog.locustfork.net/>http://blog.locustfork.net/ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to Mark Crispin Miller's "News From Underground" newsgroup. To unsubscribe, send a blank email to newsfromunderground-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com OR go to http://groups.google.com/group/newsfromunderground and click on the "Unsubscribe or change membership" link in the yellow bar at the top of the page, then click the "Unsubscribe" button on the next page. For more News From Underground, visit http://markcrispinmiller.com -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
