Posted on 02/06/2007 6:18:29 PM PST by calcowgirl
A Department of Homeland Security official admitted today the agency misled Congress when it contended it possessed investigative reports proving Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean confessed guilt and declared they "wanted to shoot some Mexicans" prior to the incident that led to their imprisonment.
The admission came during the testimony of DHS Inspector General Richard L. Skinner before the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, according to Michael Green, press secretary for Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas.
Culberson was questioning Skinner about a meeting DHS officials had Sept. 26 with him and three other Republican congressman from Texas, Reps. Ted Poe, Michael McCaul and Kenny Marchant.
WND previously reported that at that meeting the DHS Inspector General's office asserted it had documentary evidence Ramos and Compean:
2. stated during the interrogation they did not believe the suspect was a threat to them at the time of the shooting;
3. stated that day they "wanted to shoot a Mexican";
4. were belligerent to investigators;
5. destroyed evidence and lied to investigators.
This prompted a startled and angry response from the congressman.
"You lied to me and you lied to all of us," Culberson charged. "Your office tried to paint a picture of Ramos and Compean as dirty cops, and now you come before this committee and tell us you never had the information to back up those claims."
Ramos and Compean began prison sentences last month after their actions in the shooting of a drug smuggler who was granted immunity to testify against them.
Responding to Skinner's testimony yesterday, Poe said it "explains why DHS has been stonewalling Congress."
"DHS didn't turn over the reports to us to back up their September 26 accusations for one simple reason – the reports never existed," the Texas congressman said.
"Why did it take DHS four months to admit their error?" he asked. "I wonder how much more has DHS told the public and Congress about Ramos and Compean that simply isn't true?"
Poe said he's determined to get to the bottom of DHS's claim.
"I expect this new revelation will lead to a lot more questions before we're done," he said.
Andy Ramirez, who has been involved with the case as chairman of Friends of the Border Patrol, told WND the DHS's actions "represent obstruction of justice, and they should be held in contempt of Congress, and, if possible, prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
"This admission today is yet more proof of how they are willing to distort the facts, as I have charged all along, in order to ensure a conviction," he said.
Ping!
How many appeals do you think it will take before they are released for re-trial?
ping
.
While we get to the bottom of another case of prosecutorial misconduct, can we not release these guys on some kind of furlough? They aren't going to run, and they are probably more honest than the guys who prosecuted them.
SOB's
The contest of wills may be getting started.
The question is: Will there be a re-trial, commutation or pardon before the illegals in that Federal prison kill Campos. If that happens, there will be irreparable harm to our ability to get anybody to work in ICE or near the border.
This men who put themselves in harms way to protect Americans need to be set free.
Hannity and combs has Ramos's father in law on right now.
GRRRRRRRR
GOD, DEAL WITH THE TURKEYS VERY EMPHATICALLY, PLEASE.
This is just getting worse and worse.
Inspector General - Richard L. Skinner
Mr. Skinner was confirmed as the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General on July 28, 2005. Between December 9, 2004 – July 27, 2005, he served as Acting Inspector General. He held the position of Deputy Inspector General Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since March 1, 2003, the date that the Office of Inspector General was established.
Prior to his arrival at DHS, Mr. Skinner was with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he served as the Acting Inspector General (October 2002 – February 2003) and Deputy Inspector General (1996 – 2002). From 1991 to 1996, Mr. Skinner served at FEMA OIG as the Assistant Inspector General for Audits. In 1998, he received the President’s Meritorious Executive Rank Award for sustained superior accomplishment in management of programs of the United States Government and for noteworthy achievement of quality and efficiency in the public service.
From 1988 to 1991, Mr. Skinner worked at the U.S. Department of State (DOS) OIG. During his tenure at DOS OIG, Mr. Skinner served as a senior inspector on more than a dozen foreign and domestic inspections and in 1991, Mr. Skinner was appointed by the Inspector General to serve as the “de facto” Inspector General for the Arms Controls and Disarmament Agency (ACDA).
From 1972 to 1988, Mr. Skinner held a variety of audit management positions with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC). He began his Federal career in 1969 with the OIG of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Skinner holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Fairmont State College and an MPA degree from George Washington University.
It is, isn't it? Man.
I was pissed before, now even more so. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but when it comes to the borders this administration is as corrupt as any that has come before... or more so.
Ramos' attorney was on BOR tonight about his beating in prison..... I'll say I wish he had better lawyers.
Does anyone know WHY DHS is doing this?
Like so much, lately, this makes zero sense.
Why have the trial transcripts been sealed? Who had them sealed? I understand that there can NOT be an appeal with the trial transcripts sealed, is that right?
Something needs to be done. The CYA political class of both parties is going to be the end of this country.
If the President was smart.... at this point he would ask for the pen to sign a pardon ASAP because this thing is starting to get ugly and Ramos and Compean are not the people looking bad here.
With reports of BP personnel being sued for defending themselves, and these guys being put in prison, in the general population no less, you have to ask who in their right minds would want to become a Border Patrol agent now?
If they violated policy on firearms, fine. Fire them. You don't put them in prison for the rest of their children's childhood, to be killed by some felon looking to make his bones.
How about medals , promotions and backpay ? ;-) (/sarc)
I'd take a commutation for now, a pardon might be too much to expect or hope for at this point.
What?
*I'm kidding or being sarcastic?
They would have been sealed up on 9-12-01 if they were!
You really gotta' ask what his motive is in this ~ is he doing a deal for a drug dealer buddy, or a cousin in Mexico?
IMHO we have the worst DHS secretary possible... Chertoff and he was the man in charge of FEMA during Katrina, too... if anyone's head should roll he's the man..
NBCSanDiego.com
Duncan Hunter: Beaten Border Agent Should Have Been Segregated
POSTED: 4:22 pm PST February 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:27 pm PST February 6, 2007
EL PASO, Texas -- A former Texas Border Patrol agent is recovering after being beaten by his fellow inmates in a Mississippi prison.
Prison officials confirmed that Ignacio Ramos was attacked late Saturday and suffered minor cuts and bruises. Four inmates are under suspicion in the investigation of the assault.
Ramos has now been moved to a special housing unit.
Ramos and another agent were convicted of shooting a suspected drug smuggler in 2005 and then lying about it.
San Diego-area Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter said Ramos should have been segregated from the general prison population for his own safety when he reported to prison in January. Hunter has called for the two agents to be pardoned.
Considering he came out of the Clintonista state dep.?
I do not think you need to wonder much...
30% 25% 20% 15% 10%?
I can't even believe I'm saying this about Bush. How low does he need to go? How much more of his base can he p ss off before he leaves office?
Somehow I think there is something here that links with Sutton's other high profile drug/border case.
Thanks! They need to lawyer up,, no time to wimp out.
It's been a month here without Fox News Channel.. so no O'Really, Sean&Cycloplopus. uhh Colmes,, ScHlEP, I miss the Brit Hume hour, That's about it.
I've looked at some of the court documents available (for a fee) online through Pacer. While there are a lot of things sealed, the transcripts aren't in that category. The transcripts from the trial simply haven't been created yet. The transcripts for the appeals process were requested by both defendants after sentencing (11/15 and 11/30/06)--and appropriate payment arrangements made. The ball is in the court reporter's court to prepare them and file them with the court. I have no idea what the normal timing for that process is.
I always thought that this sort of "after the fact" info painted a "not beyond a reasonable doubt" scenario. Shouldn't the 2 agents be released immediately based on this?
Mark Rich gets a pardon by Clinton yet Bush lets these heros sit in prison. I'm starting to become very concerned for our republic.
White House Comment Line 1-202-456-1111
Does the administration really need human sacrifice to get its obsessive "immigration reform"?
In the way the NRA president said Clinton needed a certain level of violence?
Prison officials on Tuesday confirmed assertions by a congressman and relatives of Ignacio Ramos. He was attacked Saturday night after his case was described on the TV show "America's Most Wanted," the officials said."
BOR says his program is going to ask for the AG to investigate the warden.
What else is DHS lying to us about?
Every time I fly and am forced to remove my shoes, I'm grateful Richard Reid is not known as the Underwear Bomber.
— Douglas Manuel, aerospace executive regards airport security. Reported in USA Today, 13 March 2003.
Well, you could I suppose prosecute the DHS guy for lying to congress, if he did it under oath.
But what does the DHS not having investigation notes it promised to congress have to do with a jury finding two guys guilty?
We can suppose that there is a connection. But if the DHS guy didn't testify in COURT that he had evidence, and if therefore the evidence was not use IN court, what difference does it make? It's a public relations problem.
I note that DHS has not yet said the claims were false, just that they cannot turn over investigation paperwork proving the claims were true.
Which gets us back to the real issue -- when will be see the transcripts of the ACTUAL TRIAL, so we can see what evidence was presented at the trial. Without that, the rest of this is kind of pointless.
BTW, to be accurate, the Department of Homeland Security isn't an arm of the Prosecuter's office. I don't know if he simply relies on their reports and investigations, or if he runs his own investigations, or if he asked them to investigate.
But I don't think we can blame the Prosecuter for claims made by DHS representatives.
And if you think you can get me to defend DHS, nope, not going to do it. I won't flog them like some people, but they are a big agency and can defend themselves.
BTTT
They say he is recovering, but the Warden has yet to authorize an MD to see him. Also unanswered, by his lawyer on BOR tonight, is how a prisoner in his cell sleeping was attacked in his sleep by these guys.
This looks like one of those rare instances where a special prosecutor should be brought in and weed out the skunks.
The judge should have allowed them to remain free on bond pending appeal, yet another motion by the defendants that the judge denied. That Order is being appealed by Ramos... maybe a sane judge will reverse that order and give them some immediate relief in this nightmare.
Maybe the President is being set up.
What is the percentage of Bushbots remaining on FR?
Thanks!
More so. Join the club.
I don't know--my concern is, will they be live through the appeals process?
With all the support they have, it's surprising they don't have the best laywers money can buy.
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