Posted on 03/31/2008 7:38:54 AM PDT by SmithL
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to step into a legal fight between the Justice Department and a member of Congress who has been indicted on bribery charges.
The court declined to review an appeals court ruling that the FBI reviewed legislative documents in the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., in violation of the Constitution.
Jefferson has pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting more than $500,000 in bribes while using his office to broker business deals in Africa. His trial has been delayed indefinitely.
While the Bush administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene, Attorney General Michael Mukasey said last month that he would prefer Congress and the Justice Department reach agreement about any future searches.
The ruling "is jeopardizing ongoing public corruption investigations," the Justice Department said in urging the justices to accept its appeal.
If allowed to stand, the ruling also would essentially prevent investigators from searching lawmakers' offices because it requires the FBI to give the lawmakers advance notice, the department said.
"The bottom line is that, if the government cannot search a member's office in the manner authorized by the search warrant here ... the government cannot do so in any meaningful manner and congressional offices may become a 'sanctuary for crime,'" the Justice Department said.
Yet Mukasey said in testimony to Congress that an agreement between lawmakers and his agency would be better than a court-issued "bright-line ruling that one of us can't live with or would find it awkward to live with."
At issue is a constitutional provision known as the speech or debate clause, which protects elected officials from being questioned by the president, a prosecutor or a plaintiff in a lawsuit about their legislative work.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
legalized corruption......
So, someone in congress can rob a bank, and hide the money in his office, and it’s off-limits? Is that how this works?
$10 says he walks.
That's the bottom line. Looks to me that with the executive branch and Congress negotiating, there is no reason, YET, for the court to take the case.
>>The court declined to review an appeals court ruling that the FBI reviewed legislative documents in the office of Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., in violation of the Constitution.<<
This is very bad.
Another 10 Obama pardons him for being dumb and stoopid!
$10 is not much but since the odds of your being right are about 1000:1, I’ll pass on the bet.
But, but, this can’t be — Bela Pelosi told us the culture of corruption was a Republican thing, and only Republicans can be corrupt. The RATs are as pure as the wind-driven snow!! (sarc)
What is good for the goose is good for the gander!
arrrrrgh!
$10 is my limit. This looks to be a sure thing, tho...
and gets re-elected
“$10 says he walks.”
Throw it in the freezer and I’ll cover it.
They MAY become?
In a landslide.
Just one more piece of significant evidence that John Edwards is right about there being “Two Americas”: One for the elites, and one for the poor, dumb bastards paying the freight. We are in a death spiral in this country.
What’s to negotiate?
>>What’s to negotiate<<
I can’t believe this is even debatable.
The President quashes investigations against the executive branch and the courts quash investigations against congress.
We are gonna leave a legacy of untouchable government tat can break the law.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.