Posted on 05/28/2010 3:41:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
The White House counsel's office said nothing improper or illegal occurred in discussions with Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) about dropping out of the Pennsylvania Senate race.
Sestak was offered an appointed position on a presidential board or executive branch board but those positions "would have been uncompensated," White House Counsel Bob Bauer wrote in a two-page memo released Friday.
Bauer confirmed reports that former President Bill Clinton spoke to Sestak at the request of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel about dropping out of the race against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).
Emanuel "enlisted the support" of Clinton to talk to Sestak about "service on a presidential or otherwise senior executive advisory board," Bauer writes. The service would have avoided a primary, allowed Sestak to retain his House seat and "provide him with an opportunity for additional service to the public in a high-level capacity for which he was highly qualified."
Clinton, however, reported back that Sestak was committed to the Senate race.
Bauer wrote that "the allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law." He insisted that there was no "impropriety."
"The Democratic Party leadership had a legitimate interest in averting a divisive primary fight and a similarly legitimate concern about the congressman vacating his seat," Bauer wrote.
He also noted that "there have been numerous, reported instances in the past when prior Administrations -- both Democratic and Republican, and motivated by the same goals -- discussed alternative paths to service." Those discussions, Bauer writes, "are fully consistent with the relevant law and ethical requirements."
Bauer's memo comes months after Sestak revealed he was offered a position to avoid a race against the White House-backed Specter. Sestak defeated Specter in the May 18th Democratic primary.
White House officials have repeatedly stiff-armed reporters' questions about any such offers. At his press conference on Thursday, President Barack Obama said a response would be forthcoming from the White House.
Senate Judiciary Republicans have asked the White House to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the matter. The memo did not address the Republicans's request.
Bauer also disputed reports that Sestak was offered the position as secretary of the Navy, noting that Ray Mabus was announced as Obama's intended nominee about a month before Specter defected to the Democratic Party.
"At no time was Congressman Sestak offered, nor did he seek, the position of secretary of the Navy," the memo said.
Clinton had lunch with President Barack Obama at the White House Thursday.
Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.), who has led GOP calls for the president to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the matter, said the Obama administration's memo shows that it broke a federal statute, 18 USC Section 600, prohibiting promises for employment or another benefit for political purposes.
"They're admitting to the misdemeanor while denying the felony," Issa told reporters with the memo in hand.
Issa suggested that Emanuel committed a crime and called on Emanuel and other administration officials to face questions.
"Does Rahm Emanuel stay even though he has in fact violated the law?" asked Issa.
Issa, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said the Obama administration has now given up a higher ground by arguing that their actions aren't improper because similar actions have been taken in the past.
"It's crime as usual, it's business as usual, it's Obama as usual," Issa said.
Paid, unpaid....matters not. They tried to improperly influence an election....isn’t that the bigger issue?
The spewing gusher of ass-covering bullcrap begins...
Ooooo, wouldn’t it be funny if Clinton is eventually the cause of Hussein’s downfall because he convinced Hussein to cover it up? What a hoot that will be! Betcha it happens.
You sure this wasn’t written by Henny Youngman?
Allk of you corrupt bastards surrender and go to jail. The American citizen finds all of you repulsive.
Anyone with an IQ above 25 would not believe anything this mac daddy administration would ever say.
The law probably reads ‘anything of value’. And if this administration wants to argue that a high powered board appointment has no monetary value, I think they’ll lose.
That is definitely a resume enhancer, something that would indirectly line the pockets of a board member.
Unpaid, advisory position, part-time, not officially offered, offered by an ex-president .... they slice and dice well.
Emanuel “enlisted the support” of Clinton to talk to Sestak ..
nuff said.
Perhaps, but it depends on how the statute was drawn up, would be my guess.
Was something of value offered? Is a high powered board appointment perk neutral? I doubt it.
Anticipated Clinton grand jury testimony:
CLINTON: I can not tell another lie. I had lunch with the President and he suggested that we had to tell this story that the lawyers came up with because the work he is doing is too important for him to be sidetracked by a minor issue like this “Sestak thing” (his words). The truth is that President Obama himself asked me to offer Sestak the SecNav job. I offered it and Sestak got indignant with me and turned it down.
If it was no big deal, why didn’t Dead Fish make the call himself.... why all the theatrics and mystery?
I’m not buying any of this crap.
Obama Mack Daddy gonna rue the day on this whopper ;-)
Clinton was authorized to offer him an uncompensated position on the executive board of the NCEMT, (”National Commission for the Establishment of the Meaning of The”)
How many times have they changed the story already?
Yeah I’m sure he got a phone call offering him a job for zero value to do someone else a giant favor..??
I think we need a lawyer to weigh in on this.IMO there are many ways that one can influence an election...and a candidate.Why did LBJ decide not to run in '68,for example? Very probably because "elders" of the RAT Party went to him and pleaded..."drop out for the good of the Party".That's not a crime.Slimey,perhaps...but not a crime.
As I've said I'd bet my last nickel that the WH is lying when they say "no money".But can anyone *prove* it's a lie?
Did BillyJeff get paid from Barry to help Hillary’s debt? Nice plot...and I LOVE to jump to conspiracy theories!
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