Free Republic

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's attorney general has resigned amid the scandal of a sexual harassment investigation in his office and his extramarital affair. Marc Dann has been under pressure of possible impeachment and announced he was stepping down on Wednesday. The 46-year-old Democrat at first refused to resign, despite demands by Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and others within his party. Dann admitted May 2 to an extramarital affair with an employee that he said contributed to an atmosphere leading to sexual harassment claims against a top aide. Three aides were forced out in the harassment investigation, which showed managers encouraged...

WASHINGTON - When British Petroleum (BP) shut down a vital oil pipeline, the company blamed "unexpectedly severe corrosion" in transit pipes. Yet only five months ago, BP's aging pipeline created the largest-ever oil spill on Alaska’s North Slope. Federal regulators blamed the spill on "internal corrosion" and said in some areas the walls of the pipes were so corroded they were almost paper-thin. So critics and industry experts say the latest problem was hardly a surprise. "I think this was predictable and preventable," says Phil Flynn, an energy analyst with Alaron Trading Corp. In fact, allegations about BP's maintenance practices...

NEW ORLEANS - Federal prosecutors are conducting a criminal investigation into the levee failures that swamped New Orleans, looking into the possibility of corruption in the design, construction and maintenance of the flood barriers. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten said Wednesday that his office began the investigation the week after Hurricane Katrina. "The scope of our interest is very broad," he said. He said some officials were found to have undisclosed conflicts of interest, and "we're extremely concerned about those." He would not give details. James Bernazzani, FBI agent in charge in New Orleans, said agents have received numerous tips about...

A leading Ukrainian judge, Yuri Vasylenko, has opened a criminal case against the country's president, Leonid Kuchma after accusations that he violated 11 articles of the country's criminal code. Mr Kuchma is alleged to have been involved in the sale of sophisticated Kolchuga radar systems to Iraq. He is also accused by political opponents of ordering the murder of an investigative journalist, Georgiy Gongadze, who wrote about corruption in high places. "I had no grounds not to open the criminal case against the president," Mr Vasylenko said before a news conference by opposition leaders. The opposition has also accused Mr...

Qwest at center of criminal probe U.S. Attorney’s office told firm of investigation Tuesday BREAKING NEWS NEW YORK, July 10 — Local telephone company Qwest Communications International Inc. Wednesday said it was notified on Tuesday afternoon that the U.S. Attorney’s office began a criminal investigation of the company.