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.
As usual, we will go to the polls, vote for the lesser of two idiots, and hope for the best.
That must have been just fun. You and I who live in San Diego see and hear the illegal & border situation that most in other states don't have a clue.
It is also costing the state billions a year supporting these illegal criminals with their health care, etc.
With the situation disintegrating so rapidly so soon after the trial, it's actually time for the Attorney General to step down and let someone else in there to roll some heads.
Could you please provide a source for your statement regarding, "The fact that the warden and her running dog lackeys are letting illegal alien thugs into the man's cell to beat him..".
You're totally weird. The AG can step down and the problem is solved. He's the weak link in the whole chain of justice.
Interesting... thanks for updating me.
Ensign was making some noise..not sure if he still is.
I'm disappointed with Gonzales also. I give him a vote of no confidence and I hope he resigns soon.
I never said there wasn't. I've in fact said there probably was one, just not one that left him severely injured but without medical attention.
You know, people rarely just make stuff up (not sure about Corsi). Usually there is some truth to a story, and often people even believe they have the truth when they don't.
If you can cut through the spinning, and have a rational conversation with the two sides, you can often get a decent picture of what actually happened.
Things are rarely black and white. For example, I think it's possible for Ramos to have been assaulted in prison without the Warden being involved in a conspiracy to kill the guy.
Those Running Dogs of an Imperialistic Lackey needs to get a life in some other setting such as cleaning out the dog pound in Dogpatch!
Perhaps this will give GWB an excuse to release them pending investigation of the whole affair.
If the Grand Jury has been misled by faulty information, and the Indictment be null and void? Would this lead to a full pardon?
I thought we needed to impeach the president. Except now I see some people think he's being duped, stupid hick texan that he is.
You're memory is good.
This is truly sickening.
Heads should roll for this and the two agents should be pardoned and released immediately with commendation and back pay..Message to DHS: Unless you all want to see just the backsides of every BP agent who works along the line, you might want to start using some political skills y'all learned starting with ' GET YO' HEAD OUTTA YO' A**' ! This country is screwed up enough as it is without smart people doing very dumb things.. Get with it or get out of the way !!
There was quite a few doubting Thomases last night. And, as I stated earlier: until he is seen by a real doctor we don't know the extent of his injuries. He's now basically been moved to solitary confinement and has not been seen by an MD.
"And since the President is not very tolerant of dishonesty and lying, he should consider strongly releasing these two men pending their appeals."
He won't.
"GB needs to move them until this is sorted out."
Jorge won't.
The situation has already reached critical mass. These guys could get killed. Bush will do nothing.
How appropriate.
Even taking out the factor of Dubya's indifference to the whole boarder issues, just look at the facts: At the moment they fired their pistols, they felt threatened.
There is no one saying they shot at this guy because he didn't pay a bribe or do something that would benefit them. It's as simple as that!
Maybe they panicked?
Don't know as I wasn't there.
But being charged and given TEN years for an administrative violation?
Add in all the lies by DHS, the second load of dope and nothing adds up. Then go back to the fact that Federal SWAT teams were brought in to serve the arrest warrants when the guys already had attorneys and such?
So how much time ya got in the LEO biz? (not that your opinion isn't as valid as anyone else)
Pay close attention to the warning across the bottom. Failure to report correction can send you to jail for a very long time and lay a fine on you bigger than your annual mortgage payment.
Do you really think everybody fills those forms out perfectly?
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