Posted on 04/21/2005 11:14:33 AM PDT by Republican Red
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are quietly trying to kill a 10-year legal probe that implicates several senior Clinton administration appointees for obstruction of justice, the Daily News has learned.
The Democrats, saying that the $21 million investigation by Independent Counsel David Barrett should have ended long ago, succeeded in attaching an amendment to a spending bill Tuesday to cut off his funding by June 1.
But two sources close to the investigation said that if the legislation becomes law, it will thwart Barrett from making public a final report that names senior officials in the Clinton Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service who allegedly buried a tax fraud case involving former cabinet member Henry Cisneros.
"It's about obstruction of justice," said one of the sources. "People are willing to take drastic actions to kill this report."
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), who introduced the amendment with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), said last week that the disgraced HUD secretary paid a $10,000 fine in 1999 for lying to the FBI and that then-President Bill Clinton pardoned Cisneros, so the probe "should have ended years ago."
Barrett's probe began in 1995 by looking into allegations that Cisneros, who was Clinton's secretary of Housing and Urban Development, lied to the FBI about payments to his mistress. It expanded years ago into a broader obstruction case involving alleged tax fraud, according to the sources.
The report will allege that Justice Department officials snuffed out a tax case against Cisneros and that the IRS sometimes audited Clinton critics without good cause.
Barrett's investigation was wrapped up two years ago, and his 400-page final report was submitted to a three-judge panel last August, said two sources.
Because those named in the report have until the end of June to refute Barrett's findings, Kerry and Dorgan's amendment would prevent its release.
and, I also would quit smoking, lay off the cheap white chablis, and pray endlessly for all enemies, foreign and domestic.
Maybe if all us sinners went before congress and swore an oath on the Bible to reform, you think they'd pay attention?
(isn't this where I am sposed to put in something about sarcasm?)
I'd quit smoking but I'm not giving up my Wild Turkey 101.
If the GOP rolls over on this we can blame them for any success hitlery has in her political future.
Waht is Jsil?
I want justice as much as anyone, but this investigation won't do diddly to remove the clintons. My tax dollars, your tax dollars, wasted, as usual. Sigh....
What is waht?
What is Waht?
I caught it right as I hit POST
typing quickly
Of course, in the hall of shame we can still see that President Carter is still buffing his case for worst disaster on foreign policy in our nation's history, a position for which he still jockeys with President Clinton.
That scared me, speaking for myself.
"Oh Please! put Bill Clinton in jail. I'd quit smoking, lay off rye whiskey and quit being a peeping Tom."
Let's not get carried away!
Wait. Please tell me what will happen to this amendment. Can it be stopped?
Could you please ping me if there is any more information. I can't stay now.
Thanks.
That's funny cuz Clinton was the source of 90% of my swearing.
But Clinton wins in the versatility dept. The worst he could be in so many areas.....
I hope this report busts the Clintons' illegable habits wide open.
Of course, we all know it will be right-wing conspiracy.
In Barbara Olsen's book on Hillary, Olsen exposed Hillary's battle strategy of always putting the blame on the opposition.
Leading story on CBS and CNN right? SARCASM/OFF
"Why not ask "What did Hillary Know and When did She Know it!"
Why does our side always act like losers?
I woundn't throw away your lighter, hip flask or spy glasses quite yet if I were you.
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