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.
I've been doing a bit of research.....did you know that Terry McAuliffe was in charge of launching Hillary!'s Senate campaign fundraising apparatus? I sure didn't (or forgot).
"It's about obstruction of justice" One of the sources said"
So, if they can obstruct justice long enough they are home free?
thanks.
Damn.....just use the RATS tactic and LEAK some of this report NOW!
"I love seeing the words "probe" and "Clinton" in the same sentence."
"probe" + "Clinton" = Good
"Probe" + "Clinton" + "Monica" = Bad
If it is a complete cutoff without provision for wrap up and orderly termination, then no funds could be use to answer questions, respond to correspondence, print or distribute a report. As ridiculous as it may sound, anyone being paid from the investigation appropriation would be in violation of the law to even respond to a question.
We have to keep Billary's feet to the fire. Where do we donate to keep this case going ?
Why, perchance, did the Pubbies, who have a 55 to 45 majority in the Senate, allow these two obstructors of justice to attach this amendment? Now, of all times, when the DemonRats are running wild with the Bolton character assassination and the serial character assassinations of Bush's judicial nominees, is ABSOLUTELY NOT the time to allow such an amendment. WHERE, IN THEIR NAME OF HEAVEN, IS THE PUBBIES' BACKBONE?
> I actually agree with the dems on this one. Ten years is long enough...
According to the article..."Barrett's investigation was wrapped up two years ago."
So it took eight years and $21M. Time and money well spent if it leads to charges against the most corrupt administration in history. Kenneth Starr's investigation should have ended in a conviction.
Think the bloggers will get ahold of this one? :)
This will never see the light of day.
Her Socialist Liberalism.
I love seeing the words "probe" and "Clinton" in the same sentence.
=======
Yeah... but regardless whether you probe his front (probe >>Clinton)
or whether you have the courage to probe his rear (Clinton<< probe)
it's thoroughly and completely disgusting in any event !!! ;-))
"This will never see the light of day."
like Vince Foster....
Embarass Hillary ? You must be joking.Thats good, embarass is something that happens to someone who has a moral sole . . . . .
Embarass Hillary ? You must be joking.Thats good, embarass is something that happens to someone who has a moral sole . . . . .
That's what I was afraid of.
Thanks for the answer.
I hope it doesn't pass. They didn't give a bill number, so how can we follow up on it?
No wonder Sandy Bergler gets off with a slap on the wrist.
You did read the part about the investigation ending two years ago, and the only reason it wasn't out then was to give those involved time to respond, right?
91. S.AMDT.399 to H.R.1268 To prohibit the continuation of the independent counsel investigation of Henry Cisneros past June 1, 2005 and request an accounting of costs from GAO.
Sponsor: Sen Dorgan, Byron L. [ND] (introduced 4/13/2005) Cosponsors (2) Drubin & Kerry
Latest Major Action: 4/19/2005 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 399 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Ping
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