Posted on 09/27/2005 12:11:52 AM PDT by YaYa123
STEALING FROM STEELE There may be enough brewing in the federal investigation into how senior staff at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee procured the credit report of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to turn this into a full-blown scandal.
According to Capitol Hill sources, as well as sources tied to the FBI and the Washington, D.C., U.S. Attorney's office, which is involved in the case, the investigation into "Credit Rate-Gate" could extend beyond Steele to other prospective and current Republican candidates for the U.S.
Senate the DSCC were doing opposition research on. "We're hearing that they are looking into whether this was a regular occurrence," says a Democratic aide with knowledge of the DSCC's activities.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
bttt
Not much of a story here.
If it had been 'Pubbies doing the dirty work this would be lead story headline stuff for CBS, NBC, ABC, NYT, etc., etc. etc.
And Hillary still has the FBI files, and the FBI is NOT INTERESTED!!! Let's everyone try to keep yer sh-t staright as we go along.
Not much of a story except that accessing someone's credit report when you do not have permissible purpose is a crime and you could go to jail for it, although to my knowledge this hasn't happened yet, but there's always a first time. To my knowledge trying to get the dirt on your opponent is not a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This is very serious.
So, we find out Senator Schumer's Democrat Senate Committee has been actively seeking illegal information on Republican opponents. Democrats must be pretty desperate not to lose Sarbannes senate seat. I wonder which of the following candidates the DNC wants to win. I mean, get a load of who is running!
"Newcomers Packing Md. Senate Race
4 Democrats Would Be First to Join Primary Contest Since April
Nearly six months after U.S. Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes (D) announced that he would not seek another term, a second wave of Democratic candidates could reshape Maryland's first open Senate race in two decades.
Lise Van Susteren, a forensic psychiatrist and sister of FOX News anchor Greta Van Susteren, plans to make her bid official today. Allan J. Lichtman, a fellow Bethesda resident and American University history professor, has penciled in a date this month to announce his candidacy."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083102544.html
Let's hope this story has long legs. Here's more:
"September 20, 2005
Dem Panel: Workers Got Rival's Credit Data
By TOM STUCKEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said Tuesday that two of its employees obtained the credit report of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, a potential Republican challenger next year for the Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Paul Sarbanes.
Phil Singer, spokesman for the committee, said in a statement issued in Washington that the two employees have resigned. He said the credit report was not used or disseminated to anyone, and the incident was reported to the U.S. attorney's office.
"While the DSCC did not authorize the employees to access Mr. Steele's credit report, we regret that this incident occurred and apologize to Mr. Steele," the statement said.
Singer would not expand on the statement.
Paul Ellington, Steele's chief of staff, said in a statement that "this is a serious legal issue, and a criminal investigation is under way. We have been advised by the FBI to not comment and will honor their request."
There was no immediate response to calls to the U.S. attorney's office for comment.
The lieutenant governor has set up an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run for the Senate. Maryland Republican Party leaders have implored Steele to join the race.
Two well-known Democrats - former Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Rep. Benjamin Cardin - have already entered the race. Lise Van Susteren, a psychiatrist and sister of Fox Television's Greta Van Susteren, is also vying for the Democratic nomination.
Audra Miller, spokeswoman for the Maryland Republican Party, said she had not heard of the credit report incident until contacted by The Associated Press.
"I will say I am shocked at how low the Democratic Party will go in their politics to ensure a win. I think it is deplorable those kinds of dirty tricks," she said.
Republicans have already complained about a request from the Democratic committee, which works to elect Democrats to the Senate, for a wide range of records from Steele's 2 1/2 years in office."
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-elect/2005/sep/20/092006859.html
I just realized why Democrats might be so frantic to keep Steel from winning Sarbannes Senate seat:
Steel is a black Republican.
Viable Conservative/Republican black candidates scare the Dems senseless.
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/ltgovernorbio.html
Bio
"Lieutenant Governor,
Michael S. Steele
State of Maryland
In January 2003, Michael Steele earned a place in history when he became the first African American elected to statewide office, and the first-ever Republican Lieutenant Governor in Maryland.
As Lieutenant Governor, Michael Steele serves as a partner, advisor and principal representative for Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Mr. Steele works with the state's congressional delegation, state and local elected officials to promote and implement the administration's policies and initiatives.
His top priorities include improving the quality of Maryland's public education system, where he currently chairs the Governor's Commission on Quality Education; reforming the state's Minority Business Enterprise program; expanding economic development and international trade; and fostering cooperation between government and community-based organizations to help those in need.
Michael Steele rose through the political ranks in Prince George's County to become the first African American County Republican Party Chairman. In 1995, Mr. Steele was selected Maryland State Republican Man of the Year. In December 2000, Mr. Steele became the first-ever African American to be elected chairman of a state Republican Party. Mr. Steele also served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee.
In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Steele to serve on the Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy. Mr. Steele served as a Commissioner on the National Federal Election Reform Commission, chaired by Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, after the 2000 Presidential Election. Other affiliations include serving on the NAACP's 2001 Blue Ribbon Panel on Election Reform and the Board of Directors of The Hospice of the National Capital Area. Mr. Steele is a member of the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP.
Mr. Steele was born on October 19, 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County. He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School, earned his bachelor's degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University in 1981 and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991. Mr. Steele also spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood.
Mr. Steele is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Landover Hills, Maryland where, in 1998, was recognized as the Man of the Year. He attends mass regularly with his wife Andrea and their two sons, Michael and Drew."
Very impressive bio and his speech at the N.Y.C. GOP Presidential Convention was fantastic.
I'm adding the following to this thread on the oft chance the two Schumer super sleuths will become household names.
"September 22, 2005
Schumer Staffers Get Free Vacation For Privacy Violation
Senator Chuck Schumer, who runs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has long decried the potential for identity theft and the loss of privacy in the marketplace. In April of this year, Schumer introduced legislation to create an entire new bureaucracy for "data merchants", the Schumer-Nelson ID Theft Prevention Bill. What penalties does the Schumer-Nelson bill prescribe for violations? A thousand dollars per violation, for starters, and repeated violations probably would get escalated.
So what did Schumer and the DSCC do with two staffers that got caught with Lt. Governor Michael Steele's (R-MD) credit report? Apparently gave them a two-month vacation with pay, according to the New York Post:
Phil Singer, a spokesman for the Schumer-headed Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said two staffers were instantly suspended — with pay — in July after admitting they obtained the credit report of Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, who is running for Senate.
Sources familiar with the situation said the committee's head of research, Katie Barge, and a deputy, Lauren Weiner, got the credit report by using Steele's Social Security number, which they say they obtained from public documents.
Records obtained by The Post show the two continued to be paid by the Democratic committee at least through Aug. 31.
Katie Barge has quite a resumé as a researcher. She worked in that capacity for Media Matters, and before that for the John Edwards presidential campaign. In fact, she did opposition research for Edwards according to Common Dreams, which touted her as a key player to David Brock at Media Matters.
It seems that Ms. Barge got hired by the DSCC for exactly the purpose for which she got suspended. It seems telling that the Senator who wants to impose a new licensing and compliance bureaucracy on so-called data merchants hires people like Barge and then expresses outrage when they perform the tasks that made her such an attractive candidate for their position.
The DSCC's suspension with pay -- such a painful scolding! -- earns Schumer the Captain Louis Renault Award, a recognition of hypocrisy so transparent that its existence serves only to entertain us. When Schumer starts treating his staff the way he proposes that the government treat the taxpayer, we'll alert the usual suspects."
Posted by Captain Ed at September 22, 2005 09:26 AM
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/005493.php
My concern is that if invaders can get into someone else's credit report to look......they can also get into someone else's report to alter the information and wreak havoc.
The nasty little wench that stole the Bush practice debate tapes and sent them to DNC bosses denied she did it. I believe she was convicted. I would put nothing past the Democrats. They are more than ready to do whatever it takes. Expect them to start appearing at minority churches in major cities soon. It is that time once again to begin lying and trashing opponents in church. It is a wonder the community being exploited does not begin to notice the misuse of God and church for votes?
Trouble is that even if the people don't get out to the polls, the votes are in the machines at the end of the day.
The only way the dems can win anything is by lying, cheating, vandalizing, intimidating and getting 102% of the voters in any inner city district.
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