Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Miers panel to hear "explosive" testamony? (Texas Lottery-related)
WND ^ | Oct 21 05 | WND

Posted on 10/21/2005 4:13:36 PM PDT by churchillbuff

Released from a gag order, Larry Littwin – the controversial former director of the Texas Lottery under Harriet Miers – is free to appear at the upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings to give "potentially explosive" testimony damaging both to President Bush and his nominee, according to WND columnist Jerome Corsi.

As WorldNetDaily has reported, Littwin allegedly was fired by Miers because he wanted to investigate improper political influence-buying by lobbyists for GTECH, the firm contracted to run the lottery.

Corsi believes that Littwin, according to an examination of hundreds of contemporary Texas newspaper accounts, will be able to establish under oath that the GTECH contract was preserved on a no-bid basis by then-chairwoman of the Lottery Commission Miers in order to "keep the lid on" the National Guard controversy involving then-Gov. Bush.

The lobbyists included Ben Barnes, the former Texas lieutenant governor who claims he pulled strings to get Bush into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.

GTECH agreed to release Littwin from his gag order under pressure from Senate Judiciary Committee attorneys, Corsi said.

Littwin, who was hired by Miers in June 1997 and fired just five months later, wanted to reopen the GTECH contract for competitive bid, according to Corsi.

The Rhode Island company has held the operating contract on the Texas Lottery since the lottery began in 1991.

When Littwin sued GTECH over losing his job, Barnes gave a five-hour deposition. But GTECH settled with Littwin for $300,000, under the condition that he destroy all documents pertaining to the litigation, including the Barnes deposition.

Until now, Corsi reports, Littwin has been under a gag order as part of his "negotiated settlement" with GTECH, under which he would suffer a $50,000 penalty if he discussed openly any details of his Texas Lottery employment.

Corsi says insiders following the Texas Lottery Commission scandals believe Littwin's testimony is "potentially explosive."

Rumors are circulating, he adds, that influence-peddling crimes, including money laundering, may yet remain to be prosecuted.

Senate Judiciary Committee leadership has pledged to investigate fully Miers' background and qualifications for a lifetime appointment as associate Supreme Court justice.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: corsi; littwin; miers; miershearings
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

1 posted on 10/21/2005 4:13:38 PM PDT by churchillbuff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

Hey may be able to hurt Bush a little PR wise, but his enthusiasm is making him look more like a partisan than a key witness offering "explosive" testimony.

I want better than Miers, but this dude is too eager to be taken seriously as a threat.


2 posted on 10/21/2005 4:16:16 PM PDT by TitansAFC ("'C' is for 'cookie,' that's good enough for me" -- C. Monster)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how much do you hate President Bush?


3 posted on 10/21/2005 4:19:13 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff
None of this is new..we've been over and over it.

This is from a 1999 Chrisitian Science monitor article

*In a lawsuit, fired Texas lottery director Lawrence Littwin has accused Mr. Bush of using his father's position as a Texas congressman nearly 30 years ago to secure a spot on the National Guard, in the middle of the Vietnam War. Mr. Littwin, who has subpoenaed the governor's testimony, charges him with an act of quid pro quo, awarding the state's lottery contract to G-tech, a company represented by Ben Barnes. Mr. Barnes was lieutenant governor of Texas during the Vietnam War, and could have interceded in selecting the final candidates for the Texas Air National Guard.
http://csmonitor.com/cgi-bin/durableRedirect.pl?/durable/1999/08/23/fp5s2-csm.shtml
4 posted on 10/21/2005 4:19:21 PM PDT by gondramB (Conservatism is a positive doctrine. Reactionaryism is a negative doctrine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone
how much do you hate President Bush?"""

I don't like the Miers nomination, if that's what you mean. If he'd nominated Janice Brown, there would be no louder applause than mine.

I have trouble cheerleading for liberal policies; I have NO trouble cheering conservative policies (which is why I applauded loudly when Bush cut taxes).

5 posted on 10/21/2005 4:21:12 PM PDT by churchillbuff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

What's a testamony?


6 posted on 10/21/2005 4:21:23 PM PDT by boomop1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

Wouldn't it be ironic if the Dems gave MIERS an UP vote and the Pubbies voted her DOWN? Snicker/Snicker


7 posted on 10/21/2005 4:22:31 PM PDT by Don Corleone (Leave the gun..take the cannoli)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

How do you know that Janice Rogers Brown was not one who told Bush to take her name off the short list because she did not want to go through another vicious Senate Judiciary Hearing?


8 posted on 10/21/2005 4:25:52 PM PDT by conservative blonde (Conservative Blonde)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff
This story appears to me to be exactly what Counterpoint has been warning us about for two weeks. Neither Ms. Miers nor President Bush can afford this to resurface during Judiciary Hearings.
9 posted on 10/21/2005 4:25:53 PM PDT by Swampmarine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone; churchillbuff
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how much do you hate President Bush?

I know! On a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the highest, it must be 30.


If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
Also, please see The Backside of American History
You'll love this 187 page .pdf (1.99 MB)

10 posted on 10/21/2005 4:27:20 PM PDT by rdb3 (Have you ever stopped to think, but forgot to start again?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Dog Gone; churchillbuff
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the highest, how much do you hate President Bush?

I haven't been on here for a while, its reassuring to know that when cornered, the 'bot response remains the "when did you stop beating your wife" rhetoric.

11 posted on 10/21/2005 4:28:23 PM PDT by PeoplesRep_of_LA (I can't believe I voted for this Cheap Labor Activist)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: boomop1

"What's a testamony?"

I think it's the results of a bad vasectamony.


12 posted on 10/21/2005 4:29:47 PM PDT by Gator113
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Swampmarine

Yeah, I guess President Bush forgot all about that when he nominated Miers.


13 posted on 10/21/2005 4:30:21 PM PDT by TheDon (The Democratic Party is the party of TREASON!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff
Until now, Corsi reports, Littwin has been under a gag order as part of his "negotiated settlement" with GTECH, under which he would suffer a $50,000 penalty if he discussed openly any details of his Texas Lottery employment.

I would think if Littwin feels so strongly about this he would have easily been able to find a moveon.org type to anti-up that 50 grand and come out with this prior to the election. Perhaps right in the middle of the many MSM feeding frenzies over President Bush's guard service.

14 posted on 10/21/2005 4:56:39 PM PDT by sydbas
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff
The WND site says this:

Miers panel to hear 'explosive testimony'?

15 posted on 10/21/2005 5:02:54 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff

So what is testamony?


16 posted on 10/21/2005 5:03:19 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TitansAFC

"I want better than Miers, but this dude is too eager to be taken seriously as a threat."

I kinda noticed that too when I read something else about this earlier. I guess he's anxious for his 15 minutes of fame.


17 posted on 10/21/2005 5:17:59 PM PDT by Pessimist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: PeoplesRep_of_LA

Okay, clueless one, explain to me how I'm cornered and how your response remotely describes my response.


18 posted on 10/21/2005 5:26:29 PM PDT by Dog Gone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: churchillbuff; All

What the reporter is not telling you is that the snake Ben Barnes (Rathergate finder of phony documents) got a multi-million dollar pension deal out of the same mess, and he and other Texas Democrats have been trying to get US Senate Democrats to leave the issue alone.

Seems the "good ole buddy" system in Texas was quite non-partisan.


19 posted on 10/21/2005 5:50:35 PM PDT by Wuli
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PeoplesRep_of_LA

I'd just reply 10 and watch the the reaction.


20 posted on 10/21/2005 5:57:22 PM PDT by JNL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson