Posted on 05/19/2006 4:58:59 AM PDT by IrishMike
The US Senate is looking into allegations that a former US senator urged Baghdad to give a US company lucrative contracts under the much-criticised United Nations oil-for-food programme.
This is the first time that a leading US lawmaker has been linked to the controversial UN programme, whose shortcomings have been an important element of the Bush administration's critique of the UN.
The investigation involves one of the most vivid figures in US east coast politics, former senator Robert Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat who was forced to pull out of the 2002 election after being "severely admonished" by the Senate ethics committee for accepting expensive gifts from David Chang, a campaign contributor. Mr Chang, a Korean-American businessman, was found guilty in 2002 of conspiring to violate federal campaign laws and was jailed for 15 months.
Senator Norm Coleman, the Republican chairman of the US Senate permanent sub-committee on investigations, said: "We take these allegations seriously and will continue to investigate in a bipartisan manner allegations of wrongdoing under the oil-for-food programme. We have investigated the illicit conduct of politicians in Russia, France, and the UK. We have a similar interest in preserving the institutional integrity of the US Senate, so we take these allegations regarding former Senator Torricelli seriously and will continue our investigation into them and will refer our findings to the appropriate agencies." The British, French and Russian politicians investigated by the subcommittee deny the allegations.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
If convicted, maybe Torricelli could have Frank Lautenberg serve his jail term for him.
BTTT!
A New Jersey Democrat involved in a criminal enterprise??? I'm shocked!!!
I've wondered for a very long time why it was that "The Torch" was nailed for accepting bribes, and he had to resign, but the man who was nailed for bribing him wound up in prison...
Doesn't seem right, does it?
Mark
Culture of corruption, don't 'cha know......
Related and relevant:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/804556/posts
HILLARY, TORRICELLI DONOR'S FUNNY MONEY Port's New Head, Sued by Brother, Faces an Inquiry
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1634695/posts
Ex-senator linked to oil-for-food claims (Bob Torricelli)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/752273/posts
TORRICELLI'S TERROR PAL$
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1472435/posts
Torch Busted
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453248/posts
For a charger like Torricelli, there's nothing like a good race (making millions--backs Hillary)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453849/posts
Sen. Torricelli Played Key Role in Closing Down CIA Ops
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=torricelli
FR Search Torricelli
Yo, Nancy, more culture of corruption news!
(Somehow, I don't think she is listening.)
Yo, Nancy, more culture of corruption news!
(Somehow, I don't think she is listening.)
A human has but so many senses, touch, sight, hearing etc etc...........
With eyes that size, she cannot hear sh#t !
Are we gonna be able to burn the Torch??? priceless!
The way the headline is written it's a little ambiguous--at first glance, it looks like Toricelli is the one making the claims about someone else.
The way the headline is written it's a little ambiguous--at first glance, it looks like Toricelli is the one making the claims about someone else.
I saw the error after the post...
Ex-senator linked to oil-for-food claims Senator Robert 'Torch'Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat),
Should have been.............(forgot '(' after food)
Ex-senator linked to oil-for-food (claims Senator Robert 'Torch'Torricelli, a New Jersey Democrat),
/s
LMAO
Worst case. Best case, he takes the millions from his contribution-free pension, and coupled with whatever has remained in his campaign coffers, and is allowed to build a special "prison" just for himself on the Massachusetts shoreline right next to the Kennedy compound so that he has to spend some terrible, terrible time ruing his crime there.
Or wait, has Congress legislated that that isn't a crime yet since it happened? /s
..........Hard to believe that such a close ally of Cash Corzine and The Hildebeast would be involved in anything unsavory..........
Now thats sarcasm, and funny.
The allegations are based on Iraqi documents, including diplomatic cables, retrieved after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's former president. The Financial Times and Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian business daily, have obtained copies of some of the Iraqi diplomatic cables. A source also described the contents of some of the other Iraqi documents.
The Iraqi documents also involve a former Republican congressman, James Courter, who allegedly met with Iraqi officials on behalf of Bright and Bright, Mr Chang's trading and lobbying company.
According to the documents, Mr Torricelli, nicknamed "the Torch" for his incendiary political style, had a series of meetings in the late 1990s, when he was a congressman, with Nizar Hamdoun, then the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations. During these meetings, Mr Torricelli allegedly urged the Iraqi authorities to help Mr Chang and Bright and Bright get oil-for-food contracts on good terms.
Whatever happened to Courter?
Now now that's a good question.
Bears a little research time.
Ping me if you can.
tx
I'm astonished at this. Doesn't he know not to bring a torch near oil?
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