Posted on 07/23/2006 9:33:40 AM PDT by wagglebee
House Speaker Dennis Hastert said Sunday he may challenge a judge's order allowing FBI agents to examine documents seized at a Louisiana congressman's Capitol Hill office in a bribery probe.
Hastert said he believed Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., was "in big trouble" and that the House would not be joining in support of Jefferson himself. But he said the House separately might seek to make clear its position that the Justice Department cannot randomly and wantonly search lawmakers' offices.
"The gentleman from Louisiana is in big trouble, as far as I'm concerned. And we're not trying to protect him," said Hastert, R-Ill.
"But there has to be a procedure for the Justice Department to come in and start just searching any congressman's office," he said. "We may take a fine line depending on how the negotiations are. There is a constitutional division there that we have to protect."
Last week, Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan denied Jefferson's request to delay the investigation while the congressman appeals the judge's earlier ruling that the office search was legal.
As a result of Hogan's ruling, Jefferson is seeking to bar a "filter team" of FBI agents from reviewing the seized documents pending an appeal. The filter team, which is unconnected to the prosecution team, would review records to determine if they were responsive to the items listed in a court warrant authorizing the search.
Investigators have been looking into whether the congressman promoted the sale of telecommunications equipment and services in exchange for stock and cash. Jefferson has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing.
On Sunday, Hastert said FBI agents should be able to search for documents on any criminal aspect, but that they do not have a right to "take all your records," such as confidential tax forms.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has directed that any review of the documents by the filter team not begin until Thursday to give judges time to consider Jefferson's call for a delay.
Hastert appeared on "Fox News Sunday."
So now executing a legal search warrent is a "wanton" search?!
Doesn't the House have anything IMPORTANT to work on???
There are two different standards : one for the lords and one for the serfs. Sad but not surprising to see Hastert go this route.
Hastert should have let this dog sleep. But NOOOOO, he had to wake it up again, even with a federal judge ruling against his position.
Wake up and smell the freezer burn, Denny. You are jeopardizing the GOP House members with this nonsense.
Yep, but not for you or me. We fry!
Hastert is barking up the wrong tree on this one. If he succeeds in putting the offices of elected politicians off limits to the police, he will have succeeded in creating a political elite class that is not held to the same laws and standards as the rest of us. Under those circumstances, is it ethical, moral or leagal for those to whom the law no longer applies to create laws that will apply to the rest of us??
Mark Twain
I'm sure covering their butts is important to them.
The House of Representatives and the Senate should not be a haven that members can use to shield criminal behavior.
Yep, it is fine to execute no knock warrents on civilians, sometimes killing innocent people in the process, but we can't legally execute a search warrent legally obtained from a judge and the search done under supervision on a lawmaker, no double standard here. /sar
Denny Hastert's gotta.
...along with a long list of other lords and ladies(?) (How 'bout McKinney to start?)
"...Justice Department cannot randomly and wantonly search lawmakers' offices"
___________________________
Hey Denny, that's why it's called a warrant you DNC water boy. What a butt munch.
I don't understand all the confusion. All Hastert wants is a 30 to 60 day advance notification of any intended search. After all they are a separate branch of government.
Mr. Hastert's language seems incredibly ignorant and needlessly inflammatory.
If he wants sanctuary he needs a time travel machine and a cathedral.
Otherwise, take it to court. Meet the Press won't be offering any relief.
PHEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
I wonder why this makes Hassert so nervous . We are always talking about having a TRANSLUCENT government , operating in the SUNSHINE and so forth and so on , and then these idiots appear . What are you affraid of Denny ?? You work for ME and I expect you to live up to the same standard you have mandated for ME . Get real !!!
How much warning would you expect to get if you were under investigation ??? NOT !!
THIS is exactly the kind of thing that makes me detest Politicians. Who the Hell do they think they are that they're above the law? I don't go for two sets of laws. One for Americans and one for Politicians. He makes it look as if Politicians normally have things to hide and he doesn't want any more of them to get caught. Hastert is normally a pretty reasonable man, but he's way out of line on this.
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