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Posted on 09/30/2006 8:08:01 AM PDT by smoothsailing
IREY ON ABSCAM: JACK MURTHA HAS NOT BEEN TELLING THE TRUTH
Saturday, September 30, 2006
(JOHNSTOWN, September 30) -- Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey -- responding to the release yesterday of the 26-year-old, never-before-seen full FBI ABSCAM surveillance video starring Congressman Jack Murtha -- this morning held a press conference in Johnstown, where she released the following statement:
"Yesterday was a disappointing and disturbing day here in the 12th Congressional District, because yesterday we learned that the overwhelming majority of Jack Murtha's tenure in Congress has been the result of a fraud he perpetrated on his constituents more than a quarter century ago.
"For the first time ever, the public can now see for itself the full, unedited, 54-minute-long FBI surveillance video of Jack Murtha's meeting in a Georgetown townhouse with a man he believed to be the representative of an Arab oil sheik who wanted to trade tens of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for help in getting into America.
"What the FBI undercover surveillance tape makes clear is two-fold: First, that -- contrary to his assertions at the time, and ever since -- it is clear that Jack Murtha believed he had made a deal to accept $50,000 in cash in exchange for helping that Arab oil sheik get into the country with special, private legislation; and, second, that his stated defense for the last 26 years -- that he went to the meeting solely to discuss business investments in the District -- was a fraud at the time, and has been a fraud ever since.
"First, to the matter of the deal itself. Early in the meeting, Jack Murtha designated Howard Criden -- a Philadelphia attorney acting as a middleman -- as his agent, to accept the $50,000 on his behalf. You can see that about 16 minutes into the tape, or find it on page 5 of your transcript, where Mr. Murtha says, 'I'll deal through Howard … eh, uh … in this thing.'
"Howard Criden had already played the same role -- bag man -- for Congressman Frank Thompson in an earlier meeting with the same undercover FBI agent. In that meeting, Criden had accepted a satchel containing $50,000, saying he was accepting the cash on Thompson's behalf. At that meeting, Thompson's own promises of aid for the sheik had already been recorded on videotape, so the idea that Howard Criden would act as the physical intermediary, responsible for actually taking the cash out of the room and then handing it to the Congressmen later, was already well-established with the undercover FBI agents running the sting operation.
"Back to the meeting with Jack Murtha. Roughly 48 minutes into the 54-minute-long meeting -- found on page 15 of the transcript before you -- you see a notation in brackets: 'Criden and Murtha walk in.' That's because a few moments before, the two men had stepped outside, into the hallway, apparently to have a private conversation.
"Upon their return, Howard Criden says to Anthony Amoroso, the undercover FBI agent posing as the representative of the sheik, 'John says that it is okay for you to give me what's in that drawer.' [The drawer he was referring to, of course, is the desk drawer in which agent Amoroso had already placed $50,000 in cash.] Jack Murtha then immediately follows, explaining to Mr. Amoroso, 'Is that all right, Tony, let me make it very clear. The other two guys [Congressmen Frank Thompson and John Murphy] do expect to be taken care of, as Howard.
And you're gonna have to deal through Howard. Me, you've got my deal.' Criden then acknowledges, 'We have a deal.'
"But Amoroso, the FBI agent, is apparently determined to pressure Criden and Murtha by feigning that he's been insulted -- and he begins complaining that he was sent to deal directly with Jack Murtha, not the middleman Criden.
A face-off ensues, neither side getting satisfaction, until Criden and Amoroso have an exchange regarding their previous experience with Congressman Thompson. Criden reminds Amoroso that Thompson, too, was 'gun shy,' to which Amoroso responds by reminding Criden that nothing happened to Thompson after their earlier deal was done, implying that nothing would happen to Murtha, either.
Criden's response: 'But wait a minute. You're not trying to tell me that he doesn't know about the money because you already mentioned it to him three times. So that if he takes it he knows that I ain't gonna keep it --.'
Amoroso then ends the meeting by telling Criden that he'll be taken care of on the following Thursday, when he is set to return with Congressman John Murphy, and reminds Criden that he will be there for a week.
"Leaving a room where one has just been offered $50,000 in cash, only to return two minutes later with a bag man saying 'John says that it is okay for you to give me what's in that drawer,' is not something done by a man who's not aware he's trying to take a bribe.
"These are the actions, rather, of a man who wanted very much to take the bribe -- as he said at one point on the tape, 'you know, I need the [expletive deleted] money like anybody else does' -- but who thought he was clever enough, and careful enough, to have figured out a way to take the bribe without actually accepting the money himself.
"Jack Murtha could have contradicted Howard Criden when Criden said 'John says that it is okay for you to give me what is in that drawer.' He could have said, 'Howard, I never said that.'
"But Jack Murtha did NOT contradict Howard Criden.
Instead, he said, 'Is that all right, Tony,' and went on to remind the FBI agent that two other Congressmen 'do expect to be taken care of,' and then to agree with Criden -- 'And you're gonna have to deal through Howard.'
"Just what did Howard Criden and Jack Murtha discuss in the hallway? Did Criden tell Murtha, 'It'll be alright, Jack, I'll take the money, just like I did for Frank Thompson?' I don't know. But I think any reasonable person watching that tape would reasonably conclude that some version of that discussion is EXACTLY what happened in the hallway.
"Jack Murtha believed he had cut a deal. But the deal fell apart -- FOR THE MOMENT -- when he refused to take the money himself.
"Did Jack Murtha call the FBI to report that, as a sitting Member of the House of Representatives, he had just been offered a bribe? Did Jack Murtha call the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or even the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee -- of which he was a member at the time -- to report a bribe attempt?
"No, he did not. Instead, as he testified later in federal court, he called his 'immigration guy,' to determine what could be done on behalf of the sheik. Why? Because he thought he still had a deal.
"Second, the so-called 'Investments Defense' is now demolished, once and for all time.
"As the tape makes clear in numerous places, the only reason Jack Murtha talked about bringing investment into the District was so that it could act as a cover for this exercise. Consider this excerpt from the tape:
"'And what I'm sayin' is, a few investments in my district, a few you know, is big to me, to this guy apparently is not too big, to a couple of banks which would get their attention. And investment in a business where you could legitimately say to me -- when I say legitimately, I'm talking about so these bastards up here can't say to me, well, why, in eight years from now, that's possible, we'd never hear a thing for eight years, but all at once, ah, some dumb bastard would go start talking eight years from now, ah, about the whole thing and say, '[expletive deleted], ah, this happened,' then he, then he, in order to get immunity so he doesn't go to jail, he starts talking and fingering people and then the [expletive deleted] all falls apart.'
"Just a few moments later in the tape, Mr. Murtha continues, discussing what he calls 'a business commitment' in the district:
"'A business commitment that makes it imperative for me to help him. Just, let me tell you something. I'm sure if -- and there's a lot of things I've done up here, with environmental regulations, with all kinds of waivers of laws and regulations. If it weren't for being in the district, people would say … "Well that [expletive deleted], I'm gonna tell you something … This guy is, uh, you know, on the take." Well once they say that, what happens? Then they start going around looking for the [expletive deleted] money. So I want to avoid that by having some tie to the district. That's all. That's the secret to the whole thing.'"
"'That's the secret to the whole thing.' Investment not for the sake of investment, but because 'that's the secret' to how you can take a bribe and get away with it.
"Jack Murtha has not been telling the truth for 26 years. You can believe what he says, or you can believe your own eyes. But you cannot believe both.
"Jack Murtha, as we all know, is a powerful man, and he may never see the inside of a court room -- not for his role in Abscam, where he became the second-most-famous unindicted coconspirator in history, nor even for his more recent actions in apparently trading tens of millions of dollars worth of earmarked federal appropriations for hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.
"But a court room is not the only place a public official faces a verdict -- the voters get to pass judgment, too.
And on November 7, I am confident that the citizens of the 12th Congressional District will cast their votes to restore honor and integrity to the House of Representatives, by voting to send Jack Murtha to an early retirement."
To learn more about ABSCAM and Jack Murtha's record, please visit www.youdontknowjack.org.
-- 30 --
Paid for by Diana Irey for Congress
www.irey.com
The only info is from feedback from volunteers of Mrs. Irey's. She's had close to a thousand out in the district and the reception has been good.
Murtha has not been campaigning in the district but ignoring Diana Irey as if she is not a threat. That's what he'd like everyone to believe but he has a surprise coming.
Military families and Vets approach 18% in the district and he is definitely not well thought of by our military at present.
These are bad people but for some reason republicans are not willing to explain how bad they are.
Let's pass the word...
PS: I just made my contribution to Irey! Thank You !
This is good news, though only of personal observations. I really can't understand why no polls are being taken. It is a mystery to me. Is there something they are hiding? Someone knows what's really going on, even if it's internal polling. You'd think if the numbers were good, they would get out.
My concern is because I want Murtha beaten to the max.
BTTT
bttt
There has been much discussion about the lack of any polling on the threads here about Irey and Murtha.
Diana Irey just doesn't have the funds for polls.
Murtha's got more money than he can spend and the speculation here is that they have run polls and didn't like the results so they haven't released the results. I personally think that's correct.
There are 5 newspapers in the area and they haven't released any poll results either, which seems strange to me. Murtha has had the backing of the media there for years so I suppose it's possible they haven't released bad polling results on Murtha either.
Those are my feelings though many others here at FR feel the same.
Good grief. . .can only wonder how much Murtha has been making the past few years. . .on his pro-Iraq commentaries - and votes.
That said. . .is this traitor 'Grandfathered in' so to speak; or does this story have legs. . . that walk. . .
BTTT!
Your conclusions really make sense. I knew there had to be something wacky going on and your theory that the results would look bad for Murtha seem spot on. Surely if Murtha had polls to brag about, he would shout the results from the housetops!
Funny, until your pointed out that the lack of info is coming from both sides, I hadn't thought about it.
I'm encouraged! :)
Haven't you heard? You're supposed to contact murtha's office directly for their poll results. Like most of murtha's dealings, they won't be made public. You've answered your own question- if the numbers were good they would be out.
Irey needs another money BUMP!
Bump and Elect Diana Irey --- Donate Today!
Donated, as well. . .thanks for link. . .
Thanks for the ping!
Geez, I can't even post it to the appropriate thread. LOL! THANK YOU, SandRat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now we're talking. bump
Folks with converters, get this video posted on places like YouTube and other video hosting sites - get it out there (some only accept 10 minutes so the most pertinent excerpts will have to be taken). Then it can be embedded on blogs and message boards from those sites once hosted. The media will not report this, so we must.
bttt
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