Posted on 10/31/2006 3:04:31 PM PST by excludethis
Hastings was impeached for corruption and perjury in 1981 for accepting a $150,000 bribe. He was only the sixth Judge to be removed from office by the Senate.
Congressman Hastings is a member of the powerful House Rules Committee and is a senior Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI). On the HPSCI, Hastings is the Ranking Democratic Member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. The Terrorism Subcommittee is the primary committee in Congress which has direct oversight of the programs and activities of the intelligence community that relate to U.S. homeland security and to counterterrorism, including capabilities, resources, policies and procedures.
See http://alceehastings.house.gov/biography/
http://americaweakly.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=2314
DEMS' CHOICE TO HEAD INTEL COMMITTEE QUESTIONED BY NATIONAL MEDIA
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Is Dems' Choice To Head Intelligence Committee In 2007:
Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) Is Currently Ranking Member Of The House Intelligence Committee. (U.S. House Intelligence Committee Website, www.intelligence.house.gov, Accessed 4/20/06)
"[However, House Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi Has Informed Colleagues That She Intends To Force Harman To Step Down, Replacing Her With Rep. Alcee L. Hastings Of Florida, The Second Most Senior Democrat On The Intelligence Panel." (Greg Miller and Richard Simon, "Harman Resists Push Off Spy Panel," Los Angeles Times, 5/18/06)
National Newspapers Question Rep. Hastings As Head Of Intel Committee:
USA Today Editorial Says Dems "Cannot Be Serious" About Allowing Rep. Hastings As Chairman Of The Intel Committee. "They cannot be serious. In 1988, Nancy Pelosi, the Congresswoman likely to become speaker of the House if Democrats recapture the majority, voted to impeach a federal judge named Alcee Hastings. So did Steny Hoyer, the front-runner to become majority leader. Now, 18 years later, these and other Democrats are weighing whether to make Hastings chairman of the House Intelligence Comm ittee if they win in November (or ranking member if the Democrats fall short of the majority)." (Editorial, "Matters Of Choice," USA Today, 8/30/06)
The Wall Street Journal: "[A]lcee Hastings, who, should Ms. Pelosi succeed in pushing aside current ranking Member Jane Harman, would take over the House Intelligence Committee. Before he won his Florida seat in 1992, Mr. Hastings had been a federal judge who was impeached and convicted by a Democratic Congress for lying to beat a bribery rap. He would handle America's most vital national secrets." (Editorial, "Back To The Congressional Future," The Wall Street Journal, 8/31/06)
New York Times Article Calls The Possibility Of Rep. Hastings Being Chairman Of The Intelligence Committee "Problematic" And "Explosive." "Other positions are more problematic. At the Intelligence Committee, Representative Alcee L. Hastings of Florida, who was removed from the federal bench in the 1980's, is in line to take over, although that decision would be the responsibility of Ms. Pelosi and could prove explosive." (Carl Hulse, "Issues Await If Democrats Retake House," The New York Times, 8/25/06)
DEMS' CHOICE TO HEAD INTEL COMMITTEE WAS IMPEACHED AND CONVICTED
FACT: In 1981, Hastings Was Indicted On Bribery-Conspiracy And Obstruction Of Justice Charges:
"[U.S. District Court Judge Alcee Hastings Was] Indicted ... On Charges Of Bribery-Conspiracy And Obstruction Of Justice Involving A $150,000 Payment From An Undercover Retired FBI Agent." (Dan Sewell, The Associated Press, 12/29/81)
"A Miami Grand Jury Returned Indictments ... Accusing Hastings And Prominent Washington D.C. Attorney William A. Borders Jr. Of Conspiring To Solicit A $150,000 Bribe." (Dan Sewell, "Hastings Criticizes Bribery Indictment," The Associated Press, 12/30/81)
Hastings' Co-Conspirator Accepted Bribe From Undercover Agent. "According to the indictment, Paul Rico, a retired FBI agent working undercover, posed as convicted racketeer Frank Romano and paid Borders $25,000 in 'up-front money.' Borders was arrested Oct. 9 when he met with Rico to receive the balance, the indictment says." (Dan Sewell, "Hastings Criticizes Bribery Indictment," The Associated Press, 12/30/81)
Hastings Stepped Down From Bench After Arrest Of Co-Conspirator. "Hastings removed himself from the bench Oct. 12, after Borders' Oct. 9 arrest for allegedly soliciting a bribe in exchange for a promise that Hastings would reduce sentence and restore forfeited assets for Frank and Thomas Romano." (Dan Sewell, "Hastings Criticizes Bribery Indictment," The Associated Press, 12/30/81)
Hastings Was Then Indicted On Conspiracy To Solicit A Bribe And Obstruction Of Justice Charges. "The four-court indictment charges Hastings and Borders with conspiracy to solicit a bribe and obstruction of justice, and additionally charges Borders with two counts of interstate travel to promote bribery. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine." (Dan Sewell, "Hastings Criticizes Bribery Indictment," The Associated Press, 12/30/81)
At The Time Hastings Was Only The Third Federal Judge To Be Criminally Indicted In The 20th Century. (Dan Sewell, The Associated Press, 12/29/81)
FACT: In 1988, House Democrats Led Impeachment Of Hastings:
"The House, Invoking Its Impeachment Power For Only The 15th Time In History ... Accused Judge Alcee L. Hastings Of Miami Of 'High Crimes And Misdemeanors' And Ordered His Trial By The Senate On Bribery And Perjury Charges ..." (William J. Eaton, "House Votes Impeachment Of Federal Judge In Florida," Los Angeles Times, 8/4/88)
"The Impeachment Resolution Was Approved By A Vote Of 413 To 3, With Four Abstentions, In A Dramatic Show Of Support For The House Judiciary Committee And The Floor Manager Of The Bill, Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) ..." (William J. Eaton, "House Votes Impeachment Of Federal Judge In Florida," Los Angeles Times, 8/4/88)
The U.S. House Of Representatives Voted 413-3 On A Resolution To Impeach Hastings. (H. Res. 499, CQ Vote #254: Adopted 413-3: R 171-0; D 242-3, 8/3/88)
"Conyers, Who Also Is Black, Said He Found No Trace Of Racism During The Yearlong Investigation And Urged His Colleagues To Vote In Favor Of The Rarely Used Process For Removal Of Federal Officials Who Congress Formally Decrees Are Unfit To Serve." (William J. Eaton, "House Votes Impeachment Of Federal Judge In Florida," Los Angeles Times, 8/4/88)
"[C]onyers Said, There Was 'Damning Evidence' That The Judge Lied At His Trial And Plotted With A Washington Lawyer, William A. Borders, To Receive A $150,000 Payoff. In A Separate Trial In 1982, Borders Was Convicted Of The Same Bribery-Conspiracy Charges." (William J. Eaton, "House Votes Impeachment Of Federal Judge In Florida," Los Angeles Times, 8/4/88)
The Washington Post Assailed Hastings For His Conduct, Supported Impeachment:
The Washington Post: "It is a personal tragedy and a public disgrace when a sitting federal judge has to be removed from office by impeachment. ... Judge Hastings received a fair trial on criminal charges, and he is entitled to no less if the Senate holds an impeachment trial. It must not have been easy for his own colleagues to bring charges against the judge, but the case they made has been sustained at every level so far. The 1980 law works well and has been particularly useful in the Hastings inquiry." (Editorial, "When Judges Go Bad," The Washington Post, 7/9/88)
FACT: In 1989, A Democrat Senate Convicted Hastings Of Numerous Offenses And Removed Him From The Bench:
"The Senate ... Convicted U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings Of Conspiracy And Lying, Removing Him From The Bench And Making Him Only The Sixth Federal Official Convicted Of An Impeachable Crime." ("Senate Finds Judge Guilty, Removes Him," Los Angeles Times, 10/20/89)
"The Senate Voted 69 To 26, More Than The Two-Thirds Required, Finding Hastings Guilty Of Conspiring To Get $150,000 From Defendants In A Trial In Return For A Lenient Sentence. It Also Found The Florida Judge Guilty Of Four Counts Of Making False Statements." ("Senate Finds Judge Guilty, Removes Him," Los Angeles Times, 10/20/89)
The U.S. Senate Convicted Hastings On Eight Articles Of Impeachment. (Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #262: Adjudged Guilty 70-25: R 34-6; D 36-19, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #261: Adjudged Guilty 68-27: R 34-6; D 34-21, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #260: Adjudged Guilty 69-26: R 35-5; D 34-21, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #258: Adjudged Guilty 67-28: R 35-5; D 32-23, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #257: Adjudged Guilty 67-28: R 34-6; D 33-22, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #256: Adjudged Guilty 69-26: R 35-5; D 34-21, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #255: Adjudged Guilty 68-27: R 34-6; D 34-21, 10/20/89; Hastings Impeachment, CQ Vote #254: Adjudged Guilty 69-26: R 35-5; D 34-21, 10/20/89)
Hastings' Own Judicial Peers Supported His Impeachment:
"In An Unprecedented Complaint, Two Federal Judges Have Urged The Impeachment Of U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings For 'Odious Behavior,' Including His Charges That His Bribery-Conspiracy Prosecution Was Spurred By Racism." ("Two Judges Call For Hastings Impeachment," The Associated Press, 6/18/83)
"[W]illiam Terrell Hodges, Chief Judge Of Florida's Middle District, And Anthony Alaimo, Of Brunswick, Ga. ... Urged Chief Judge John Godbold Of The 11th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals In Atlanta To 'Discipline (Hastings) For His Odious Behavior Including, But Not Limited To, The Making Of A Recommendation To The House Of Representatives That Hastings Be Impeached ...'" ("Two Judges Call For Hastings Impeachment," The Associated Press, 6/18/83)
"Hodges And Alaimo Accused Hastings Of Conduct That 'Degraded And Demeaned The Entire Constitutional System.' They Also Said He Shouldn't Have Solicited Money From Lawyers To Pay For His Defense In The Bribery-Conspiracy Trial And That He Was Wrong To Admit From The Witness Stand That He Frequently Had His Court Clerk Write His Official Opinions." ("Two Judges Call For Hastings Impeachment," The Associated Press, 6/18/83)
"A Panel Of 27 Federal Judges ... Asked The House Of Representatives To Consider Impeaching U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings Of Miami For Alleged Judicial Misconduct." (Richard Carelli, "Judicial Panel Asks House To Consider Impeaching Judge," The Associated Press, 3/17/87)
"The Judicial Conference Of The United States, A Board Of Directors For The Federal Courts, Believes Hastings 'Has Engaged In Conduct Which Might Constitute Grounds For Impeachment,' Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Said In A Statement Sent To House Speaker Jim Wright." (Richard Carelli, "Judicial Panel Asks House To Consider Impeaching Judge," The Associated Press, 3/17/87)
DEMS' CHOICE TO HEAD INTEL COMMITTEE WRONG ON INTEL AND WAR ON TERROR ISSUES
Rep. Hastings Wrong On The War On Terror:
In October 2001, Rep. Hastings Opposed The PATRIOT Act. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #398: Passed 357-66: R 211-3; D 145-62; I 1-1, 10/24/01, Hastings Voted Nay)
In December 2005, Rep. Hastings Voted To Stall PATRIOT Act Reauthorization. (H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #626: Motion Rejected 202-224: R 5-221; D 196-3; I 1-0, 12/14/05, Hastings Voted Yea)
In March 2006, Rep. Hastings Voted Against Final Passage Of Several Amendments To PATRIOT Act Reauthorization. (S. 2271, CQ Vote #20: Motion Agreed To 280-138: R 214-13; D 66-124; I 0-1, 3/7/06, Hastings Voted Nay)
Rep. Hastings Calls The PATRIOT Act "Completely Unacceptable." Rep. Hastings: "The Patriot Act has given the government new powers to bug telephones, monitor e-mails and Internet use, and search public databases. From the over-broad definition of domestic terrorism, to the FBI's new powers of search and surveillance, to the indefinite detention of both citizens and non-citizens without formal charges, civil liberties have been seriously undermined. This is completely unacceptable." (Rep. Hastings' Website, http://alceehastings.house.gov, Accessed 9/5/06)
Rep. Hastings Said The "Expansion Of Intelligence Gathering Powers" Raised "Serious Questions." Rep. Hastings: "The dramatic expansion of intelligence gathering powers facilitated by the passage of the Patriot Act and the other policies of the Justice Department, under the Director of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, have raised serious questions about government infringement of the right to privacy." (Rep. Hastings' Website, http://alceehastings.house.gov, Accessed 9/5/06)
Rep. Hastings Defended The New York Times When It Published Details Of A Secret Effort To Track Terrorist Financing. Rep. Hastings: "Find all of the leakers, prosecute them, put them in jail but let a free press stand in this nation." (FOX's "Special Report," 6/29/06)
In 2003, Rep. Hastings Voted Against $87 Billion For Military Operations And Reconstruction In Iraq And Afghanistan. (H.R. 3289, CQ Vote #601: Adopted 298-121: R 216-5; D 82-115; I 0-1; 10/31/03, Hastings Voted Nay)
The $87 Billion Supplemental "[P]rovide[d] Extra Money For Body Armor For Soldiers ..." ("Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures," The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
DEMS' CHOICE TO HEAD INTEL COMMITTEE HAS EXTREMELY LIBERAL RECORD
Rep. Hastings' Liberal And Partisan Record:
Rep. Hastings Has A 97% Lifetime Rating From The AFL-CIO. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has A 87% Lifetime Rating From Americans For Democratic Action. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has A 26% Lifetime Rating From The U.S. Chamber Of Commerce. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has A 6% Lifetime Rating From The American Conservative Union. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has A 17% Lifetime Rating From The National Taxpayers Union Foundation. (National Taxpayers Union Foundation Website, www.ntu.org, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has Voted With The Democrat Party 95% Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Rep. Hastings Has Voted Against The Democrat Party Only 5% Of The Time. (Congressional Quarterly Website, www.cq.com, Accessed 6/14/06)
Sorry, I just don't understand this. How do you pass a background check for clearance to serve on the intelligence committee after being found guilty of taking bribes?
When you're an elected member of Congress, there really aren't the same requirements. How do nutcases like Billary Clinton get into the Whitehouse? And then GIVE US Military Technology to China in exchange for campaign cash. And GIVE US Nuclear technology to Iran...
Moreover, why is this puke even allowed to serve in public office?
Rep. Alcee Hastings to head Intelligence Committee
That is a very scary thought.
This is what you must expect when you put low people in high places.
There are no background checks for members of Congress. The Democrats could put Chuckles the Clown on as Chairman if they wanted to.
What makes you think there is such a background check, or that if there is, it's binding on the House Democratic Committee on Committees when they are in the majority? Hint: They put Red Ron Dellums on the House Armed Services Committee in '73, leading to him becoming the Chairman in '93 by virtue of seniority.
In '83, upon being read into certain security compartments, I was told that if Red Ron should come into our SCIF and ask to see something or ask a question, we had to show it to him or answer the question. But we were told be sure that he only got what he asked for, very specifically asked for at that. And that was before he became chair of the HASC.
The man was a communist, and about as big a security risk as you can imagine, but he was a Congressman.
I wonder what a perusal of the old KGB records would turn up on him, and his handpicked successor Barbara Lee... that's Congresswoman Barbara Lee, she's still there, and was the only Congressman to vote against the resolution authorizing President Bush to "use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons. And she's proud of it too, I copied and pasted that from her Congressional website.
Lee currently represents California's 9th district which is Berkley, Alameda, and surrounding area. Incidentally Dellums refused to oppose the closing of the Naval base in his own district. (this was pre-BRAC when such opposition was pretty much routine and expected if one wanted to get reelected. He got reelected anyway)
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