Posted on 05/03/2002 3:36:19 PM PDT by glorygirl
DENVER - The federal prosecutor who successfully fought off the appeals of convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh is leaving the U.S. attorney's office to join a private law practice. Sean Connelly joined the law firm of Hoffman Reilly Pozner & Williamson, U.S. attorney spokesman Jeff Dorschner said Friday.
Connelly was a member of the prosecution team that won the 1997 convictions of McVeigh and conspirator Terry Nichols.
As a special attorney and assistant U.S. attorney, he defended the government's case in the appellate court.
"He has an outstanding legal mind, and his presence will sorely be missed," U.S. Attorney John Suthers said in a statement.
McVeigh was executed by lethal injection in June for the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people. Nichols faces murder charges in Oklahoma.
Sean Connelly wrote two special reports for AG Ashcroft on the FBI/DOJ handling of the OKC bombing. They were full of half truths and some falsehoods in my opinion. I have written about this in an Article on the FreeRepublic about Ashcroft.
Maybe Connelly is like some FBI agents who retired early so they can protect their retirement pay from the government should Burton and AShcroft ever wise up and figure out that the FBI and US prosecutors covered up the OKC bombing details.
Connelly also allegedly made false statements (perjury) in a July 7, 1999 appeals hearing (with Nichols defense attorney Mike Tigar and Judge Matsch) on when and if he and the FBI had received evidence concerning the ME connection to the OKC bombing from local OKC TV reporters. I have also written about this is in an article on the FreeRepublic.
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Who do you suppose will be getting convictions of the terrorists trying to kill us?
It's not at all clear that anybody will. But if we assume, for the sake of argument that such a person - actually guilty as you suggest - is apprehended, the decision is made to try them in a civilian court, and a federal prosecutor gets a conviction. Does that in itself make him an admirable person? Notwithstanding all of the innocent people he has probably sent to prison or death?
Rumsfeld. "Osama Bin Laden, The United States finds you guilty." *Cruise missle Kaboom (followed by a fine rain of charred Bin Laden pieces parts)*
That's an awfully judgmental statement, and an extremely broad one at that. Is it something you have against prosecutors, or just feds, or what? Does your philosophy contain any room whatsoever for the possibility that there might be a few assistant US Attorneys out there who are trying to make the country a safer place, or are they all sub-humans worthy of summary executions? Are there no federal crimes at all that you feel are worthy of enforcement? And who, in your opinion, are the high forms of life?
Just curious...
Just kidding.
And just what purpose would that serve? Certainly you don't disagree that there were such?
I am quite sure there are some fine people among US attorneys, just as there are some physicians who care more for their patient's health than the do for money. The problem is that the structure of our legal system is inherently corrupting - putting the attorney's ambition in conflict with his sense of justice. Except in those of the finest and strongest character it is invariably ambition that wins.
"But if we assume, for the sake of argument that such a person - actually guilty as you suggest - is apprehended, the decision is made to try them in a civilian court, and a federal prosecutor gets a conviction. Does that in itself make him an admirable person? Notwithstanding all of the innocent people he has probably sent to prison or death?"
So,once again,please name all those wrongfully sent to their death by federal prosecuters over the last 216 years.
It's my view that the problem with the U.S Attorneys office is that the lawyers there have a great deal of power and don't make a great of money. As a result, knowing they work just as hard as other attorneys, they tend to become, at least to some degree, renegades.
After all, in their own minds, to whom are they accountable, other than their bosses? And if their boss says --"You are going to get a conviction, no matter what," who's going to stop them? Not their "corporation", not their "partners," and certainly not their "clients," the U.S. citizenry.
I'll ask it again. The U.S. Justice Department is in the business of dispensing "justice," right? So if they know they are prosecuting the biggest terrorist case in history, and their boss says "convict?" who is going to stop them? Congress? Disgruntled FBI agents?
Compounded with all this, as it relates to the OKC bombing investigation, is the fact that it occurred under the Clinton administration. Like any other workplace, the problems flow from the top. And if the workers are directed to engage in dirty dealing, most of them will.
Someone very close to me had great hopes of becoming an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 1993, but was rejected after an interview with the Clinton DOJ. He was quite disappointed, but I told him it was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. And I still believe that. He later became a city prosecutor and now works for a large corporation and is doing quite well.
Back to the point at hand. No, not all federal prosecutors are bad people. Most of them are likely good people, working for what has become a bad justice department. Just yesterday the FBI in Arizona admitted it had never followed up on leads about Middle Eastern students at flight schools prior to September 11.
I would suggest, and this isn't spoken about clearly or often enough -- that if the U.S. Justice Department had followed leads of a possible connection between Middle East or Far East terrorism and the Oklahoma City bombing -- September 11 might never have occurred.
The job of the Justice Department, at this point, is to admit it was wrong, and to try to determine exactly what did occur and how it relates to the current state of terrorism in the world. Perhaps this is already being accomplished at the federal level, and it may be why all these key players in the OKC bombing are leaving their jobs.
We do know that Dan Burton's investigation has enough people in Oklahoma and Washington scared that publications like U.S. News & World Report and the Tulsa World are running editorials ridiculing it.
Why? Because the powerful people --and that includes people in the FBI and the Justice Department -- know they were wrong, and are afraid of being exposed. With the possibility of a war vs. Iraq, more and more of the facts are likely to come out. It's already begun, in fact.
But there's a HUGE possibility that all this stuff will still be swept under the rug. After all, it will be embarassing,and disheartening, for Americans to hear they were misled. And a WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE are never going to want to admit how wrong they were about Bill Clinton. (It would be interesting to see what would happen if the axe falls after he starts hosting his new TV show.)
But a whole lot of powerful people want to make sure the axe never falls. And a number of them are in the Justice Department.
But it's not impossible the whole truth will come out. The chances are slim, but not impossible. The only people who can make a REAL difference are the PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
If the populace smells a rat, and demands that politicians address the problem, it will be addressed.
And your prayers, and letters to Congress (including Burton's office) will help.
Are you suggesting thaat their were none?
God will not be appeased by insincerity by officials in the FBI and DOJ. He wants a full accounting and a turning away from the ways of how the FBI and DOJ were run in the past. Admission and even correction of a few minor problems will not achieve God's blessing and protection. Admission of the major problems, a genuine sorrow and then correction and turning away from the ways that caused the problems will receive God's approval, protection and help.
I am writing an article which speaks to what can be done by a certain FBI agent who I hold up in prayer to help turn this country around. Glorygirl's reply #17 is totally consistent with and a confirmation of what has been an answer to my prayers as how to write the article. Praise God for His answer, His kindness and wisdom, and for giving glorygirl the wise words to write for all of us to read in reply #17.
Glorygirl is quite right: Prayer and action by God's people in our country is required to turn things around and to provide for the safety of our citizens. God will hear repenitant and humble prayers and then guide those who seek Him and His ways in what He would have them do to restore our country.
I now suspect that I too was lucky that I did not get that job.
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