Posted on 03/29/2007 3:41:56 PM PDT by CedarDave
Four people were indicted Thursday in an alleged kickback scheme thats at the core of the debate over the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias.
Former state Senate President Pro Tem Manny Aragon, Toby Martinez, Raul Parra and Sandra Mata Martinez all face charges.
The U.S. attorneys office in Albuquerque says Marc Schiff, Ken Schultz and Manuel Guara had already entered guilty pleas in the case.
Investigators say the kickbacks were related to the construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse in Albuquerque.
Iglesias believes he was fired as the federal prosecutor for New Mexico for resisting pressure from Senator Pete Domenici and Representative Heather Wilson, both New Mexico Republicans, to rush indictments in an alleged Democratic kickback scheme before the November election.
Stay with Eyewitness News 4 and KOBTV.com for complete coverage of this developing story.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sure seems that way ... she doesn't seem to give a damn about the other US Attorneys that were let go .. only Carol Lam
I've never seen DiFi so worked up like this over an issue before
Yes ma'am....mighty special.
If this was the wild wild west they woulda been run outta town...but, NOW, they get the Attorney General of the United States possibly fired.
I could have sworn I heard Iglesias emphasizing the fact that he is a Republican (red flag), when he was lamenting the great wrong he has been done.
Now, can it be proved whether or not he was being rushed by Domenici....or was Domenici rightfully PO'd because he thought Iglesias was slow-leaking the investigation for his own political purposes?
I kinda doubt Albuquerque's TV newsies are a bunch of right-wingers investigating the investigator, which makes this a little more interesting.
Didn't take long; this guy is learning from the Joe Wilson school of publicity.
Iglesias Turns CNN Commentator for a DayExcerpt; read more at the link:By Jennifer Talhelm/ Associated Press
WASHINGTON Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month after he and seven other prosecutors were fired by the Justice Department. Thursday, he took on a new public role: CNN commentator.
Off and on for part of 45 minutes, Iglesias provided running dialogue with CNN's daytime anchors while the news network dropped in and out of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about the controversy.
The banter bounced from Iglesias' personal story to his opinion of what the hearing would uncover about why the prosecutors were fired.
The Department has maintained the prosecutors were fired for performance and policy disputes. Some lawmakers question whether it was because of their work on political corruption.
"Do you think this whole situation is sort of putting a cloud over the United States attorneys?'' CNN morning edition anchor Heidi Collins asked at one point.
"The public has to believe that United States attorneys are independent and have integrity,'' Iglesias responded.
"What do you think should happen here?'' Collins asked.
"Ultimately the attorney general, as is true for any leader of any organization, has to take responsibility for good things and bad things,'' Iglesias said.
Iglesias was fired after some New Mexico Republicans complained to the Justice Department that he was too slow to act on political corruption cases, most recently eagerly anticipated indictments in an investigation of an alleged Democratic kickback scheme.
And of all the U.S. Attorneys fired, the case for firing Lam is the clearest. She could have been fired for cause in the real world. Lam simply wasn't following the Presidents' priorities on immigration or gun law enforcement.
Actually, Cedar Dave runs the New Mexico ping list. I'm sure he'd be happy to include you.
Friday, 09 March 2007 Pundit Fred Barnes finds nothing wrong with calling prosecutors about ongoing cases.
8:20am UPDATE: Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, an outspoken Republican, just got through with a phone interview with 770 KKOB Radio's morning show fill-in host Pat Frisch, telling Frisch and listeners that complaints about fired U.S. Attorney David Iglesias's performance had been circulating since at least 2004 and not from politicians, but from federal law enforcement officials (none of whom were named).
Well, that's not quite true. I do post a lot and ping folks I know, but as I work full time I don't think I would do NM FReepers justice by running a NM ping list.
However, any threads I come across, posted by me or others, that have to do with NM are coded for that topic. Just go to the News/Activism forum, click on "topics", and then click on "NM" to get a listing of threads relevant to NM. Alternately, put "News / Activism US: New Mexico" in your sidebar to quickly see what threads are listed.
Speaking of Wilson .. isn't he and Mrs Secret Spy Agent suppose to move to NM soon??
And I'm sure he's getting plenty of lessons on exactly what to say, if he wants to keep getting media attention.
"Iglesias believes he was fired as the federal prosecutor for New Mexico for resisting pressure from Senator Pete Domenici and Representative Heather Wilson, both New Mexico Republicans, to rush indictments in an alleged Democratic kickback scheme before the November election."
Meanwhile Tom DeLay still has yet to see his case brought to trial as he wanted before the November election.
Rats are vile. They engage in Stalinist tactics. Show trials. They take out their political enemies by any means necessary.
Don't count on it. Chances are Chickie and Co. will successfully portray it all as a political witch hunt, and will hound DOJ into dropping the charges or, will make sure the right judge hears the case and dismisses the charges. Iglesias will, of course, do his part to undermine the case.
Depressing, ain't it?
What would you suggest to re-name my state? Really West Texas? East California (I know that Arizona is in the way, but not really when you think about it). How about name it New New York, oh wait, New York isn't an American name, it is named after Yorkshire....Similar with New Hampshire, come to think about it. Maybe we can name it New Virginia....no, I don't want another state named after a Monarch, that is definatly Un-American, in my Humble New Mexican opinion.
I welcome your suggestions.
So this Gringo is supposed to be rich or an artist...funny, I remember learning about my family coming to the territory over 100 years ago to work the land, not spend their un-told wealth and paint strangely vagina-like flowers on canvases.....I have been doing it all wrong my entire life!
They have a nice pad in Santa Fe; I'm sure the location is known, but I haven't looked it up.
Of course, the rat DBM has publicized Rumsfeld's home and some of the more activist rats have attacked him verbally in public places. He has body guards so any attempted physical attack would be thwarted.
Finding nothing wrong with Manny, David finds everything wrong with Pete and Heather.
Congratulations, Mr. Newthink, you're a cerified brain-dead Democrat now.
There is a tradition in the Richardson Third District: the highest rate in the nation for heroin overdose deaths. Godfather Emilio Naranjo whose soldiers took care of the rising threat posed by La Raza's Moises Morales by "finding" a bag of marijuana in Morales' pickup truck.
Not for nothing did John Nichols find a rich heap of manure to grow his milagro beanfield.
What do the Dems have on David--after fining him 17K for a 24-hour tardy in reporting a 1998 campaign donation.
Maybe Hillary promised him a gig prosecuting Marines.
The JAG lets Manny rob the taxpayers of four million dollars, and shrieks like a Stonewall queen at wicked Pete and Heather.
Just the septic field for Joe and Val to continue the infamy of Edward Lee Howard, Wen Ho Lee and Chia Pet's butt-boy apologist the Crisco Kid.
Great post! If you remember Edward Lee Howard, you go back aways in NM!!
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