Posted on 06/20/2002 7:46:48 AM PDT by RaceBannon
Ashcroft to Make it Official: Clintons Are Above the Law
Attorney General John Ashcroft is said to be ready to close out a key aspect of his Justice Department investigation into the Clinton pardon trading scandal, effectively confirming that both the ex-president and his New York senator wife are now officially above the law.
"The Justice Department is expected within a month to shut down its probe into whether (then-President) Clinton gave clemency to four convicted felons of the Hasidic enclave of New Square after the town voted 1,400 to 12 for Hillary Clinton in her Senate election," the New York Daily News reported Thursday.
"The New Square part is likely to be closed without criminal charges being brought," a source familiar with the investigation told The News.
Four New Square Hasidic rabbis, who had been jailed for bilking the government out of millions of dollars earmarked for anti-poverty programs, were freed from jail earlier this year as a result of the Clinton clemency deal.
Hasidic communities surrounding New Square that weren't granted any special presidential favors voted heavily for Mrs. Clinton's opponent, Rick Lazio.
The decision to clear Mrs. Clinton comes despite earlier reports that at least one witness had fingered her in the vote-trading conspiracy.
Prosecutors had found a witness who says the senator was present during discussions of clemency before the election, sources familiar with the probe told the News in January.
The investigation into Clinton's illegal pardon of fugitive billionaire Marc Rich, as well smoking gun evidence that former first brother Roger Clinton traded pardon promises for cash, remains open. But after more than a year of relative inactivity, observers also expect those probes to end without indictments.
The contrast with other more recent Justice Department prosecutions couldn't be more stark, illustrating what government probers can do when they're not constrained by political considerations.
The accounting giant Arthur Andersen, for instance, was convicted just last week based on an indictment that charged the entire company with obstruction of justice. The conviction left more than a few legal experts wondering about prosecutorial overreach.
The recent conviction of Michael Skakel for the 26-year-old murder of Martha Moxley was based entirely on circumstantial evidence, in a case that appeared far weaker than the one prosecutors have built against the Clintons.
Though the Skakel conviction wasn't a federal prosecution, the surprise guilty verdict illustrates what prosecutors can accomplish when they're interested in actually enforcing the law.
Beyond Pardongate, the Bush Justice Department has either plea bargained or abandoned outright other possible prosecutions against the Clintons, while ignoring altogether additional serious reports of wrongdoing, including:
• Allegations that Indonesian billionaire James Riady illegally funneled millions of dollars into Clinton presidential campaigns.
• Reports that the Clinton White House withheld and or attempted to destroy millions of evidentiary e-mails that had been subpeonaed by the Office of Independent Counsel.
• Complaints from Clinton accusers Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Juanita Broaddrick and Elizabeth Ward Gracen that they were subjected to politically motivated IRS audits after speaking out about sexual encounters with the president.
• Charges from Democratic Party contributor Peter Paul that the Clintons failed to report his $2 million donation to the Federal Election Commission.
• Allegations that Mrs. Clinton's acceptance of an $8 million book advance after she was elected to the Senate may have violated federal bribery statutes.
• A complaint from White House whistleblower Linda Tripp that officials with the Clinton Pentagon illegally leaked information from her confidential employment file to the media.
• Reports that a Westchester County police officer may have been threatened with the loss of his job for talking about an accident where he was seriously injured by a car carrying Mrs. Clinton.
I think so, too.
Fourth, the klintons retain the FBI files, and still have a functional secret police. Many people on our side would have to die in order to bring them to justice. All the while, the klintonite media and Hollywood would scream about "right-wing repression", and thousands of klintonite lawyers would sue the ass off of everybody, especially in courts with democRAT judges.
I hate the thought, but there is no way to bring these evil clowns to justice short of a civil war. I think that's what Ashcroft and Bush see, but they dare not say.
Ah, he's not THAT old!
His who? I didn't see any quotes by Ashcroft, maybe I missed it.
These Clintonistas will be "after Ashcroft" to see him "mess up". Why do you think the Hillarycrew fought tooth and nail to keep Ashcroft from becoming Attorney General?
Because they thought he would be their patsy?
Just the opposite. They know AG Ashcroft is a man of strong moral character who is governed by his faith in God and who will, in the end, do the right thing for this country - and that prospect had them terrified! That's why they fought against him so strongly.
So, their plan B, is to use their people to watch his every move, keep records of his every word and memo, and plan for a time they can trip him up and accuse him of whatever they can accuse him of - in order to get rid of him.
In this particular case, I think, AG Ashcroft has reviewed the relevant information and has decided there is not enough there to convict, as much as he would like to do so.
Or he is just following orders from his boss.
Sometimes I do see the look of fear in his eyes. But it is not a fear about his personal safety or even about his job. I think it is fear of both the "inside" knowledge he has about the plans of the terrorists AND the knowledge that he has another group of "enemies" with whom he has to work each and every day.
Not a pleasant situation by any means. How can it be overcome? TIME - and the ability to replace Clintonistas with people who love America and who do not owe their first loyalty to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Then she certainly should be removed from a position of responsibility as a Senator by the ethics committee. If we can't even manage that, prosecuting her is an exercise in futility.
So George W(imp) Bush's administration needs to be told this? If so, then what the hell good are they to begin with? If they don't even know this much, they're completely useless, as I suspected.
More crap from the socialist Republicans. Screw this crowd.
It's sad....but true.
Wanna bet? No way in hell they will. Not ever. There's no difference between Republicans and democRats - they'll go to the mats defending each other from any consequences. We're seeing that right now, thanks to G.W(imp) Bush.
There is one court that each of them will have to stand before...alone. One of the nice things about being a Christian is that, in the end, God judges each of us, and He cannot be decieved.
Justice will come to them eventually, even if we don't get to see it.
Tuor
Give me liberty or give me death.
My wall just sends a letter requesting a contribution.
So if a Gore administration had made this decision you would have the same reaction you are having now?
No I am not. I just recognize the levels here. Activity that gets you deprived of your freedom (jail) or wealth (fines) is much more serious than that which deprives you of power (impeachment). Impeachment has to happen first.
That is why a few presidents have been impeached.
And a good thing, too. I don't want "charges" to be brought against Bush when he leaves office, either.
It doesn't say that Clinton has a free pass now, but it has to be something new or new evidence -- not what was rehashed at impeachment time.
Of course, nobody can stop the civil suits, which I would consider a necessary precursor to criminal action against a former president anyhow.
Tuor
I have always wondered what he was really thinking when he looks like that.
g
Maybe you should read this
Prosecutor closes probe into [Hillary] Clinton clemency grants to four men
then give us your prediction.
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