Lawyers in GOP redistricting case withheld 34 emails from groups

[MessiahRp]

Madison - Attorneys hired by Republican lawmakers withheld 34 emails from groups suing them despite three stern court orders to release them, according to a forensic examiner's report filed late Monday.

The report once again highlights that lawyers with Michael Best & Friedrich were not forthcoming with providing subpoenaed documents even after a panel of three federal judges charged them some $17,500 for filing frivolous motions to try to block the release of the records.

The report signals that one of Wisconsin's largest law firms could face future challenges as it tries to explain to the judges why it repeatedly defied their orders. A related internal investigation on why the material was not released is ongoing.

The suppressed emails cover the methods Republicans used last year to draw new legislative and congressional maps that will help them tremendously in the Nov. 6 elections and those that follow for the next decade.

More at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/lawyers-in-gop-redistricting-case-withheld-34-emails-from-groups-5v789vn-174380121.html

[HooptieWagon]

1. Sounds like they should be disbarred and jailed.

[midnight]

2. This is an enormous price tag that the Republicans are making us pay for...

"So far, the litigation has cost Wisconsin taxpayers more than $1.6 million - $1 million to the law firm Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren to help defend the maps in court, $431,000 to Michael Best for its work drawing the maps and $185,500 to Voces to cover its costs for its successful challenge to the Latino districts.

Taxpayers will have to pay more. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has agreed to have the state pay some costs for the other plaintiffs, though he has not said how much.

The work on redistricting was conducted while Republicans controlled all of state government. They contended the lawyers were representing the Legislature as an institution but refused to give Democrats access to them.

In August, Democrats took control of the Senate after winning a recall election in Racine County. They demanded the case file from Michael Best and made all the records they received available to the public."

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/powerful-court-quietly-takes-marijuana-case-could-shatter-federal-prohibition-laws

[Scuba]

3. We need to lock some of these assholes up to serve as a deterrent.

[sybylla]

10. Fitz 1, Fitz 2, and Scott Suder top my list.

Where the fuck is the Urinal Sentinel on this? How isn't this a huge fucking scandal?

Oh, yeah. Because it's the GOP breaking the law and violating court orders.

[Scuba]

11. The Urinal is in on the scam.

[mojowork_n]

4. I'd be curious to know if any of those suppressed emails....

...were sent through the Walker/Russell/Rindfleisch secret email network?

Are the traces of that network now some kind of digital Limbo (twilight, fog,
ghosts and whispers), or is there a record of the traffic, with copies of
correspondence?

[midnight]

5. Are these:(twilight, fog, ghosts and whispers),actual ways to hide email

routes? If so are there computer forensics that could figure this out?

[mojowork_n]

6. Oops, my bad. That's just figurative speech.

Last edited Fri Oct 19, 2012, 02:39 PM - Edit history (1)

That's a great question, actually. I don't honestly know and I didn't
want to over-reach, so I used language with a lot of wiggle room.

What I remember reading is that the "secret email network" had some
kind of auto-delete feature for email. Not sure how it worked. If there
was a timer that swept out and vaporized the contents of someone's
mail folders every so often, that would be a way to hide that email.
If you went looking in to that computer, knowing that something had
been sent, all you'd find would be -- an empty mail folder.

But the way emails actually go from computer to computer is through
other computers -- mail servers. Where they can leave imprints and
traces. Depending upon how the network has been configured for
back up. As far as I know, most of the high-traffic, free to use email
accounts (aol, yahoo) only keep back ups for a limited time. Like,
maybe a week.

...But once those emails are permanently deleted from the hotmail
or yahoo servers, that may not be the end of them. It's very possible
they have some sort of (shadow) existence on a government network
somewhere. (One name is, "Echelon," I think. Probably not the only
program or network that's out there.)

Bottom line, only the Men in Black -- and a few maverick independent
groups (Wikileaks, the hackers at Anonymous) -- would be qualified
to begin to explain how information is stored and accessed through
those systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29

Edit Afterthought:

Oh, yeah. And there's another variable. More layers to the onion, if
you want to get picky about what's a "government" agency, what's
a "quasi-government" agency, and what's "private security."

For instance:

http://io9.com/5933966/wikileaks-reveals-trapwire-a-government-spy-network-that-uses-ordinary-surveillance-cameras

[midnight]

7. Well the good news is that a footprint may exist. However, after looking at the link

you posted, all I could think of is we can afford this, but we can't feed, house, educate, or provide jobs..

[mojowork_n]

8. Hey, come on....

...how does providing food, housing, education or jobs to the proles (excuse me, I mean the Middle
Class) provide any benefits to the Overlords?

...Sorry, that's pretty cynical but I'm fed up with the way our 'Common Good' constantly gets overlooked.
Or ignored, or bypassed or forgotten. Layering of government is one way that those in charge get to ignore
or circumvent or block the best interests of... all of us.

[Scuba]

13. + 1 for this and other good posts this thread.

[sybylla]

9. Fitz 1, Fitz 2, and Scott Suder hired these guys.

These are the guys who told the lawyers not to send those 34 e-mails. Why isn't this scandal giant fucking news in every newspaper.

Fitz 1, Fitz 2, and Scott Suder told these guys to ignore a court order and hide documents from the public.

They need to lose their jobs for it.

[midnight]

12. Interesting... Is that a crime to ignore a court order....

Last edited Sun Oct 21, 2012, 10:45 PM - Edit history (1)

[sybylla]

14. Lawyer and former legie told me yesterday it's not criminal but civil.

Still, I would think somewhere in all this BS should be a reason for Michael Best attorneys to lose their licenses followed by possible criminal penalties for the GOP leadership involved. (That's my opinion, YMMV.)