Watchdog Group Disputes FBI's Claims on E-Mails

[cal04]

The watchdog group that first provided the FBI with suspicious e-mails from then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) said yesterday that FBI and Justice Department officials are attempting to cover up their inaction in the case by making false claims about the group.

Law enforcement officials said the allegations by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) are without merit, and they stood by allegations that the group had refused to provide some information to the FBI.

The dispute is the latest controversy this week for CREW, a liberal-leaning group that has come under attack from House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other Republicans because it has received money from a foundation funded by liberal financier George Soros.

CREW held a news conference Monday to announce that in July it had provided the FBI suspicious e-mails between Foley and a former House page. The group criticized the bureau for not taking more aggressive action and asked Justice Department Inspector General Glenn A. Fine to investigate the FBI's handling of the case.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501657.html

[chill_wind]

1. Melanie Sloan is taking on the FBI very publically - *brave woman*

"Sloan said the group sent unedited e-mails to the FBI because "we wanted them to commence an investigation. We're sort of outraged that they're saying anything differently." The group has asked Fine's office to look into the FBI's assertions."

She actually went further in one clip I caught on CNN tonite. She said she would characterize FBI's assertions as LIES. I had every sense from her vehemence that she can back it all up.

[Pachamama]

9. Melanie Sloan used to be a Prosecutor for Child Sex Crimes

You think she might know what she is talking about? :eyes:

[chill_wind]

10. Hope those "roll eyes" weren't for me. I admire her immensely. nt

[Tuesday_Morning]

2. from the very fine blog, Cannonfire

http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2006/10/fbi-rhymes-with-lie.html

The FBI hates a black eye, and they received a nice, shiny one when they refused to act upon the emails handed to them by CREW back in July. Now, the FBI claims that they received redacted documents, and that investigators asked for follow-up info which CREW refused to provide.

CREW has sent a letter of response: They had sent the Bureau unredacted docs, and received only one follow-up call from an investigator, who did not request further data, although he confirmed that Foley had indeed sent the emails -- which means that the Bureau did some research.

Looks like the FBI is telling a CYA fib. Naturally, FOX and CBS have gone with the FBI version of events. Did anyone at those news organizations make one phone call to CREW? Nope. CBS has since offered an updated version of the story, which is a responsible move. FOX, on the other hand...

[rodeodance]

3. inaction all around.

In subsequent days, unidentified Justice and FBI officials told reporters that the e-mails provided by CREW were heavily redacted and that the group refused to provide unedited versions to the FBI. One law enforcement official -- speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation -- also told The Washington Post the FBI believed that CREW may have received the e-mails as early as April and that the group refused to tell the FBI how they were obtained.

Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director, said copies of the original e-mails she sent to an FBI agent show those assertions to be wrong. Sloan said the agent called to confirm receipt of the e-mails and to ask if one of the parties was Foley.

Sloan said the group sent unedited e-mails to the FBI because "we wanted them to commence an investigation. We're sort of outraged that they're saying anything differently." The group has asked Fine's office to look into the FBI's assertions.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse declined to comment on that issue but defended the FBI's handling of the original e-mails: "The e-mails, while inappropriate, did not contain a criminal predicate to allow the FBI to move forward in an investigation."

[BornagainDUer]

4. In Freeperland they are saying that the e-mails from

crew were tampered with.

[agio]

5. rolls eyes

if they think they can put a tang document on this, that is just sad.

[w4rma]

6. They are deluded over there.

There are emails and lots and lots of IMs. Plus multiple harassed pages who all seem to be defending one another.

[MADem]

7. That's been soundly debunked. CREW made that plain to

the news media the second the rumor was raised, and provided copies of what they gave the FEEBS to ABC, I believe.

[radfringe]

8. If the "e-mails" are without merit

If the "e-mails" are without merit:

Why did Foley resign so quickly and hide in rehab instead of fighting back?

Why is Hastert pointing fingers instead of saying the e-mails have no merit?

Why is there a House "ethics" investigation?

[chill_wind]

11. (Cnn) She gave CNN the specific name of the FBI Field Agent

she interacted with, since, as she stated it, the FBI has decided to lie.

CNN says today that they've placed a call to that name.

"So far that Field office has not returned our calls."

I hope she will continue to take them to the wall on it.

And when this is all done, let's inquire again how that Niger Forgery "investigation" :sarcasm: is coming along. The one they were asked by Dems to be reopened after it was learned it had been quietly shut down.