Bush administration leaks bolstered Rick Renzi’s reelection bid

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

By Murray Waas

In the fall of 2006, one day after the Justice Department granted permission to a U.S. attorney to place a wiretap on a Republican congressman suspected of corruption, existence of the investigation was leaked to the press — not only compromising the sensitive criminal probe but tipping the lawmaker off to the wiretap.

Career federal law enforcement officials who worked directly on a probe of former Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) said they believe that word of the investigation was leaked by senior Bush administration political appointees in the Justice Department in an improper and perhaps illegal effort to affect the outcome of an election.

At the time of the leak, Renzi was locked in a razor-thin bid for reelection and unconfirmed reports of a criminal probe could have become politically damaging. The leaked stories — appearing 10 days before the election — falsely suggested that the investigation of Renzi was in its initial stages and unlikely to lead to criminal charges.

In fact, the investigation had been ongoing for some time and had already amassed enough evidence of alleged criminal misconduct to obtain approval from the highest levels of the Justice Department, including then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, to seek an application from a federal judge to wiretap Renzi. In February 2008, a federal grand jury indicted Renzi on 36 felony counts of money laundering, extortion, insurance fraud and various other alleged crimes.

But the disinformation leaked to media outlets in October 2006 had the desired effect: Renzi won reelection by the narrowest of margins

Read more: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-administration-leaks-bolstered-rick-renzis-reelection-bid-2009-06-24.html

[countmyvote4real]

1. Don Siegelman, Paul Minor, Valerie Plame, Gitmo, Sparticus

Where is the DOJ now? They're defending DOMA on grounds of incest.

It seems to me that the DOJ has much larger fish to fry and for much more logical reasons.

[alstephenson]

2. K & R

Renzi is a scum bag. Bush DOJ, even worse.

[sofa king]

3. Gee, who would have thought they'd do something like that?

[No Elephants]

4. When will it be enough to appoint a Special Counsel or Special Prosecutor? WHEN?