Bush special counsel Bloch to plead guilty to withholding evidence from probe

[maddezmom]

Source: WaPo

By Carol D. Leonnig
Friday, April 23, 2010

Scott J. Bloch, the former director of a federal office in charge of helping shield government whistleblowers from unfair treatment, plans to plead guilty to withholding information from congressional investigators after he had his office computer files professionally deleted in 2006.

U.S. prosecutors filed papers in federal court Thursday that accuse Bloch, who led the Office of Special Counsel through much of President George W. Bush's administration, of failing to truthfully answer questions about whether he arranged for private computer technicians to "scrub" his office computer and that of other political appointees. This type of filing, known as an information, is made public when a suspect is about to plead guilty to allegations.

Bloch came under criticism early in his tenure as special counsel for ordering that all mention of workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation be removed from the office's Web site and printed materials. Bloch said his office lacked the authority to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

He was abruptly removed from his post and barred from returning to his office in October 2008 after a meeting with White House officials.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042205724.html

[Demeter]

1. Amazingly Slow

such a low-level official and such a petty offense.

[ShortnFiery]

3. And that will be the end of it! A slap on the wrist and everything else down The Memory Hole. eom

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. it is as though Pat Fitzgerald was in charge.

If he were to investigate the devil, hell would freeze over as time wore on.

[ShortnFiery]

2. Notice that even mid-level employees who have the IMPORTANT, top level CONNECTIONS,

NEVER have to pay a price? :grr:

America no longer values EITHER Civil Rights nor The Rule of Law.

And yes, it starts from the TOP DOWN. :thumbsdown:

http://yorick.infinitejest.org:81/1/img/card-1984_instruction_manual.jpg

[Mr. Sparkle]

5. If he is pleading guilty to such a small offense, you have to wonder what he was hiding.

I have to imagine either way he was a good foot solder for corporate america.

[Imagevision]

6. Obama transparency? huge disappoinment...