Peanut Co. owner refuses to testify to Congress

[devilgrrl]

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE (Associated Press Writers)
From Associated Press
February 11, 2009 5:56 PM EST

WASHINGTON - See the jar, the congressman challenged Stewart Parnell, holding up a container of the peanut seller's products and asking if he'd dare eat them. Parnell pleaded the Fifth. The owner of the peanut company at the heart of the massive salmonella recall refused to answer the lawmaker's questions - or any others - Wednesday about the bacteria-tainted products he defiantly told employees to ship to some 50 manufacturers of cookies, crackers and ice cream.

"Turn them loose," Parnell had told his plant manager in an internal e-mail disclosed at the House hearing. The e-mail referred to products that once were deemed contaminated but were cleared in a second test last year.

Summoned by congressional subpoena, the owner of Peanut Corp. of America repeatedly invoked his right not to incriminate himself at the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the salmonella outbreak that has sickened some 600 people, may be linked to nine deaths - the latest reported in Ohio on Wednesday - and resulted in one of the largest product recalls of more than 1,900 items.

Parnell sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap at the witness table, as Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., held up a clear jar of his company's products wrapped in crime-scene tape and asked if he would eat them.

"Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer your questions based on the protections afforded me under the U.S. Constitution," Parnell responded.

After he repeated the statement several times, lawmakers dismissed him from the hearing.

more: http://tinyurl.com/dymxb5

[nc4bo]

1. He should be force fed his product.

Life in prison is sounding better and better.

[tularetom]

2. Stewart Parnell - wasn't he the guy with the '64 Malibu in Repo Man?

[frylock]

17. j. frank parnell..

i'm sure he ate a lot of peanutbutter crackers out of those vending machines.

[Roadless]

3. How are these guys not in jail yet?

If found guilty, they need a life sentence.

Can you imagine what would happen to a poor person who intentionally handed out poisoned food to unsuspecting people? They wouldn't be walking the streets, that's for sure.

[City Lights]

5. Hiya, Roadless!

:hi: Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Fleshdancer]

15. Exactly

What this company did was criminal.

Welcome to DU Roadless :hi:

[stevedeshazer]

4. Rep. Walden deserves some credit here

As the only Repub in my state's congressional delegation, I usually am quite critical of him, but he did the right thing this time.

[RoccoR5955]

6. Life in prison with only peanuts for food should be his penalty! n/t

[Donnachaidh]

7. Wonder how buddy-buddy he is with Saxby Chambliss and Sonny Perdue?

Bet he's made contributions to BOTH those agri-business shills. :grr:

[jimshoes]

8. In China they'd hang this guy.

Not saying it's right but he'd be sentenced to death before his trial is over.

[tularetom]

12. Sometimes China has the right idea.

I used to tell everyone I opposed the death penalty under any circumstances.

But the more I think about it, the more I believe I actually support it in a lot of cases.

Especially a POS like this who is personally responsible for so much sickness and misery.

Or for animal cruelty. Or elected officials who lie in order to start a war.

[NutmegYankee]

16. They wouldn't hang him. Rope costs too much.

They'd shoot him.

[eilen]

9. I thought he was claiming executive privilege...that seems to be the trend.

[chollybocker]

10. Mr. Parnell should be ordered to pay all medical bills related to his tainted products,

plus 20x that amount to each family for pain and suffering, then escorted off to jail in handcuffs.

[Myrina]

11. I LOVED seeing Congressman Parnell do that!!

What great theatre! :applause: :applause:

[Thrill]

13. If these guys don't go to jail. No one will

[SoCalDem]

14. They need to hold him down. and force feed him some of every product

his company "produced"