Embattled AG now accused in teen sex scandal 'cover-up'

[Joanne98]

Look what I found on Worldnetdaily of all places...

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
Embattled AG now accused in teen sex scandal 'cover-up'
Attorney General Gonzales among officials who allegedly ignored abuse of minor boys

By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54861
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, both already under siege for other matters, are now being accused of failing to prosecute officers of the Texas Youth Commission after a Texas Ranger investigation documented that guards and administrators were sexually abusing the institution's teenage boy inmates.

Among the charges in the Texas Ranger report were that administrators would rouse boys from their sleep for the purpose of conducting all-night sex parties.

Ray Brookins, one of the officials named in the report, was a Texas prison guard before being hired at the youth commission school. As a prison guard, Brookins had a history of disciplinary and petty criminal records dating back 21 years. He retained his job despite charges of using pornography on the job, including viewing nude photos of men and women on state computers.

The Texas Youth Comission controversy traces back to a criminal investigation conducted in 2005 by Texas Ranger Brian Burzynski. The investigation revealed key employees at the West Texas State School in Pyote, Texas, were systematically abusing youth inmates in their custody.

Burzynski presented his findings to the attorney general in Texas, to the U.S. Attorney Sutton, and to the Department of Justice civil rights division. From all three, Burzynski received no interest in prosecuting the alleged sexual offenses.

"This case demonstrates that a partisan political agenda, with Karl Rove in an orchestrating role, has penetrated the Justice Department and subverted fair-minded administration of the law," Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project, told WND.
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54861

I knew this would happen. Gonzo was in charge of the juvenile system in Texas. I bet if anybody reseaches this you will find the MESS started with Alberto's term..Here's my thread from last night..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=224x1790

[Zywiec]

1. When it rains, it pours!

[Joanne98]

4. It's raining cats and dogs....

Gonzo is SOOOO screwed!

[stubtoe]

2. If this story holds up, this'll be the thing that gets Gonzo pitched overboard.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. Allowing abuse is as bad as doing it. It perpetrates the abuse.

If Gonzalez knew and failed to act, I can't see the White House defending this one somehow...

Miller from CA might want to look into this.

[valerief]

7. And don't all those Catholic Cardinals know it! nt

[Joanne98]

3. HAHAHA! Alex Jones is on him too!

Gonzales Implicated In Cover-Up Of New Pedophile Scandal
Letter from Sutton's office legitimized raping of boys in minor's facility

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Monday, March 26, 2007
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2007/260307pedophilescandal.htm

Journalist Jerome Corsi appeared on the Alex Jones Show today to discuss in depth his astounding new investigation that implicates both Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in the cover-up of a pedophilia scandal involving the Texas Youth Commission.

"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, both already under siege for other matters, are now being accused of failing to prosecute officers of the Texas Youth Commission after a Texas Ranger investigation documented that guards and administrators were sexually abusing the institution's minor boy inmates," writes Corsi in a report for World Net Daily.

"Among the charges in the Texas Ranger report were that administrators would rouse boys from their sleep for the purpose of conducting all-night sex parties."

A 2005 investigation led by Texas Ranger Brian Burzynski revealed that systematic abuse of minors was commonplace at West Texas State School in Pyote, Texas. Burzynski presented the findings of the investigation to both Gonzales and Sutton but was rebuffed, and even received a letter from Sutton's office that attempted to legitimize the sexual abuse of children, claiming that "under 18 U.S.C. Section 242," it would have to be demonstrated "that the boys subjected to sexual abuse sustained "bodily injury," states the letter from Bill Baumann, assistant U.S. attorney in Sutton's office.

Incredulously, Baumann's letter goes on to make the case that the minors consented to and even enjoyed the acts of pedophilia, therefore no further action was necessary.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2007/260307pedophilescandal.htm

[frazzledmom]

6. WND and Alex Jones, now there's a couple of reliable

sources :eyes: Not to say this isn't true but I have a hard time believing anything in WND. And Alex Jones, well if he was right about all the conspiracies he rants about they would have killed him already.

[Joanne98]

9. Don't get in the way when the RW'ers are killing each other.

That's why I posted it. If WND and Alex Jones are reporting it then you know it's bad.

[bahrbearian]

8. No wonder he ran out of press meeting on ,Protecting the Children

he knew they'd be asking about that next.

[Joanne98]

11. This makes me sooo happy!

:party:

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

10. Is the author of this article, Jerome R. Corsi, the same person as

the Jerome Corsi of the Swiftboat Liars? Just wondering.....

[Joanne98]

13. I know. That's what makes it interesting. I wonder what they're doing.

Maybe this is something that was going to come out anyway so they decided to get out in front of it...Who's knows.

[grasswire]

14. dunno...

Yesterday a mod banned this story as it was posted linking to a publication that is banned here on DU.

[Joanne98]

16. Is it my fault they're doing this. The story is legit. Where are the LW bloggers?

They should be doing this?

[karynnj]

48. I think so - which really freaked me out

I don't trust a word he says.

[jazzjunkysue]

12. OK. It's official. I died and went to heaven.

Um, on first glance, I can't imagine a better scandal.

Texas! Really! Texas!

Go ahead. Try to imagine a better scandal. Go ahead and try.

Christmas in March.

:rofl:

[Joanne98]

15. I know I know!!!!!!

:toast:

[jazzjunkysue]

17. Of course the kids are the victims, and that's a tragedy. I'm not celebrating.

But if these murderers covered it up, they're toast. The Texas good old boys will be beyond rage. Beyond humiliation. Beyond reason. This will cost the bush crime family business deals. This will cost them more than control and position. This will cost them contracts. Lots of texans will pull their business deals over this.

This will cost them friends. This will probably cost them the only cover they have: The good old boy network.

[Joanne98]

20. I not happy about it either. I'm furious about the whole Texas prison system.

I've been posting on it for six months. I'm just glad they're finally getting busted. Today the juveniles, tommorrow the adults...

:hi:

[Morgana LaFey]

30. Ya know, I'm not so sure

There are plenty of rumors, and some say documentation, that the Bushes are into pedophilia. I don't know that I believe it, but I also don't know that I don't. Take a look at the response of the AG down there -- that's the voice of someone who worse than doesn't understand child molestation, it's the voice of someone who could easily be inclined to participate himself. IOW: someone who IS a child molester would respond in much the same way. That doesn't make the AG himself a child molester, but it sure as hell makes him complicit. And I suspect that attitude isn't all that "unusual" or out of line in the milieu in which he operates.

After all, these ARE throwaway kids, ya know? Nobody's children. Who cares?

[Joanne98]

33. The Franklin Coverup. Maybe some of these teens can shed some

light on that..Shit like this makes me think of Johnny Gosh!

[lovuian]

52. this is exactly what I thought when they brought this up

there is a abuse going on in this Bush regime with children

and they are not protecting them they are exploiting them

to coverup it is abominable
why cover it up???
why protect it for what reason

[jaksavage]

18. Someone/thing , help us!

The abuse of these facists must come to an end.

It is too much, too far, too bad

Is there no Justice?
sarcasm thingy

[Lone_Star_Dem]

19. I hadn't heard of this angle yet

And when one considers the sources I'm even more surprised.

I feel like the guy on Average Joe, "What the hell is going on here?"

[Joanne98]

21. I know. I feel like the world has turned upside down!!!!

WHERE ARE THE LW BLOGS ON THIS? I can't believe their letting WND and Alex Jones kick their asses on this story. I'm going to do some more searching to see if any of our guys has something...

[Joanne98]

22. Okay. I found a left-wing blogger who's on it......

Tuesday, March 27. 2007
"Electrode Al" Ignored Youth Commission Problems
http://www.reconstitution.us/seren/archives/2099-Electrode-Al-Ignored-Youth-Commission-Problems.html
The many crimes of "Electrode Al" Gonzales are appalling in and of themselves. We have featured many Electrode Al Chronicles, like the one linked here.

We already know about Electrode Al's disdain for the Constitution, Geneva Conventions, and the rule of law. We've seen how willing he was to rid the Justice Department of attorneys who actually believe in these things.

Electrode Al's love of torture as a tactic is also well known (although his sister is apparently too good for the kind of torture Electrode Al thinks anyone else who commits a crime should be subjected to,) and well documented in his own opinions. We know that Electrode Al thought Abu Ghraib and Gitmo were just peachy, wonderful ideas-places where the stupid American bars on cruel and unusual punishment could be ignored at will and Electrode Al-style "discipline" could reign. 100% confession rates, and then some!

It is coming to light now that Electrode Al's love of torture apparently doesn't stop with adult suspects being held in other countries. He also seems to think it's a good idea to torture teenagers held in the United States too. If this is true, this goes beyond incompetence, beyond partisanship, and beyond appalling. This goes straight to just plain evil. I am sickened by the knowledge that this man is the Attorney General of the United States, and if you have any humanity in you, you should be revolted as well.

It seems to me that you really do have to either be a fetus or in a permanent vegetative state before these thugz give a damn about you. Texans, tell me please-why do you put up with scum like these men and the evils they perpetrate? Why do you keep giving them passes for their rottenness? Throw these bums out on their corrupt, evil asses!

The Democrats at the Lone Star Project say U.S. Attorney General Al Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in San Antonio blew their chance to bring justice to the Texas Youth Commission sexual abuse case.

Texas Ranger Brian Burzynski took the case of sex abuse at the West Texas State School to federal authorities in 2005 when he got frustrated that a local district attorney would not prosecute.

Sutton's office on July 28, 2005, sent Burzynski a letter saying they would decline to prosecute two TYC administrators for having sex with boys in their custody.

When the TYC system build-up was occurring during the administration of then-Gov. George W. Bush, Gonzales was the governor's general counsel and Sutton was his policy director on criminal justice issues.

Matt Angle of the Lone Star Project said the federal authorities, along with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, "were aware of the sordid sexual and physical abuse of juveniles taking place at Texas Youth Commission facilities more than a year before the story broke in the press."

Angle said neither the U.S. Justice Department nor Abbott "took any action, official or unofficial, to stop the abuse, punish the abusers or even publicize the abuse taking place."

The men accused of abusing the youth had already resigned by the time the feds were brought into the case.

According to a letter Sutton's assistant sent to Burzynski, a decision was made not to prosecute in the case because the sentence would be light.

While acknowledging that the student's civil rights were violated, the feds decided a misdemeanor conviction was the best they could get with a one-year prison sentence. They thought the case was better handled by state prosecutors who could win a state jail felony.

"It is my opinion, however, that our office's resources would be better employed investigating and prosecuting cases involving more clearly defined violations of federal criminal law," wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Baumann of San Antonio.

Burzynski then turned to Abbott's office for help. In an email he said federal prosecutors "prepared an indictment but had to pass it up their chain of command for approval to prosecute. In the end, they didn't get that approval..."

Because one of the justice investigators was out of the Civil Rights Division, Angle questioned whether the buck stopped at Sutton or went higher.

"Clearly, a high profile child sex abuse scandal at TYC facilities last year might have proven politically embarrassing for both Gov. Rick Perry and other statewide Republicans on the ballot in 2006," Angle said.

Sutton defended the actions of his office late Thursday.

"This office worked closely with the Texas Rangers in early 2005 to investigate allegations of misconduct by staff/administrators at the West Texas State School," Sutton said.

"Following a thorough analysis of the evidence and applicable federal law, we concluded that the misconduct would be more effectively addressed by State of Texas prosecutorial authorities."

Then Burzynski turned to Abbott's office for help prosecuting the case. Abbott's staff told Burzynski it could not prosecute the case without a request from the local district attorney. That district attorney did not make the request until this January.

"As soon as the Ward County district attorney granted authority to the office of attorney general, this office commenced an aggressive investigation into the allegations concerning the West Texas State School," said Abbott spokesman Jerry Strickland.

Strickland noted the attorney general's office will have the case before a grand jury the week of March 19.

Posted by Jolly Roger
http://www.reconstitution.us/seren/archives/2099-Electrode-Al-Ignored-Youth-Commission-Problems.html

I like the title of this so much I'm giving it it's own thread!

[WorldResident]

23. Is this a federal scandal or a Texas scandal?

n/t

[Joanne98]

25. A Texas scandal... For now anyway!

[Joanne98]

24. Corsi's original source is a progressive group. The Lone Star Project.

So that clears up where the story came from....
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2007/03/other-department-of-justice-scandal.html
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Protecting Pedophiles: The OTHER Department of Justice scandal
You probably already know that Alberto Gonzales is chest-deep in the kind of hot water usually reserved for missionaries in old New Yorker cartoons. Kyle Sampson, his former chief of staff, will testify on Thursday; according to U.S. News & World Report, he will say that Gonzales was in the loop on the USA firings -- despite Gonzales' own contradictory testimony.

But there's another controversy lurking in the background -- one which I hesitate to mention because the primary "mainstream" print source is a fellow I would rather not cite: Jerome Corsi, of World Net Daily.

Yeah, I know. The Swift Boat guy. Not my favorite person. But his latest tears into Gonzales -- or rather, the Bush Justice Department -- rather fiercely.

The controversy surrounds the Texas Youth Commission, which is embroiled in a rather grim scandal. In 2005, investigators from the Texas Rangers found that guards and administrator were sexually abusing institutionalized youths, who were recruited to provide "entertainment" during night-long orgies.

(As long-time readers know, this blog has an ongoing interest in abusive youth institutions, which often have ties to the Republican hierarchy.)

Corsi cites this report by a progressive group in Texas, the Lone Star Project. The gist: The Texas Rangers submitted their report of sexual abuse to the A.G. in Texas and to the U.S. Attorney for that state, Johnny Sutton, and to the Department of Justice. The Rangers wanted someone to prosecute the bad guys, and they felt they had a strong case.

Now, Johnny Sutton -- unlike, say, Carol Lam -- was never in danger of losing his gig, since he is considered one of the "loyal Bushies" among the U.S. Attorneys. In fact, his jurisdiction covers Dubya's ranch in Crawford. He is no stranger to controversy.

When the Texas Rangers asked to have the Texas Youth Commission abuses prosecuted, Sutton's chief assistant sent an extraordinary response: The office had decided not to pursue the matter because the sexually abused boys had not sustained "bodily injury."
Baumann's letter continued, adding a definition of the phrase "bodily injury," as follows: "Federal courts have interpreted this phrase to include physical pain. None of the victims have claimed to have felt physical pain during the course of the sexual assaults which they described."
Is statutory rape no longer a crime in Texas? Even if it isn't, the Dallas Morning News reports that the youths were, in fact, coerced -- violently.
When an inmate at a state juvenile prison complained of an administrator's sexual advances, swift and merciless punishment followed: The teenager was thrown into an isolation cell "and put in shackles for over 13 hours," a Texas Rangers report revealed.
And:
In one common form of payback, inmates say, guards instruct their favored juveniles to beat those who complain. This, many inmates say, has been a practice for years at TYC.
In the facility, everyone knew the rule: "Snitches get stitches."

The Alberto Gonzales Department of Justice declined prosecution as well. The paperwork is here. Matt Angle of the Lone Star Project believes that the case was shut down on direct orders from Washington.

The folks behind the Lone Star Project seem particularly outraged that both the State and Federal justice systems gave the TYC outrages a pass, even as they both made a priority of pursuing partisan "voter registration fraud" claims against Democrats:
In February 2006, an agent from Attorney General Greg Abbott's office was informed that sexual abuse had taken place in the Ward County TYC facility. Meanwhile, Abbott had an agent on sight near Ward County working on Abbott's controversial and partisan voter fraud project...and was never reassigned to help with the TYC investigtion... The election case involved a 69 year old woman who had simply mailed sealed and completed ballots for several senior citizen neighbors.
U.S. Attorney Sutton deserves a closer look. We'll be returning to him soon.

Meanwhile: Why is Jerome Corsi one of the few voices reporting this stuff? His primary source is a left-ish group. The Dallas Morning News has run a series of reports on the TYC scandal. See also here.
# posted by Joseph :
http://cannonfire.blogspot.com/2007/03/other-department-of-justice-scandal.html

[caligirl]

26. anyone here recall the 'parties' in the wh during 41'st term, It made headlines

in the wahington times.

[Joanne98]

50. The Franklin Coverup!

[Morgana LaFey]

27. I sent this TWICE to JMM via his tips email on his website --

and (to my knowledge), NOTHING. Here's what I sent:

13:14 3/20/2007
With partisan US attorneys, even child molesters go free if they are Repubs (shocking details):
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3170722 (several links)
and: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x450493



Glad to see WorldnetDaily on it. Shame on him.

[Joanne98]

35. Raw Story is on it. I just saw a link somewhere...

[BlooInBloo]

28. If by "I'm staying to protect the children" you mean....

:rofl:

[Joanne98]

29. Give a hand to The Lone Star Project!

these are the people that undercovered this scandal..
http://www.lonestarproject.net/

[Lone_Star_Dem]

32. You have to love them

Fighting Back... With facts.

They're doing some great work exposing the corruption.

[Joanne98]

34. I just signed up for their e-mail updates. By tommorrow they'll be

buried...They are doing some GREAT WORK!

[caligirl]

31. God told Bush to pick Gonzo?

[stillcool]

36. this story is wicked...

http://www.texasobserver.org/pdfs/TYC_version_1.pdf
http://www.texasobserver.org/article.php?aid=2455
New Evidence of Altered Documents in TYC Coverup
March 12th, 2007 at 1:33 pm

A disciplinary report confirming misconduct by former West Texas State School Assistant Superintendent Ray Brookins was altered with the apparent approval of Texas Youth Commission Inspector General Ray Worsham shortly after Brookins was given a promotion, documents obtained by the Observer show. Worsham was suspended with pay last week after allegations surfaced that he may have been responsible for altering a key internal review of the agency’s handling of the crisis at Pyote. New, unreleased documents show that Worsham may have been covering for Brookins much earlier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/us/28youth.html?ex=1330318800&en=035333ccacbc536b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Texan Calls for Takeover of State’s Juvenile Schools
By RALPH BLUMENTHAL
Published: February 28, 2007

AUSTIN, Tex., Feb. 27 — A long-simmering scandal over sexual abuse of juveniles at schools for youthful offenders broke into the open on Tuesday with an outraged state senator calling for a takeover of the troubled Texas Youth Commission.
Erich Schlegel for The New York Times


At a school in West Texas, a youth commission official acknowledged at a hearing of the State Senate Criminal Justice Committee, the school’s superintendent was aware that two supervisors routinely awakened boys for late-night encounters behind closed doors in deserted offices.

The two supervisors — one of whom had been transferred from another state school after pornography was found on his work computer — were allowed to resign in 2005 without charges. One became the principal of a charter school in Midland, Tex., state officials said. The superintendent was promoted to director of juvenile corrections, a post he still holds, the youth commission confirmed.


State Senator Juan Hinojosa, Democrat of McAllen, who investigated conditions at another school in his South Texas district in 2005, said, “We found out a lot of youths are kept seven or eight months longer than required, and we want to know why.”

Mr. Hinojosa added: “If a young person refuses to have sex with a supervisor, they deduct a point and are required to stay longer.”

At another state school in Brownwood in Central Texas, he said, “A supervisor was accused of having sex with a 15-year-old juvenile” — a girl, he said later. It was turned over to the Brownwood police, he said, “with no action — it was covered up.”


Senators questioned Mr. Nichols about the transfer in 2003 of one supervisor, Ray Brookins, to the West Texas State School from another school for juvenile offenders at San Saba, after pornography had been found on his computer. Mr. Brookins later became assistant superintendent at Pyote and was cited by the Texas Rangers for sexual contact with juveniles there, senators said.

Another supervisor at Pyote, John Paul Hernandez, was also reported by the Texas Rangers to have engaged in sexual contact with students, senators said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The superintendent at Pyote, Chip Harrison, who knew of the accusations against Mr. Brookins and Mr. Hernandez and kept them on the staff, senators said, is now director of juvenile corrections for the commission, in charge of several schools.

[Joanne98]

38. OMG! That needs it's own thread....

[stillcool]

40. Go for it...I kind of butchered...

the Times article...

[jazzjunkysue]

45. Oh, Molly. I wish you had made it to this scandal!!! We love you!

R.I.P. :hug:

[stillcool]

47. my thoughts exactly...

and Ann Richards.

[xchrom]

37. recommend

[SpiralHawk]

39. republicons and sex -- such a sick, sick, sick combination

No wonder Gonzo wanted to keep the closet door shut tightly...

[progressoid]

41. This would be a much better post without the link to WorldNutDaily

[UTUSN]

42. CORSI. Hmmm. Repeating: Gonzo will go when RETHUGS dump him, NOT Dems

Everybody remembers who Jerome CORSI is, no? The author of "Unfit for Command," the KERRY swiftbotting tome? And the co-author with Minutemen of theirs. Who is out there peddling tinfoil regarding the "North American union" and frequent guest on the Art BELL successor, George NOORY's Coast to Coast.

So, I have no doubt about GONZALES's responsibility in the cited story, but its legitimacy will only become real through another source.


********QUOTE*******

http://mediamatters.org/items/200408060010

MMFA investigates: Who is Jerome Corsi, co-author of Swift Boat Vets attack book?

....
• Corsi on Islam: "a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion"

• Corsi on Catholicism: "Boy buggering in both Islam and Catholicism is okay with the Pope as long as it isn't reported by the liberal press"

• Corsi on Muslims: "RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are Women-Haters -- it all goes together"

• Corsi on "John F*ing Commie Kerry": "After he married TerRAHsa, didn't John Kerry begin practicing Judiasm? He also has paternal grandparents that were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?"

• Corsi on Senator "FAT HOG" Clinton: "Anybody ask why HELLary couldn't keep BJ Bill satisfied? Not lesbo or anything, is she?" ....

********UNQUOTE*******

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Wow talk about bad Karma

I think Gonzo can start packing up his office.

[VelmaD]

44. put the bulk of the blame squarely where it belongs...

on George W. While he was governor, the state went all "tough on crime"...which included drastically increasing the number of kids incarcerated in TYC. And of course the state government didn't want to shell out money for new juvenile prisons and the agency had to build on the cheap. We ended up with 96-bed, open-bay dorms...they are unsafe, they are hard to adequately staff, and they make it too easy for staff and kids to hurt each other.

[Ladyinblack]

46. but I thought he was going to keep on protecting children

What scum these people are.

Bush and his associates are in my opinion sociopaths. I am afraid he will start a war in Iraq to divert attention from all the scandals.

[lonestarnot]

49. Well the fucking freaks!

[lovuian]

51. I see a pattern of covering up pedophiles and its definitely

sinister and evil... the pedophiles swept under the church

its like they put these people in positions of control

evil regime

[JackRiddler]

53. This must have legs or Corsi wouldn't be rushing up to get ahead of it n/t

[LSK]

54. they dont even have WORLDNUTDAILY ANYMORE?!?!?!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

55. Kick and an article from Wayne Madsen

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/03/356557.shtml