Public Integrity..?
Abramoff Prosecutor Among Bush Nominees
AP- President Bush on Wednesday nominated one of the Justice Department's lead prosecutors in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe to a U.S. District Court seat.
Noel Hillman, chief of the department's public integrity section, was nominated for the federal judgeship in New Jersey, where he served in the U.S. Attorney's office under Michael Chertoff, now secretary of Homeland Security.
The White House was poised to nominate Hillman last summer, after New Jersey's two Democratic senators took the opportunity to weigh in on Hillman and other nominees in exchange for lifting their objections to another candidate Bush had nominated in 2003.
White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said the president makes all his nominations in a timely manner and was ready to move forward with these, adding that Bush was pleased to work with Sen. Frank Lautenberg (news, bio, voting record) and former Sen. Jon Corzine (news, bio, voting record), now governor of New Jersey.
Hillman will step down as chief of the public integrity unit next week, but remain in the Justice Department's criminal division until he is confirmed, a department official said. Andrew Lourie, a career prosecutor in Miami, will lead the public corruption-fighting office on a temporary basis, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss personnel matters.
Lourie performed the same role until Hillman took over early in 2003.
During a news conference earlier this month following Abramoff's guilty plea on corruption-related charges, Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher said Hillman played an important role in providing leadership in the investigation.
Hillman came to Washington in 2001. Before that, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey from 1992 to 2001, coming in while Chertoff was the U.S. attorney.
Last summer, Corzine and Lautenberg signed off on the nominations of Hillman and two others nominated to judgeships in New Jersey on Wednesday. They gave the OK as part of an agreement to lift their objections to Bush's nomination of Republican activist Peter Sheridan to the federal bench.
...On 10-27 I posted and open letter to POTUS regarding SCOTUS..I remain committed to see my tasks and duties at hand to completion, regardless of the temptations/offers they may throw at me.
AP- President Bush on Wednesday nominated one of the Justice Department's lead prosecutors in the Jack Abramoff corruption probe to a U.S. District Court seat.
Noel Hillman, chief of the department's public integrity section, was nominated for the federal judgeship in New Jersey, where he served in the U.S. Attorney's office under Michael Chertoff, now secretary of Homeland Security.
The White House was poised to nominate Hillman last summer, after New Jersey's two Democratic senators took the opportunity to weigh in on Hillman and other nominees in exchange for lifting their objections to another candidate Bush had nominated in 2003.
White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said the president makes all his nominations in a timely manner and was ready to move forward with these, adding that Bush was pleased to work with Sen. Frank Lautenberg (news, bio, voting record) and former Sen. Jon Corzine (news, bio, voting record), now governor of New Jersey.
Hillman will step down as chief of the public integrity unit next week, but remain in the Justice Department's criminal division until he is confirmed, a department official said. Andrew Lourie, a career prosecutor in Miami, will lead the public corruption-fighting office on a temporary basis, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss personnel matters.
Lourie performed the same role until Hillman took over early in 2003.
During a news conference earlier this month following Abramoff's guilty plea on corruption-related charges, Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher said Hillman played an important role in providing leadership in the investigation.
Hillman came to Washington in 2001. Before that, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in New Jersey from 1992 to 2001, coming in while Chertoff was the U.S. attorney.
Last summer, Corzine and Lautenberg signed off on the nominations of Hillman and two others nominated to judgeships in New Jersey on Wednesday. They gave the OK as part of an agreement to lift their objections to Bush's nomination of Republican activist Peter Sheridan to the federal bench.
...On 10-27 I posted and open letter to POTUS regarding SCOTUS..I remain committed to see my tasks and duties at hand to completion, regardless of the temptations/offers they may throw at me.
posted by Patrick J. Fitzgerald at 1/25/2006
47 Comments:
I read on Noel Hillman in the WSJ a few weeks ago. How coincidence that the leading prosecutor of Abramoff is Bush's nominee. Let's hope that Hillman has personal integrity to not be brought and paid for. We have seen so far some of Bush's friends and nominee either investigated or being indicted. Not a good track record.
On a side note: 10-27 vote? And how many people from this poll are for you for POTUS or are the 10-27 score for the Super Bowl? Keep doing what you do best, Fitz: fight for justice!
Call me skeptical at best.
I would not put it beyond the
ROVE
CHENEY
RUMMY
CONDI
BUSH
nonsense to actually CREATE the latest BIN LADEN tape to shift public attention, concern towards
the Terrorist Surviellance [FITZ, when you find they've gone through your email, mail and phone log, keep that in mind].
Bush and his cronies and let me be
VERY CLEAR -- will STOP at
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to GET WHAT
THEY WANT.
NOT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT, NEED or DESIRE.
His motives are self-serving as are those in the Administration.
King George and his posse must leave.
Oh and about this latest nomination.
Come on Fitz, the idea is they want to buy the person..
play with something over 'here' so people don't pay attention to whats going on over there.
I'm with you Prsctr Bil, hopefully Hillman can't be bought.
Same with Alito and Roberts.
God help us.
Let's hope not, 6 miles. I read Hillman's profile in the New York Times. Hillman has quite a record as an attorney (on a side note, he is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan). I hate to see another person or professional falls into the corruption of the White House... We need more honest professional who are willing to be unbossed and unbroughted by the mangler-in-chief and gang.
If someone might be a bother, especially in a prosecutorial sense, offer them a better position. They may not be bought off, per se, but they are no longer on the case.
Definitely suspicious, though.
Would George Bush even be president if his father had not appointed some members of the Supreme Court?
Fitz for POTUS in '08? Flygirls say yes!
BTW, on your comment about POTUS, I realize that 10-27 (you didn't put the year.) was a date of your posting not a vote. I have looked about your posting on 10/27/05 (Although, the 10-27 can still be a score for the Super Bowl next weekend!). Since you have a mission and the passion to fight for truth and justice in the American Way, bloggers on the site see your qualities fitting to run for POTUS because of your honesty and intergrity. We hope that the next Prez in 2008 carries your qualities..
Kit: agree with you 1000%.
yes, one thousand percent
both on the
a) be a bother and move them over 'there', off the 'case', lose momentum thing;
b) FITZ for POTUS '08
If, if Fitz is able to bring justice [I'm a little selfish and almost wrote "nail the SOBs"] to bear on the WHIGs and Bush and his posse, we'll be on a much better path for the US of A
no less
the rest of the world. How it must look from across the pond, at this diabolical scheme of players, playing the American public?
All the worlds a stage and we have the emperor with no clothes in the Oval.
GEESH!
Looks like Kit and 6 miles are campaigning for you for POTUS 2008 louder than ever.... That certainly leaves out cheering for H. Clinton and J. McCain. And my advice to you, Fitz (prosecutor to prosecutor)? You are on your own on this one...
Note: You are not paranoid if they are already torturing you.
Need to repeat PJF mantra today..
Nither fear nor favor will keep him from his task..
quite as we expect
am enjoying all post..
take care everyone
I now have a team Me and Bluewild for Seattle. With a friend like Bluewild I'm already a winner.
Now all of you must know that Bushie is going to put his corrupt friends in as many positions as possible before he is impeached. Money is flying out of the treasury so fast he's making new money to give away. So its up to the other honest elected officials to do their jobs. If John Kerry is reading this ( its now time to shut down the white house) you asked Americans to help you during the election now its time for you to help us. We need a real leader NOW to stop this madness. Fitz is a proscutor and he is the best but he can't save us from Bushie and friends. Fitz will convict the criminals but an elected official has the power to get this incompetant fool out of office.
About that bin Laden tape...
http://www.abclocal.go.com/wtvd
/story?section=local&id=3828678
Duke Professor Skeptical of bin Laden Tape 01/19/06
He thinks bin Laden is dead and has doubts about the tape. Lawrence recently analyzed more than 20 complete speeches and interviews of the al Qaida leader for his book. He says the new message is missing several key elements.
There's nothing in this from the Koran. He's, by his own standards, a faithful Muslim, Lawrence said. He quotes scripture in defense of his actions. There's no quotation from the Koran in the excerpts we got, no reference to specific events, no reference to past atrocities.
While the CIA confirms the voice on the tape is bin Laden's, Lawrence questions when it was recorded. He says the timing of its release could be to divert attention from last week's U.S. air strike in Pakistan. The strike targeted bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, and killed four leading al Qaeda figures along with civilians.
Lawrence believes faulty Pakistani intelligence led to the strike and the civilian deaths, and the tape was leaked by Pakistani authorities to divert attention from their mistake.
Fitz
You need to make certain that Bush stops this meddling around....nobody can dare screw around with the Abramoff investigation, that includes trying to move 'prosecutors'
If we have a 'sunday night massacre' all of us will be in the streets with you to drag the punk out and believe me we'll be ready!
By the way I know this is the real fitzgerald, I'm not buying that parody stuff....
How do you know?
I mean really, how can any of us know?
anon. start at the top of the blog history and come back here.
its the real deal.
. . . and if you want parody and
tongue in cheek laughs
click on the Sam Alito blog,
especially some of the entries during the hearings.
:)
its getting real interesting in Dodge City. . .
WaPo reporting the Kenny Boy is starting his little judicial debut on Monday;
Libby's denouement is coming soon;
oh, and more Merry Fitzmas on the way!
BO YAAA!
Six Miles--
I've been following this blog since it first appeared.
I still can't say I've seen anything to convince me that this is Fitzgerald's own blog. As far as I have noticed, there have been no posts that (by time) preceded any of the breaking news posted elsewhere.
The reason I am still here is because the leadership of our country has taken a disastrous turn since 2000, but the majority of Americans still seem to think everything is just fine.
This is a small corner of the web where a very few of us can gather and express our hope that SOMETHING is going to happen soon that will shake them awake. Unfortunately I no longer have faith that this awakening is going to emerge through the leadership of the Democratic party.
If PJF writes this, or comments here, that is great. But if not, at least I know that there are others like me who share this dream.
Perhaps these small seeds and others like them will take root and sprout into a viable third party before it is too late.
NICCCEE!!!!!!
I know that this blog is the real deal, because I've talked to him before and staff.
The one who posts here sometimes, has pictures inside of his real office, real desks, and no little useless details
Of course they also make fun of it too, to humor people...occasionally. It's the desk of mr. fitzgerald.
President Fitz/VP Jackie sounds nice if only I were young again. But that old saying still goes ( behind every great man there is a great woman ). Now I'm back to reality. I was thinking about what grandmanuk said I think the tape is fake too. Its not only the timing but what he said. Sorry Bin Laden doesn't talk that way in other words he's smarter. We'll find out later that it was a fake as we did with the WMD documents. Bluewild you are one of the best writers/thinkers Kit is the brains of the group and everyone of the regulars on the blog are smarter then Bush and company. I'm so looking forward to the impeachment hearings. How'd everyone like the name change Bush give for illegally spyings, his advisers are so stupid its sad.
I'm Enya.
Keep up the good work about the OBL tape being a fake.
Man it gets better every day -
"Last week US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald (yes, the special prosecutor in the Valerie Plame leak case) announced in Chicago an indictment against Siemens Medical Solutions USA Inc. and two employees (including an in-house lawyer) on fraud charges related to the awarding of a $49 million Cook County, Illinois hospital contract. The structure of a Siemens entity is alleged to have been designed to appear as qualifying for minority bidding status."
http://www.wiredgc.com/2006/01/25/inhouse-indict/
damn, that city's crooks are sure keeping you busy, aren't they?
This link provides some VERY interesting background on a Diebold programmer. Turns out that he was involved with the Plumbers during Watergate.
"Diebold claims that it did not work with Jeffrey Dean after acquiring Global Election Systems in 2002. However, the Dean depositions reveal that in May and June 2002, during the time the "rob-georgia" patch was created, Jeffrey Dean was called back to do consulting for Diebold."
http://www.bbvforums.org/cgi-bin/forums/board-auth.cgi?file=/1954/17305.html
Happy Thursday Folks!
First, Chris Matthews of Hardball is in the hot seat for comparing Michael Moore with Bin Laden. Could Ms. Couric of Today's show be next? Check out Ms. Couric exchange with Howard Dean on the Abramoff scandal:
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/26/couric-caught-on-tape/
Looks like Bush's domestic spying saga is being unfolded. Here an excerpt from Truthout.org. The title is CONGRESS SHUT DOWN SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM IN 2003:
This "suspicionless surveillance" program was developed by the Pentagon's controversial Total Information Awareness department, led by Admiral John Poindexter, the former national security adviser who secretly sold weapons to Middle Eastern terrorists in 1980s during the Iran-Contra affair and was convicted of a felony for lying to Congress and destroying evidence. The convictions were later overturned on appeal.
The program was somewhat different from the warrantless wiretaps President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to conduct in 2002, giving them permission to eavesdrop on phone calls and monitor emails of known al-Qaeda suspects and terrorist sympathizers inside the United States. "Suspicionless surveillance" - unveiled in a Pentagon press release, also in 2002 - was broader in scope: It gave law enforcement the authority to mine commercial and other private data on American citizens, listening in on phone calls, monitoring emails, inspecting credit-card and bank transactions of thousands of individuals on the off-chance that one might be a terrorist - and all without any judicial oversight.
While the programs were different in scope, the goals were essentially the same: to quickly unmask terrorists operating inside the United States. But protests by civil liberty and privacy groups, as well as apprehension by Republican and Democratic lawmakers over what amounted to domestic spying, led Congress to shut down the surveillance program in 2003.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012606I.shtml
I know its a little late but I didn't read all this Public Integrity message because I didn't have my glasses the print is too small. But now that I have read it well Bush is trying to buy any/everyone now. Fitz you will be tested by your words. I guess what life teaches, can you be brought? We on this blog have faith at you are a man of your word. I know those guys are digging deep to see how they can get you, just do me a favor look in the mirror every morning as ask yourself " do I like who I see ?" If you like that person your doing the right thing all day. Stay stronge evil will loss good will always win in the end. Changeing the meaning of a word doesn't change who you are or what you stand for. Integrity is Integrity.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Jackie's right. All of us are tempted in our lives to do something that we think is the right or wrong thing to do. But, we all have to live with the consequences for our decision in life whether it is good or bad. It is the same for the people who are involved or indicted in all of these corruption scandal. I know that you, Fitz, see goodness and honesty in your heart but others (especially the White House) that you don't carry values, honesty, and integrity have to look in that same mirror and hope that they like what they see. And rest assure that they don't see a good reflection in that mirror....
Well .. I believe the people who occupy human shells [since from time to time they lack humanity - recall Katrina] ..
have forgotten they serve at the pleasure of the President.
and we all know, the President has forgotten he is a public servant and serves at the pleasure of the
American Public.
It all comes down to moral fiber and backbone.
These knuckleheads have none.
6 miles:
True, True! A President is a servant to the public. This is what is missing from many politicans and lawmakers and the White House. Bush doesn't know how to serve others but control others... You are right. Bush is a knucklehead... You serve others and in turn, rewards will come back to you in full circle. You do wrong to others and it will come back and bite you. That is Bush's legacy. I hope Bush likes the legacy that he created.
Prsctr Bil
Control others and
serve himself.
A most toxic combination.
6 miles:
Yes, a very toxic combo. I think this cartoon by Bill Mitchell sums up what is happen with Bush.
Cheers!
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/analysis/toons/2006/01/25/mitchell/index.html
John Kerry just stood up for the American people he now showed he can be President of all the people. I wondered who had the guts now we know. He's looking like a man who can clean up the mess and bring us back to the Integrity of this country. I'm only speaking of the acts of a true leader. Others talk but do nothing now we see an elected official who does what he was elected to do and represent the People of America not a special interest group or the GOP rule.
speaking of John Kerry, Kerry is acting more like a President. There is breaking news on CNN:
>
BREAKING NEWS Sen. John Kerry calls for a filibuster of Samuel Alito's Supreme Court nomination.
I guess the photos with Abramoff & Bush have become such a hot commodity that other people are scrambling to remove or destroy evidence:
Studio that scrubbed Abramoff/Bush photo earned $140,000 from 2004 campaign
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Studio_that_scrubbed_photo_earned_140000_0126.html
Kerry is acting more like an opportunist again....Alito isn't satan.
And plus, Alito has to get on the court because like it or not he absolutely hates the neocons like Addington and everyone running the White House.
Kerry is just doing this to raise his appeal unfortunately, as he knows the schtick they are making is over abortion again something every Zionist out there hates alito for. I'm telling you, they need to get off the pot.
Let the prosecutors finish their job....that means let alito have the damn job and quit showboating.
Anon at 5:06
How do you know Alito hates neocons?
Prsctr Bil
Just tried the link on the photo scrubbing ala the Russians destroying all books and re-writing history to their convenience.
either pilot error on cut/paste or they've taken it down
:(
PJF
so if Abramoff is 'singing', it would be
*** lovely ***
to get him to say how he knew the President and get the
happy snaps that way .. AND
knew of what his methods, access was... this President needs to be impeached..
Never mind that there must have been other attendees at
Golf Courses, Waiters/Waitresses at the WH cafeteria, SService who'll tell you
YA, HE KNEW JACK.
Now, everyone, if you twist an Oval Shape in a dastardly way, does it become a hexagon? a bean?
6 miles:
Go to www.rawstory.com. On the top of the page, three paragraphs down, click on the article about studio scrubbing the Abramoff/Bush photo and how they earned 140,000 from the Bush campaign. The article is still there....
say stinky cheeze!
Integrity is "consistency in action".
A bankrobber who keeps robbing banks has integrity. As soon as he (or she) quits robbing banks, THAT's when he (or she) loses his (or her) integrity.
Funny how words trap us.
On Kerry and Alito:
Perhaps he'll visit here as he did the other evening.
Kerry needs to focus on what the American people are passionate about. . . too often it appears he focuses on the 'du jour' message op and not what the American people need:
a) Justice, Integrity and Honor restored to the Government, the Oval office and the Administration
b) restore relations with Allies in a constructive vs destructive manner
c) Jobs [lets take a look at how rampant illegal immigration is hurting the American way of life: medical care, school systems/education and hence taxes]
d) Iraq and protecting our troops properly while in battle;
e) Voting overhaul of the entire system
Mr Kerry is out of tune; not as out of tune as the pompous ass who sits in the Oval.
Mr Kerry will not, nor will Mrs Clinton, get my vote for POTUS '08 or any year after.
That is purely reserved for PJF-
Anon, I don't know where your definition comes from, but Merriam Webster defines integrity as:
1 : firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values
2 : an unimpaired condition
3 : the quality or state of being complete or undivided
I've seen proof alito hates neocons and is disgusted with them alltogether.
He needs to get on the court period as a roman catholic, who will return the court back to the catholics.
Love him or hate him....he must take his seat period and without delay.
ALITO IS A DISTRACTION...Even Fitzgerald knows this..
Focus on the real place where the constitution is in hostile danger, the neocons themselves and the patriot act.
Fillibuster the patriot act and make it expire period. Then work on prosecuting everybody else...Fitz be sure and get your case odds & ends tied up with strict precision...and tell McNulty that he needs to prosecute everybody and the bribery going on needs to be done away with once and for all....
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