Breaking: FBI investigating Hastert for taking bribes? (Update: DOJ says it’s untrue)
posted at 7:31 pm on May 24, 2006 by Allahpundit
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No wonder he doesn’t want the feds raiding congressional offices. Separation of powers, indeed.
This’ll knock William Jefferson off the front page, of course, as I’m sure the “high level government sources” who leaked it to ABC realize. But then, in some quarters, Jefferson wasn’t really on the front page to begin with.
Update: Glenn is on the same wavelength.
Update: There’s an e-mail from a House staffer circulating right now which quotes the DOJ as saying Hastert is not under investigation. Stay tuned.
Update: Here’s the link. The DOJ says there’s no investigation.
Brian Ross was the reporter who broke the story last week about the FBI supposedly investigating journalists’ phone records to uncover leaks. Might someone in the bureau have fed him bad info on Hastert to make his reporting look unreliable?
Update: ABC stands by its story. This line gives me pause, though:
“You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully,” a senior official said.
What does that mean? Well, if you go back to the original piece, you’ll see that they never explicitly allege a direct investigation of Hastert. They say he’s “in the mix” of a larger bribery investigation, and that that investigation now “includes” him. Technically speaking, I suppose the same could be said of any party who possesses information relevant to a legal inquiry; naturally, it “includes” them. They’re “in the mix.” Long story short, it’s a way of smearing Hastert without ever explicitly accusing him of wrongdoing.
Here’s what ABC says in its new article:
ABC’s law enforcement sources said the Justice Department denial was meant only to deny that Hastert was a formal “target” or “subject” of the investigation.
“Whether they like it or not, members of Congress, including Hastert, are under investigation,” one federal official said tonight.
He’s not being investigated. But he’s part of the investigation. Positively Clintonian.
Meanwhile, Hastert is demanding a retraction.
Update: Confederate Yankee proves that great minds think alike, and shows that it wasn’t only righties who “misread” ABC’s weaselly initial report.
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WOW!
pat on May 24, 2006 at 7:37 PM
Now it makes sense why he’s been shrieking about this. If he’s corrupt, toss him out with the rest of them.
Congress really needs term limits.
Enoxo on May 24, 2006 at 7:48 PM
The most honorable person on the Hill today was Israeli P.M. Olmert.
speed647 on May 24, 2006 at 8:04 PM
Shrieking is right! …a case of the lady doest protest too much methinks.
————————————————————Second amendment activists- Please feel to chime in any time about how you’re protecting the rest of the US constitution.
elvis on May 24, 2006 at 8:08 PM
No comment preview. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Should be >.
elvis on May 24, 2006 at 8:12 PM
well clearly it’s a bad idea for the fed’s to investigate bribery if the next person they could be investigating is you…. golly…. i personally think that we should bring back the tradition of running folks out on a rail. unfortunately we’d run out of track to pull up, before we cleared the congress….
kaseiryu on May 24, 2006 at 8:19 PM
Bring in the backhoe boys and let’s start diggin! Seems to me that this fellow is protesting way to much to save a dem RAT. Let the chips fall where they may.
NEMETI IN SYRACUSE on May 24, 2006 at 8:40 PM
From the dictionary (tongue in cheek):
cor·rupt
adj.
1) marked by immorality and perversion;
2) depraved;
3) venal;
4) dishonest;
and. . .
5) CONGRESS
ForYourEdification on May 24, 2006 at 8:43 PM
Still need term limits, regardless.
Enoxo on May 24, 2006 at 8:43 PM
Congress is already considering a triple-layer fence to cover 15% of the Mexican border. Unfortunately a few miles of that fence must now be diverted to run around the US Capitol at a time when both the Senate and House are in session. Cover the top of the fence with razor wire and erect towers replete with armed guards. This new prison will be named Capitol Supermax and will harbor some of the most dangerous criminals in the country.
MaiDee on May 24, 2006 at 8:47 PM
The only thing the republicans have going for them in November is that their opponents are democrats.
Labamigo on May 24, 2006 at 9:23 PM
wow……… wow!….LOL
I cannot take this any more!…LOL…This is hilarious!
What a media, what a bunch of clowns!
This year we have Cop Hitting Cynthia, Drunk like a Dog-Hide in Rehab Pat, Money in my Freezer William, Not Me-No Searching Hastert, Hot Air Gore, Very Passionate Soul Man Bush, Hang on to Bill Hillary, Chocolate( my favorite) Nagin, and “I have a Dream” Kennedy!
I expect more to come our way. This year promised to be an exciting and never boring year!
Easy87us
easy87us on May 24, 2006 at 9:25 PM
This story is looking less and less credible. The actual ‘offense’ as descibed, does not sound like a crime to me. And, yes, I am an attorney.
pat on May 24, 2006 at 9:31 PM
When I saw that the “news” came from Brian Ross and “un-named” sources it smelled fishy to me. Especially when you consider that the left would love to splash Republicans on the front page to minimize the bad exposure from William Jefferson (D-LA).
If you read the weasle words in the Ross piece is appears that he went fishing with some “sources” in the DOJ to see if he couldn’t scare up some dirt to help out the Democrats damage control efforts.
It seems to me that Hastert’s name (along with at least a dozen other MOCs) came up in the early breaking Abramoff news. So Ross went to the old list then called his DOJ buds to see if they had investigated (in any way) any of the Republicans on the list. His DOJ sources said, “Hastert? Yeah, we looked into him about that casino letter.” And BANG! a story was born.
Was there anything new? No. Did they find anything? No. But hey, for Ross an innuendo is as good at a verdict!
dung.
Moose Dung on May 24, 2006 at 9:31 PM
Brian Ross is a snake (IMO). I have met him, been around him on the golf course, and he is out for one thing. HIMSELF!(IMO) He will take others down if poss, for his own glory. I’d love to say more, but someone would scream “law suit”…
The guy is a jerk, look in the dictionary, its Ross’ picture.
I dont know who started this Hastert thing, but I have an inkling.( IMO)
shooter on May 24, 2006 at 9:44 PM
Quick Follow-Up
Jan. 15, Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell:
“Records from the Federal Election Commission and the Center for Public Integrity show that Abramoff’s Indian clients contributed money to 195 Republicans and 88 Democrats between 1999 and 2004″
Undoubtedly, Hastert was among them. Also, Ross’s story today could have just as easily been about Harry Reid but where’s the gain in that?
“A day after he wrote a letter on its behalf to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, the Coushatta tribe sent $5,000 to Sen. Reid’s PAC, the Searchlight Leadership Fund. Shortly thereafter, another tribal client of Mr. Abramoff’s sent another $5,000.”
Source: Jack Kelly in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If you asked the DOJ: “Are you investigating Harry Reid as part of the Abramoff scandal?” The answer would probably be, yes. Would it mean anything? No.
Read it here:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06029/645700.stm
dung.
Moose Dung on May 24, 2006 at 9:52 PM
This is too funny! Can’t wait for ABC’s apology for its shoddy journalism.
Isn’t it interesting how much press Hastert got for a now untrue story? It was the top headline at Yahoo, and Jefferson suddenly disappeared. The MSM now has no excuse NOT to put William Jefferson back into the spotlight.
I wonder who the “high level sources” were.
januarius on May 24, 2006 at 9:54 PM
Januarius -
Apology? Who are you kidding? Ross could have pulled the whole thing out of keester and been caught with stinky fingers and there wouldn’t be an apology. MSM just don’t go there.
My prediction? Students at Columbia J-school will get a lesson tommorrow about hateful wingnuts in the blogosphere and how they damage the reputations of august journalistic icons!
dung.
Moose Dung on May 24, 2006 at 10:11 PM
A Rovian plot if I ever saw one. What a magnificent bastard, to both frame the honorable Mr. Jefferson and destroy press credibility in one mighty swing. Brilliant!
Wineaholic on May 24, 2006 at 10:17 PM
So is ABC going to get fined under Campaign Finance?
Ha ha!
ZRyan on May 25, 2006 at 1:03 AM
Haster was a worthless Liberal to begin with. The reason why the Bush Cronies wanted him in power was because he was a “useful idiot,” nothing more.
The Bush Oligarcy has systematically shunned Conservatives in power positions.
Federali on May 25, 2006 at 3:16 AM
If what I have read on the net in the past few days is true Hastert came to the House from his former position as a high school wrestling coach. This is not a very high paying job and he was not a wealthy man. From what I read he is now a millionaire (maybe a multi-). You don’t become a millionaire that fast on a congressman’s salary. Now, does anyone know how he amassed this fortune? This should be investigated by the MSM (the bloggers, who I consider to be the MSM now). If he has been on the take then get him out of there! All of that aside, I don’t think he has done a very good job as Speaker and Frist is a total disaster over in the senate. The whole process of ‘representative’ government seems to have caved in and those in power could care less what the people want. As one of your ‘far right-wing nut case crazies’ I am appalled at what is happening up there in DC. I’ve got to get me another beer and try to think about something else!!
OBX Pete on May 25, 2006 at 4:04 AM
If Hastert is guilty of anything, keep one thing in mind: he is from Illinois, land of “vote early, vote often”. So it wouldnt be a surprise. Hastert may be Republican, but Democrats rule in the state, along with corruption, so nothing coming out of Illinois would surprise me. Remember, their last governor was just found guilty of corruption by a Federal jury.
clyde on May 25, 2006 at 5:16 AM
“The Bush Oligarcy has systematically shunned Conservatives in power positions”
Truer words ere never written, Federali. If he had been a staunch conservative instead of a wishy-washy fence sitter our country would be a lot better off.
Rowane on May 25, 2006 at 7:06 AM
I actually have a democrat representing me in my texas town and frankly, he’s done more good for us down here than the blowhard republicans in washington. but still, i can’t bring myself to vote democrat. They all have good intentions when first elected to congress and then they go up there and lose all morality, stop representing US, and only do what is in their best interests. “Screw the constituents” should be the congressional motto. i’m sick of all of them… time for shopping therapy…. adios!
pullingmyhairout on May 25, 2006 at 9:37 AM