‘Inappropriate’ Call To Justice Official May Have Forced Election-Timed Indictments
‘Inappropriate’ Call To Justice Official May Have Forced Election-Timed Indictments
In his Senate testimony last Tuesday, former Missouri U.S. Attorney Bradley Schlozman repeatedly claimed that four controversial voter fraud indictments he filed a week before the 2006 mid-term elections were “directed” and “approved” by others in the Justice Department. Specifically, Schlozman said that Craig Donsanto, the head of the Department’s Election Crimes section, “directed” him to file the charges.
He also claimed that he had consulted with Michael Elston, the chief of staff to then Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. Watch it:
Former Justice Department officials familiar with Donsanto — the man who literally wrote the Justice Department’s manual on how to approach election crimes — consider his approval of the indictments to be highly unusual. On Thursday, ThinkProgress reported that Joseph Rich, who ran the Department’s Voting Rights section from 1999 to 2005, now believes Donsanto may have been “pressured” to approve the indictments, and that Schlozman’s call to Elston “indicated he may have gone over Donsanto’s head to get approval.”
Former New Mexico U.S. Attorney David Iglesias and another former official, Bob Kengle, confirmed to McClatchy yesterday that the call to Elston was “inappropriate“:
Iglesias believes that the call to Elston was out of the ordinary.
The former U.S. attorney said Schlozman’s phone call to Elston was “not only strange, it’s inappropriate.” Iglesias said McNulty’s office “is not in the business of micro-managing cases at the district level.”
Others find Donsanto’s approval unusual as well.
A former deputy chief of the department’s Voting Rights Section, Bob Kengle, who worked with Donsanto for years, said Donsanto’s approval seems odd.
“I would be very surprised if Craig said yes of his own volition,” Kengle said.
Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Schlozman may be seeking to revise his sworn testimony, altering it to say “that he consulted with the section and was given guidance, not direction.”
Transcript:
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER: Who approved the ACORN indictments? Name names.
BRADLEY SCHLOZMAN: Craig Donsanto in the Public Integrity Section.
SCHUMER: And you. No one else.
SCHLOZMAN: Well, there’s a department review process, but I don’t know…
SCHUMER: Who did you talk to about the indictments other than Mr. Donsanto.
SCHLOZMAN: I spoke with individuals in the Deputy Attorney General’s office, who advised, who asked me to…
SCHUMER: Give me some names there please.
SCHLOZMAN: Mike Elston would be the only person with him I spoke, which is the deputy attorney general’s chief of staff.
SCHUMER: What did he tell you?
SCHLOZMAN: He said “wait ’til you hear from us.”
SCHUMER: And did you?
SCHLOZMAN: yes.
SCHUMER: And they told you to go ahead?
SCHLOZMAN: yes.
SCHUMER: Ok, who else?
SCHLOZMAN: That was it.
SCHUMER: That was the only other person you spoke to?
SCHLOZMAN: That is correct.
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64 Responses to “‘Inappropriate’ Call To Justice Official May Have Forced Election-Timed Indictments”
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whata dick …
June 9th, 2007 at 4:22 pmSo what came of the suits? Can TP do more follow up on this? If these are frivolous can we raise a bigger stink about it?
June 9th, 2007 at 4:27 pmOT
69% Americans opposed Libby pardon even before his sentence. CNN.
That number is higher now for sure.
http://www.cnn.com/ POLITICS/ blogs/ politicalticker/ 2007/ 03/ poll-69-percent-oppose-pardon-for.html
June 9th, 2007 at 4:43 pmOff topic:
Slow news day at TP? Here’s something very interesting from a political analyst perspective. May (probably) not interesting to most, but to those that look at the numbers regarding candidates from both parties:
http://www.wredlich.com/ stop-wasting-money/ uploaded_images/ rp-alexa-789253.jpg
June 9th, 2007 at 4:46 pm“69% Americans opposed Libby pardon even before his sentence. CNN.
That number is higher now for sure.”
Can anybody else guess who the other 31% are?
What the fu*k is wrong with 28-32% of our population that they feel that our government, republicans only I am sure, should be above the law?
June 9th, 2007 at 5:17 pmWhen is Schlozman going to resign his position? If the Congress cannot force this goon out, then they certainly cannot get Gonzales to resign.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:25 pmIf I was still president I would have done it just like this so the conservative-biased media would look the other way while Monica had her way with my schlong a few dozen times.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:25 pmSpudge > studies have been done and about 30% of any nation’s population tends to be fascistic. About 30% in US are rock hard for Bush.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:28 pmThere’s absolutly nothing wrong with having the Justice Department influencing the outcome of elections.
In fact, the mere fact that someone is running in opposition to a War-Time President and His Party is evidence of Treason in a time of War and all opposition candidates should be arrested and shot, following a fair trial, of course.
The Party in Power during a time of War must be allowed to stay in Power until the War is over. Any opposition emboldens the enemy and undermines the security of the United States.
~such is the argument of the NeoCons in the Republican Party. And they want Bush’s War to be a generational war, that is, a war lasting several generations, thus ensuring their power for generations to come.
If we keep on this path, we will enter a new Dark Age, this time with weapons capable of destroying all life on the planet.
June 9th, 2007 at 5:30 pm“There’s absolutly nothing wrong with having the Justice Department influencing the outcome of elections.
In fact, the mere fact that someone is running in opposition to a War-Time President and His Party is evidence of Treason in a time of War and all opposition candidates should be arrested and shot, following a fair trial, of course.
The Party in Power during a time of War must be allowed to stay in Power until the War is over. Any opposition emboldens the enemy and undermines the security of the United States.”
Comment by Briseadh_na_faire — June 9, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
NOW YOU’RE TALKIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 5:33 pmIf I was still president I would have done it just like this so the conservative-biased media would look the other way while Monica had her way with my schlong a few dozen times.
Comment by Bill Clinton — June 9, 2007 @ 5:25 pm
hehehe… What’s up Bill?
heheheh…
June 9th, 2007 at 5:42 pm*
June 9th, 2007 at 5:49 pmwe need a different picture of the slothman… please…
…
Arent I clever? I changed my name to “Bill Clinton” because that stupid troll-chaser kept hinting that “President Clinton” actually meant Hillary. Which of course it didnt.
But I’m still up to my same old schtick. Using the name of a popular figure to say stupid stuff that I wish, in my right-wing fantasies he might say if he werent that smart.
So pay attention to me, my silly little sheep/fools or I’ll take care of you like I took care of the Chinese Embassy in Serbia.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:01 pmNOW YOU’RE TALKIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Mr. President — June 9, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
Mr. President, I’m a troll too and even I knew that the guy you agreed with was being sarcastic. Anyway, I’m the real “Mr. President”. Bow down before me or I’ll go all Chinese Embassy in Serbia on you.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:03 pmNOW YOU’RE TALKIN’!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Mr. President — June 9, 2007 @ 5:33 pm
Mr. President, I’m a troll too and even I knew that the guy you agreed with was being sarcastic. Anyway, I’m the real “Mr. Presidentâ€. Bow down before me or I’ll go all Chinese Embassy in Serbia on you.
Comment by Bill Clinton — June 9, 2007 @ 6:03 pm
You don’t know who you’re fukcing with, old man.
Run along now and play bridge with my pops.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:07 pmOK, if anyone in this administrtion does something wrong, it is Bush’s fault because he is in charge. If anyone calls lower level people and discusses stuff with them, they are micromanaging and inappropriate.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:28 pmBoys, boys …
What are we fighting about? Who was the worst? You are both pikers compared to me.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:31 pmHas Craig Donsanto been subpoenaed to testify?
June 9th, 2007 at 6:35 pmAny comment by Mr. President — This is not a joke. There was a thesis written in 2005, that draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. Christopher Lohse’s study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person’s psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.
“Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader,†Lohse says. “If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’â€
The study was an advocacy project of sorts, designed to register mentally ill voters and encourage them to go to the polls, Lohse explains. The Bush trend was revealed later on.
The study used Modified General Assessment Functioning, or MGAF, a 100-point scale that measures the functioning of disabled patients. A second scale, developed by Rakfeldt, was also used. Knowledge of current issues, government and politics were assessed on a 12-item scale devised by the study authors.
“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry,†the study says.
Lohse says the trend isn’t unique to Bush: A 1977 study by Frumkin & Ibrahim found psychiatric patients preferred Nixon over McGovern in the 1972 election.
Rakfeldt says the study was legitimate, though not intended to show what it did.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:35 pmthis time with weapons capable of destroying all life on the planet.
Comment by Briseadh_na_faire — June 9, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
We already have Chuck Norris
June 9th, 2007 at 6:35 pmIf anyone calls lower level people and discusses stuff with them, they are micromanaging and inappropriate.
Comment by Tundra — June 9, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
Like Gonzo telling Monica his remembrance of certain events? Nah, just a desire to get the facts out, I’m sure.
June 9th, 2007 at 6:36 pmAny comment by Mr. President — This is not a joke. There was a thesis written in 2005, that draws on a survey of 69 psychiatric outpatients in three Connecticut locations during the 2004 presidential election. Christopher Lohse’s study, backed by SCSU Psychology professor Jaak Rakfeldt and statistician Misty Ginacola, found a correlation between the severity of a person’s psychosis and their preferences for president: The more psychotic the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Bush.
“Our study shows that psychotic patients prefer an authoritative leader,†Lohse says. “If your world is very mixed up, there’s something very comforting about someone telling you, ‘This is how it’s going to be.’â€
The study was an advocacy project of sorts, designed to register mentally ill voters and encourage them to go to the polls, Lohse explains. The Bush trend was revealed later on.
The study used Modified General Assessment Functioning, or MGAF, a 100-point scale that measures the functioning of disabled patients. A second scale, developed by Rakfeldt, was also used. Knowledge of current issues, government and politics were assessed on a 12-item scale devised by the study authors.
“Bush supporters had significantly less knowledge about current issues, government and politics than those who supported Kerry,†the study says.
Lohse says the trend isn’t unique to Bush: A 1977 study by Frumkin & Ibrahim found psychiatric patients preferred Nixon over McGovern in the 1972 election.
Rakfeldt says the study was legitimate, though not intended to show what it did.
Comment by JTitor — June 9, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
Fascinating shit you got there Titor.
Oh… you do know that I don’t even vote right???
I’m Metaprogressive baby, I tell myself how shits gonna go down, din I make it happen!!!
I don’t give a fukc who’s in the oval office, I’ma do what I’ma do, and I’ma say what I’ma say!!!!!!!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 6:39 pmLike Gonzo telling Monica his remembrance of certain events? Nah, just a desire to get the facts out, I’m sure.
Comment by barfly — June 9, 2007 @ 6:36 pm
The oh they did it defense, ok fine my point is invalid
June 9th, 2007 at 6:42 pmComment by Mr. President — Yah. Thats why you spend all day and night in this place. Because your life is so pathetic that you have to get yo rok’s off” thinking that your pissing people off. Your proof why people are progressive, and regressive. yo word!
June 9th, 2007 at 6:47 pmComment by Mr. President — Yah. Thats why you spend all day and night in this place.
Comment by JTitor — June 9, 2007 @ 6:47 pm
Not ALL day…
You of all people should know when the Owl of the Grey-Eyed Goddess takes FLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 6:56 pmPick one…
1. “But Clinton did it too!â€
2. “We’re fighting them there, so we don’t have to fight them here.â€
3. “He serves at the President’s pleasure.â€
4. “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.”
5. “Libtards are cowards.â€
6. “Libtards are hate the troops.â€
7. “Libtards hate America.â€
8. “Libtards are traitors and should be imprisoned”
June 9th, 2007 at 6:58 pmInteresting… some of the regular Trolls, don’t seem to post after business hours, or on the weekends.
Hmmm…
June 9th, 2007 at 7:00 pmPick one…
1. “But Clinton did it too!â€
2. “We’re fighting them there, so we don’t have to fight them here.â€
3. “He serves at the President’s pleasure.â€
4. “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.â€
5. “Libtards are cowards.â€
6. “Libtards are hate the troops.â€
7. “Libtards hate America.â€
8. “Libtards are traitors and should be imprisonedâ€
Comment by RoboTroll - Mark II — June 9, 2007 @ 6:58 pm
Only one????
OK… um…. I choose…
number…
3!!!!!!!
eh-hem…
HE SERVES AT THE PRESIDENT’S PLEASURE!!!
June 9th, 2007 at 7:03 pmYou mean they time indictments based on elections? I’m shocked, shocked I tell you!
June 9th, 2007 at 7:03 pmIf you were “directed” to break the law, would you do it anyway? Puh-lease! Already with these lame excuses for the lack of personal integrity. Sure Schnozman is culpable; sure there are others who were also culpable. And, they all need to be brought to justice - and NOW!
June 9th, 2007 at 7:17 pmForget the minutae already. The whole kit-n-kaboodle is corrupt from the inside out - from the top to the bottom - out with them all already! The people have had enough of these high crimes and misdemeanors - Out, out, damn spot GOP! Out with the entire lot of you! And that goes for any candidate who thinks he has a snowball’s chance in hell of EVER being elected to the presidency for a very, very, very long time! How can the american people EVER trust a Republiscum again with running this country??? Perhaps they’ve really conned us all along and, instead, thought they were taking office to “r-u-i-n” and not “r - u - n” the country??? Pun intended, albeit a sad pun and a harsh fact of reality.
June 9th, 2007 at 7:20 pm*
a FILLY takes belmont!!!
yay! …
and then my second thought:
uh oh - is this a sign? …
(you heard it here first)…
June 9th, 2007 at 7:27 pm…
You of all people should know when the Owl of the Grey-Eyed Goddess takes FLIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Mr. President — Pretty funny. So how are you doing. Still trying to rap?
June 9th, 2007 at 7:34 pmMEANWHILE THIS ISSUE GETS FAR MORE COVERAGE THAN IT DESERVES basically planting in the minds of most average Americans, that the Democratic party is guilty of voter fraud. When the MSM starts covering the VOTER SUPPRESSION committed by the GOP as thoroughly as they are covering this, then perhaps we’ll be making progress. Until then, most Americans probably see this Congressional hearing as an attempt by the Democrats to silence righteous Republican heros. Did the MSM cover the purged voter lists in Florida the way they are covering this? Nope. Most people still think Gore tried to steal this election through hanging chads.
June 9th, 2007 at 7:40 pmComment by Mr. President — Pretty funny. So how are you doing. Still trying to rap?
Comment by JTitor — June 9, 2007 @ 7:34 pm
I’m aight… just tryin’ get through this Modernism literature class.
June 9th, 2007 at 7:52 pmNah, G. I ain’t rappin’ no mo. At least not free-style, I gots ta get paid, homie.
Comment by Shirley — You must be new here. This has been covered in nauseum, and hopefully nobody will engage you. I like that one” insert slogan here >”silence righteous Republican heros”? Leave before you get eaten alive, another mumbling statistic begging pennies on the corner wondering what happened?
June 9th, 2007 at 7:54 pmComment by Mr. President — Modernism literature? Fu@king Boring. How can you stand it? Yep. Money’s good. Know what you mean. Good luck Hom.
June 9th, 2007 at 7:58 pm* * *
jeez - how did i miss this?
No Confidence Vote on Alberto Gonzales Monday
By: Nicole Belle @ 2:33 PM - PDT
Democratic Caucus’s Senate Journal
Today, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced that a vote of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be held this Monday:
“If all senators who have actually lost confidence in Attorney General Gonzales voted their conscience, this vote would be unanimous.â€
“However, the President will certainly exert pressure to support the Attorney General, his longtime friend. We will soon see where people’s loyalties lie.â€
People for the American Way has a petition you can sign
that will be given to the Senate on Monday.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/
June 9th, 2007 at 8:16 pm.
NOW LISTEN DUDE, WITH ALL THESE TOTALLY CORRUPT POLITICAL
PARASITES INFESTING LAW/ORDER, ALL OF THOSE CRIMINALS SHOULD
JUST GO HOME AND JUST NOT COME TO WORK
IN REALITY THOUGH FRIGGIN ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE THROWN IN
THE SLAMMER DUDE
UNFORTUNATELY…………
THE SYSTEM IS TOTALLY RIGGED SO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE
CONTENT GETTING SUPERIOR SERVICE AT THE MCDONALDS DRIVETHRU
AND REGARDING ALL THESE WONDERFUL SERVICES WE ARE SUPPOSE
TO GET DUDE, THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED AND THE RICH GET RICH RICH RICH
AND THE FRIGGIN MIDDLE CLASS GETS SHAFTED AND SERVICE
EQUIVALENT TO THE GREASE PITS AT THE FRIGGIN DUMP DUDE
JIMBO DUDE IS ROCK SOLID INTEGRITY DUDE
JIMBO DUDE ALWAYS SPEAKS ROCK SOLID TRUTH
June 9th, 2007 at 8:39 pmwhata dick …
Comment by kdoug
Is that like a what-a- booger?
June 9th, 2007 at 8:48 pmI’m aight… just tryin’ get through this Modernism literature class.
Modern literature?
Isn’t that an oxymoron?
June 9th, 2007 at 8:50 pmAND THE FRIGGIN MIDDLE CLASS GETS SHAFTED AND SERVICE
EQUIVALENT TO THE GREASE PITS AT THE FRIGGIN DUMP DUDE
In the odd way things work Jimbo, its the people like us, who do menial jobs, although highly intelligent, that keep this material world from imploding. You do not have to have wealth to be elite, in fact todays wealth has no elites or truly illuminated.
Mr President and I may soon offer our services to the wealthy so they can regain their virtue.
June 9th, 2007 at 8:53 pmAye, virtue is hard work, and does not come thru soft cushy things or green paper.
The Ivey League school of digging ditches and dirty fingernails is soon to open.
June 9th, 2007 at 8:57 pmEvery Bush appointee has engaged in “inappropriate” behavior because it’s condoned from the top. The idea of inappropriate and/or unethical behavior is one thing; behavior which breaks existing laws is quite another. Time to get to the bottom of all of this - keep issuing subpoenas and bring these thugs to justice, if they so deserve it.
Congress needs to begin cracking the whip; after all, they’ve got subpoena power and need to use it. The patience of the people is wearing thin for any type of stalling and/or shenanigans by Congress.
June 9th, 2007 at 9:56 pmThe “no confidence” vote on Monday is certain to separate the men from the boys - and Congress should be forewarned: The people are watching and are taking names! If you betray our trust again, we will show you the door the next time you’re up for election….that’s a promise.
June 9th, 2007 at 9:58 pm“to say stupid stuff that I wish, in my right-wing fantasies…”
comment by Bill Clinton
Kind of outted yourself there, especially w/ the “stupid” part.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:03 pmEvery Bush appointee has engaged in “inappropriate†behavior because it’s condoned from the top.
Comment by veritas
Indeed, veritas, the fish always rots from the head down…
June 9th, 2007 at 10:07 pmAdd “Election Fraud” to the Articles of Chimpeachment.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:32 pmPlease don’t feed the trolls.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:35 pmI wonder if “caging” means the same thing in prison as it does in politics.
June 9th, 2007 at 10:39 pmProbly not.
republic, ever had nuoc maum?
June 9th, 2007 at 10:41 pmrepublic, ever had nuoc maum?
Comment by RUCerious
No. I just googled it to see waht you were talking about. Sounds good though. I do like Thai food. Probably the hottest food on the planet, not that that’s a bad thing. What about it?
June 9th, 2007 at 11:10 pmYeah, it’s fermented fish sauce, and is delicious once diluted and sugared up.
June 10th, 2007 at 12:24 amOne of my fond memories of DaNang was crossing the river bridge to go to China Beach, and wafting up from the river edge was the ODOR of fish fermenting in huge brass vats..Mmmm Nuoc Maum!
Ew, fermented fish sauce??? Give me a burger please!!
June 10th, 2007 at 12:26 amFermenting fish? I would get sick just smelling it.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:15 amOne of my fond memories of DaNang was crossing the river bridge to go to China Beach…
Comment by RUCerious
I had to enlist for the draft, but I didn’t have to go. I have a friend who was in Viet Nam, early, in 1963.
Uh, please don’t tell me I remind you of fermenting fish. I’ve never flamed you that I know of, only trolls. I hope it’s a reaction to the earlier comment about the fish rotting from the head down. I got that from “The Godfather”… by the way.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:27 amHehe, republic, no, it was nuac maum, a Vietnamese “dish”
June 10th, 2007 at 1:32 amOoooh… okay… it’s been a long day… worked in the sun for a while… blah balh blah… long story short, I’m tired.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:35 amThe more I work the paler I get, republic. Office Space is my favorite movie.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:38 ami have just put together a
video mash-up — bradley schlozman
vs. senator barack obama!
the youtube version should show
up at the above link in mere moments,
but it highlights sclozman’s inaccurate
testimony on june 5, and senator barack
obama’s testimony before the same committee
two days later, about a new bill to add
criminal penalties for the sorts of
dirty tricks schlozman, et al., were
up to in the 2006 mid-term elections,
among other matters. . . do take a look.
could there be a more unctous-face, or
wheasely-voice, for the GOP/DoJ vote-
supression efforts, going back to 2000,
in florida?
i think not!
this is an under-two-minute clip. . .
c h e e r s!
June 10th, 2007 at 11:10 amschlozman, lil’ “i dont recall” and monica goodling….what a bunch of losers!!!
DoJ is in the hands of these cretins?
June 10th, 2007 at 11:19 amisn’t it fascinating how none of these people really care about that they did?
June 10th, 2007 at 11:37 amis this a cross representation of america? do most folks only care about money first, criminal activity second? the good guys are of questionable character. the head good guy that wrote the book is not said to have gone against it. the USA’s didn’t care about anything except their haircuts.
but upon some observation, justice in this country is but a commodity to purchase. you may also pay in advance to have immunity from normal application of law.
maybe it is me that is viewing this with a distorted lens?
“What the fu*k is wrong with 28-32% of our population that they feel that our government, republicans only I am sure, should be above the law?”
Read John Dean’s Conservatives without Conscience and you will know who they are. They are the people who cannot function unless they have an “authority figure” to tell them what they should think and feel.
June 10th, 2007 at 12:27 pmScholzman has blackened his reputation…BUsh will give him the medal of honor for this.
June 11th, 2007 at 9:47 am