Gonzales Stopped FBI Probe Of Rep. Harman Because He ‘Needed Jane’ To Support Warrantless Wiretapping
Gonzales Stopped FBI Probe Of Rep. Harman Because He ‘Needed Jane’ To Support Warrantless Wiretapping
CQ’s Jeff Stein reports that sometime before the 2006 elections, the National Security Agency wiretapped Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) offering a quid pro quo to unnamed Israeli agents: Harman would lobby the Justice Department to “reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee,” while the Israelis would lobby soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to name Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee.
While this story has been previously reported, “what is new,” Stein reports, is the court-approved NSA wiretap. Previous reports also said that an investigation of Harman was dropped because of “lack of evidence.” However, Stein reports that one official “with first-hand knowledge” of the case “called that ‘bull****’” and that “according to knowledgeable officials,” it was actually then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who intervened on Harman’s behalf in mid-2005 to stop the FBI’s investigation in exchange for because he needed her help selling the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretap program:
[Then-CIA Director Porter] Goss, a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, deemed the matter particularly urgent because of Harman’s rank as the [House Intelligence] panel’s top Democrat.
But that’s when, according to knowledgeable officials, Attorney General Gonzales intervened. According to two officials privy to the events, Gonzales said he “needed Jane” to help support the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program, which was about to be exposed by the New York Times.
Harman, he told Goss, had helped persuade the newspaper to hold the wiretap story before, on the eve of the 2004 elections. And although it was too late to stop the Times from publishing now, she could be counted on again to help defend the program.
Gonzales was right. Just five days after the Times reported on the NSA program, Harman came out in defense of the Bush administration:
On Dec. 21, 2005, in the midst of a firestorm of criticism about the wiretaps, Harman issued a statement defending the operation and slamming the Times, saying, “I believe it essential to U.S. national security, and that its disclosure has damaged critical intelligence capabilities.”
Indeed, nearly a year later, Harman continued to express her approval. “I support the program,” she said in Feb. 2006.
Stein reports that a spokesman for Harman “declined to discuss the wiretap allegations” but instead issued an “angry denial.” “It’s the deepest kind of corruption which was years in the making,” a national security official involved with the AIPAC investigation said.
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I for one welcome our Israeli overlords. Shalom.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:38 amPolitical blackmail? This helps to explain why the Bushies were spying on Congress, and everyone else, beginning BEFORE 9/11. They were more akin to the Mob with their tactics, but weren’t convicted and sent to jail as often.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:39 amScratch my back, I scratch yours….
I’m thinking that Gonzales wasn’t as big a dupe as we all thought… he was as evil as the rest of that crew…
and Rep. Harman… get off of our side!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:42 amYou see what I mean who wants to go back and look at all the mistakes and bull crap of Bush? Bush left so much shit that it will take another 8 years or so to clean up his bull crap Administration.
I’m getting really sick and tired of hearing and seeing all this crap about the Bush Administration it’s time to move on.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:42 amCan you say ‘Extortion’, Fredo?
I knew you could.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:48 amOn Dec. 21, 2005, in the midst of a firestorm of criticism about the wiretaps, Harman issued a statement defending the operation and slamming the Times, saying, “I believe it essential to U.S. national security, and that its disclosure has damaged critical intelligence capabilities.”
______________
How, Jane? How is warrantless wiretapping “essential” to U.S. national security.
I mean, the FBI had a warrantED wiretap on you, actively conspiring with a foreign agent to assist in espionage against our country, and yet did nothing to stop you. What makes you think they’d be any more effective with warrantLESS wiretaps?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:54 amCQ’s Jeff Stein reports that sometime before the 2006 elections, the National Security Agency wiretapped Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) offering a quid pro quo to unnamed Israeli agents: Harman would lobby the Justice Department to “reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee,”
Did Harman lobby Justice to reduce these charges, and were they eventually reduced? Inquiring minds, and all that.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:58 amWas there a warrant? If not, the information is not admissible in court. That’s one of the major problems with the warrantless wiretapping program. Since they haven’t caught anyone yet, it hasn’t been tested yet in court.
It will be interesting to see where all this leads.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:04 amHarman would lobby the Justice Department to “reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee,” while the Israelis would lobby soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to name Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee.
You’re pathetic , Jane ; selling out your country and your career for a more prestigious seat at the power table ……..
Maybe someone should have reminded you that you’re not a Republican………..
April 20th, 2009 at 10:11 amLooks to me like this is payback for release of torture memos. Expect more to capture headlines. Probably hoping this gets repeated play on the MSM and knocks off focus on torture.
That’s not to say the story doesn’t have some merit. But why so many anonymous sources? And, why is a member of congress being recorded on NSA wiretap – don’t buy the explanation given. Sure would like to see that warrant.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:13 amSo:
An apparenlty LEGAL NSA wiretap of a foreign agent exposes Harman as 1) trying to influence a DOJ investigation, 2) acting for personal gain, 3 ) acting on behalf of a foreign power and 4) aiding a political adversary.
At the same time it exposes Gonzalez as a politician first, not an impartial Justice official (but we knew that already).
Andd then it exposes AIPAC, for the millionty-billionth time, as a disproportionately pervasive, influential and corrosive force in US government.
The NSA has actually operated in the public interest here–though the odds are it won;t mean diddly-squat:
April 20th, 2009 at 10:19 amEven if Harman got the boot because of this, either officially or through a re-election loss, the effect on AIPAC will be NIL.
Dump this government. Both the torturers and their enablers.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:20 amVaranus komodoensis
I’m gonna try that next year come tax time “I’m sorry IRS but I have done such a shitty job with my taxes that it will take another 8 years or so to clean up his bull crap – lets just move on…
April 20th, 2009 at 10:20 amI wonder what other information that was obtained by wiretaps, legal AND illgal, is still being held on Congress members to keep them in line?
“We have the tapes. Keep your mouth shut and nobody has to know”
Wonder what they’ve got on Obama?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:25 amSpeaking of corrupt Congress critters and AIPAC – anybody heard from Sibel Edmonds lately?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:28 amHarman is a DINO/Fascist/Zionist tool…
Remember her sponsorship for this abomination: the “Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act?”
April 20th, 2009 at 10:29 amPolitics and crime makes strange bedfellows. Hang them both!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:30 amOK, I’m gonna need you to log off of your computer and here’s some boxes to take your personal items from your desk out to your car. Here’s your termination package, read it carefully.
She’s got to go. The thing is, Nancy Pelosi is probably just as complicit.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:39 amPelosi denied Harman the position she coveted.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:51 amSo the Bush administration extracted a Quid Pro Quo for Harmon’s Quid pro Quo…
What was that old adage about two wrongs don’t make a right?
And this made our country safer how?
How many other Congress-people have been blackmailed?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:54 amIt’s nice that Gonzo’s Justice Department was bipartisan in it’s efforts to protect treasoners.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:13 amI wondered at the time what possessed Rep. Harmon to come out in support of warrantless wiretapping.
Now we know.
But BushCo would never use the program to gather information intended to further their political agenda, riiiiiiight? Nooooooooooo.
I’m shocked that anyone who suggest such an idea.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:14 amUh, remember Palosi was in the tiny circle of “Informed” over wiretapping before 9/11..She admitted this in interview’s..Guess there are more bad guy’s and gal’s than we like the remember..Let us not forget if she had not taken Impeachment off the table we woud not be in such a huge mess now….We really need to clean the house and senate, trouble is we don’t seem to have a big enough broom and dust pan….P.B. & J.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:16 amBlocking an investigation in return for political favors – isn’t that illegal ?
RICO anyone ?
April 20th, 2009 at 11:16 amSo…Where was your outrage at…..Bill & Hill’s 1000 illegal FBI files?
Oh yea…that didn’t matter because it was a Democratic thing.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:18 amIllegal spying on Congress to further the aims of a foreign nation ? Isn’t there a law against that ?
RICO anyone ?
April 20th, 2009 at 11:20 amTil Bush Is Tried, No American Pride.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:23 amIs the Obama Administration actually afraid to let the American public know the depth of Bushco illegal wiretaps? Is President Obama being pressured by persons within his advisement camp, CIA officials, long-term Justice Dept officials and powerful members on both sides of the aisle in both the House and the Senate to try to keep a lid on this? It has been a long-held assumption on this blog that the Bush Administration may have used illegally obtained information to blackmail many members of both political parties to be quiet and to do their bidding on questionable legislation, authorizing aggressions against a sovereign nation and even keeping the posibility of impeachment “off the table”. This blackmail may very well have been used in international matters as well (Britain’s willing complicity despite knowing the truth). THIS would explain Obama’s reluctance to pursue many of the alleged Bush crimes through legal channels and why he is becoming so reticent to offer a special prosecutor despite international pressure AND signed obligations to investigate. Ignoring the crimes of the Bush years is NO WAY to move forward. The lid needs to be blown off of this bullshit and let the chips fall where they may. I don’t give a shit which political affiliations criminals and their abettors may be from, let’s see the facts…ALL OF THE FACTS…and then we can proceed. If it forces the removal/incarceration of most of our elected officials, miost of the previous Administration and burrowed lifetime-appointed government workers then SO BE IT! If it causes an entire restructuring of the CIA then SO BE IT! President Obama, you have a rare opportunity as an American President to draw a line that will not be crossed when it comes to abuse of powers, illegal actions, blackmailing, spying on Americans and that little 600lb. gorlilla in the room TORTURE! CLEAN HOUSE AND MOVE ON! The American people deserve it and the world is looking for answers not coddling of criminals and the half-hearted visions of “moving ahead”. Preisdent Obama is a Constitutional scholar and loves his Country. NOW IS THE TIME TO PROVE IT MR. PRESIDENT AND TO SHOW TRUE AMERICANS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT AMERICA IS BETTER THAN THAT!
April 20th, 2009 at 11:30 amUnbelievable. Jane Harmon worked to approve government wire taps after she knew that they did it to her. She has no scruples and needs to go.
How many other members of Congress did the Bush Crime Family wire tap and then use what they got to blackmail them to going along with the Bush program?
April 20th, 2009 at 11:36 amI am seriously considering leaving this nuthouse good. (the U.S. not TP)
April 20th, 2009 at 11:36 amRealityCheck, “Clinton Did IT!” is sooo 2008.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:37 am“for good” rather
April 20th, 2009 at 11:37 amHi RealityCheck
April 20th, 2009 at 11:37 amYou are a lieing piece of shit correct? See I told you this would end my way…
Oh boy. Those FBI files were on people who worked for the White House, like the gardener, you fool. It was not political.
You are still have a hissy fit about that, while ignoring the fact that the Bush cabal wiretapped EVERY PERSON IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. And you republicans wonder how you became irrelevant. You are a disgusting political hack.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:37 amRealityCheck Says:
So…Where was your outrage at…..Bill & Hill’s 1000 illegal FBI files?
And what 1,000 illegal FBI files would those be? Links please. Your blather means nothing unless you can link to a credible source that backs you up.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:45 amFCK you RC, do try to stay on topic. The Clintons were investigated for years under a Republican microscope at the expense of the taxpayers and all that was gleened after many years was that he lied in trying to cover up a blowjob. If you have PROOF of another crime, then you know more than Ken Starr and the rest of the Republican officials because believe me, if they had even a shred of proof it would be common knowlege, not just blatherings from right-wing conspiracy nuts like yourself. A mountain of evidence is available prooving that Bush/Cheney broke many laws both domestical and international. Face it fool, your team had their shot at Clinton and found nothing and just serves to make your arguement laughable. As time passes, the mountain of evidence mounting against Bush/Cheney continues to expand. Are you afraid of what a prosecutor might uncover if given the opportunity to look? You reichers so happily dismiss Bush’s crimes but are you willing to assert that the evidence available doesn’t even warrant a special prosecutor? It seems to me that the evidence that was used to name a special prosecutor to investigate the Clintons was weak at best and fits the eppitomy of the definition of “witch hunt” (a lack of impeachment and criminal charges underscores this) while the evidence available in the public record alone is enough to incarcerate many of the Bush Administration. Nice try though but your argument is akin to comparing jaywalking with murder and not very convincing at that.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:46 amSorry, strike the “al” off domestical
April 20th, 2009 at 11:48 amRealityCheck Says:
So…Where was your outrage at…..Bill & Hill’s 1000 illegal FBI files?
Stop the presses! RC has defended Obama! If this isn’t a man bites dog story, I don’t know what is!
April 20th, 2009 at 11:53 amJane & Beto sitting in a tree…s-p-y-i-n-g, first comes crime, then comes miscarriage (of justice), then comes call for investigations they disparage.
Remove her from office, try them both, then fit them for a lovely striped outfit.
Oh silly me…high-class criminals don’t get time for their crimes…
April 20th, 2009 at 12:25 pmNews flash: Gonzo didn’t do his job! More at 11!
.
Varanus komodoensis Says:
I’m getting really sick and tired of hearing and seeing all this crap about the Bush Administration it’s time to move on.
You know what would be funny? If your house were burglarized – I mean completely cleaned out – and when you called the cops they said “I’m getting really sick and tired of hearing and seeing all this crap about your burglary it’s time to move on.” That would be hi-larious.
Q: What do you think would happen to the crime rate if the police took that approach?
.
RealityCheck Says:
So…Where was your outrage at…..Bill & Hill’s 1000 illegal FBI files?
Oh yea…that didn’t matter because it was a Democratic thing.
That’s so cute! Look at the widdow wingnut point fingers. It’s almost like it knows grownup talk.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:29 pm# 23 Witch1 is so right.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:57 pmOnce Impeachment was off the table Bushco knew they could get away with anything. So they continued their desecration of the Constituion, funneling more and more money to the “haves & have more” (GWB’s self declared base), letting a psychopathic, greedy, evil doer(dick cheney) continue to run the military and the CIA.
Pelosi is so complicit in all of this. Maybe she’s behaving a bit under Obama, but it’s going toi take decades for her to redeem herself. And I sure as H@$#!! hope it’s not as my congressperson for long!
We need Jane!! Looks like former Govenor of Illinoise has a defense as our govenement is doing the same thing. No wonder Israel got away with murder they have many Loyal supporters in the US Law Makers. And just think for all her support Pelosi still got the top job. Now we might ask what did Pelosi have to give for that job? No wonder Obama has to fight his own Party they were in bed with the Bush Administration. Shumer and Feinstein aren’t far behind in the corruption.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:59 pmIsrael again?
After reading this article, I think that every American should participate in a Tea Party protest. We are taxed by the government of the United States of America but it appears as though we are subjects of the State of Israel.
April 20th, 2009 at 2:51 pmJane Harmon leaves me so “verclempt”. Discuss amongst yourselves!!! The trouble with story is its’ all too familar. For the last 30+years Isreal and by extention AIPAC have “wagged the dog” concerning foreign policy in the Middle East. There is no fair hearing when it comes to Isreali actions here or abroad. As for a Pelosi/Harmon ‘faceoff” my money would have been on Pelosi: anyone who birthed 6 kids in 8 years must have exceptionally girded loins, so to speak.
April 20th, 2009 at 3:05 pmWhen will the majority of Americans realize that AIPAC and the current rightwingers in the Israeli are no friend of the United States.
AIPAC is merely a front organization for the Israeli government and a starting point for Mossad corruption in the United States.
Until AIPAC is fully exposed, and until current wingnut Israeli government is reformed, the US will remain a vassal to the Jerusalem religious zealots. Their goal is not the welfare of America. The current Israeli government’s goal is merely more power and territory.
April 20th, 2009 at 3:34 pmGonzales must be uncircumcised, because there’s just no end to that prick.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:30 pm