Bushies Behaving BadlyA guide to GOP scandals.
Posted Friday, May 11, 2007, at 12:11 PM ETReturn to the main page.
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Eavesdroppers at the National Security Agency With the Wiretaps
After 9/11, the National Security Agency started eavesdropping without warrants on phone calls between the United States and overseas parties. Alberto Gonzales defended the wiretaps, but a federal judge ruled that the practice violated both the Constitution and the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. After objections from Democrats and lawsuits filed by the ACLU and the Center for Constitutional Rights, Gonzales announced that, although the program "fully complies with the law," President Bush would not reauthorize it. The administration continues to push for expanded surveillance laws.
Bureaucrats at Walter Reed With Cockroaches
After the Washington Post ran a series detailing the moldy, roach-infested conditions and incompetent bureaucracy of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Sen. Charles Schumer called the scandal the "Katrina of 2007." Army Secretary Francis Harvey removed the hospital's commander, only to be fired himself the next day. Ten days later, the Army surgeon general was gone, too. Investigations are ongoing.
Jack Abramoff on K Street With the Wallet
In January 2006, Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to conspiracy, fraud, and tax evasion. Between entertaining congressmen with golf junkets to Scotland, trading votes for dinners at his D.C. restaurant, and fleecing Indian tribes, there aren't many white-collar crimes Abramoff hasn't committed. He was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison for wire fraud, but might get out sooner. (Abramoff's misdeeds spawned a massive corruption investigation that is still ongoing.)
Steven Griles in the Department of the Interior With the "Special Relationship"
The former deputy interior secretary pleaded guilty to lying about his relationship with Jack Abramoff. Griles initially told the Senate Indian affairs committee that "there was no special relationship for Mr. Abramoff in my office." In reality, he had intervened in the department on behalf of Abramoff. (For example, he helped block progress on a new Indian casino that would have competed with one of Abramoff's clients.) Griles will be sentenced in June.
Scooter Libby in the White House With the Faulty Memory
After retired diplomat Joe Wilson disputed President Bush's State of the Union claim that Iraq had sought uranium from Niger, an administration official (later revealed to be Richard Armitage) leaked the classified CIA status of Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame. The leak led to a federal grand jury investigation examining the roles of, among others, Karl Rove and I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, then-chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney. Libby was indicted and convicted, but not for the leak. Rather, his crimes were perjury, obstruction of justice, and lying to the FBI. His sentencing is set for June 5.
Alberto Gonzales in the Justice Department With the Pink Slips
In March 2007, eight fired U.S. attorneys claimed that they were let go for political rather than performance-related reasons. A subsequent congressional investigation led to the resignations of Kyle Sampson, chief of staff to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and Monica Goodling, the AG's senior counsel. Gonzales initially denied his involvement in the firings, but documents released to reporters indicated he had attended meetings on the subject. In his testimony to the Senate, he admitted to misspeaking in his initial statements about the firings and said the removal of the attorneys was "flawed," but insisted he should keep his job.
John Doolittle in Congress With the Campaign Donations
The FBI raided the home of California Rep. John Doolittle in April 2007 as part of the Jack Abramoff probe. Doolittle reportedly accepted $14,000 in campaign donations from Abramoff—and a lot more than that from Abramoff's clients. Doolittle's wife, Julie, also runs a consulting business with ties to Abramoff.
Mark Foley in Congress With the Instant Messages
Florida Rep. Mark Foley resigned amid revelations that he exchanged sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages with former congressional pages. Foley claimed he never actually had sex with any of the minors, and it's still unclear whether he broke any laws. The flap also raised questions about why Republicans, particularly House Speaker Dennis Hastert, didn't act on earlier reports of Foley's inappropriate behavior.
Halliburton in Iraq With the Defense Contracts
Halliburton Co., the multinational energy company helmed by Dick Cheney between 1995 and 2000, scored lucrative contracts to provide logistical support for U.S. troops in Iraq and elsewhere, netting the firm $20 billion over the past five years. Spokespersons for the company have said that Cheney played no role in helping secure the contracts. In 2004, the Justice Department began investigating whether a subsidiary of Halliburton offered a $180 million bribe to secure a contract to build a natural-gas plant in Nigeria back when Cheney was CEO.
Tom DeLay in Congress With the Corporate Funds
Rep. Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader known as "the Hammer," resigned in June 2006 after a Texas grand jury indicted him for financing Republican candidates in state elections with corporate money—a violation of Texas campaign-finance law. DeLay has not been charged in connection with the Jack Abramoff case, but two of his aides pleaded guilty to crimes uncovered by the Abramoff probe. DeLay also took multiple foreign trips on lobbyists' dimes. (Use this handy scorecard to keep track of the DeLay scandals.)
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