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One of CREW's Most Corrupt: Sen. Ted Stevens Indicted on Seven Counts
On July 29, Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was indicted on seven counts of making false statements. Each count is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment. The indictment states that from 1999 through 2006, Sen. Stevens failed to list on his personal financial disclosure forms a significant number of gifts valued at over $250,000 made by VECO, an Alaskan oil pipeline company, and the company's CEO, Bill Allen.
CREW, which has named Sen. Stevens as one of the most corrupt members of Congress, has long alleged that Sen. Stevens' conduct violated federal criminal law
Although Sen. Stevens was not charged with bribery, the indictment states that Sen. Stevens used his official position to benefit VECO while receiving gifts from the company and it's CEO. With this indictment, members of Congress have been put on notice that the Justice Department, on behalf of the American people, will not tolerate members abusing their position for private personal gain. Sadly, the same cannot be said of the Senate Ethics Committee, which has long turned a blind eye to Sen. Stevens' offenses.
The citizens of Alaska deserve a senator focused on their issues not his own criminal charges. As a result, CREW has asked that Sen. Stevens resign immediately.
Read more here.
Read the USA Today story here.
CREW Files Bar Complaints against Justice Department Officials
On July 7, CREW filed bar complaints against former Department of Justice officials Michael J. Elston and Esther Slater McDonald. The complaints were based on the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility report, "An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring in the Department of Justice Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program." The report notes that Mr. Elston and Ms. McDonald broke federal law and violated DOJ policy by making hiring decisions based on political and ideological affiliation; Mr. Elston and Ms. McDonald gave preferential treatment to conservative candidates.
The Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit attorneys from engaging in behavior involving dishonesty and conduct that "seriously interferes with the administration of justice." By illegally taking political and ideological affiliations into account during their screening process, Mr. Elston and Ms. McDonald could be subject to discipline. CREW's complaint is one step in holding these two officials accountable.
Read more here.
Read The National Law Journal story here.
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CREW Releases Report Honoring "Those Who Dared"
On July 16, CREW released a report titled "Those Who Dared: 30 Officials Who Stood Up for Our Country." Offering a more optimistic view of Washington, the report tells the tales of thirty brave individuals who have acted and spoken out against unethical and dishonorable conduct in the Bush administration. The report is the culmination of the review of hundreds of news articles, inspector general reports, and congressional reports. The impact of the individual's actions, the risk involved, and the changes that resulted were also taken into consideration in the decision making process. Some of those included in the report, such as Glenn Fine of the Department of Justice and John Higgins at the Department of Education acted to check agency-wide corruption, misconduct, and undue political influence. Other individuals are included because of a single act of courage, like Army Specialist Joseph Darby who was responsible for turning over the picture of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib to authorities. Other honorees include Inspector General Earl Devaney, Dr. James Hansen of NASA, and U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba.
Read more here.
Read the Federal Computer Week story here.
CREW Lawsuit Forces White House to Preserve Email
Last week, in a case concerning the millions of missing White House emails, CREW v. EOP, Magistrate Judge John Facciola ruled over White House objections that the White House must continue to collect and preserve all emails sent or received between March 2003 and October 2005. That crucial time-frame encompasses the start of the Iraq war, and the leaking of covert CIA agent Valerie Wilson's identity.
Since CREW first learned over one year ago of the millions of mysteriously missing emails from White House servers, CREW has worked to hold the White House accountable for its actions and ensure that important historical documents that belong to the American public are properly restored and preserved. CREW filed the lawsuit to force some measure of public accountability. Now we have learned that the White House, through its own analysis, has confirmed that emails are missing for hundreds of days and is in the process of implementing a recovery plan. But, as in the past, the White House has shrouded its actions in secrecy. CREW holds firm to the belief that the White House is, and must be, accountable to the public and part of that accountability includes an obligation to preserve our nation's history.
Read more here.
Read The Public Record story here.
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