|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Email
a friend America's
Wars More
Blogs
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Memo
to Reporters What's at Stake in HackergateThe Chairman and Ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Orrin Hatch and Patrick Leahy, must decide what happens next in "Hackergate," the investigation of activities by Republican committee and Senate staff members who broke into Democratic committee members' computer files. The two senators received a confidential internal investigative report yesterday which, when it becomes public, could become a huge story and lead to a full-blown criminal investigation. The most important unanswered questions: did Republican Senators know about and use the stolen documents, and did the White House use the stolen documents in preparing judicial nominees for confirmation hearings? Below are the key elements of this story as it stands now. The Scale of the Hackergate Crimes Casts Doubt on Senators' Claims to Ignorance Thousands of Files Were Stolen. The Sergeant-at-Arms' investigation has revealed that thousands of memos were stolen. "Democratic staff aides who were briefed on Mr. Pickle's presentation said senators were stunned to learn that more than 3,000 documents had been improperly read by Republicans…" [Neil Lewis, New York Times, 2/10/04] "Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA.), a Judiciary Committee member, put the number of documents at more than 4,000." [Geoff Earle, The Hill, 2/11/04] The Theft Took Place Over 18 Months. "It may never be possible to determine the scope of the number of staffers looking at what all members thought were confidential files," said [Judiciary Member, R-TX] Cornyn, who added that Pickle confirmed for the Senators that the files were taken over an 18-month period...." [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 2/11/04] Republican Leadership Defending a Crime. Senators Santorum (R-PA) and Lott (R-MS) are both on record supporting Manuel Miranda, even after Miranda admitted to stealing files. "Sen. Rick Santorum (PA)...countered that the 'real aggrievement here' was the content of the memos of Democratic 'collusion' with outside groups to block nominees…He urged the media to 'look at where the real potential criminal' behavior was with the Democrats..." [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 2/11/04] The Stolen Memos Were Central to Republican Strategy on Judicial Nominations Stolen Documents Used to Prep White House Judicial Nominees. Four Democratic Judiciary Committee members have formally asked the White House for details of any contact with or knowledge of the stolen documents. Sergeant-at-Arms Pickle is also planning to ask every judicial nominee from the period in question whether he or she had contact with or knowledge of the stolen documents. Senator Durbin says he is planning on asking every nominee who comes before the committee the same question. [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 2/9/04; Neil Lewis, New York Times, 2/10/04] Distributed to Right Wing Interest Groups. The Coalition for a Fair Judiciary publicly posted 15 memoranda, http://fairjudiciary.com/cfj_contents/press/collusionmemos.shtml, two of which bore the electronic signature of Sen. Maj. Leader Bill Frist's staffer Manuel Miranda. [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 1/20/04] Orrin Hatch has also implicated a "former staffer" as being involved, describing Manuel Miranda. [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 1/20/04] Distributed to Sympathetic Press Over Six Months. "On Feb. 27, 2003, I [Bob Novak] reported in this column that Kennedy had devised a 'grand design' to keep Bush from taking over the federal judiciary. I attributed direct quotes about his filibuster scheme to 'internal sources,'" and Senate Judiciary Committee Democratic staffers recognized language from their own e-mails. The Wall Street Journal last November published parts of 15 such messages, which later were posted on a Web site." [Bob Novak, Chicago Sun Times, 2/9/04] Timing of Document Leeks Supported Republican Judiciary Strategy. "After
Republicans walked into the Senate chamber together to begin the extraordinary
session, Democrats argued that their move was not a show of unity but
rather a television stunt orchestrated for Fox News. They pointed to a
memo from Manuel Miranda, a staffer for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
(R-TN), which said: "It is important to double efforts to get your
boss to S-230 on time ... Fox News Channel is really excited about this
marathon and Brit Hume at 6 would love to open with all our 51 senators
walking onto the floor -- the producer wants to know will we walk in exactly
at 6:02 when the show starts so they get it live to open Brit Hume's show?
Or if not, can we give them an exact time for the walk-in start?"
"Manuel Miranda, had spearheaded the Republican effort to push President Bush's judicial nominees through the Senate in the face of fierce Democratic opposition." [Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 2/5/04] "Manuel Miranda, who advised Frist in the bitter partisan warfare over judicial nominees, confirmed yesterday that he intends to officially announce his resignation early next week." [Boston Globe, 2/6/04] "Manuel Miranda, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's staff lawyer who ran his judicial confirmation campaign, last Friday resigned under pressure." [Bob Novak, Chicago Sun-Times, 2/9/04] "Conservative activists...came to revere Miranda's sharp-elbowed approach to the nomination battles." [Paul Kane, Roll Call 2/9/04] Architect of the controversial "Nuclear Option." [Jimmy Moore, Talon News, 6/20/03; Chwialkowska, New York Sun, 9/5/03]
Hypocritically, Republicans claim to be outraged that the stolen memos
document coordination between Democrats and liberal interest groups. [Wes
Vernon, Mewsmax.com, 2/12/04] Manuel Miranda's sole job was to collude
with conservative interest groups in the confirmation effort. "As an aide in Frist's office, Miranda was able to organize the Judiciary Committee with outside groups that communicated the Republican message on judges… "Miranda has really been the quarterback on the Republican side for much of the Senate activity on this," said Sean Rushton, the executive director of the Committee for Justice." [Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 2/5/04] "Manuel Miranda, Frist's top aide on judicial nominations who has been the point man with conservative activists on the issue, is on leave…" [Paul Kane, Roll Call, 1/26/4] Participated in a Christian Coalition of America rally to protest the filibuster of the nominations of Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen. [Washington Daybook, May 9, 2003] Paid for by MOVEON PAC, P.O. Box 9218, Berkeley, CA 94709. Website: www.moveonpac.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
[Home] [Community] [World Events] [Take Charge] [Links] [Lorenzo's Random Musings] [About Us] [Store]
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
