From Talking Points Memo, Josh Marshall:
As we move forward in the US Attorney scandal this week, remember this name: Bradley J. Schlozman.
Well here is the scoop about Bradley J. Schlozman:
Even before Cummins in Arkansas took over the investigation, alarm bells were already going off in Missouri. The U.S. Attorney for Missouri's Western District, who would have otherwise overseen the investigation, was Todd P. Graves, who would also end up being replaced by a Rove/White House/DoJ sock-puppet in that post.
Graves's wife, as it turns out, "had been given a no-bid contract to run the second most lucrative motor vehicle fee office in Missouri," according to the Missouri Democratic Party, who called for an investigation back in 2005. The contract to the wife of the U.S. Attorney was said to be worth some $2.6 million. Further, Graves's brother-in-law had received a similar no-bid contract from Blunt for $1 million, and two staffers of Graves's brother, Congressman Sam Graves, had also been given two similar contracts.
"[T]his situation amounts to $3.6 million in corruption insurance for Blunt," the Missouri Dems would later write in a petition drive calling for an investigation.
Graves's wife, as it turns out, "had been given a no-bid contract to run the second most lucrative motor vehicle fee office in Missouri," according to the Missouri Democratic Party, who called for an investigation back in 2005. The contract to the wife of the U.S. Attorney was said to be worth some $2.6 million. Further, Graves's brother-in-law had received a similar no-bid contract from Blunt for $1 million, and two staffers of Graves's brother, Congressman Sam Graves, had also been given two similar contracts.
"[T]his situation amounts to $3.6 million in corruption insurance for Blunt," the Missouri Dems would later write in a petition drive calling for an investigation.
Graves, obviously, would be unable to carry out such an investigation himself, so after he recused himself it ended up going to Cummins, who says he was outside of the loop of Missouri politics and had no idea of the various underlying schemata.
Graves would later be added to the now-infamous list of 10 attorneys set for removal, according to a January 9, 2006 email from Alberto Gonzales's Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson. Though nobody seems to know, according to Gonzales's Senate testimony last week, who it was who created that list --- which has led to still more focus on the White House as the originators of the hit list.
Graves would later be added to the now-infamous list of 10 attorneys set for removal, according to a January 9, 2006 email from Alberto Gonzales's Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson. Though nobody seems to know, according to Gonzales's Senate testimony last week, who it was who created that list --- which has led to still more focus on the White House as the originators of the hit list.
In March of 2006, Graves resigned instead of being fired. His resignation came "smack in the middle of the period during which U.S. Attorney for Arkansas' Eastern District Bud Cummins was investigating Governor Matt Blunt's award of fee offices to political supporters," Fired Up's Beale reported last month, along with a number of other questions that folks in Leahy's and Conyers's office may want to both read and start asking as well.
The interim replacement for Graves would be Bradley J. Schlozman, a key Bush appointee to DoJ's Civil Rights Division. Schlozman had previously overridden the unanimous opinion of 8 career attorneys in the division who had concluded that Tom DeLay's Texas redistricting scheme had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The U.S. Supreme Court would later agree with the career employees and overturned several parts of DeLay's redistricting. (35-year DoJ civil rights attorney Joseph D. Rich recently opined on the DeLay matter, and much more of the unprecedented politicization of that office by the "Loyal Bushies."
Schlozman had never even served as a prosecutor when he was appointed to take Graves's place just two weeks after the Bush administration had accomplished their PATRIOT Act coup allowing for appointments without Senate approval. He would pick up where Graves left off in a "voter fraud" suit (naturally) against the Missouri Secretary of State. That case was decided in favor of Missouri (naturally), and against the DoJ just last week when the federal judge found "the United States has not shown that any Missouri resident was denied his or her right to vote as a result of deficiencies alleged by the United States...Nor has the United States shown that any voter fraud has occurred."
The interim replacement for Graves would be Bradley J. Schlozman, a key Bush appointee to DoJ's Civil Rights Division. Schlozman had previously overridden the unanimous opinion of 8 career attorneys in the division who had concluded that Tom DeLay's Texas redistricting scheme had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The U.S. Supreme Court would later agree with the career employees and overturned several parts of DeLay's redistricting. (35-year DoJ civil rights attorney Joseph D. Rich recently opined on the DeLay matter, and much more of the unprecedented politicization of that office by the "Loyal Bushies."
Schlozman had never even served as a prosecutor when he was appointed to take Graves's place just two weeks after the Bush administration had accomplished their PATRIOT Act coup allowing for appointments without Senate approval. He would pick up where Graves left off in a "voter fraud" suit (naturally) against the Missouri Secretary of State. That case was decided in favor of Missouri (naturally), and against the DoJ just last week when the federal judge found "the United States has not shown that any Missouri resident was denied his or her right to vote as a result of deficiencies alleged by the United States...Nor has the United States shown that any voter fraud has occurred."
2 comments:
Me thinks that soon emails will show that the White House tried to interfer with the Libby case. Don't be surprised when it findly hits the news. Gonzo was working hard for Karl when he went to the Federal Court House during the Libby trial.
Poor Fitz- what a mess! I'm so glad he didn't have a stroke dealing with these crafty folk.
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