FBI Seeking Records of 2004 Condoleeza Rice Ethics Probe
WASHINGTON - FBI agents investigating government watchdog Scott Bloch have subpoenaed any records that would reveal whether concerns about the 2004 elections prompted him to clear Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of ethics violations.
Bloch, the U.S. special counsel who investigates federal employee whistleblower complaints, found no merit to allegations that Rice, then President Bush’s national security adviser, timed some of her trips to boost Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign.
The FBI is investigating whether Bloch obstructed justice by destroying computer files to hinder an outside inquiry into allegations that he retaliated against employees who opposed his policies. He’s also suspected of making false statements to investigators.
FBI agents, who searched Bloch’s office and home Tuesday, subpoenaed 17 of his current and former employees to appear before a federal grand jury and asked them to bring any documents related to possible tampering of records in the office’s electronic investigative tracking system, McClatchy has learned.
Officials with knowledge of the investigation also told McClatchy that the FBI has subpoenaed records about the decision to assign Rice’s case to an investigator. The officials asked to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation.
It’s unclear whether the FBI is looking into Bloch’s decision to clear Rice or whether agents are seeking evidence in separate obstruction and false-statements investigation.
State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the department had no comment and referred questions to the FBI. White House said they couldn’t discuss a personnel matter, and FBI officials also declined to comment.
Bloch, whose lawyer also didn’t return calls, has denied any wrongdoing. Bloch has said that he paid an outside company, Geeks on Call, about $1,100 in taxpayer money in 2006 to move files from his work computer.
He said that he feared a virus had contaminated his computer. As a result, he said, he instructed technicians to erase the hard drives of his computers and those of two former employees, but said he kept copies of the deleted files.
The investigation is the latest in a series of controversies involving Bloch, a Bush appointee whom independent watchdog groups have criticized since he took office in 2004.
The agents who searched his home for more than six hours and seized several computers also sought documents connected to Bloch’s investigation of former General Services Administration chief Lurita Doan. Doan announced her resignation last week, almost a year after Bloch concluded that she’d violated the Hatch Act, which limits government employees’ political activities.
Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., one of Bloch’s frequent critics, called Wednesday for Bloch to resign.
“The White House asked Lurita Doan to step down as head of the General Services Administration because, they said, she had become a distraction,” said Davis. “In light of the various investigations into Mr. Bloch’s conduct, including the FBI probe revealed yesterday, it’s hard to believe he can continue to operate effectively.”
In 2005, the inspector general of the Office of Personnel Management began looking into Bloch’s alleged retaliation against employees. Several employees also accused him of ignoring complaints by federal workers who said they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
The FBI has confirmed that investigators from the inspector general’s office took part in the searches. A lawyer who represents the employees didn’t return calls.
The Project on Government Oversight (POGO), an independent Washington watchdog group, accused Bloch of conducting “stunningly broad fishing expeditions” to create a false impression that he was being scrutinized only because of his aggressive investigations.
The group released an internal Special Counsel document it obtained that the group said proved its contention.
In the draft document, dated Jan. 18, 2008, members of a Special Counsel task force described their 11 wide-ranging inquiries, including examinations of Bush administration political briefings and the firings of nine U.S. attorneys.
In one case, the task force asked Bloch to allow them to narrow their investigation, but Bloch ordered them to broaden it.
After Justice Department officials testified about weighing job applicants’ political affiliations during hiring, task force members recommended that a case be opened.
Bloch initially denied their request, only to allow an investigation months later without dedicating resources to it, the document said.
Bloch’s office is investigating whether political briefings by former White House political adviser Karl Rove and others to at least 15 agencies violated a ban on the use of government resources for campaign activities.
The internal Special Council document obtained by the Project on Government Oversight is available at:
http://pogoarchives.org/m/wi/osc-tf-summary-20080118.pdf
© McClatchy Newspapers 2008
Tell the FBI to look under her pillow, that’s where gals hide stuff.
This is getting interesting, maybe the dominos are going to fall?
Or is it the house of cards?
This is all getting curiouser and curiouser. And down the rabbit hole we go. And we don’t even have a flashlight.
What I want to know is who, exactly, ordered this FBI raid. That, at least, would give me some clue as to its purpose.
“Secrecy breeds Tyranny.’
The FBI sleeps with the White House. This is just a cleansing operation.
Correction: Housekeeping, not “cleansing” operation.
Condescending Condi needs to be held accountable for her crimes and brought to the Hague along with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al, tried, and hanged for war crimes.
“The White House asked Lurita Doan to step down as head of the General Services Administration because, they said, she had become a distraction,” said Davis.
We should ask (demand by impeachment) that bush and cheney step down since they have become a distraction to truth and reality since they stole office.
The FBI could have seized the records to protect Rice. We can’t trust any part of our government any more. Don’t think these criminals work for us.
What isn’t adding up for me here is that if Bloch is a ‘Bush appointee’, how is it that they’re hanging him out to dry? For the most part, the Bush administration doesn’t ‘eat their own’. If they are forced to, like in the case of Libby, they’ll cover up anything too embarrassing and then fix it all up after the investigation. So then, that makes me wonder what Bloch REALLY did to get the administration to sic the FBI on him.
Could be some who think there will be a shift in the particular players in charge and now is time to do some CYA.
The FBI actualy does not take orders from Bush. They will naturally respect his questions and requests about many things, but they are very independent and will study and investigate many other things on their own. If they ever have a solid hammer on anyone, they will strike if it so pleases them. First they align the ducks in perfect order, which often takes considerable time.
Why would the FBI sieze records to protect Rice or anyone? If they were in on a scheme, they wouldn’t have to publically sieze any records.
Isn’t it funny or strange how intelligent people will maintain incriminating records? I suppose they do so to cover their own butts if ever necessary, but they also may convict themselves if a investigtion arises.
I am starting to get the feeling that a lot of the career bureaucrats, that are decent public servants, are starting to feel free to do their jobs again. After years of being forced to hunker down and toe the party line for fear of losing their jobs, they are looking at a lame-duck and thinking they would like to kick it in ass to help it out the door.
Does this imply that someone in the bush White House actually has ethics?
kendpotter:
I think you have it right. Eight years of the worst partisan and cronyism BS ever is coming to a close.
There also might be a little blame assignment going on. Screw Condi, Bloch, Rumsfeld… by hanging all the neocon crimes and stupid decisions on them. Then the real creeps - Cheney, Wolfowitz, Rove, PNAC and the AIPAC boys, etc can come back fresh in 4-8 years (hopefully never) with their reputations rewritten.
…Condi, why is it that everytime we have to view a stately photo of you, you have a look of just complete and utter hate and bitterness on your face??!….you look like the devil’s daughter, my goodness….just a pure hater…other than Hitler, I cannot recall a more hateful-looking face…your spirit is consumed by nothing but darkness…go visit a shamen or something; I’d hate to be crossing the road when your driving up the street!!….
KEM, you are aware that this corrupt group has only 8 more months before another administration takes over. Often ‘housecleaning’ is done prior to another occupant.
“Why would the FBI sieze records to protect Rice or anyone? If they were in on a scheme, they wouldn’t have to publically sieze any records.
Isn’t it funny or strange how intelligent people will maintain incriminating records? I suppose they do so to cover their own butts if ever necessary, but they also may convict themselves if a investigtion arises”.
As far as the FBI operating independent of the whitehouse, only in your dreams. Muller knows that the same thing that happened to the CIA could be the FBIs future if???
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Whitehouse
I hope someone is taking notes. These events will make a terrific book or movie some day. Unfortunately it’s not a work of fiction.
this investagation is going to take 8 1\2 months……just long enough to be forgotten by the media and the american sheeple
Whenever one of my kids was guilty, they had the same type of expression Connie has it that photo. ___ “I didn’t do it, your’re picking on me.”
I hope they get you Condie.
Prosecute this war monger, war criminal, this tunte.
AS Freud once famously said, “sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” These whitecaps on the lake could actually just be the FBI investigating Condominium for wrongs done; she faces the lock up if the FBI succeeds.
The comment about the Bushites (the inner circle that has Oval Office privileges) not eating their own has very limited applications; they WILL eat their own if they must to survive. Another comment seemed to speculate that the FBI would not attack to the Oval Office; that most certainly is also not in sync with reality. All tyrannies-from Chinese emperors to Russian Czars to American Presidents have had to deal with recalcitrant bureaucracies who are protective of their own turf and have reputations to protect. This built in need to keep up the ‘esprit de corps’ can cause any one of the various agencies to turn on their lord and overseers and sink their teeth into the ankle up to the bone.
A bit of history will demonstrate:
1. The ‘intelligence community’ has served as the unwilling boy at the whipping post for the Bushites due to questions asked about the events surrounding September 11, 2001. Whatever did in fact actually happen on that day is almost not the point here except to look at continual news articles about ‘failures’ at the FBI, the CIA, and the Federal Aviation Administration. All were blamed heavily for failing to respond appropriately for many months before September 11th and long after. These ‘news’ articles sometimes look like Bushite plants; folks in the Oval Office are very willing that we look elsewhere for responsibility regarding preparedness to protect the national borders.
2. The whitewashing succeeded and no one really blamed the Oval Office for allowing 9/11 to happen, or as I believe, for perpetrating it. But the ‘intelligence community’ is in ill repute and many of the entrenched top positioned desks have much baggage in the way of a vitriolic need to obtain revenge.
3. Hence the investigation of puffed up Rice.
U.S. of BABYLON: Few women were born with colder hearts than this one, dry drunk on power without an iota of remorse for the deaths of so many innocents. I remember news that she didn’t interrupt her NYC shopping for shoes trip when people in New Orleans were trapped in that horrible stadium with its sewers backing up.
I believe in reincarnation and have always felt Condi was the reincarnation of Genghis Kahn. Why would a young black female study that part of the world? What atmosphere would stir her sails to move into circles of brute power that routinely use force? It’s as if in the former lifetime she never quite conquered (or held) that route between China-India and Iran and NOW it’s within her reach. Whatever it is you’re really good at suggests it ain’t your first rodeo in its ring. And whatever you most fear has stamped the phobia on your psyche from times long passed.
Following my same thread… can’t you see Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove all decked out in those high french wigs, pointy shoes, tight leotard like pants? Or wearing pointy hats… they are Inquisitors, long experienced in calumny and character assassination, returned. I believe Bush was the Emperor Justinian who expunged all mention of reincarnation from the Bible, an event linked to the Councils of Nicaea in the 4th century, I believe. He was married to a former prostitute, Theodora, and convinced himself if he could change the understanding of Divine law (reincarnation suggests the impact of our actions are carried over into future incarnations) he could exonerate himself from all responsibility. How familiar does that sound, only this time he’s using the “Jesus Saves” coupons. And it would be pretty hilarious if the chaste librarian in this lifetime was the experienced squeeze in the former.
She may be the Devil’s daughter. That famous picture of Cheney where he seems to actually be snarling??? That is the true face of pure evil.
TPB: I thought I was pretty funny stating a while back (no one commented) that in the future (if there is a future) kids will fight over getting one of the limited “Dick Cheney” masks made available for Halloween, a number sure to replace Frankenstein and Darth Vader for popularity in that kids so love to identify with the dark forces on the night of spirits set loose from the underworld.
Die, Die, my darling
What fantasy land does KEM PATRIC live in? The FBI is certainly a political entity. During the Vietnam illegality, I was involved in opposing the war. The FBI tapped my phone, called my parents and told them I was on drugs, followed me and made sure any potential employers knew I was a subversive drug addict.
(No, I didn’t take drugs) I was no big fish but that didn’t stop them from spending resources, time and money on harrassing me for years while refusing to admit the Mafia even existed. At one point I was down to 110 lbs from actual starvation (I’m 6 ft tall)! I was homeless and slept under bridges. I learned one has freedom of speech in America as long as one does not choose to exercise it.
La la land ~Plantman 13~. What you just described about yourself is not the type of investigations I was referring to here.
And the FBI harrassed you for years for no reason, just for the exercise or fun I suppose. Uh-huh, probably still tracking you by satellite Plantman, You’ll never be free of them. ___ Get a pet mongoose.
Here’s some freedom of speech: she looks like a zombie searching for some brains to eat.
Ick.
investigating Rice for Ethics is like examining fish for feet…they aint got any
Walking catfish does.
Interesting that anyone can use ‘Ethics’ and ‘Conzoleeza Rice’ in the same sentence.
Why would the Bushies eat their own? Read the last paragraph–he was investigating Karl Rove.
U.S. of Babylon, I agree. Condi-scending Rice lived a cold life of pure selfish ambition that had no room for the love of a husband and children. It shows on her face. She was a pampered, privileged only child.
Old Honest Abe said:
“You can’t fool all the sheeple all the time cause even they know when they’re gettin fleeced!”
According to the prophecy…
Ha Ha Ha…KEM. You’re a real funny guy. Derision, however, does not count as debate. I realize you have most likely never been the focus of anybody, but I assure you that we members of the American Friends Sertvice Committee were. I have seen my FBI file which I was able to aquire before the FOIA was gutted and I was quite surprised. I wish it was just a case of my being paranoid or an over active imagination but that was not the case. You should leave la la land where everything is obvious and join the rest of us mortals. Might brush up on your debating skills while you’re at it.
Forget the mongoose, they get mean sometimes. Try a hoot owl, “___Hoot Hoot”. ___ The point is, you were criticizing me for a different subject matter, one I was not referring to so asking what fanasty land I live in is not relevant to what I wrote. Hoot on, whatever makes your lips pucker.