Fox, Henhouse, Bush's DOJ

by emptywheel

Well, we might have a new explanation for the flurry of news recently on the Abramoff investigation. Turns out, the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of DOJ (reporting to Alice Fisher, presumably) is good buddies with Kevin Ring, who is about to flip Congress Doolittle an indictment. And just before Kevin Ring got around to flipping, said Deputy Chief stepped down.

A senior Justice Department official has resigned after coming under scrutiny in the Department’s expanding investigation of convicted super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, according to a Justice Department official with knowledge of the case.

Making the situation more awkward for the embattled Department, the official, Robert E. Coughlin II, was deputy chief of staff for the criminal division, which is overseeing the Department’s probe of Abramoff.

He stepped down effective April 6 as investigators in Coughlin’s own division ratcheted up their investigation of lobbyist Kevin Ring, Coughlin’s long-time friend and a key associate of Abramoff.

So for those of you following the chronology, Robert Coughlin resigned April 6. One week later, on April 13, Kevin Ring resigned from his firm. The same day, the FBI raided Doolittle's house. I'd say that's might interesting timing. And poor DOJ, all their best politicos are rather occupied right now, trying to stay out of jail themselves.

As I said over at FDL, perhaps this means someday we'll see the backside of Alice Fisher.

Comments

[obsessed]

Sorry for my ignorance, but who's Alice Fisher again? We need a deck of cards to keep track of all these crooks.

[orionATL]

i wonder if there is an internal investigation going on (or recently completed) within doj?

maybe something to do with passing along doj info.

[tomj]

Did anyone ever consider the possibility that semi-culpable witnesses have not been coming forward due to fear, not loyalty? Imagine coming in to the FBI and confessing your involvement, only to be the only one punished? Canaries like to sing, if they think there is a larger point to make.

[pol]

OT -- and this is probably a pretty dumb question, but I'll never know unless I ask... So, it's asked in sincerity --

TPM just got word that there's another document dump tonight. As obstinant as Bush and boys are, why do they willingly release the documents, especially when some of the data is incriminating -- and when the White House likes to call itself a unitary executive.

[Outahere]

So much to read about on an otherwise boring Friday, hmmm. Thanks for the continuing education.

FYI - the visual site problems I mentioned the other day still exist with W-IE but now it's only on the first page. If the article rolls to another page or I head to the comments all looks as it did. I don't get it.

[pol]

TPM just got word that there's another document dump tonight. As obstinant as Bush and boys are, why do they willingly release the documents, especially when some of the data is incriminating -- and when the White House likes to call itself a unitary executive

That should have been stated in the form of a question, sorry. Why release them?

[bmaz]

The site is still goofy for me too. I use the latest Safari on the latest OSX 10.4.9 I think. Problem seemed to start around "The Other 13" post on 4/25. Never could get that article to come up properly; at one point it suddenly incorporated some post from 2006 I think.

[marksb]

Oh my. Jane's certainly got the goods on Alice Fisher. What a classic example of cronyism and ineffectual management...all the way through the chain of command. Recess appointed during the Katrina mess, no less, and Chief of Criminal Division with ZERO trial experience. Geez.

And one for Jodi: "Fisher is a Republican who in her former job was registered as a lobbyist for HCA, the healthcare company founded by Bill Frist's father." Heh.

[readerOfTeaLeaves]

OS X.4.8, Safari 2.0.4 - same issues as bmaz.

Too many foxes with too many feathers still stuffed in their mouths.
Hoping for many Verdict Faeries to stop these foxes in their bloody tracks.

[freepatriot]

so the guy in charge of investigating "I don't know Jack" abramoff has now resigned because he has been implicated in the "I don't know Jack" Abramoff scandal ???

so doesn't that make his entire involvement in the investigation a BIG FAT CASE OF OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE ???

or did he "FAIL TO RECALL" that he was one of the people who obviously "DID KNOW JACK" ???

is failure to remember that you're one of the criminals a valid defense against that charge ???

TWO FUCKING WORDS

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

and hey, jack abramoff, BOHICA baby, BOHICA