DNC Lawsuit to Obtain RNC-Justice Department Communications
Posted by Michael Link on April 19, 2007 at 03:02 PM
One month ago, I hand-delivered a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request to the Department of Justice on behalf of Governor Dean and the tens of thousands of you who added your names to it. The FOIA attempted to get beyond the stonewalling, contradictions and misleading statements given surrounding the firing of the U.S. Attorneys by requesting:
all documents in the possession, custody or control of the Office of Attorney General, Office of the Deputy Attorney General and Office of the Associate Attorney General, prepared on or after November 1, 2004, constituting, reflecting or referring to communications to or from or to any officer or employee of the Republican National Committee or any state or local Republican Party committee, referring, relating to or discussing (1) any prospective or ongoing investigation or prosecution; (2) initiating any investigation or prosecution; or (3) the appointment or termination of any United States Attorney; or (4) the performance, work or activity of any United States Attorney or Office of United States Attorney;
Since then, the Republican National Committee claims they have lost emails from Karl Rove's email RNC account during an 18-week gap. In addition, some of the White House staffers using RNC email addresses may have been used to communicate with the Justice Department about the firings.
Now it's 30 days since the FOIA request and we've filed a lawsuit in an effort to obtain the RNC-Justice Department communications. The stonewalling continues, but this time it's affecting a request by tens of thousands of you.
You can read our complaint against the Justice Department here. Also, you can read the original FOIA letter here, which was signed by Governor Dean.
Comments - 13 »
Comments - 13 «
Good Job!...Keep the blow torch on their lying weasel asses!
Posted by goodfoe on April 19, 2007 at 04:11 PM
What does this mean? Does the DNC lawsuit speed up the process of getting the emails publicly released in an approach not available to Congress? What is the process now? For instance, does the DOJ have 30 days to respond and if they refuse, how soon does the matter go before a judge for preliminary arguments?
Plus, have others like CREW already done this?
Posted by julimac on April 19, 2007 at 06:18 PM
Eighteen weeks. What in the hell were they doing during that long of a period that is so incriminating...so much so that they are willing to make a federal case out of this?
This is the White House and Republican Party that always excuses their suspect behavior with the refrain, "What we did was not illegal." It would appear that this time that just can't be true.
First they claimed that they lost the e-mails, then they were destroyed by mistake, and now they are protected by executive privilege. Only criminals cover their tracks that way...and usually end up in jail. No grand jury would accept this explanation.
Rove needs to testify under oath or resign.
Posted by SandyH on April 19, 2007 at 06:49 PM
Karl Rove needs to testify, resign and then be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for all the crap you know he has done. He is one of the leaders in the "we are above the law" attitude of the administration.
Posted by jolene42 on April 19, 2007 at 08:10 PM
I work with Republicans who say the firing of these 8 attorneys is no diferent than Clinton firing attorneys when he was in office.
Is this true or is this a Replublican Blame Game on Clinton again?
Posted by sadie1 on April 19, 2007 at 09:34 PM
Republicans also chant things like, "What we did is not illegal." They're a bunch of zombies. Find another job before they give you a pod and your turn a feather brain, too.
Posted by SandyH on April 20, 2007 at 12:01 AM
I work with Republicans who say the firing of these 8 attorneys is no different than Clinton firing attorneys when he was in office.
Is this true or is this a Republican Blame Game on Clinton again?
Posted by sadie1 "
"Mr. Rove’s claims today that the Bush administration’s purge of qualified and capable U.S. attorneys is “normal and ordinary” is pure fiction.
Replacing most U.S. attorneys when a new administration comes in — as we did in 1993 and the Bush administration did in 2001 — is not unusual.
But the Clinton administration never fired federal prosecutors as pure political retribution.
These U.S. attorneys received positive performance reviews from the Justice Department and were then given no reason for their firings."
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/08/podesta-rove/
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/20/crs-clinton-attorney-purge/
Posted by BluGrrl on April 20, 2007 at 01:40 AM
"Karl Rove needs to testify, resign, and then be prosecuted...."
Rove doesn't need to resign. He can be indicted and prosecuted without resigning. In fact, indicting him and trying him while he is still a member of the Bushiato, would send a first-class message to the rest of the Bush administration, that they aren't going to squirm out of responsibility for their actions any longer.
INVESTIGATE! IMPEACH!! INDICT!!!
Posted by Butte on April 20, 2007 at 09:35 AM
Oh, BTW, I saw portions of Gonzales' testimony on CSPAN yesterday.
He is either lying through his teeth, or he is the most incompetent Attorney General we've ever had, in the history of the United States.
He either couldn't remember anything, or he wasn't told anything. If what he was saying is true (which I really doubt) he has admitted to being a mere figurehead who wasn't in charge of his own operation.
Either way he needs to be out of there, like now!
Posted by Butte on April 20, 2007 at 09:41 AM
Psst...someone needs to subpoena the servers.
Posted by Corinne on April 20, 2007 at 10:07 AM
I'm not surprised that the republicans on the committee are going after Gonzalez. He can fall on the sword like Myers. Bush is doesn't appear to be defeated by the Democrats.
Once he resigns, I don't think there will be continued public support for pursuing RNC email information (Dems will look like they just won't let it go) plus pre-election investigations or lack thereof by the DOJ will appear more credible without Gonzalez.
Posted by Denise on April 20, 2007 at 11:03 AM
God Bless our Democrats. This is the first time,in my memory, that Democrats have stuck to their guns, until they gained results. The people will back you because you are doing the right thing. The Republicans that aren't with you are so wrong!
Posted by freeforall on April 20, 2007 at 03:10 PM
All the lying and there are no consequences!
How can this be in a REAL DEMOCRACY!
Posted by Brain on April 20, 2007 at 03:48 PM
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