Dirty Don Siegelman - out on bond - and is still a crook
Mar 28 at 9:09pm by Macranger
So Dirty Don Siegelman gets his out of jail card pending appeal. He’s still a crook.
“In a telephone interview shortly after he walked out of a federal prison in Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been “abuse of power” in his case, and repeatedly cited the influence of Karl Rove, the former White House political director.
“His fingerprints are smeared all over the case,” Mr. Siegelman said, a day after a federal appeals court ordered him released on bond and said there were legitimate questions about his case.
Mr. Rove has strenuously denied any involvement in the conviction of the former governor, who was sentenced to serve seven years last June after being convicted in 2006. He could not immediately be reached for comment today.
Mr. Siegelman served nine months while his lawyers appealed a federal judge’s refusal to release him on bond, pending the ex-governor’s appeal of his conviction. That refusal was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Thursday.
The former governor, a Democrat, said he would “press” to have Mr. Rove answer questions about his possible involvement in the case before Congress, which has already held a hearing on Mr. Siegelman. On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee signaled its intention to have Mr. Siegelman testify about the nature of his prosecution.”
The only “fingerprints” is Dirty Don’s on $500,000 of bribery cash, a fact established during trial and for which he was duly convicted. Yet as Democrats have a genetic tendency towards taking responsibility for their actions (see Bill Clinton), Dirty Don has to look for his Boogie-man in the Bushes.
Wrong place friend, if Dirty Don want’s to get the bottom of his misfortune he only has to look in the mirror.
For a review read again the indictment of Dirty Don, cut and dried and naturally fried.
Spitzer - Gone this morning? - Presser at 11:30: UPDATE: Don’t let the screen door hit you!
Mar 12 at 8:08am by Macranger
“Eliot Spitzer, the 54th governor of the state of New York, will resign Wednesday morning, a high-ranking official tells CBS 2’s Andrew Kirtzman. Lt. Gov. David Paterson will be sworn in later in the day in Albany.
There has been no set timetable for an announcement and an official letter of resignation has not been handed down, but both were expected at any moment.
The governor hoped to use the resignation as a bargaining chip with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time, insiders say, following his alleged involvement in a high-profile prositution ring.
“I think his career is politically at an end,” noted criminal defense attorney Ronald Fischetti told CBS 2 HD.
Sources say the governor knows this and is using his defense team, led by Michele Hirshman, to leverage his resignation against potential charges he may face.
When asked what the best-case scenario is for Spitzer, Fischetti said, “No charges, absolute resignation and contrition. I think the worst that could happen is a felony plea on a number of charges they could lodge against him.”
Fischetti said that as a former prosecutor himself, Spitzer would not want to plead guilty to a felony that could carry jail time, like tax evasion, money laundering or bringing a prostitute across state lines.
“The main thing I would do is not plead to a felony because if he does that his law license is toast,” Fischetti said. “He can’t practice law anymore.”
Awwwww, poor baby.
In anycase there is no way federal prosecutors will let him “off the hook”, and quite frankly with $80,000 in question I think the public, the taxpayers, have a right to know where that money came from. Right now I’m told that they are looking strongly at the “structuring” charge, but it could move on into more serious charges based just how “crafty” the money moved.
UPDATE: Via The Post, press conference at 11:30 EST, aides say resigning effective - St. Patrick’s Day. Hrrrmpt!
UPDATE: He’s gone. But it’s the least of his pending problems.
” Eliot Spitzer’s tumultuous tumble from the zenith of a promising political career to the nadir of a shocking sex scandal came as no surprise Wednesday as the bright, bull-headed governor announced his resignation, effective Monday, under bloating pressure from state lawmakers and the public.
Lt. Gov. David Paterson will become the 55th governor of New York and the state’s first black governor.
There were rumors that the once-heralded Democrat had negotiated a plea deal to avoid jail time in the case, but U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia squashed those rumors. “There is no agreement between this Office and Gov. Eliot Spitzer, relating to his resignation or any other matter,” he said in a statement to CBS 2.
That leaves Spitzer open to being indicted and facing prison time.”
Roll the tape:
And if what I’m hearing is correct Garcia is going to max this out. Like Spidey says, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
UPDATE: Brian Maloney keeping tabs on the nutroots on Air America and their ‘defense’ of Spitzer.
Spitzer - It’s not just about sex
Mar 11 at 9:09am by Macranger
More of the story is unfolding in the Spitzer story, which is the same old story. It’s not just the sex, but the money that corrupts.
“The federal investigation of a New York prostitution ring was triggered by Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s suspicious money transfers, initially leading agents to believe Spitzer was hiding bribes, according to federal officials.
It was only months later that the IRS and the FBI determined that Spitzer wasn’t hiding bribes but payments to a company called QAT, what prosecutors say is a prostitution operation operating under the name of the Emperors Club.
As recently as this past Valentine’s Day, Feb. 13, Spitzer, who officials say is identified in a federal complaint as “Client 9,” arranged for a prostitute “Kristen” to meet him in Washington, D.C.
The woman met Client 9 at the Mayflower Hotel, room 871, “for her tryst,” according to the complaint. Client 9 also is alleged to have paid for the woman’s train tickets, cab fare, mini bar and room service, travel time and hotel.
The suspicious financial activity was initially reported by a bank to the IRS which, under direction from the Justice Department, brought kin the FBI’s Public Corruption Squad.
“We had no interest at all in the prostitution ring until the thing with Spitzer led us to learn about it,” said one Justice Department official.
Spitzer, who made his name by bringing high-profile cases against many of New York’s financial giants, is likely to be prosecuted under a relatively obscure statute called “structuring,” according to a Justice Department official.”
Structuring carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although in most cases six months is the norm. Whether Spitzer gets charged will remain to be seen, but apparently from what I gather that is exactly what the Feds are aiming for, the big target.
UPDATE: A plea deal in the works?
