Phonejamming - Into the Dustbin of Unsolved Crimes?

As long as Kathy Sullivan continues to draw a breath... (4.00 / 1)

James Tobin, Karl Rove, and all those associated should not sleep easily.

She will find the culprits.

As they say...

"Bad boys, bad boys...whatcha ya gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when Kathy comes for you!"

Doing my best to elect NH Democrats since 1968 and getting better at it every year!

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by: Ray Buckley @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 12:52:17 PM CST

Hah!! (0.00 / 0)

Not much I can do without subpoena power, but now that the statute has run, unless DoJ files an  appeal, I think an enterprising lawmaker who wants to hold hearings on campaign chicanery could probably subpoena Tobin, and Tobin would not be able to take the 5th. Paul Twomey may be able to say if I am correct or not.

But, if an enterprising congressman wants to do something like that, I am available to provide a suggested line of inquiry!

On a serious note, however, while I still want answers, the 2004, the 2006, and the 2008 elections, particularly the election of Jeanne Shaheen to the United States Senate last November, did serve as a kind of justice.  

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 14:18:11 PM CST

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Not just federal lawmakers, eh? (0.00 / 0)

If a legislator in Concord wanted to determine whether state law is currently effective, Mr. Tobin's testimony would be invaluable...

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by: elwood @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 14:40:06 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Kathy is correct (4.00 / 4)

There is still an outstanding subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee to the Justice Department seeking some answers about the politicized nature of their handling of this case.
(I dont have any real problem withthe court's decision today-- it is hard to  justify holding back charges that were apparent from the beginning and subjecting someone to a series of trials-- the real question is why the justice department didnt bring this and other obviously available and easily proven charges years ago.)

I will be requesting that the House Judiciary Committee subpoena Tobin since he no longer has a fifth amendment privilege. (He of course would be subject to contempt if he doesn't answer and perjury if he lies under oath). I will also be asking the new people at Justice to review the entire mess that was this prosecution. In this, as in other cases, I think it is important to know what went on in the Bush years so that we can minimize the chances of the many crimes being repeated in the future. If the administration doesnt perform this duty, hopefully Senator Leahy will help us get some answers.

I agree with Kathy that in many ways the people of the State have given their own verdict on the those who cheated to win an election.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 19:51:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

right beside sistah Kathy (0.00 / 0)

one of these days she's gonna get you

where you gonna run to Scooter ?

Without deviation from the norm, 'progress' is not possible.

~Frank Zappa

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 18:09:49 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Can we blame this on the Bush DOJ? (4.00 / 2)

I have no inside knowledge of this case... in fact, I probably know less than almost anyone who posts on this site. But given the priority given to ideological purity over legal experience in the Bush DOJ, is it possible that the mishandling of the Tobin case has something to do with the quality of the lawyering?

Mind, I'm not talking about deliberate sabotage (which is also a possibility), but simple ineptitude. The DOJ had more than their share of it under Ashcroft, Gonzo and Mukasey. Look at the bungling of the Ted Stevens case and the perpetual Barry Bonds extravaganza, among others.

A dysfunctional DOJ: It's just one of the smaller of Bush's many toxic legacies.  

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by: jvwalt @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 13:38:54 PM CST

A lazy response because (0.00 / 0)

I don't have time right now to fish for the links on BH, but isn't it strongly suspected that USA Colantuono slow-walked this inevestigation until after the 2004 elections?

And then the charge eventually brought to Tobin was not the most precise one, and that had something to do with getting him off the hook?

Am I getting any of that right?  

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 17:29:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I seem to recall... (0.00 / 0)

...that yes, some suspected slow-walking. But also that there was, perhaps later, a pretty strong prosecutor involved for a while, and he was later reassigned - not in a particularly suspicious manner.

I suspect that the big question for the post-mortems will be: Why did they use the "harassment" grounds rather than other possible charges? The judges thought it was a reach where reaching wasn't necessary.

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by: elwood @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 18:15:27 PM CST

[ Parent ]

simple case: civil rights denied n/t (4.00 / 1)

Without deviation from the norm, 'progress' is not possible.

~Frank Zappa

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 19:12:15 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Ths is a link to a statement I gave to the House Judiciary Committee of many of the unanswered questions about the handling of the Phone Jamming case. (4.00 / 1)

http://judiciary.house.gov/hea...

It was in response to this statement that the Committee issued its subpoena of DOJ records.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

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by: Paul Twomey @ Thu Feb 19, 2009 at 19:58:12 PM CST

[ Parent ]