Ties to Albany firm probed (John Sweeney)

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Ties to Albany firm probed
Criminal investigation centers on Sweeney, lobbying business

By BRENDAN J. LYONS Senior writer
First published: Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that the Shaker Museum had been put up for sale.
ALBANY -- A federal criminal investigation is focusing on former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney and exploring his dealings with an Albany lobbying firm in the years after Sweeney was appointed to the House's powerful Appropriations Committee.


A federal search warrant used to raid the Albany offices of lobbyist William D. Powers shows FBI agents from Washington, D.C., are examining records related to Sweeney and Powers' firm back to January 2001, which was when the then-second term congressman secured his Appropriations Committee seat. Read the search warrant.

The committee and some of its congressional members have been central in a broader investigation tied to former Washington lobbyist Jack A. Abramoff, who is serving a federal prison sentence for a conviction on conspiracy and fraud counts.

In response to a request from the Times Union, a U.S. magistrate judge in Albany unsealed portions of federal search warrant documents that were used to raid the State Street office of Powers' lobbying firm on June 6.

A sealing motion filed by Richard C. Pilger, a trial attorney with the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section, said the search of Powers' office was part of "an ongoing investigation into alleged violations of federal criminal law."

U.S. Magistrate Judge David R. Homer declined to unseal an FBI agent's sworn statement that outlined the FBI's reasons for seeking a warrant and also gave details about the origin and history of the investigation.

more:
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=705825&category=REGIONOTHER&BCCode=&newsdate=7/24/2008


Somebody's Snitching To The Feds For John Sweeney Probe
By Andrew Tilghman - July 23, 2008, 6:39PM
There's no doubt that the federal investigation of former Rep. John Sweeney (R) and his lobbying pal from upstate New York is delving into the time Congressman Kick-Ass spent on the House Appropriations Committee.

And freshly unsealed court papers show the prosecutors have a key informant who's helping to build their case. Who that is remains unclear.

The new disclosures came after the Albany Times Union convinced a federal judge to unseal documents related to the raid conducted on Powers & Company, the lobbying firm, in June.

Investigators appear to be looking for evidence that Sweeney may have steered federal money toward Powers' clients or that Powers provided favors for Sweeney's ex-wife, Gayle Sweeney, who worked for the lobbying office when Sweeney was in the House.

The search warrant affidavits show prosecutors are digging through Sweeney-related records dating back to 2001, when he landed a coveted seat on the appropriations committee. Others from that committee have been targeted in the broader investigation of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was one of Sweeney's travel buddies at the time.

more:http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/07/someones_snitching_on_sweeney.php