Gonzales Backdated Griffin's Appointment To Get Around The Senate

[kpete]

Gonzales Backdated Griffin's Appointment to Get around Pryor


by emptywheel
Tue May 22, 2007

Yesterday's document dump includes the Control Sheet for Tim Griffin's appointment. The control sheet makes it very clear: Alberto Gonzales signed the appointment on December 18 ... but it was dated December 15.

...........

So why would Alberto Gonzales backdate the Tim Griffin appointment from a Monday to a Friday?

Because Alberto Gonzales and Senator Pryor had a conversation on December 15 at which Pryor asked for reasons why Cummins was resigning and indicated he did not support Griffin for USA. It appears that, after that conversation, they quickly made Griffin's appointment a done deal, only later submitting the paperwork for it. By backdating the appointment, they got Griffin appointed without making it look like they were using the PATRIOT provision specifically to get around the Senate. Which, of course, they were.

........

At which point, on December 19, Kyle Sampson launches into his "gumming it to death" strategy. Apparently, after having retroactively appointed Griffin so as to pretend it occurred before the Pryor conversation, Goodling, Sampson, and Oprison went into a flurry of activity to try to pull off this retroactive fuck-you to the Senator from Arkansas.

more at:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/5/22/111456/606

[acmavm]

1. Fraud, fraud, fraud. It is truly ASTOUNDING this guy hasn't been hauled

out of his office in handcuffs.

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Fraud, collusion, wilful failure to know, breach of fiduciary responsibility.

THIS is why some people advance, while others get held back. You got to be willing to cross the line if you want to get ahead in America.

[Buzz Clik]

2. Really? That's a crime.

[helderheid]

3. Jail time.

[Spazito]

4. The firing of the US Attorneys is a gift that just keeps on giving

It has allowed the unraveling of so much more than what was initially suspected.

[bobthedrummer]

5. K&R

(Let's talk about the career of former HCA lobbyist Alice S. Fisher in this corrupt politicized BFEE DoJ too, despite her inexperience she was put in charge of the Abramoff prosecution, she also was co-chair of the National Procurement Fraud Task Force along with her pal Paul McNulty)

Then there's AGAG-he should resign and get indicted

[quiet.american]

6. Looks like the GOP minions on the Judiciary Cmte. will have to stop saying "there's no evidence."

Although I'm sure after a few sips of Kool-Aid, they'll attempt to justify even this.

[L. Coyote]

8. Speculations are moving to higher orbits. Meanwhile, on Tierra Firme, ? ? ?

questions remain. Is this just a case of paperwork prepared on Friday and crossing the desk on Monday?

If NOT, what evidence supports this allegation, aside from circumstantial inferences?

If SO, how will this new cycle of distraction from real, and really immense, crimes ever be slain.
Is this the new "SMARTech ruse" (which lifted it's ugly head again today on DU, and cleverly so (also using just inference), by averting the outright lies)?

[loudsue]

10. What do you mean, Coyote?

I just got here. Is this post just speculation, or is there some substance? Whassup?

:kick:

[L. Coyote]

12. You just summed up my question. I'd like to see the substance before yet

another distraction attains great success.

We not only need a list of the scandals, but the list has to be ordered and prioritized:

Highest crimes with $$BILLIONS$$ bilked
Highest crimes with $$MILLIONS$$ bilked
Higher crimes
High crimes
Impeachable Misdemeanors
Non-Impeachable Misdemeanors
Ethical Breeches by Elected Public Officials
Karl just doing his job.
Dirty Tricks by lower-level right-wingers.
Distractions for Lefties.

At the very least, to maintain some DU credibility, let's call a question a question.

[deminks]

9. But Smirk says Gonzo did nothing wrong! (/sarcasm off)

Here's something he did wrong, Smirk. Time for the frog march.

Get going, Congress. Times a wastin'. Obstruction of Justice. Tampering with evidence. Lying to Congress. What more do you people need? A written invitation? Go get 'em.

[mod mom]

11. Question: Why could it possibly be legal?

from the article:

While it's not clear that this is illegal (unless Gonzales later lied about when he appointed Griffin), there seems to be some shadiness going on they're still trying to hide. Note that, according to the list of documents not turned over, the White House and DOJ had a flurry of conversations:

December 15: Notifying C. Oprison of Cummins resignation announcement (Oprison, Goodling)
December 15: Scheduling call with C. Oprison re: Cummins resignation (Oprison, Goodling, Tracy Washington, B Meadows)
December 15: Discussion of issues relating to Cummins resignation/replacement by Griffin (Goodling)
December 18: Forwarding message to Sen. Pryor staff re: ways a person can become a USA (Oprison, Goodling)
December 18: Discussion with Sen. Pryor staff re: ways a person can become a USA (B Russell)
December 18: Request to send Arkansas press clippings to C. Oprison
December 19: Forwarding DeMillo (AP) story: re: Sen. Lincoln's response to appointment of Griffin (From Goodling, to Sampson and Oprison)
December 19: Discussion re: response to DeMillo (AP) story re: Sen. Lincoln's response to appointment of Griffin (Goodling, Scolinos)
December 19: Fowarding discussion re: response to DeMillo (AP) story re: Sen. Lincoln's response to appointment of Griffin (Oprison)
December 19: Fowarding discussion re: response to DeMillo (AP) story re: Sen. Lincoln's response to appointment of Griffin (Goodling)
December 19: Question re: response to DeMillo (AP) story re: Sen. Lincoln's response to appointment of Griffin (Goodling)

SEEMS TO ME YOU WOULD BE FALSIFYING A LEGAL DOCUMENT.

[barbtries]

13. i am so sick of all this

all the time, all the crimes, all the getting away with...sick, sick, sick of it.

[WillyT]

14. K & R !!!

:kick: