Posted on 10/27/2005 2:20:13 PM PDT by Carl/NewsMax
For better or worse, Leakgate Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald has brought a new legal standard to Washington, D.C. - where he is said to be readying indictments against top White House officials based on false statements they made to investigators about a crime that may have never happened.
Though such a prosecution by Fitzgerald could certainly be legally justified, allegations similar to those currently under consideration for indictment - as well as other potential crimes that are far more serious - were seldom if ever prosecuted during the 1990s.
Here's a short list of potential criminal violations for which prosecutors decided not to file indictments during the Clinton administration.
• Lying under oath to a federal judge - a crime U.S. District Court Judge Susan Webber Wright determined that President Clinton committed in the Paula Jones sexual harasssment case. Legal resolution: No criminal indictment.
• Lying under oath to a federal grand jury - as Independent Counsel Ken Starr found President Clinton had done in the Monica Lewinsky investigation. Legal resolution: No criminal indictment.
• Lying under oath both to Congress and to federal investigators - as Independent Counsel Robert Ray concluded that Mrs. Clinton had done in the Travel Office probe. Legal resolution: No indictment
• Hiding evidence from Starr's Whitewater investigation - as the Senate Banking Committee concluded Mrs. Clinton did in the case of her missing Rose Law firm billing records. Legal resolution: No criminal referral, no indictments.
• Trading presidential pardons for finanical contributions - which President Clinton allegedly did in the Pardongate case. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• Trading presidential clemency for votes in a federal election - as President Clinton allegedly did with village elders in New Square, NY - which backed Mrs. Clinton's 2000 Senate candidacy 1400 to 12. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• Nuclear missile guidance technology allegedly traded by the Clinton adminsitration to China in exchange for campaign contributions. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• The Illegal gathering of confidential FBI files on political opponents - as the Clinton White House did in the Filegate case. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• Misusing the IRS to audit political opponents - as the White House allegedly did with numerous conservative organizations, as well as with witnesses against the Clintons. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• Hiring private detectives to intimidate and/or smear potential witnesses in the Starr investigation. Legal resolution: No indictments.
• Illegally leaking Linda Tripp's confidential personnel file to the press. Legal resolution: No indictments.
Too bad Patrick Fitzgerald was otherwise engaged when all of the above transpired.
• Lying under oath both to Congress and to federal investigators - as Independent Counsel Robert Ray concluded that Mrs. Clinton had done in the Travel Office probe. Legal resolution: No indictment
• Hiding evidence from Starr's Whitewater investigation - as the Senate Banking Committee concluded Mrs. Clinton did in the case of her missing Rose Law firm billing records. Legal resolution: No criminal referral, no indictments.
Excellent list and thanks for making it.
We may need to refer to it early and often.
FR.
Bump for later read.
Nice post.
One thing I'd point out is that under existing laws, I believe a President may not be indicted criminally. So Clinton wasnt indicted probably because of that.
But he should have been convicted by the Senate after the impeachment.
Someday republicans might learn to fight back. This is my biggest complaint with the republican party. They are too damn nice. They sit there and take it while they get slapped around by the schoolyard bully democrats.
Many of Clinton's crimes are well known, yet even now they go unpunished. Fitz snarls and foams at the mouth like a rabid dog over damning allegations of legal behavior, but he and all other federal prosecutors ignore the criminal elephant in the room named Bubba. Pathetic.
Sovereign immunity for acts as President...and the power to pardon himself. However, if the President were to commit murder, rape, other some other state crime, I see nothing that would prevent him from being indicted and prosecuted.
Everybody needs to sit tight and see what Fitz actually does. We just don't know. Therefore this is a bit preamature. You expect this of the liberal press, but not the Conservatives. "Hold fire to you see the whites of their eyes"
Splel Chcek is yur freidn.
I haven't heard ONE WORD from Fitz or his spokes-persons.
ping
Ann Coulter was saying on Sean that she thinks there will be indictments because that explains the pulling of the Miers nomination.
God it all seems so long ago, doesn't it? I used to have all the arguments at the tip of my tongue..but they're gone now.
I think you're correct about indicting a sitting president.
like it or not, dems get to play be a different set of rules. dont ask me why.
And now that Clinton is out of office, he still has executive priviledge covering him unless the current President orders it lifted or something to that effect....
It won't happen unless Billy Bob goes OJ on someone....
But the Republicans are the "culture of corruption", to quote one of the libs more popular current mantras. And with the MSM as co-conpsirators, that perception is prevalent and growing.
Welcome to Aldus Huxley's world.
OK, you're right there. I'm only joining in on the assumptions. I would love to be proven wrong.
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