Posted on 02/08/2007 7:04:32 AM PST by jmc813
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday apologetically retracted staff members' comments that two Border Patrol agents convicted of shooting a Mexican drug smuggler had told investigators they intended "to shoot Mexicans."
The department's inspector general issued the retraction at a congressional hearing as the department released a previously sealed report into the conduct of the two agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean.
Congressional pressure to remove the two agents from prison - either through presidential pardons or by releasing them on bail pending appeal - intensified Wednesday after reports that fellow inmates assaulted Ramos over the weekend.
The case has become a cause celebre among conservative groups, which contend that Ramos and Compean were railroaded by overzealous federal prosecutors who gave the drug smuggler immunity to testify against the two agents.
U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton of San Antonio has defended his handling of the case, saying the agents seriously overstepped their authority by attempting to cover up the shooting of the smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete-Davila, and destroying evidence. They began serving their sentences last month. Compean faces 12 years in prison, Ramos 11.
The Homeland Security Department, which includes the Border Patrol, released its inspector general's report after four Texas lawmakers demanded the document to compare it with information from a briefing that department staff members gave them in September.
The aides told the lawmakers that the two agents had admitted to investigators that they intended to "shoot Mexicans." But Inspector General Richard L. Skinner said under questioning by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, that the statements were erroneous, and he apologized.
The report also contradicted statements made in the briefing that the two men knew that Aldrete-Davila was unarmed and didn't pose a threat. The report contained a transcript of Compean's account to investigators, in which he said that he and Ramos were trying "to kill the alien" because they thought he had a gun.
McCaul described the errors as serious misrepresentations that painted a distorted picture of the case.
"My complaint here is that they weren't forthcoming with all the evidence," McCaul said.
Skinner told McCaul that his aides apparently misquoted a statement that the two agents were attempting "to shoot the alien" after they received a telephone briefing on the case from Texas. But he said that exchange had no bearing on the outcome of the criminal case and occurred after the trial in El Paso.
"It's innocent, unintentional," Skinner said, adding that he saw no need to punish his staff.
Several Republican lawmakers demanded that the two agents be separated from other inmates or be transferred to a low-security prison. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., also called for the dismissal of Federal Bureau of Prisons Director Harley Lappin if the inmates aren't protected.
Ramos is serving his sentence at a medium-security prison in Yazoo City, Miss., and Compean is imprisoned in Ohio. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said Ramos' family told him that the agent's injuries are more severe than originally reported and include bleeding from an ear and possible signs of paralysis in his left arm. He said a nurse examined Ramos, but that he hasn't seen a doctor.
Reps. Walter Jones, R-N.C., and Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., blasted President Bush for not intervening in the case, with Rohrabacher hinting that he would consider pressing for impeachment if either of the two agents was killed in prison.
"The president has lost my respect because he will not step forward and do what's right," Jones said.
http://66.218.69.11/search/cache?p=johnny+sutton+bush&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-501&u=www.suebobsdiary.com/&w=johnny+sutton+bush&d=W2yg8uxsOPzL&icp=1&.intl=us
"US Attorney Johnny Sutton is plugged into the power structure of the Bush Administration and has very close ties with both Bush-43 and Gonzales. Sutton is one of Bush’s “can-do” guys. Sutton, a former assistant District Attorney in Harris County, Texas, hitched his wagon to Bush’s star in 1995. When Bush won the presidency, Sutton was the policy-coordinator for the Bush-Cheney transition team. He went to Washington, DC as an Associate Deputy US Attorney General and, in November, 2001, Bush appointed him US Attorney for the Western District of Texas with 118 lawyers under him. It has been rumored along Pennsylvania Avenue that Bush will attempt to appoint Sutton to the federal bench before he leaves office on January 20, 2009."
I wonder if she's got it right?
Unspeakable arrogance on this man's part.
Interesting link.
I guess they are buddy buddy.
before all is said & done, these agents will have to be released from prison and I hope they SUE THE HELL OUT OF THE USA!!!
Between the BP agents & the Marines who have been unjustly prosecuted & persecuted, I don't know which angers me more!
Cheney/Steele 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today named Johnny Sutton to serve as chair for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/2006/SuttonAGAC.pdf
ping
Given the way this deal is trending I have a sneaking suspicion they'll soon suffer a collective & sudden loss of interest in the case of Ramos & Compeon.
We're not talking about a derogatory mark on their permanent record, THESE GUYS ARE IN JAIL FOR 11 AND 12 EFFIN' YEARS!!!!!
AND THERE IS NOTHING INNOCENT ABOUT LYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 8, 2006 - Border agents convicted.
(20 days later)
March 28, 2006 - Alberto Gonzales appoints Johnny Sutton to serve as chair for the Attorney General's Advisory Committee a role "which plays a significant role in determining policies and programs of the Department and in carrying out the national goals set by the President and the Attorney General."
Congratulations Mr. Sutton?
The People for the government should not be lying. The more I hear about this, the angrier I get. Bush and Gonzales have some splainin to do. They best get on it.
The latest in a multitude of reasons America has lost respect for this president who claimed to be a Republican.
Check this out...
Johnny Sutton is corrupt to the core, and a pathological liar.
I heard on the radio yesterday that he was appointed by Bush and the two are longtime acquaintances. Unfortunately, in 2007, I am not surprised by Bush anymore. It sure looks to me like he is not the stand-up guy I voted for twice. And based on his approval of clowns like Sutton and his firing of US Attorneys like John McKay, it does indeed look like Mexico has some good dirt on Bush. It all makes me sick.
Well, that can't be! Johnny Sutton is a "solid law-and-order conservative" who prosecutes Mexican drug smugglers "in droves, working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Border Patrol."
LMAO! I wonder how Andrew C. McCarthy over at National Review feels about being duped by a scumbag like Sutton? Think Andrew might pull his head out of his behind and apologize to his readers? Right.
| U.S. retracts statements that agents were out `to shoot Mexicans' |
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| Posted by Kimberly GG to TomGuy On News/Activism 02/08/2007 11:43:36 AM CST · 40 of 45 "Posts in other threads have indicated a close relationship between Prosecutor Sutton and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales." |
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Yesterday on Rush's show Roger Hedgecock said that Sutton and Bush are old acquaintances and that Bush appointed Sutton early on (ie., before Gonzales). I'm sure they're all on the same "open borders" page.
"they intended "to shoot Mexicans." GEE! Aren't the agents of Mexican descent? hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Since this has occurred there have been a whole wave of incidents testing the rsolve of the Border Patrol and the National guard down here.
As a retired former Border Agent this sickens me. I would hate to be working on the border now. The morale among all agents is ultra low or non-existent. Do your job and risk getting hung out to dry.
As a former supporter of the "pres" I am opting out now.
Looks like they will get an appeal.
If this turns out to really be a "duke style" witch hunt, only not discovered until after the trial, this is going to severely damage Bush, who had the opportunity to pardon and turned it down.
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