Posted on 12/21/2008 3:19:11 PM PST by malkee
Gigot: You said that--recently, you wrote for The Wall Street Journal--that although you are a Republican, you take no pleasure in seeing a prosecutor break--violate his ethical obligations in prosecuting a Democrat. How did Patrick Fitzgerald violate ethical standards?
Toensing: There's a very strict rule for prosecutors, Paul, and that is, you are not supposed to say anything that would heighten public condemnation of the defendant. In other words, you're not supposed to try to taint the jury pool. We, people in criminal law, call it, you're not supposed to talk outside the four corners of the complaint or the indictment.
So, he can quote from the complaint that he made, or he can even introduce other law-enforcement officials who were involved in the case--ask for help. But he is not supposed to say things like, "Lincoln would roll over in his grave." And the FBI agent--he's also the prosecutor, Fitzgerald, is responsible for the FBI agent's conduct. And the FBI agent said the FBI agents who worked the case were revolted and disgusted. That also is improper.
Gigot: But once Fitzgerald heard those tapes and figured, Well, the governor might actually appoint a U.S. senator, didn't he have an obligation to go public to prevent the governor from making some kind of pay-to-play trade in appointing a senator?
Toensing: See, you know, he gives that rationale, and I don't even understand it, because presumably, if we go along with what Fitzgerald's saying, the only person he's going to appoint is somebody who paid to play. And if that's the case, then that person too if corrupt, and you've got a twofer. Why not wait until the crime came to fruition?
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Could be Fitzy did so because he really does have no case and that he had to go public before the papers ruined it for him. Best to expose how corrupt Chicago politics, especially Democrat politics, before the damage can be done even though no one will ever go to trial.
I think they will go to trial. Maybe more than we think. We’ll see.
How about the Chicago Tribune running with the story before Fitzgerald was ready to stop the damage to the Obama transition team. Leaking the details of the wire taps, etc. via a news article effectively derailed the investigation and any future action by players other than the governor. The Chicago Tribune which was pretty much in the tank for Obama has to prove to the public that they weren’t trying to protect Obama and his staff. They can’t say our hands are clean and leave it at that. If they did blow the whistle on the investigation and derailed the investigation it appears to me that they may have obstructed justice. They need to be put under oath. Maybe we need a “deep throat” at the Chicago Tribune.
Hopey Changemas.
IIRC the Chicago Tribune broke the story before Fitz was ready. The comments he made in the aftermath are just what Toensing said, prejudicial but no different than Fitz’s conduct in the Libby ambush.
I agree that the article compromised the investigation. I posted this for all the people who deluge threads with negative stuff about Fitzgerald.
I got flack for this during the Libby trial, but I have a very conservative young cousin who has been very close friends with Fitzgerald since their time together at Amherst College. Tom tells me the guy’s a completely straight shooter and not going to “go with the politics” and I have close to 50 years worth of credibility from this guy, so I gotta go with that. Coincidentally, I’ve also known “Juror Number 9” from the Libby trial for over 40 years. He was on that jury for the “book deal” potential.
Hopey Changemas to you as well, and a Hopey New Deal.
A tale from the moral and ethical SWAMP from which the next POTUS was dredged.
If Obama came out of this miasma untainted by and unaware of the level of rot therein, he is too stupid to hold the office of dogcatcher.
But he’s NOT stupid, you say? In fact, he’s VERY BRIGHT and articulate, you insist??
Thank you for making my point far better than I could ever hope to.
We are in VERY, VERY DEEP DOO-DOO as the next few months and years will assuredly reveal for all but the most ignorant to see.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-18-dec18,0,3868996.column
I will be very surprised if anyone gets convicted of anything, but one thing is certain: Fitzgerald is set. Obama owes him. Daley owes him. Blago owes him. The democrats already owe him for Plame, but now Fitz just saved them all, including their golden boy Obama.
Power still corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely and Fitzgerald is absolutely corrupted, just another typical democrat.
A professional charlatan on the taxpayers dime.
The next four years will not be as kind to leakers as the past eight have been.
Changey YesWeCaness and a Hopey BigPie.
Fitz made himself the only US attorney Obama CAN’T fire.
Revealing the investigation before a solid crime was committed was also a welcomming gift to the new boss.
Quid pro quo.
Fitz was 10,000 miles outside the "4 Corners" with Libby. it was OK then, why not now? Why does Toensing say it's a "strict" rule? Obviously, that is not the case.
I believe this prosecutor may try to get dirt on the Pres-elect.
If the Chicago machine starts cracking and people start talking, things could get interesting in a hurry.
They will be punished and destroyed if they do anything the anointed one or his acolytes (in the MSM) don’t like. Now if they go after conservatives (social and economic) they will still be lionized for their crusading efforts. Since the DemoRats no longer need “liberal Republicans” they will only fair slightly better than the conservatives.
It’s also my bet that after the new Congress is sworn in and they no longer need Joe Leiberman to maintain the chairmanships and a majority that he loses his committee chairs.
Either would be superb as Attorney General.
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