Where's the Carol Browner Indictment?

NewsMax ^ | 3/9/02 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Friday's news that accounting giant Arthur Andersen is "on the verge of being indicted" for shredding Enrongate documents suggests that the wheels of Justice can move quite swiftly as long as the people turning them are actually interested in enforcing the law.

After all, Enron collapsed into bankruptcy just a short three months ago. It wasn't until weeks later that news of the Andersen shredding emerged, including the key detail that it continued even after subpoenas for the destroyed evidence went out.

Law enforcement's rapid response in the Andersen case begs the question: Why has it taken so long for similar action to be brought against Clinton Environmental Protection Agency chief Carol Browner - given what seems like her obvious attempt to obstruct justice in a lawsuit brought by the Landmark Legal Foundation last year.

The same day news of the imminent Andersen indictment was floated, the Wall Street Journal noted that Browner's EPA had destroyed documents in the closing days of the Clinton administration despite a federal judge's order not to do so.

"EPA officials had hard drives erased and back-up e-mail tapes destroyed. Judge (Royce) Lamberth is now considering a motion to order the EPA, the U.S. Attorney's Office, former Administrator Carol Browner and her two top deputies to show why they shouldn't be held in contempt."

Why merely contempt, since Browner & Co.'s document destruction seems remarkably similar the alleged Andersen crimes?

On Jan. 19, 2001 - the last full day of the Clinton administration - Lamberth had issued a preliminary injunction against the EPA, ordering the agency to preserve all records potentially responsive to the Landmark suit.

That's when the shredding began.

In July Browner admitted to Judge Lamberth that she ordered her computer's hard drive wiped clean. But the ex-environmental honcho said she didn't mean to actually destroy evidence. She was merely erasing computer games her son had stored on her hard drive.

"It didn't seem appropriate to leave behind a computer with kids' games," she told the court

Oops! There went countless documents sought by the Viginia-based public interest lawfirm.

Apparently Browner junior had the run of the EPA's computer systems, since his mom's top aides had their hard drives erased as well.

Landmark sought the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request based on newspaper reports that Browner's crew was working overtime pushing through harsher new environmental regulations in anticipation of the new Bush regime.

But the bigger scandal may be the way the Clinton EPA used its budget to funnel hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to radical environmental groups, something the GAO has called "unallowable."

So far, there's not the slightest hint that the Browner gang will be prosecuted for their document destruction. Maybe they can give the beleaguered folks at Arthur Andersen some tips on how to beat the rap.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Very true, but realize Global Crossing is simply being ignored.

[RJCogburn]

The Browner indictment is right there with the ones for the BIA official who backdated documents.

Oh, and it is there with the ones for the fellows who planted lynx traces.

Our AG Ashcroft is too busywriting songs to pursue the criminals, or maybe too busy trying to keep information from Congress about FBI corruption in the Boston office, where the innocent are incarcerated and the criminals aided in crime....though he finally has relented somewhat on that. Well, maybe he's too busy thwarting the actions of the people in states who vote to allow certain actions.

Well, at least we can use the government to get information on criminal corruption as in this matter

Landmark sought the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request

Oh, that's right, Ashcroft has said he'll help block those, too.

He is a dangerous man.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

How do you feel about the concern which has been expressed that Hillary will spin the fact that the government chose not to proceed with the case (as a non-guilty status) and she in turn will use it her election?

[RJCogburn]

the government chose not to proceed with the case

Which case?

[DeaconBenjamin]

I have reached the conclusion that a deal was cut, probably during the election recounts, that no Clinton administration crimes would be prosecuted. Not unlike the deal Janet Reno reportedly cut to remain as AG (no more independent counsels, no matter what the crime or evidence). No idea what Bush received in return.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

To prosecute the Clintons.

[RJCogburn]

I'd expect that Hillary! will try to avoid the subject as much as possible. If it is raised, I'd expect that her underlings would float that line though, and I think that should she be cornered somehow on the subject she will do what you suggest. I think that that unfortunately most people have indeed 'moved on' and it isn't an issue.

OTOH, I fear that if IC Ray runs as has been speculated and that he looses, the Clintonoids will clearly use that as a vindication for the 'unfair persecution' that the Clintons endured.

[backhoe]

As I recall, Browner was a protege' of AlBorg®... and another massively corrupt woman was Hazel O'Leary....

[WhiteyAppleseed]

During a February 15, 2000 oversight hearing before the subcommittee on forests and forest health about "funding of environmental initiatives and their impact on local communities" (available on-line, some 100 pages long) testimony was given by one witness that:

We have also heard, but cannot confirm and would this Committee so some investigation on it, that actually Mrs. Browner was, in fact, hosting on a regular basis foundation funders in her personal office, and telling them where they should be putting their money.

Info from whistle-blower types not quite brace enough to blow the whistle.

[WhiteyAppleseed]

would this Committee so some investigation on it,

Should read, "would urge this Committee do some investigation on it..." From page 88 in the transcript.

[WhiteyAppleseed]

and brace yourself for this: brace should be brave