http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/crook/ en-us Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:23:59 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2067871/posts http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5649093&page=1 Barack Obama's vice-presidential pick complicates the Democratic hopeful's efforts to distance himself from a far-reaching Chicago patronage scandal. Vice-presidential candidate Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del. (left), has been advised since 1984 by Joseph Cari (right), the Chicago lawyer and onetime mega-fundraiser who has been tied to the Antoin "Tony" Rezko patronage scandal. (ABC News)Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., brings to Obama's presidential campaign assets like foreign policy experience and a knowledge of Washington. But he also brings another tie to the Antoin "Tony" Rezko scandal, a mess that has already caused sizeable headaches for the Obama campaign. Chicago lawyer and onetime... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2067871/posts#comment Mon, 25 Aug 2008 21:23:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2037640/posts A Culpeper pastor faces a possible 310-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to felony fraud charges. The Rev. Charles Shifflett, pastor of First Baptist Church in Culpeper and former pastor of Calvary Baptist Church there, pleaded guilty to a total of 20 felonies and one misdemeanor, prosecutors announced today. Nine of the charges involving obtaining money by false pretenses from Calvary Baptist Church from 2002-05, while Shifflett was the pastor. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud involving a workers compensation award, and five counts of obtaining money under false pretenses from two separate insurance companies, and three... the free lance star http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2037640/posts#comment Sat, 28 Jun 2008 04:20:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027539/posts Today, the Club for Growth Political Action Committee endorses Alaska Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell in his bid to unseat Republican Rep. Don Young in the state's August primary. The reason for the endorsement is simple. Mr. Parnell is a solid conservative who led the fight for lower taxes and spending in the state legislature, and joined Gov. Sarah Palin in pushing for reform in the state. The man he is hoping to replace isn't economically conservative in the least. Mr. Young is actually a poster child for what has gone wrong with the Republican Party in Washington. Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027539/posts#comment Sat, 7 Jun 2008 13:28:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007897/posts HOUSTON — U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is considering using $4 million left over from his failed presidential campaign to start a for-profit publishing company that would reflect his Libertarian-leaning views. FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007897/posts#comment Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:36:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992922/posts This was supposed to be the week that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. returned to the pulpit to preach for the first time since his anti-American sermons generated nationwide outrage and drew condemnation from his longtime parishioner, Barack Obama. But, citing security concerns, Wright canceled his speaking engagements in Florida and Texas. A spokeswoman at his former church in Chicago said his schedule is pending. A two-week FOX News investigation, however, has uncovered where Wright will be spending a good deal of his time in retirement, and it is a far cry from the impoverished Chicago streets where the preacher... Fox http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992922/posts#comment Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:59:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989040/posts Two women who were alleged targets of the private eye's investigations say they received calls warning them to remain silent. In another day of dramatic courtroom confrontations, an actress told a federal jury Wednesday that she received a terrifying telephone call threatening her son shortly after she spoke with the FBI about its wiretapping investigation of private eye Anthony Pellicano. Testifying as a government witness, Linda Doucett said an anonymous male caller in November 2003 warned her to remain silent after she had been interviewed by authorities about their probe of Pellicano for alleged wiretapping and other crimes on behalf... LA Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989040/posts#comment Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:51:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985316/posts It appears that Barack Obama, allegedly decent guy and agent of "change" in Washington, requested an earmark in 2006 for $1 million taxpayer dollars for the hospital where his wife works. Said hospital, by the way, gave Michelle Obama a huge raise (nearly $200,000, more than doubling her salary) in 2005 after Barack got elected to the United States Senate. Now, I know that there are lots of ways to talk about transactions like this involving public officials - quid pro quo, etc., but I prefer to call a crook a crook and just say that we're dealing with good,... Red State http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1985316/posts#comment Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:46:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1983968/posts I have been bugged out with the flu, and as a result I've seen a lot of the commentary — including, of course, "expert" commentary, which has been something less than expert. The general approach of the federal law to prostitution mimics its approach to gambling. They are activities that tend to generate big profits for organized crime syndicates, which profits not only enrich the racketeers but underwrite their various other rackets, including loan-sharking, narcotics trafficking, murder-for-hire, etc. In Governor Spitzer's case, moreover, it's worth remembering the Nevada senator character in Godfather II who is blackmailed into doing the Corleones'... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1983968/posts#comment Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:45:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945330/posts Al Gore is taking a beating in France, where people long resisted the green message and the nuclear industry thrives for home energy. Bloomberg's Jorg von Uthmann reports that the Paris bookstores are filled with tomes debunking the Gore message despite him winning the Nobel Peace Prize. France's number one Gore debunker is physicist Claude Allegre, a former education minister and a physicist by profession. Uthmann reports that his new book, ``Ma Verite Sur la Planete'' - My Truth About the Planet'' - lays it out. Gore is called a "crook" presiding over an eco-business that pumps out cash. m&c http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1945330/posts#comment Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:53:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925884/posts LAS VEGAS - O.J. Simpson must face trial on kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges stemming from an alleged sports memorabilia heist, a justice of the peace ruled Wednesday. Justice of the Peace Joe M. Bonaventure ruled after a preliminary hearing of the charges and arguments against the case by attorneys for Simpson and co-defendants Clarence "C.J." Stewart and Charles "Charlie" Ehrlich. "This is what we expected," Simpson told The Associated Press before he left the courtroom. "If I have any disappointment it's that I wish a jury was here. As always, I rely on the jury system." No charges... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925884/posts#comment Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:42:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921113/posts (IsraelNN.com) The head of the police investigation regarding Olmert's alleged intervention in the Bank Leumi privatization recommends charges against the Prime Minister. The investigative team as a whole leans towards an indictment of the Prime Minister, in opposition to the stance taken by the head of the Police Department's Investigations Wing, Yochanan Danino. The Bank Leumi case is one of four cases against the Prime Minister currently being investigated by the police. It involves suspicions that Olmert, as Acting Minister of Finance in late 2005, attempted to change the terms of the sale of the bank to fit the terms... Arutz Sheva http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921113/posts#comment Mon, 5 Nov 2007 13:49:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831247/posts Bill Clinton plans to be a first gentleman for the 21st century: a post-modern, post-ego presidential spouse who does not earn an income of his own, but rather pays the bills from family savings and does what he can to help the missus down in the Oval Office. “I’ve tried to get in a position where, you know, I — I won’t — I’ll be able to do what she did when I was president — that is, I don’t want to spend any time making a living,” Mr. Clinton said in an interview on CNN late Tuesday, when asked... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831247/posts#comment Thu, 10 May 2007 13:01:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792755/posts WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Republican Whip Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, announced Wednesday that Republicans will object on the House floor to Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, getting a seat on the House Homeland Security Committee. Jefferson is entangled in a federal bribery investigation related to his dealings with a telecommunications company. Federal investigators found $90,000 in cash in his freezer in 2005 after Jefferson allegedly accepted a $100,000 bribe from an FBI informant. Despite the investigation, Jefferson was re-elected to a ninth term to his New Orleans' seat in a run-off election in December. Blunt called the move by the Speaker Pelosi,... CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792755/posts#comment Wed, 28 Feb 2007 18:10:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1762171/posts Investigation into pilfered documents reveals former president signed letter President Bill Clinton signed a letter authorizing former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger's access to classified documents that later came up missing, according to a newly released investigation report by the National Archives and Records Administration. The sensitive drafts of the National Security Council's "Millennium After Action Review" on the Clinton administration's handling of the al-Qaida terror threats in December 1999 suspiciously disappeared after Berger said he intended to "determine if Executive Privilege needed to be exerted prior to documents being provided to the 9/11 Commission." Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft testified... WorldNetDaily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1762171/posts#comment Thu, 4 Jan 2007 07:48:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1756943/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) - If Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton runs for the White House in 2008 as expected, her biggest strategic decision will be how to use one of her most powerful campaign resources -- her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Hardly the typical political spouse, the former president is a magnetic presence on the stump, with well-honed instincts and fund-raising abilities. He knows the pitfalls of a campaign and can easily rouse the Democratic faithful to action. But his involvement also raises plenty of questions. Would his high-voltage style overshadow his wife, a less electric presence on the campaign trail?... Reuters on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1756943/posts#comment Thu, 21 Dec 2006 19:47:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751188/posts Congressman William Jefferson has been re-elected to Congress, according to WWL-TV election analyst Greg Rigamer. With two-thirds of the vote counted, Jefferson had a 6,000-vote lead over challenger Karen Carter. "I'm a little worried about what this is going to say to the nation," said City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell, a Carter supporter. Jefferson was forced into the runoff against a fellow Democrat when he failed to win 50 percent of the vote in a crowded open multiparty primary. His opponent, state Rep. Karen Carter, is seeking to become the first black woman from Louisiana elected to Congress. Jefferson, 59, has... WWLTV.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1751188/posts#comment Sun, 10 Dec 2006 04:16:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1727711/posts Here's another race to keep people up late on election night. All year long, the two candidates have been trading the lead position. Now, with less than two weeks to go, it’s a toss-up once again. The latest Rasmussen Reports poll shows Republican Tom Kean Jr. with 43% of the vote and Democratic Senator Bob Menendez with 41%. However, when we add in the leaners, it’s all tied at 45% (see crosstabs). What’s truly amazing about these numbers is the fact that Menendez can’t pull away despite the deep Blue nature of the state. By a margin of 54% to... Rasmussen Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1727711/posts#comment Sat, 28 Oct 2006 23:14:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724560/posts WASHINGTON — Hands in his pockets and a far-away look in his eyes, Harold Ford Jr. stares out from the cover of next week's Newsweek magazine, which calls him the Democrats' best hope for taking the U.S. Senate. The October 30 cover story, "The Path to Power," follows the Memphis Congressman through a day of campaigning that begins at a church service in Chattanooga, and describes the centrist Democrats' effect on various audiences. "Two weeks before the midterm elections," the story says, "the Democrats' fate lies not in the hands of the party's much-dissected antiwar left but with a handful... Memphis Commercial Appeal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724560/posts#comment Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:23:53 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1721968/posts 1) On the Ritz-Carlton holiday donations, Reid gave $600 in 2002, then $1,200 in 2004 and $1,500 in 2005 from his re-election campaign to an entity listed as the REC Employee Holiday Fund. His campaign listed the expenses as campaign “salary” for two of the years and as a “contribution” one year. Reid’s office said the listing as salary was a “clerical error” 2) On the land dealings, Reid announced Monday he had failed to disclose two other transactions on his prior ethics reports …the first, involved the 2004 sale of land he owned in Searchlight, Nev. Reid said the... Nuke's News and Views http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1721968/posts#comment Thu, 19 Oct 2006 02:04:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717599/posts WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid collected a $1.1 million windfall on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't personally owned the property for three years, property deeds show. ADVERTISEMENT In the process, Reid did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company, according to records and interviews. The Nevada Democrat's deal was engineered by Jay Brown, a longtime friend and former casino lawyer whose name surfaced in a major political bribery trial this summer and in... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1717599/posts#comment Wed, 11 Oct 2006 18:21:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1712148/posts It's one of the worst congressional scandals ever. A top House Republican who denounced sex predators as "animals" stands accused of acting like one. Mark Foley had served as a Deputy Majority Whip in the House and co-chair of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. His forced resignation, after being exposed as a homosexual pervert who talked dirty to young boys, has done more damage to the GOP than George Soros could ever think of doing. But it remains to be seen whether the liberal media and the Democrats can successfully exploit this scandal. Brian Ross of ABC... GOPUSA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1712148/posts#comment Mon, 2 Oct 2006 15:59:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706865/posts 'Cold cash' congressman facing challenge for seat8 other Dems on ballot seeking seat held by Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson Posted: September 23, 2006 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.M The fallout from an FBI investigation into allegations of bribery – and the $90,000 in cash allegedly recovered from his freezer – apparently has U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-Louisiana, battling for his political future. Not only are there about a dozen challengers vying for his seat, which he's held since the early 1990s, but three of the state's former top Democrats have endorsed his chief opponent,... World Net Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706865/posts#comment Sat, 23 Sep 2006 12:05:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1705959/posts Nigeria: The Story of Congressman Jefferson Vanguard (Lagos) COLUMN September 21, 2006 Posted to the web September 21, 2006 Christopher Drew "A case against politicians, a tale of friendship, ambition and betrayal". In July 2005, Vernon L. Jackson returned home to Louisville from Washington, where he had just met with Representative William J. Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who had been helping to promote his fledgling digital-technology company. David Harper, a lawyer for the company, said he had never seen Mr. Jackson so demoralised. For nearly five years, the inventor and the congressman had carried the message that Mr. Jackson's company,... AllAfrica http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1705959/posts#comment Thu, 21 Sep 2006 23:47:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1704465/posts Nigeria: The Tell-It-All Letters And Memos Vanguard (Lagos) DOCUMENT September 16, 2006 Posted to the web September 18, 2006 Office of the Vice President GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ASO ROCK/'ILLA. AHUJA MR. PRESIDENT MEMORANDUM From:VICE-PRESIDENT Reference: Subject:RE: REQUEST .. FOR.ASSISTANCE .. IN THE..INVESTIGATION OF US CONGRESSMAN WILLIAM JEFFERSON: REQUEST FOR EFCC REPORT On Tuesday, September 5, 2006, I was questioned by a five-man Committee led by the Attorney-General of the Federation on matters relating to the Investigation of US congressman William Jefferson. This was the culmination of a series of inquiries in writing by the Chairman of... AllAfrica http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1704465/posts#comment Tue, 19 Sep 2006 21:25:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703885/posts Small Houston oil company at the center of global dramaERHC's story becomes oddly intertwined with FBI bribery probe By DAVID IVANOVICH Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau Sept. 18, 2006, 1:28PM WASHINGTON - Initially, theirs was a tale to rival that of any legendary Texas wildcatter. A little-known Houston oil company lands a potential blockbuster deal in the crude-rich waters off West Africa and appears poised for a big payoff. Negotiating the rocky shoals of West African politics and threats of arrest for sedition, ERHC Energy, a tiny company with no experience in offshore drilling, secures the rights from the... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1703885/posts#comment Tue, 19 Sep 2006 00:04:53 GMT