http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/probe/ en-us Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:26:07 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139392/posts WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the far-reaching ethics investigation into Rep. Charles Rangel will conclude by early next year. Pelosi issued a statement late Wednesday saying she has been assured the report by the House ethics committee will be completed before this session of Congress ends on Jan. 3. "I look forward to reviewing the report at that time," said Pelosi, who has resisted calls from Republicans to remove Rangel from his powerful position atop the tax-writing Ways & Means Committee. Her announcement puts a ticking clock on an investigation that could have dragged on for many more... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139392/posts#comment Fri, 28 Nov 2008 03:26:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138632/posts When a trio of reporters descended on Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) in a corridor of the Capitol last week to ask about the ethics investigation into his financial disclosure form’s myriad inconsistencies, the Ways and Means Committee chairman swatted aside the queries. But he turned on a polite, persistent Associated Press reporter who asked Rangel when he planned to release his tax returns. “Jesus Christ,” barked Rangel, before heading into the nearest elevator. Rangel, 78, should be enjoying life after a four-decade climb to the apex of the House power pyramid, settling into a major role as an author... politico http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138632/posts#comment Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:31:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2136964/posts Representatives and senators should have been answering questions from the automakers about why they approved government policies that have played the biggest role in driving American carmakers toward extinction. . . . Why did members of Congress — such as House Banking Chairman Barney Frank, Senate Banking Chairman Christoper Dodd and others — raise fuel economy standards, adding more than $85 billion in costs as the industry was restructuring itself? If the reason was forcing automakers to deal with higher gasoline prices, perhaps the politicians could explain why they have made fuel more scarce by blocking domestic drilling for oil... instapundit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2136964/posts#comment Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:48:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132469/posts President Bush could pardon officials involved in brutal interrogations -- but he may also face a sweeping investigation under the new president. WASHINGTON -- With growing talk in Washington that President Bush may be considering an unprecedented "blanket pardon" for people involved in his administration's brutal interrogation policies, advisors to Barack Obama are pressing ahead with plans for a nonpartisan commission to investigate alleged abuses under Bush. The Obama plan, first revealed by Salon in August, would emphasize fact-finding investigation over prosecution. It is gaining currency in Washington as Obama advisors begin to coordinate with Democrats in Congress on the... Salon http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2132469/posts#comment Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:04:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2131749/posts So where do we begin? I know, with Catherine Harris, since she was responsible for W getting elected in the first place. According to the dims template, she should be invesigated all the way back to elementary school, because she must have been a horrible girl, (i.e. polite, good student), and further, in middle school, she wore too much makeup. NY TIMES http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2131749/posts#comment Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:14:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2131135/posts Democrats prepare to move forward with investigations of the Bush administration... Developing... Drudge Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2131135/posts#comment Thu, 13 Nov 2008 01:32:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130544/posts The Federal Election Commission is not likely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of Barack Obama’s record-breaking fundraising campaign despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting. That’s the disclosure from Politico.com, which reports that Obama will probably escape scrutiny in large part because unlike John McCain, he declined to accept $84 million in public financing. NewsMax http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130544/posts#comment Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:28:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130132/posts The Federal Election Commission is unlikely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of how Barack Obama raised and spent his presidential campaign’s record-shattering windfall, despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting that had the McCain campaign crying foul. Adding insult to injury for Republicans: The FEC is obligated to complete a rigorous audit of McCain’s campaign coffers, which will take months, if not years, and cost McCain millions of dollars to defend. Obama is expected to escape that level of scrutiny mostly because he declined an $84 million public grant for his campaign that automatically triggers an audit and because... Politico.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130132/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:29:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130130/posts The Federal Election Commission is unlikely to conduct a potentially embarrassing audit of how Barack Obama raised and spent his presidential campaign’s record-shattering windfall, despite allegations of questionable donations and accounting that had the McCain campaign crying foul. Adding insult to injury for Republicans: The FEC is obligated to complete a rigorous audit of McCain’s campaign coffers, which will take months, if not years, and cost McCain millions of dollars to defend. Politco (via YAHOO) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2130130/posts#comment Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:26:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2119789/posts A Federal Communications Commission investigation of on-air military analysts is providing a glimpse of what Democrats and an Obama administration will do to critics once they capture Washington. The FCC has sent letters to some of the nation's most prominent military analysts -- some of them pro-President Bush and pro-war -- suggesting they may have broken the law when they appeared on television stations to comment on and explain the war on terrorism. The FCC investigation raises the question of whether a Democrat-controlled Congress and White House next year will investigate -- and perhaps criminalize -- all sorts of actions... Human Events http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2119789/posts#comment Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:08:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2110597/posts Democrats are giving Republicans the hearing they’ve been demanding to dig into the failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but it won’t happen until after the election. House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) Monday announced that he will hold a hearing into the collapse of the mortgage giants on Nov. 20, and plans to call several of the firms’ ex-CEOs, including Fannie Mae's Franklin Raines. Republicans view the two companies as Democrats’ political Achilles heel amid a financial meltdown that has led to calls for more regulation of the financial sector. The GOP dubbed the companies... The Hill http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2110597/posts#comment Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:30:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109359/posts Obama campaign counsel Bob Bauer has sent a letter (.pdf) to the Department of Justice requesting that Special Prosecutor Dannehy -- who is currently investigating the firings of U.S. Attorneys -- expand her investigation to look into whether any administration officials have worked in a joint effort with the McCain campaign and the RNC in legitimizing the allegations of vote fraud. In the letter, Bauer asks for an inquiry into what he calls a "systematic development and dissemination of unsupported, spurious allegations of vote fraud." On a conference call with reporters, Bauer went further in explaining their position. "These [vote... Real Clear Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109359/posts#comment Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:52:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109156/posts Obama Demands Probe of Investigators Probing Criminal Group ACORN OCTOBER 18TH, 2008 BY MATTHEW VADUM “Accuse your enemy of what you do.” -old Communist saying * * * * * ACORN has friends in high places. Barack Obama’s campaign is –strangely enough– demanding that a special prosecutor look into the investigations of the massive vote fraud that is being perpetrated by the radical group ACORN to determine if the investigations are politically motivated. The New York Times reports: Seeking to portray law enforcement investigations into reports of fraudulent voter registrations in several states as an extension of the controversial firings... capital research http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109156/posts#comment Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:11:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109048/posts "Accuse your enemy of what you do." -old Communist saying* * * * *ACORN has friends in high places. Barack Obama's campaign is --strangely enough-- demanding that a special prosecutor look into the investigations of the massive vote fraud that is being perpetrated by the radical group ACORN to determine if the investigations are politically motivated. The New York Times reports: Seeking to portray law enforcement investigations into reports of fraudulent voter registrations in several states as an extension of the controversial firings of United States attorneys, the Obama campaign on Friday called for a review by a special prosecutor.... Capital Research Center http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2109048/posts#comment Sat, 18 Oct 2008 20:36:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2108342/posts The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) asked the Justice Department on Friday to allow an existing special prosecutor to probe the possible collaboration between the Bush administration and the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in generating what Obama aides charge are spurious allegations and investigations of voter fraud. Click Here Roll Call http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2108342/posts#comment Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:29:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2105813/posts The FBI has reportedly begun its own preliminary investigation into an ABC News report that West Palm Beach Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL) hired an alleged mistress to work on his official staff and then paid her $121,000 to keep her from going public and filing suit after she was fired. -snip It would be unusual but not unprecedented for the FBI to open an investigation into a member of Congress three weeks before the election. ABC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2105813/posts#comment Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:44:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2105511/posts Sen. Cornyn Seeks Nationwide Criminal Probe of ACORN Sends Letter to U.S. Attorney General Regarding Reports of Widespread Election Fraud Tuesday, October 14, 2008 WASHINGTON— In the wake of numerous reports of widespread election fraud by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter today to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey requesting that the Department of Justice immediately launch a nationwide criminal probe into ACORN’s voter registration activities and investigate ACORN as a “criminal enterprise.” In his letter, Sen. Cornyn, a former State... Office of Senator Cornyn http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2105511/posts#comment Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104867/posts Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House. Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry... Philly.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104867/posts#comment Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:39:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104822/posts Fla. congressman Tim Mahoney seeks probe after affair reportsBy Associated Press Monday, October 13, 2008 - Added 48m ago WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Florida Congressman Tim Mahoney has called for an ethics investigation of himself amid reports that he had an affair and then paid the woman to keep quiet. Minutes later Monday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for an investigation. ABC News reported on its Web site Monday that Mahoney agreed to pay $121,000 in March to a former mistress and staffer after being threatened with a sexual harassment lawsuit. The network, citing unnamed sources, says the... Boston Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2104822/posts#comment Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:44:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103528/posts But that feud exploded into the race for the White House after an independent investigator concluded that Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, unlawfully abused her power as Alaska governor to push for her former brother-in-law to be sacked as a state trooper. The politically-charged finding ensured that the so-called Troopergate controversy dominated political headlines barely three weeks before the Nov 4 presidential election. The report found that Mrs Palin violated a state ethics law prohibiting public officials from using office for personal benefit - in this case, pursuing her family's grudge against Trooper Mike Wooten following his messy divorce... Telegraph.co.uk http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103528/posts#comment Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:53:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103430/posts ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - A month after she became governor, Sarah Palin's staff ushered Alaska's public safety commissioner into her private office. But Palin wasn't there. Her husband, Todd, had called the meeting. He was frustrated that his former brother-in-law remained on the job as a state trooper, and he prevailed upon the commissioner to get rid of him. AP News Story http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103430/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:52:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103183/posts (snip) Today, however, in an episode of political theater that would make Josef Stalin blush, French gave it his very best shot: The investigator he hired and directed, Steve Branchflower, has labored mightily and given birth to a bloated and redundant 263-page report which boils down, for purposes of the ongoing presidential campaign, to two paragraphs that completely contradict one another. And the one of them that's unfavorable ignores the most important — indeed conclusive — evidence on point, but goes on to provide Branchflower's guess as to whether Gov. Palin has done anything improper. Please understand this, if you... TownHall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103183/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:57:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102843/posts STATEMENT FROM MCCAIN-PALIN SPOKESWOMAN MEG STAPLETON Friday, October 10, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA — McCain-Palin 2008 spokeswoman Meg Stapleton issued the following statement on today’s release of Stephen Branchflower’s report: “Today’s report shows that the Governor acted within her proper and lawful authority in the reassignment of Walt Monegan. The report also illustrates what we’ve known all along: this was a partisan led inquiry run by Obama supporters and the Palins were completely justified in their concern regarding Trooper Wooten given his violent and rogue behavior. Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a... Fox/GreatWire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102843/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:30:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102828/posts ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Sarah Palin unlawfully abused her power as governor by trying to have her former brother-in-law fired as a state trooper, the chief investigator of an Alaska legislative panel concluded Friday. The politically charged inquiry imperiled her reputation as a reformer on John McCain's Republican ticket. AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102828/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:10:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102769/posts ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor in the firing of her former public safety commissioner, but violated no laws, a report for the state Legislature concluded Friday. Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire Palin's ex-brother-in-law from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to sack him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states. CNN http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2102769/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 01:02:54 GMT