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Report: Feds investigating former U.S. Sen. Domenici
The Santa Fe New Mexican ^ | February 4, 2009 | Steve Terrell

Posted on 02/05/2009 9:29:02 PM PST by CedarDave

Recently retired U.S. Sen. Pete Domenici is the focus of a federal grand jury investigation of the U.S. attorney scandal, along with several Bush White House officials, according to an online report Wednesday in TPM Muckraker.

However, Domenici's attorney on Wednesday denied the retired Republican senator is at the center of the investigation.

"The investigation exists, but it's not focused on Senator Domenici to the exclusion of others," Washington lawyer Lee Blalack told a reporter.

According to the Muckraker report, the grand jury is investigating whether Domenici and others tried to improperly press former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to bring a criminal prosecution against "New Mexico Democrats" — namely former state Sen. Manny Aragon — prior to the 2006 elections. This is attributed to unnamed "legal sources close to the investigation and private attorneys representing officials who prosecutors want to question."

"Investigators appear to be scrutinizing Iglesias' firing in the context of whether he was fired in retaliation because Domenici and others believed that he would not manipulate the timing of prosecutions to help Republicans," the article said.

Iglesias has said he received phone calls about the Aragon investigation from both Domenici and former Republican Congresswoman Heather Wilson shortly before the 2006 election in which Wilson was facing a tough challenge.

Aragon was later indicted in a kickback scandal and eventually pleaded guilty. He's awaiting sentencing.

Domenici, who said he did not seek re-election last year because of health problems, was heavily criticized in a Justice Department report for not cooperating with its investigation.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: domenici; iglesias; mannyaragon; usattorney
The President can fire an U.S. Attorney anytime he wants to. In this case Domenici asked questions of Iglesias which maybe he shouldn't have, but that is not the same as applying pressure. This is just another case of the Rats sniffing around trying to pin something on former President Bush, his administration and Republican members of Congress. However, even though the story doesn't have legs, those being questioned better have perfect recall when questioned or they can get drawn into a perjury trap as did VP Cheney's chief of staff Lewis Libby.
1 posted on 02/05/2009 9:29:03 PM PST by CedarDave
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To: CedarDave; LegendHasIt; Rogle; leapfrog0202; Santa Fe_Conservative; DesertDreamer; ...

NM list PING!


2 posted on 02/05/2009 9:30:32 PM PST by CedarDave (Pray that during the next four years we don't lose the America we so love.)
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To: CedarDave

Unbelievable! A whole string of criminals have either been appointed to cabinet posts at the WH OR have been given the boot because their crimes were too obvious to escape scrutiny. Not a word. I’m honestly deeply saddened. The saga continues.


3 posted on 02/05/2009 9:34:45 PM PST by albie
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To: CedarDave
Aragon was later indicted in a kickback scandal and eventually pleaded guilty.

The word Republican is all over this article, but Aragon's party affiliation is missing.

4 posted on 02/05/2009 9:36:28 PM PST by Freee-dame
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To: Freee-dame

Party affiliation is not important when it’s a democRAT whose been convicted of a crime.


5 posted on 02/05/2009 9:43:26 PM PST by SoldierDad (Proud Dad of a U.S. Army Infantry Soldier presently instructing at Ft. Benning.)
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To: Freee-dame

Good point. Aragon was New Mexico Senate President Pro Tem for many years and a man you didn’t cross. He is a Democrat and they have controlled both houses of the legislature forever. Aragon is corrupt to the core. Here is a link to an earlier story:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1809123/posts


6 posted on 02/05/2009 9:45:37 PM PST by CedarDave (Pray that during the next four years we don't lose the America we so love.)
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To: Freee-dame

“The word Republican is all over this article, but Aragon’s party affiliation is missing.”

What? It clearly says in the article that Aragon was a Democrat. Did you see the part where it says, “...Domenici and others tried to improperly press former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias to bring a criminal prosecution against “New Mexico Democrats” — namely former state Sen. Manny Aragon ?”


7 posted on 02/05/2009 9:47:58 PM PST by SmallGovRepub
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To: Freee-dame
Manny Aragon, three others indicted in kickback scheme (Prominent NM Democrat Politicos)
8 posted on 02/05/2009 9:49:09 PM PST by CedarDave (Pray that during the next four years we don't lose the America we so love.)
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To: CedarDave

Exactly what crimal statute did Domenici violate by attempting to push for the prosecution of a corrupt politician? In fact, he would have committed a violation of Title 18 US Code 4 - Misprision of Felony if he had knowledge of a felony and didn’t report it.


9 posted on 02/05/2009 10:01:54 PM PST by SeaHawkFan
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To: CedarDave
right on the money - the democrat game goes like this

find a target - ideal candidate is someone that you disagree with politically (i.e. a republican)

since you can't find anything he did was illegal, bring a case against him that has no underlying crime

depose, depose, depose until you find a contradiction on the exact second he finished up his 3rd pee of a date 36 years ago

prosecute that contradiction as perjury

drop the original case

10 posted on 02/05/2009 10:29:12 PM PST by sloop (pfc in the quiet civil war)
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To: CedarDave

This is sick....


11 posted on 02/05/2009 10:32:19 PM PST by woofie
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To: CedarDave

I heard somewhere that since Iglesias’ firing corruption HAS been found in NM


12 posted on 02/05/2009 10:34:31 PM PST by woofie
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To: CedarDave

And when can we expect the investigation of Democrat involvement in the witch hunt that was L’affaire Wilson to wrap up?


13 posted on 02/05/2009 11:53:22 PM PST by Humble Servant
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To: CedarDave

God, I can’t believe that they are still going after him. He is retired and in poor health. He has been replaced by a good little marxist. What more do those anal cavities want? He is no threat to their plans.


14 posted on 02/06/2009 12:13:57 AM PST by LegendHasIt (Freepmail me if you want to join the Precious Metals ping list.)
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To: woofie
I heard somewhere that since Iglesias’ firing corruption HAS been found in NM

With NM, saying corruption has been found with politicians is kinda like saying that water has been found in Lake Superior.

15 posted on 02/06/2009 6:14:08 AM PST by IYAS9YAS (Obama - what you get when you mix Affirmative Action with the Peter Principle.)
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To: IYAS9YAS

so true


16 posted on 02/06/2009 8:05:51 AM PST by woofie
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To: albie

It really is amazing. Of course, even more amazing is the American sheeple clearly could care less about Democrat corruption.


17 posted on 02/10/2009 9:38:54 AM PST by brytlea (You can fool enough of the people enough of the time.)
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