AG Holder Ducks Questions On Sestak Job Offer

The Bulletin ^ | May 15, 2010 | Eric Boehm

[jazusamo]

Washington — U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder refused to answer pointed questions from Congressman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., about allegations the Obama Administration offered U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., a high-ranking position in return for dropping out of the primary election against incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter.

Mr. Issa wants the Justice Department to investigate the allegations which, if confirmed, could amount to three felony offenses for bribery and corruption.  On Thursday, with Mr. Holder testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Mr. Issa asked why a special prosecutor has not been assigned to investigate the case.

“The appointment of a special prosecutor is something that is done on a case-by-case basis,” said Mr. Holder.

“What could be more case-by-case than the allegation that this White House has committed three felonies in offering a member of Congress a high ranking position in this administration in return for his getting out of the primary,” asked Mr. Issa in return.

Mr. Holder said he would not discuss the specifics of the allegations because the matter could come before the Department of Justice.  When asked by Mr. Issa to discuss the matter as a hypothetical situation, Mr. Holder also declined.

“If I offer you a job in the White House, let’s say Secretary of the Navy, in return for you doing something, such as dropping out of elected office to clear a primary, is that a serious crime?” said Mr. Issa.  “Is that hypothetical a crime?”

“I don’t answer hypotheticals,” said Mr. Holder.  He said the Public Integrity section of the Department of Justice would be the appropriate place for an investigation to take place, and he would defer to their judgment.

Neither the White House nor the Department of Justice responded to letters sent by Mr. Issa in March asking for an explanation and investigation of the claims made by Mr. Sestak.

During an interview with Larry Kane of the Comcast Network in February, Mr. Sestak said he was offered a job by the White House in exchange for dropping his primary challenge of Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter.  When asked what the job was, Mr. Sestak refused to comment, but the position has been rumored to have been Secretary of the Navy.

Mr. Sestak served in the Navy for more than thirty years and retired as an admiral in 2005.  He ran for Congress and won in 2006 and again in 2008.

Mr. Sestak has repeated the allegation on multiple occasions and even Mr. Specter has said the allegations would be a federal crime if they were true, Mr. Issa said on Thursday.

“These are allegations of three crimes, and there is an election to be held in a matter of days, greatly influenced by these unanswered allegations of White House criminal activity,” said Mr. Issa.

So far, the only response from the White House was a brief comment by Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on March 16.

“I’m told that whatever conversations have been had, are not problematic.  I think Congressman Sestak has discussed that this is - whatever happened is in the past and he is focused on this primary,” said Mr. Gibbs when asked about the job offer by reporters.

“Gibbs’s (sic) statements - namely that he is collecting direct evidence from witnesses - imply that the White House is allowing its communications staff to carry out investigative tasks ordinarily conducted by legal professionals in the Counsel’s office,” Mr. Issa wrote in a letter to Mr. Holder in March.  “As I am sure you would agree this is no way to conduct a credible investigation.”      

[Tribune7]

ping

[timestax]

B U M P

[glorgau]

Mr. Issa should have said “If you quit as Attorney General, I pledge to hire you as an Intern... did I just commit a crime”?

[brityank]

Mr. Issa should have said “If you quit as Attorney General, I pledge to hire you as an Intern... did I just commit a crime”?

I wouldn't hire Holder to pick up after my dog. He'd make a mess of it, smear it all around, then claim it was my problem for not having the job "shovel ready"!!

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

Does everyone remember Holder and Marc Rich ???

the scum.

[jazusamo]

Does everyone remember Holder and Marc Rich ???

Yep, and scum is the right word.

[IrishCatholic]

Pure corruption bookmark.

[infidel29]

Mr. Sestak said he was offered a job by the White House in exchange for dropping his primary challenge of democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter.

fixed

[Nachum]

The list, ping

[Kimberly GG]

Anyone know if Sestak is sticking to his claim on this or have they gotten to him?

[jazusamo]

The last I read about Sestak commenting was several days ago and it said he’s stopped commenting on it, I believe he said he wanted to move on. I think it’s safe to say he got the word from up high.