Well, isn't that interesting.
And by 'Interesting' I mean 'Naughty, naughty, naughty...'
By Moe Lane Posted in Republicans — Comments (7) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Looks like the FBI's kicking it up a notch in Alaska (H/T Glenn):
Federal agents swarmed legislative offices around the state Thursday, executing search warrants in a coordinated series of raids that appeared to target the long-standing relationship between the oil field service company Veco and leading lawmakers.
The FBI reported making no arrests.
Above Anchorage's Fourth Avenue, FBI agents spent most of the afternoon behind the closed doors and drawn blinds of the fifth-floor offices of Senate President Ben Stevens and Senate Rules Committee Chairman John Cowdery, both Anchorage Republicans. Through slits in the blinds, one agent in Stevens' office, wearing rubber gloves, could be seen packing away evidence in a container.
For those playing at home, guess whose son State Senator Ben Stevens is? Yup, our favorite Alaskan hold-'em player US Senator Ted Stevens. This sort of thing seems to happen a lot in Alaskan politics.
Read on.
Obviously, there's an investigation going on, not a conviction: these guys may be as innocent, just like Rep. William Jefferson* claims to be. Everybody raise their hand who believes that one?
...Right; as a practical matter, the FBI only plays this sort of gambit when they're pretty sure that they're going to get somebody in the dock. Not being a fan of corruption, I can't say that I'm beating myself up over this. I look forward to seeing the results of this investigation; while it's not likely to be the egregious national security scandal that, say, Duke Cunningham's was, we really do need to step on this sort of thing. The real answer would be get money out of government, which would be lovely. Then again, so would a practical FTL drive and a workable anti-agathic drug made from ragweed. What I'll take is a legal system that is no respecter of political affiliation when it comes to corruption investigations. And, whaddya know? - it looks like we might actually have one.
Moe
*In his FREEZER.
**IOW, I've noted that if there's an actual scandal here then it's going to hit mostly Republicans. And your point was?
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Well, isn't that interesting. 7 Comments (0 topical, 7 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Economically I'm a bit more hard-nosed; not too much, though. I'd let the liberals keep the National Endowment for the Arts if it meant that I could excise the Dept of Agriculture in exchange.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
where I ain't jumping to the aid of my state!
There was a reason I decided that July 1 was a good day to be retired even though I easily could have stay to the end of the administration and even into the next one, even if it was Knowles, if I wanted to. The stench of money and self-interest was getting pretty unpleasant.
The primary complainant and the admitted source for much of the FBI's info on this is former legislator Ray Metcalfe (R - Anchorage) who has been at war with Republican leadership generally and Ben Stevens specifically for years. He has gone so far as to establish a Republican Moderate party to get himself on the ballot. Since he is vehemently critical of Republican leadership, the Anchorage Daily News hangs on his every word. I'm not going to say he's a good guy, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have something.
I will add this; in a fit of "small government" a few years back, the Legislature cut Legislators' salaries down to, below even, clerk level. So, you either have to work for a company that will let you off for four to six months a year, be well off enough to not work for four to six months a year, or "find some other way" to make money. When you do business with the kind of entities that Alaska does business with, there's lots of "ways" to make money.
I just wish this weren't happening sixty odd days before a General Election; it's going to leave a mark.
In Vino Veritas
Defenses of Alaskan stuff aren't needed; explanations on what's going the heck on over there are, and it's nice that we have somebody who actually has first-hand experience with the place. Frex: the salary thing, I did not know, and it's relevant. :)
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
Two things; maybe related maybe not.
A new US Attorney for Alaska was recently appointed apparently not with the advice and consent of Senator Stevens, to the dismay of some here.
As is the case for much of the federal government, GWB has placed only the thinnest veneer of his appointees in this region, lots of holdovers, lots of civil service employees in acting status. A politically motivate "hit" while improbable is not outside the realm of possibility; the timing is "convenient."
In Vino Veritas
The FBI extended its reach to Cook Inlet Region Incorporated (CIRI), one of the more affluent and influential ANCSA Native Corporations. For those who don't follow these things with bated breath, the ANCSA Corps have not been an unalloyed success and most have been troubled with shareholder suits and contentious Board elections, some even say there might have been a bit of fraud and corruption.
So, just connecting a few dots, for what that's worth, GWB appoints a new US Attorney with out the advice and consent of the AK delegation then the FBI starts kicking in (figuratively) some of the most exclusive and influential doors in the State. And most of those door have Republicans behind them.
Don't have a bit of "insider" info on this, but I've been around AK politics enough to know that some people better be developing a close personal relationship with good defense attornies, transferring some assets, and generally getting their houses in order.
In Vino Veritas
I thought you were our token moderate? That's a pretty small government thing to say, heh.
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.