Mood:
irritatedTopic: "Firing US Attorneys" (3)
Frodo's essay that follows could be called a lot of things. What it is, is entirely factual. What it will not do is make you feel better about the way your government is run. After completing this brief read, you may meet Frodo outside the Offices of the Attorney General of the United States. At that point you will be offered either a pitchfork or a flaming torch. There are sufficient trees about the Tidal Basin to support a public lynching. Perhaps that is what it will take to bring sufficient pressure upon the appropriate individuals to recognize the harm done to our nation by incompetent political appointees, and their elected sponsors.
Walter Anderson, the telecommunications entrepreneur who was indicted on what was to be the largest tax prosecution in American history, was sentenced this week. Anderson pled guilty to the overwhelming evidence amassed against him by both the District of Columbia, and the United States Government. Assistant Attorney General (Tax Division)EILEEN J. O'CONNOR announced the indictments and appointed KAREN E. KELLY of the Department of Justice and SUSAN MENZER of the US Attorney's Office as joint prosecutors in behalf of the United States.
US District Judge PAUL L. FRIEDMAN sentenced Anderson to serve 9 years in prison, and to repay the District of Columbia $23 Million. Unfortunately, Friedman ruled (US-v-Anderson, 05-66, US District Court, District of Columbia), he was unable to order Anderson to repay the US Government somewhere between $100 Million and $175 Million because the "Justice Departments's binding plea agreement" with Anderson cited the wrong statute.
The prosecuting attorneys, the Assistant Attorney General (Tax Division) and, presumably, the Attorney General himself, would have been responsible for at least the approval and review of the plea arrangement. The errors, not caught, have cost the taxpayers of the United States somewhere beyond $100 Million. That, dear reader, is money that you will pay.
Now, what exactly was it that was said about those eight US Attorneys who were fired for "poor performance?" Are you wondering why it took little Frodo, weighed down by the task of Ring destruction, to be the only one to bring this to your attention?
That, dear reader, is a $100 Million (or more) question. Now, would you rather have a pitchfork or a flaming torch?
Posted by loveysdaddyga
at 8:57 PM EDT
