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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Dennis Hastert 'Deeply Sorry' for 'Misconduct', Lawyers Say
2016-04-08
[ABCNEWS.GO] Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert for the first time today publicly acknowledged the "harm" he caused to "others" for "misconduct that occurred decades ago," his attorneys said in a court filing, ahead of sentencing for a crime allegedly linked to hush money payments and past sexual abuse.

"Mr. Hastert is deeply sorry and apologizes for his misconduct that occurred decades ago and the resulting harm he caused to others," the filing says. "Mr. Hastert’s fall from grace has been swift and devastating. Neither we as his lawyers, nor Mr. Hastert, have the present insight to understand and reconcile the unfortunate and harmful incidents he caused decades ago with the enduring achievements, leadership, and generosity that earned him extraordinary affection and respect throughout this country during his many years of public service."
Hastert's sorrow only outflanked by the sorrow of his getting caught. Beltway party slime, it knows no political boundaries.
The filing does not identify the past "misconduct," but last summer sources knowledgeable of the case told ABC News Hastert was paying a man -- still unidentified except as "Individual A" in court documents -- hundreds of thousands of dollars to hide that Hastert had engaged in sexual misconduct with him while Hastert was a high school wrestling coach. Hastert pleaded guilty in October to a single financial crime connected to the alleged hush money.

Hastert technically faces a maximum penalty of five years, but according to the terms of his plea deal, prosecutors previously indicated they will recommended he serve no more than six months. His defense team wants probation.
Link


Home Front: Politix
DoJ denies Hastert under investigation, anonymous ppl say he is
2006-05-25
Despite a flat denial from the Department of Justice, federal law enforcement sources tonight said ABC News accurately reported that Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is "in the mix" in the FBI investigation of corruption in Congress.

Speaker Hastert said tonight the story was "absolutely untrue" and has demanded ABC News retract its story.

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff has provided information to the FBI about Hastert and a number of other members of Congress that have broadened the scope of the investigation. Sources would not divulge details of the Abramoff’s information.
I bet Abramoff could provide documents on half the House and a third of the Senate. On both parties.
"You guys wrote the story very carefully but they are not reading it very carefully," a senior official said.

One focus involves a letter Hastert wrote in 2003 urging the Secretary of the Interior to block an Indian casino that would have competed with tribes represented by Abramoff. The letter was written within days of a fund-raiser held for Hastert at Abramoff’s restaurant in Washington. Federal campaign records show more than $26,000 was raised at the time from Abramoff and his clients. Hastert has denied doing anything unlawful and says he has a long history of opposing certain types of Indian casinos.

ABC’s law enforcement sources said the Justice Department denial was meant only to deny that Hastert was a formal “target” or “subject” of the investigation. "Whether they like it or not, members of Congress, including Hastert, are under investigation," one federal official said tonight.

The investigation of Hastert’s relationship with Abramoff is in the early stages, according to these officials, and could eventually conclude that Abramoff’s information was unfounded. Officials said the next logical investigative step would be for the FBI to seek a wide range of documents from the members of Congress named by Abramoff, including letters and business documents.

A spokesman for Hastert said the office had received no subpoenas or requests for documents.
Link


Iraq
LTC ALLEN B. WEST
2003-12-11
The disgraceful treatment dished out to Lt. Col. Allen B. West, who faced prosecution for firing his weapon to intimidate an Iraqi detainee into providing information about an upcoming assault on West’s unit, may be about to to be resolved.
Looks like he won’t be court-marshalled but will have to retire.
Honestly, the Army has to ask itself, how it is ever going to fight terrorism, if it’s soldiers always have one hand tied behind their backs.

Lt. Col. Allen B. West, who faced criminal charges for firing his weapon to intimidate an Iraqi detainee into providing information about an upcoming assault on West’s unit, has himself, dodged a bullet.

LTC West’s actions yielded critical information which enabled West and his soldiers to thwart the attack -- thus saving the lives of their fellow soldiers. It was and remains our position that LTC West’s actions were justified. Indeed, President Bush, on his visit to Iraq Thanksgiving Day, said "In some cases, the measured use of force is all that protects us from a chaotic world ruled by force." We believe this certainly applies in the case of LTC West.

To that end, The Federalist’s companion site, PatriotPetitions.US, collected more than 130,000 signatures asking President George Bush, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, acting Secretary of the Army Secretary Les Brownlee and Maj. Gen. Raymond Odierno, exonerate LTC West from this grossly misguided prosecution and any criminal charges.

On the day LTC West’s Article 32 Board convened, Patriot Petitions released the results of the petition in support of LTC West. We learned yesterday afternoon, that the Army hearing officer in this case, LTC James Davis, has recommended to MGEN Raymond Odierno, the 4th Infantry Division commander, Article 15 administrative correction for LTC West -- but no court-martial. MGEN Odierno can accept or decline that recommendation.

"It’s extremely good news," said Neal Puckett, LTC West’s attorney. "This is what we think the Army should have done from the very beginning." LTC West indicated from the start of this case that he was willing to accept nonjudicial Article 15 punishment and then retire. MGEN Odierno has already relieved him of his artillery battalion command, a career killer. LTC West has submitted a retirement request and acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee may retire LTC West at his current rank, or at the reduced rank of major.

We contend that LTC West should have received honorable recognition for his actions and be promoted to full Colonel -- his considerable experience will be missed on the frontlines of our war with Jihadistan.

Link


Home Front
Terror strikes on US
2001-09-11
CNN September 11, 2001 Posted: 5:14 p.m. EDT
In an apparently coordinated terrorist attack against the United States, four commercial passenger jets crashed on Tuesday, three of them into significant landmarks.

  • U.S. intelligence officials tell CNN "there are good indications that persons linked to Osama bin Laden may be responsible for these attacks." The sources say they based the statement on specific information that had been gathered Tuesday. Bin Laden is the Saudi millionaire who has been blamed for terror attacks against U.S. interests and is believed to be in Afghanistan.

  • American Airlines Flight 11, carrying 81 passengers and 11 crew members, slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan shortly before 9 a.m. About 15 minutes later, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston to Los Angeles, with 56 passengers and nine crew members on board, crashed into the south tower.

  • Both towers eventually collapsed in a shower of debris and plume of thick dust.

  • A half-hour after the second crash, American Flight 77 took off from Washington, D.C.'s Dulles Airport en route to Los Angeles, California, carrying 58 passengers and six crew members -- but crashed into the Pentagon instead. Less than an hour after the third crash, United Flight 93 en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, with 38 passengers and seven crew aboard.

  • Huge chunks of debris falling from remains of World Trade Center towers more than six hours after the crashes. Firefighters could get no closer than 2 blocks from the burning hulk.

  • The FBI said it believes all four planes, carrying a total of 266 people, were hijacked.

  • The Pentagon, the White House, the State Department, the Justice Department, the Capitol, the CIA and all other government buildings in Washington are evacuated.

  • Federal Emergency Response Plan is implemented immediately after first attack, according to White House. All U.S. embassies and U.S. forces around the world are put on high alert. The highest alert is THREATCON DELTA.

  • All federal agencies implement continuity plans to make sure U.S. government continues to function effectively.

  • President Bush calls the crashes "a national tragedy." Later in the day, Bush issues a statement from Barksdale AFB near Shreveport, Louisiana. "Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts."

  • Secret Service secures President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert and key members of Bush's Cabinet and national security team. Air Force One lands in Omaha, Nebraska, and spokeswoman Karen Hughes says Bush is in a secure location.

  • Mullah Omar, the Taliban spiritual leader, condemns the attacks and denies that Osama bin Laden, was responsible.

  • Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, says in reaction to the terror attacks that "we want to tell the American children that Afghanistan feels your pain and we hope that the courts find justice."

  • In the first-ever national ground stop of aircraft, all flights nationwide are stopped at their departure airports.

  • International flights are initially diverted to Canada; FAA says later, however, that 22 U.S.-bound international flights will be allowed to land.

  • Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta tells FAA to suspend operation of all flights until at least noon Wednesday. He also issued orders controlling the movements of all vessels in U.S. waters.

  • In New York, more than 10,000 rescue personnel rush to the scene. Evacuation of lower Manhattan begins.

  • Israel evacuates all of its missions around the world.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is evacuated. CDC prepares emergency response teams in case they become necessary.

  • Senate Majority leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, Republican leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Sen. Don Nickles, R-Oklahoma, House Democratic leader Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Missouri, and House Speaker Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, were taken by helicopter to an undisclosed location.

  • Philadelphia landmarks are evacuated.

  • In Chicago, the Sears Tower is evacuated; United Nations in New York is evacuated.

  • Two aircraft carriers and five other ships are deployed along the East Coast of the United States, and two aircraft carriers go to New York area, all from Norfolk, Virginia.

  • The New York Port Authority closes all bridges and tunnels into the city.

  • U.S. stock markets close after the New York attacks and will remain closed Wednesday.

  • NATO sends home all non-essential personnel from its Brussels, Belgium, headquarters.

  • The Immigration and Naturalization Service puts the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada on highest state of alert.

  • Los Angeles International Airport is evacuated.

  • Disney closes its parks in Orlando, Florida, and Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

  • FEMA implements plan established for such events: FBI leads investigation and Justice Department heads crisis management. White House spokeswoman Karen Hughes says FEMA activates eight urban search and rescue teams in New York and four teams are at work at Pentagon.

  • Three Palestinian groups -- Hamas, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad -- deny responsibility for the attacks, but blame U.S. policies in the Mideast.

  • Washington, D.C., and San Francisco declare states of emergency.

  • A Delta flight makes emergency landing in Cleveland and all passengers are safely evacuated. Federal officials search the plane for a possible bomb.
  • Link



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