The FBI – Congress feud

May 25, 2006

The [tag]FBI[/tag] has probably never had to spend quite this much time on [tag]Capitol Hill[/tag], investigating lawmakers and dealing with congressional counsel. The tensions between [tag]Congress[/tag] as an institution and FBI officials went from bad to worse over the weekend when, for the first time in American history, FBI agents raided a lawmaker’s office (Rep. [tag]William Jefferson[/tag]) as part of a criminal probe. The leadership of both parties has been throwing fits ever since.

But as it turns out, the feud can get worse still. Roll Call reported today that the FBI also wants to start asking lawmakers questions about leaks.

The FBI is seeking interviews with top House Members from both parties to determine whether they leaked details of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program to The New York Times, further fanning the flames of an already tense relationship between Capitol Hill and the Bush administration.

Those being targeted for interviews include GOP and Democratic leaders, as well as the chairmen and ranking member of the Intelligence committee. Altogether, 15 senior Members and Senators were briefed about the existence of the NSA program before the Times first disclosed it in a Dec. 16 article, according to briefing records released last week by John Negroponte, director of the Office of National Intelligence.

Complicating matters, The Hill noted today that in the past year and a half, the FBI has “reassigned nearly 200 agents to the problem of public [tag]corruption[/tag], bringing to 600 the total number of agents working on public-integrity cases,” many of which deal exclusively with alleged wrongdoing on the part of members of Congress.

So, to review, the FBI is snooping around the Hill because of the Abramoff scandal, the MZM scandal, the House Appropriations Committee, and Jefferson. They’re also apparently investigating House Speaker Dennis Hastert. The FBI is now going to start talking to several more lawmakers about leaks, and has expanded its staff to conduct even more investigations of congressional misdeads.

This could get ugly.

Maybe they could spare a couple of those 600 agents to find out who leaked Valerie Plame’s name. They might have to leave the Hill and canvas the neighborhood however. There are a couple of residences that they should target first. I won’t give the addresses out, but I can tell you that one of the houses is painted white and the other has a welcome mat that reads, “Go F**k Yourself”.

  • Apparently, the NSA domestic spying programs are producing fewer tips to tie up the FBI’s time, so they can focus on those dangerous leakers up on the Hill.

    Is this political payback? I can’t tell. But I suspect that the Texas Mafia is going to get really burned on this. After all, all Hastert has to do is slip the leash on some squeeky clean congressman aching to investigate the administration, and watch the fireworks.

  • “This could get ugly.” – – – CB

    On the contrary, CB; I think it to be a thing of beauty. Finally, there’s some indication that at least a few of the Federal agencies are breaking free from under the administration’s boot—and are beginning to do their jobs. Now, if only the media—with specific reference to the White House Press Corps—would get off their collective posteriors and just DO THEIR JOBS….

  • Steve:

    Where do you get the idea that theFBI is not under the control of the Executive Branch in all this, and that the Executive Branch is still under the control of Bush? That business with Jefferson this past weekend was a shot across the bow. And the main investigation is not into criminals in the House, but patriots who “let the cat out of the bag.”

    There is every reason to be upset with the FBI on this, regardless of one’s opinion of the targets. Especially since the Major Targets are good people.

  • Ugly indeed. Particularly because it really is becoming a constitutional crisis and the Bush administration has opted, yet again, for more secrecy. It may even be a good idea in this case, but like we can trust them now?

  • Could this be just the begnning of the end for Congress? Is the Decider at some time in the near future to decree that because Congress is so rife with corruption, scandal, and do nothing legislators that it is time to disband that irrelevant institution?

    Could be.

  • #7, you’re right on.

    This is the response to the polls showing that we will have a Democratic Congress in January 2007. What to do? Destroy the Congress. These guys do not know how to defend. When threatened, all they do is attack, attack, attack!

    They are now aiming to completely destroy that body. I fully expect it to be “temporarily” disbanded after the next terrorist attack, never to be seen again.

    If we were to think like Rove instead, and get into the habit of attacking when threatened, what would we do right now? What is the most aggressive “attack” move to take at this time?

    Or, should we try the Judo move, and find a way to turn the attack back on itself?

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