Puterbac News Network and Political Discussion Thread

[Johnette's Daddy]

Scandals heat up for Scott Walker and Chris Christie

Investigators put Walker at the center of a "criminal scheme," and prosecutors close in on Christie
http://www.salon.com/2014/06/19/scandal ... _christie/

Today was a bad day for Republican governors. Out in Wisconsin, the long-simmering investigation into Gov. Scott Walker’s 2012 recall campaign boiled over as prosecutors unsealed documents laying out what they say was Walker’s central role in a “criminal scheme” to illegally coordinate with outside groups. And in New Jersey, reports are that investigators picking apart the almost comedic corruption of Gov. Chris Christie’s administration have several of the governor’s top aides dead-to-rights and are closing in on Christie himself.

In Walker’s case, prosecutors say that have emails from Walker – including one to Karl Rove – explaining how the coordination between the campaign and conservative interest groups would work.

The governor and his close confidants helped raise money and control spending through 12 conservative groups during the recall elections, according to the prosecutors’ filings.

The documents include an email in which Walker tells Karl Rove, former top adviser to President George W. Bush, that Johnson would lead the coordination campaign. Johnson is also chief adviser to Wisconsin Club for Growth, a conservative group active in the recall elections.

“Bottom-line: R.J. helps keep in place a team that is wildly successful in Wisconsin. We are running 9 recall elections and it will be like 9 congressional markets in every market in the state (and Twin Cities),” Walker wrote to Rove on May 4, 2011.

The Christie news comes courtesy of Esquire’s Scott Raab and Lisa Brennan. It’s based largely on anonymous sources “with intimate knowledge of the case,” so caveats and grains of salt apply, but they write that several of Christie’s top aides are all looking at indictments and investigators are pressuring them to give up the governor:

Whatever Christie says or does — and whatever potential donors or Jimmy Fallon and his viewers think — the question that truly matters is whether Fishman’s pursuit leads to the governor himself. Christie’s Port appointees — not only Samson, but former PA Deputy Executive Director Bill Baroni and his oddball sidekick David Wildstein — all face near-certain indictment and are being pressed to hand up Christie, as is the governor’s former chief counsel, Charlie McKenna.

Wildstein, portrayed as the mastermind behind Ft. Lee’s traffic problems, has made proffers to Fishman’s investigators — hoping to trade information to the prosecutor in exchange for gentler legal treatment — but Fishman has cut no deals with anyone so far, and the looming indictments have encouraged Christie’s PA appointees to sing. “Don’t underestimate what Wildstein has on Christie,” says one source. “And Wildstein and Baroni have both turned on Samson. If Samson doesn’t give Fishman Christie, Samson is toast.”

For pro-union forces out there, seeing Walker and Christie in the hot seat has to engender more than a little Schadenfreude. Walker’s successful push to strip state government workers of their collective bargaining rights was what led to the recall election in the first place. Christie’s national profile was first built on his public shouting matches with members of the New Jersey teachers union.

[Professor Tiger]

These are phony scandals.

Christie and Walker are innocent of all charges. There are thousands of emails that prove their innocence, but they all mysteriously went missing. But they all existed. Seriously. Trust us.

The matter is settled. No further conspiracy theories will be tolerated on these boards.

At this point, what does it matter?

[Johnette's Daddy]

These are phony scandals.

Christie and Walker are innocent of all charges. There are thousands of emails that prove their innocence, but they all mysteriously went missing. But they all existed. Seriously. Trust us.

The matter is settled. No further conspiracy theories will be tolerated on these boards.

At this point, what does it matter?

Good points - let's do this:

Have the various US Attorneys, Attorneys General and District Attorneys continue to investigate. If neither Christie nor Walker are indicted by November 9, 2016, we'll drop the whole thing.

[Professor Tiger]

I'm fine with that. Maybe they did it. Maybe they didn't. Both the cases for and against them are hopelessly politicized by now. Sad to say, even the final verdict on them will also be politicized - particularly with Christie and New Jersey. That state is is pretty corrupt. But I will accept what the legal system produces.

[Professor Tiger]

Here is a good article about the current Dem operation to take down Walker.

http://thefederalist.com/2014/06/20/a-b ... reporters/

Thankfully a couple of federal judges judge put a stop to this illegal hit job:

In February, a conservative activist and group filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the partisan district attorneys who had pursued the John Doe probe. In short order, a federal district court judge held that the plaintiffs “are likely to succeed on their claim that the defendants‘ investigation violates their rights under the First Amendment, such that the investigation was commenced and conducted ―without a reasonable expectation of obtaining a valid conviction.” In other words, at this early stage of the civil rights litigation, it looks to the judge as if the Democratic district attorneys abused their power and chilled conservatives’ free speech rights. Accordingly, the federal judge ordered that the John Doe probe must cease, all the seized property be returned, and all copies of materials be destroyed.

After a short trip to a federal appeals court, the federal judge reissued his order that the John Doe probe cease. Most recently, that appeals court has ordered some of the previously secret probe documents disclosed to the public, including an unsuccessful defense that the John Doe investigators made to one of their secret subpoenas. In their attempt to get a subpoena, which was rejected by a judge for lacking probable cause, the partisan investigators claimed that Walker was involved in the so-called conservative conspiracy.

And that is where the litigation stands as of today. Having launched a secret probe that has now been shut down by both the state and federal courts, the Democratic district attorneys find themselves the subject of an ongoing civil rights lawsuit for infringing the First Amendment rights of conservatives.

If nothing else, we have learned who the Dem's are afraid of.

[Professor Tiger]

In retrospect, the partisan hack DA's in WI should have left it to the IRS to misuse their authority to legally harass conservatives without cause. At least the IRS has more experience in this kind of Nixonian stuff.

[hedge]

Why couldn't it have been "Bush lied, Toe died"?

[Toemeesleather]

Desperate MSM, obviously afraid of a successful Repub gov, reprints old news of ridiculous charges that a judge threw out couple of years ago. Of course, the swallowers around here fall right into place and do their duty.

[hedge]

I wish my duty was to be one of the lucky riflemen at your execution by firing squad...

[Johnette's Daddy]

I'm fine with that. Maybe they did it. Maybe they didn't. Both the cases for and against them are hopelessly politicized by now. Sad to say, even the final verdict on them will also be politicized - particularly with Christie and New Jersey. That state is is pretty corrupt. But I will accept what the legal system produces.

To be fair, the criminal case vs. Walker is almost non-existent. He did what everyone in both parties does. There is, however, grounds for a civil case, which is what resurrected the story.

Christie, OTOH, is a different situation. Much like the Watergate break in turned into more than a simple burglary, the investigation into use of the Port Authority as 1) tool to punish political enemies, 2) a pay-for-play money pit to extract bribes out of potential vendors, and 3) a place to stash political operatives for no-show jobs will likely send several high ranking officials to Federal Prison Camps. One or two holdouts who don't cut deals may go to United States Penitentiaries. Of course, the nearest facility for women is the Federal Correctional Institute in Danbury, CT, so if Bridget Kelly is the hold out, she'll avoid going to "the big house."

I don't know if they'll be able to put Christie in prison, but they'll likely put his buddies away and make Christie's next career move a transition to the lecture circuit/Fox/Talk radio analyst, because he'll be done as a candidate for anything.

[Professor Tiger]

Much like the Watergate break in turned into more than a simple burglary, the investigation into use of the Port Authority as 1) tool to punish political enemies, 2) a pay-for-play money pit to extract bribes out of potential vendors, and 3) a place to stash political operatives for no-show jobs will likely send several high ranking officials to Federal Prison Camps.

That's so passe for NJ it occupied several episodes of the Soprano's.

[innocentbystander]

Ooops.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/ ... n-indiana/

“What better way to kill and rape, after all, if you’re wearing a badge,” he said. “When law enforcement and government are the criminals, they will fear an armed and educated people.”

While living in Lafayette, Jerad and his wife Amanda took part in last November’s “Million Mask March” – a gathering of protesters from the Occupy movement, anarchists, and hacktivists.

Nick Wertz, one of the organizers of the Lafayette march, said it attracted many people upset over a lot of issues.

Occupy? Can't say that they were too right wing. Apparently at least two members of the 99% are murderers.

[10ac]

http://nypost.com/2014/06/22/clinton-br ... tion-book/

[Professor Tiger]

More on the attempted Dem hatchet job on Walker.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... 1403308776

If this is the best dirt that the Nixonian conspiracy theorists have on Walker, then he'll be fine. And if the case against Christie is equally unethical, baseless, and conspiracy theorist, he'll be fine too.

[Johnette's Daddy]

Ooops.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/06/10/ ... n-indiana/

“What better way to kill and rape, after all, if you’re wearing a badge,” he said. “When law enforcement and government are the criminals, they will fear an armed and educated people.”

While living in Lafayette, Jerad and his wife Amanda took part in last November’s “Million Mask March” – a gathering of protesters from the Occupy movement, anarchists, and hacktivists.

Nick Wertz, one of the organizers of the Lafayette march, said it attracted many people upset over a lot of issues.

Occupy? Can't say that they were too right wing. Apparently at least two members of the 99% are murderers.

Dude - weren't they also with Cliven Bundy? I'd say that puts them in the anarchist category, not the Occupiers.

As usual, it's the tools of the 1% that are the murderers.

[hedge]

" 3) a place to stash political operatives for no-show jobs "

Sounds like the perfect career opportunity for former UNC basketball and football players...

[hedge]

"As usual, it's the tools of the 1% that are the murderers."

No doubt IB is a tool...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Tea Party Loses again and not graciously

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/c ... html?hp=f2

[Professor Tiger]

But the liberal and MSM conventional wisdom is that the Tea Party has completely taken over the GOP. How does the Tea Party keep losing to the Establishment in primaries?

[hedge]

Because they're morons...