Will Pelosi Stick with Hastings as Intelligence Chair?

http://www.freedommag.org/english/vol27I6/page28a.htm

...Chief Judge William Terrell Hodges of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and Chief Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida — Hastings’ own court — to file a complaint against Hastings under the Code of Judicial Conduct’s requirement that judges who become aware of unprofessional judicial conduct by other judges make it known.

The final report issued by the five-judge committee appointed to investigate the charges concluded that at his trial, Hastings had fabricated documents submitted as evidence and committed perjury 14 times. The report concluded, “Judge Hastings attempted to corruptly use his office for personal gain. [The committee found] clear and convincing evidence that Judge Hastings sought to conceal his participation in the bribery scheme.... Judge Hastings’ conduct was premeditated, deliberate and contrived.”

The committee reported to the 11th Circuit Judicial Council, which voted unanimously to support the conclusion that grounds to recommend impeachment indeed existed. The same procedure was then followed by the Judicial Conference of the United States, over which the Chief Justice presides, and that body unanimously voted for impeachment. The matter was then sent to the U.S. House of Representatives.

SNIP

For the next six years, Hastings remained on the bench, using federal court facilities and drawing a full salary while hearing virtually no cases because of his tenuous position and the refusal of the Chief Justice of his district to assign cases to him.

Finally, in 1988, the House charged Hastings, by a 413 to 3 vote, with 17 acts of misconduct which “strike at the heart of our democracy,” and recommended removal by the Senate. The Senate agreed, and in 1989 found Hastings guilty of eight impeachable offenses, including conspiring as a federal judge to obtain a $150,000 bribe.

 

As far as I know, Pelosi was not involved in Hasting's "problems", but she's about to be.

Much has been made of so called Republican corruption. Now we get a chance to see if Pelosi justs talks a good game or she will appoint a corrupt democrat to chair an important Senate committee.

I expect hypocrisy will win the day, but hopefully not.

 

Hastings was the beneficiary of some fortunate timing. First a new gerrymandered district came open and his conviction by the senate received a favorable opinionm in the first step of the appeals process.


"During his 1992 congressional campaign, his primary opponent repeatedly raised the issue of his removal from the bench. But his candidacy got a boost when a U.S. District Judge in Washington, D.C., overturned Hastings’ removal by the Senate on a technicality — and Hastings was elected to the House of Representatives in November 1992.

Then, in January 1993, just as Hastings was being sworn in as a congressman, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the district court’s ruling and Hastings’ conviction was effectively reinstated. "

Hastings is one of the most reprehensible criminals possible, a crooked judge.

 

The current Congress can do nothing unless he gets caught again. When he was impeached, the Senate evidently did not expressly forbid him from holding public office.

A crook being reelected time after time from a gerrymandered distict is hardly new. After all, he may be a crook , but he's their crook.

It is obviously news now because , as long as Republicans were the majority, he didn't matter. In charge of the Intelligence Committee, he matters to all of us.

Pelosi should practice what she preaches. Hastings appointment will send a strong message that the only corruption she is concerned about is Republican corruption.

 

My opinion is not for sale. If it was, you couldn't afford it.:smilewinkgrin:

Concerning Pelosi, we'll see.

 

Point well taken. The difference being DeLay hasn't been convicted of anything by anybody.

Plus he's a Republican. Pelosi appears to only object to corruption in Republicans.

 

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=/Politics/archive/200611/POL20061116b.html

Pelosi Reminded About Her Pledge to 'Clean House'

By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor

November 16, 2006
(CNSNews.com) - Judicial Watch, a government watchdog group, is urging soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to reject Florida Democrat Alcee Hastings for chairmanship of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton, in a Nov. 15 letter to Pelosi, said anyone with Hasting's "lack of integrity, ethical misdeeds and financial problems" would be denied the security clearance necessary for the job.
Fitton told Pelosi she shouldn't risk the nation's security by putting
Hastings at the head of the intelligence committee - a scenario that's been mentioned in various press reports, after Pelosi reportedly decided not to give the committee's top post to ranking Democrat Jane Harman (D-Calif.).
Judicial Watch noted that Rep. Hastings is one of only six federal judges ever to be removed from office through impeachment. And because of his legal problems, he has accumulated "staggering," multi-million-dollar liabilities, Judicial Watch said.

 

Pelosi is 1-1 so far on corruption.

She supported the corrupt John Murtha, but her caucus had more sense than she did.

Now she nixes Hastings. Good move on her part. But...

Of course, she was afraid her party members would shoot her down again.