BRIAN ROSS REPORTS
Stray Guns in Baghdad
For McCain, Another Problem FundraiserTOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES
- Abramoff Lobbying Scandal
- American Al Qaeda
- Avian Flu
- Beirut Hospital Out of Gas
- CIA
- CIA Secret Prisons
- D.C. Madam Affair
- FBI
- Federal Air Marshal Service
- Homeland Security
- Hurricane Katrina
- Mark Foley Internet Scandal
- Millionaire Sex Scandal
- Nigerian E-mail Scams
- Norman Hsu, Clinton Fundraiser
- NSA: Wiretapping
- Osama bin Laden
- Payola
- Pharmacy Investigation
- Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert
- Terror
- U.K. Airline Terror Plot
- U.K. Bombing Attempts
- Wen Ho Lee
- William Jefferson
- Zarqawi
Critics Slam Intel Chair's Secrecy Over Bribery Report
Email
Print
ShareJuly 17, 2007 2:27 PM
A senior lawmaker is facing tough criticism for burying a report on criminal behavior on his committee.
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Tex., chairman of the House intelligence committee, did not respond today to questions from the Blotter on ABCNews.com about why he refuses to release a report on the abuses of power by former committee member Randy "Duke" Cunningham.
The one-time California Republican lawmaker took millions in bribes in exchange for awarding millions more in government contracts he wrote into law. He is now serving a lengthy prison term for his misdeeds.
"It's exactly the wrong thing to do," said Steven Aftergood of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists of Reyes' decision to withhold the report. "They should be setting an example of accountability and transparency."
Reyes' own declarations upon taking the helm of the intelligence committee in January may make him particularly vulnerable to criticism over the matter. When asked at the beginning of the year how he would run the committee differently from his predecessor, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., Reyes responded, "In a word: oversight."
The committee is responsible for overseeing the intelligence operations of the FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency and others, many of whom have been accused of illegal or improper activities in recent years.
In an April speech to the American Bar Association, Reyes expanded on his conviction on the importance of oversight, declaring that by holding officials accountable for their actions, Congress plays a key role in protecting Americans' trust in government.
"All three branches have the responsibility to make sure that the government as a whole lives up to the trust that the people have placed in it," he said, according to a written copy of his speech posted on the committee's Web site. In that version, printed on official committee letterhead, "government as a whole" is underlined.
Reyes' decision to withhold the report from the public was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
"The full report -- with all of the names of staff -- was not intended for dissemination beyond the committee," the chairman told the newspaper.
Reyes responded to a request for comment from ABCNews.com by providing a written version of the same comments.
Indeed, some have suggested the report was not meant to delve deeply into the worst bribery scandal in the history of Congress, which unfolded over several years within the committee's chambers. The chief investigator on the report, Michael Stern, has noted that he was barred from asking questions about whether other lawmakers knew of Cunningham's crimes, or had any hand in them.
Reyes' position is in stark contrast to that taken last year by the committee's former top Democrat, Rep. Jane Harman, Calif., who pressed Republican then-chairman Hoekstra to release the report.
Reyes' refusal to release the report underscores the reasons why Cunningham succeeded in corrupting his office, said Meredith Fuchs of the National Security Archives, which works to expand public access to government records. "It doesn't sound like the classified secrets are at issue, it's [about] protecting people – staffers, and other members of Congress," she told ABCNews.com.
While that deference to other lawmakers and their staff may be how Congress conducts itself, she said, "it's also what allows people like Duke Cunningham to get away with this kind of stuff."
This post has been updated.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
July 17, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (20)
I am a liberal Dem and I agree that Reyes needs to release this report. The chips are going to have to fall where they may: we need transparency.
Posted by: via | Jul 17, 2007 3:55:04 PM
Professional politicians protecting their own.
It really does not matter which party they claim as theirs.
Our politico's are not interested in serving the public interests as much as serving their own and their corporate masters.
Posted by: Frank E | Jul 17, 2007 4:05:21 PM
Reyes: either turn over the report or get out. We're not like the Republicans: we don't coddle criminals. If you have a problem with that, switch parties. But either way, turn over the goods. Period.
Posted by: trippin | Jul 17, 2007 4:13:17 PM
Since I doubt the Democrats are about "helping" the Repubs...I wonder if Reyes recieved some of those bribes...or maybe some other Dems...a case of CYA?
Posted by: chabuka | Jul 17, 2007 4:14:04 PM
CYA...?
Posted by: Chabuka | Jul 17, 2007 4:15:42 PM
What is he hiding.
Posted by: tim | Jul 17, 2007 4:16:39 PM
Wasn't this the guy that Pelosi picked instead of Rep. Jane Harmen?
Posted by: KDMc | Jul 17, 2007 4:24:12 PM
Years in the future American historians will do research into why this whole crapfest occurred (given that the US even survives the destruction these crooked politicians and their buddies have done to the basic fiber of American freedom and justice.) They'll find a huge collusion between government and corporations, mainly Big Oil, GOP-controlled media and mega-corporations like the big automotive companies. We should all be keeping careful notes...
Posted by: Indigowatcher | Jul 17, 2007 5:28:25 PM
Something's rotten in the state of Denmark and it's not old cheese. Release the documents Reyes. What's up? got something to hide?
Posted by: JAG | Jul 17, 2007 5:51:52 PM
This smells very related to Congressman Waxman's similar refusing constant lobbying for him to have Sibel Edmonds testify to his committee on what she knows about FBI intelligence wrongdoing too, despite earlier indications that this would be a priority for him prior to the 2006 elections. It smells like there are big fish on both sides of the aisle that would be exposed which is perhaps the reason why we are still "just on the surface" of so many scandals now.
Posted by: calipendence | Jul 17, 2007 8:01:29 PM
Hopefully Congressional staff will leak the key contents of the report - many of the staff seem to appalled by the blatant vote-buying and other corruption in Congress. Staying silent is being an active participant in that corruption! Also Silvestre Reyes was picked to chair the committee by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who could get the report released if she wanted.
Posted by: Chris Baker | Jul 17, 2007 11:10:19 PM
I figure, now that the Dems have added new rules re: the disclosure of member’s earmarks as a token response to the Cunningham scandal, what they don’t want the public at large to realize how easy it still is for Defense and Intel committee members to submit black funds earmarks for funds at the pentagon and the CIA that will never be publicly revealed.
Cunningham was using the “black budget” as cover for a lot of his scams, and now that the Dems have the majority they know they can abuse the same shroud of secrecy to bring home the bacon to their districts without raising the ire of govt accountability watchdogs.
Posted by: Bill W | Jul 17, 2007 11:39:59 PM
Shame on Reyes. With 300 million people in this country, the notion that we're obligated to accept a continuing parade of bribemongers as our elected representatives is ridiculous. Twenty years in prison isn't enough for the Duke Cunninghams and the Ted Stevenses and the Tom DeLays.
Posted by: Dr. Wu | Jul 17, 2007 11:55:57 PM
Reyes know that if the report is release, Dianne Feinstein is going down on a multi-count indictment which will make Duke look like an amatuer.
Posted by: N. Hess | Jul 18, 2007 1:11:34 AM
A Democrat acting like a Republican? DISGUSTING! He should be recalled from office. Or change parties. The Republicans can have him...he's exactly what they're looking for.
Posted by: wilder5121 | Jul 18, 2007 3:28:52 AM
This is disgustingly hypocritical. Hear me Silvester?? I'm a Yellow Dog Liberal Democrat and this kind of crap just irritates the living hell out of me. Lets be transparent. Be accountable. Stop the abuse of position. What and who are you protecting?
Posted by: Lenny Ash | Jul 18, 2007 6:51:17 AM
*Justin: I just called the Intelligence Committee office to complain and demand that they release the report.* I was told, and your article does not reflect that, it was a vote taken by the committee. The committee, not the chairman himself, has chosen not to release. It seems that your story makes it appear that this was the chairman's decision. I called the committee office and asked the guy who answered the phone. He told me that was the result of the vote of the members, not the chairman. I asked him who could change the decision or authorize another vote. He was very helpful. He asked for my zip code so I could call my member of congress!!! I can't believe that. I asked him, "Why would I call my representative, she has nothing to do with it?" He said, I'm just an intern and he's a member of congress!!!
Something is strange here Justin! Why don't you find out who voted yes/no on the release? The cover-up will be more revealing than the story. If Democrats have the majority then why did they vote not to release? I have to agree that they are hiding something and we can't let them do that. If Democrats or Republicans have done something wrong, then they need to be held accountable. Also, this information could be critical to the USA-attorneygate scandal. Remember, the prosecutor (Carol Lam) was fired. Do you suppose that the DOJ is going to get to the truth of the matter if the report reveals further wrong doing? Duh, I doubt it.
Justin, please post something that will clarify that the chairman was WAS NOT personally responsible for not releasing the report. And call Pelosi for clarification. I am!
Posted by: victoria2dc | Jul 18, 2007 12:04:26 PM
Interesting, "we aren't like that, the republicans do this"....
Wear it just a bit before you realize, the Democratic Party is not the absolute opposite of being a Republican. Those of us who are not partisans don't get so caught up in the loyalty games seen from members of the party, or people who just go lock stock and barrel over the dam.
Posted by: chris | Jul 18, 2007 7:51:09 PM
Give Silvestre a call and ask him how he is living up to his commitment to "oversight".
You catch more flies with honey so be sweet.
Posted by: feckless | Jul 19, 2007 3:15:19 PM
Democrats hollar that the Republicans are crooked, Republicans hollar that the Democrats are crooked.
Quite bluntly. I do not trust ANY OF OUR FINE ELECTED PRESIDENTS, CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE HOLDERS. JUST REMEMBER THIS CLEAR AND WELL: EVERY CONGRESS-PERSON IS A CROOK OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NOT BE IN OFFICE (CROOK IN THIS MEANING IS EARMARKING AND BRIBARY BY THE SUPER RICH!!!
Posted by: Charlie | Jul 25, 2007 3:52:25 PM
Post a comment
