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NBC's Myers, Others Face Leak Probe
November 26, 2007 11:15 AM
A man convicted of bribing former U.S. Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham hopes to force reporters to reveal how they obtained secret information relating to the federal investigation and prosecution which targeted him.
The lawyer for former defense contractor Brent Wilkes asked a federal judge late last week to approve subpoenas for NBC investigative correspondent Lisa Myers, former Associated Press reporter Seth Hettena, the Wall Street Journal's Scot Paltrow and Associated Press reporter Allison Hoffman, all of whom reported on the Wilkes case.
A jury convicted Wilkes of bribery, conspiracy and fraud earlier this month. Cunningham, now in prison, told investigators Wilkes had bribed him with gifts and cash worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Wilkes has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
Geragos has said news stories based on the alleged grand jury leaks prejudiced the jury against his client, and he plans to appeal Wilkes' conviction.
In his Nov. 21 filing, Wilkes' lawyer, Mark Geragos, also asked the judge to force testimony by two FBI agents involved in the Wilkes investigation, two former defense attorneys for Wilkes and current and former members of the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego, including former U.S. attorney Carol Lam, who worked on his client's prosecution.
The North County (Calif.) Times, which first reported the news, said none of Geragos' desired subpoena recipients were available for comment. Judge Larry Burns is slated to hear arguments on the alleged grand jury leaks on Dec. 11, the paper reported.
Do you have a tip for Brian Ross and the Investigative Team?
November 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4)
Geragos should spend more time telling us about that supposed ABA warning letter they supposedly wrote to bush. Care to reveal what it said, Geragos? Did your ABA chumps get a reply, Geragos? Too embarassed at your ABA failures that the reply came back crimpled up with a stain across it? Few professions have failed this nation as the lawyers have. Protecting our rights and upholding the CONSTITUTION, they clamor. YEA RIGHT, Geragos, appeal that!
Posted by: daddy | Nov 26, 2007 12:55:31 PM
Just another corrupt and depraved politico trying to blame others for his own "misfortune" of getting caught.
Posted by: Jordan | Nov 26, 2007 1:28:09 PM
The Grand Jury system is the most powerful and most dangerous investigative tool in the US system of justice. The only limitation on the intimidating powers of a judge and prosecutor who convene a Grand Jury is the willingness of the jury members to support a secret investigation. Presumably a Grand Jury prosecutor can safely "leak" information about testimony only if witnesses are securely "over a barrel" and must testify or face some kind of personal ruin. The prosecutor faces ruin if jury members lose faith in deals that are made to protect witnesses. Now that intrusive eavesdropping is available to law enforcement officers, it might be easy enough for a crooked prosecutor to "get the goods" on a Grand Jury, one jury member at a time, before they are even empaneled. The danger of subornation is why secret police justice is so vile. The extra-legal investigative powers of the Secret Service, Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, Child Protective Services, Postal Inspectors, Game Wardens, Customs Agents, Fire Inspectors, the CIA, the NSA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, et cetera, mean that no one can possibly avoid a concerted government effort to impeach them, rightly or wrongly.
Posted by: Michael E. Maus | Nov 26, 2007 1:31:06 PM
I dated Brent Wilkes several years ago. He was dishonest then and always looking for a way to move himself ahead.Some people are born dishonest and eventually it all catches up with you.
Posted by: Betty Smith | Dec 1, 2007 7:38:29 PM
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