Bush Justice Department Scandal Update: Read Jill Simpson’s Affidavit
June 11th, 2007Republicans in the U.S. Senate today managed to block a symbolic ‘no-confidence’ vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, rejecting a Democratic effort to force him from office amid blistering criticism from lawmakers in both parties, according to the Associated Press. The 53-38 vote to move the resolution to full debate fell seven short of the 60 required.
In bringing the matter up, Democrats dared Republicans to vote their true feelings about an attorney general who has alienated even the White House’s strongest defenders by bungling the firings of federal prosecutors and claiming not to recall the details. He has angered the left and independents as well for writing the memo authorizing torture and for approving the massive domestic spying operation on American citizens by the NSA.
Republicans did not defend him on the Senate floor today, just voting against moving the resolution forward.
In an story that may very well become important in the investigations of scandal involving the Bush Justice Department, as it turns out I am an acquaintance of Jill Simpson from the Southside of Birmingham in the late 1980s. If you have not heard of her, take note. She is now famous, at least on the Internet, for writing the affidavit alleging a full-blown Karl Rove-led conspiracy to take down former Gov. Don Siegelman - all the way back to 2002.
She was a pawn in a Karl Rove dirty trick, to be exact, ala George Wallace. This could have long-term implications for the Siegelman-Scrushy Montgomery case - both sentencing and appeal - and for the futures of U.S. Justice Mark Fuller, Gov. Bob Riley and former Alabama Supreme Court Justice Terry Butts.
I talked to Ms. Simpson at length today and understand there may be some kind of correction in the offing by the Birmingham News.
There is more work to be done on a full-blown story on this tantalizing affair. So check back soon.
I will say this as a hint. I have no doubt Dana Jill Simpson is a true believer in using the law to help people and being ethical at all times, not exactly the normal practice of many lawyers in Alabama - or in New York. They are mostly in it for the money.
Hell, Rick Bragg told me one time he thought I was a “true believer.” And he wasn’t saying it as a compliment, necessarily.
There are cynics who will try to cast aspersions, but then at the end of the day, there are us true believers. If we all got together, who knows what might happen? You think we could solve the global warming problem? What about poverty?
So, we may as well get all the way into this story, since the Daily Kos today ran a blog blurb and mentioned Tommy Stevenson’s column in the Tuscaloosa News.
And while your at it, you may as well read the Harper’s magazine blog column dressing down the Birmingham News, in case you missed it on the news page:
Abramoff and “Justice” in the Heart of Dixie
Read the full affidavit here:
