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| Cheney, Gonzales indicted in South Texas county |
| 2008-11-19 |
| Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been indicted on state charges involving federal prisons in a South Texas county that has been a source of bizarre legal and political battles under the outgoing prosecutor. The indictment returned Monday has not yet been signed by the presiding judge, and no action can be taken until that happens. The seven indictments made public in Willacy County on Tuesday included one naming state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. and some targeting public officials connected to District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra's own legal battles. Regarding the indictments targeting the public officials, Guerra said, "the grand jury is the one that made those decisions, not me." Guerra himself was under indictment for more than a year and half until a judge dismissed the indictments last month. Guerra's tenure ends this year after nearly two decades in office. He lost convincingly in a Democratic primary in March. Guerra said the prison-related charges against Cheney and Gonzales are a national issue and experts from across the country testified to the grand jury. Cheney is charged with engaging in an organized criminal activity related to the vice president's investment in the Vanguard Group, which holds financial interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. It accuses Cheney of a conflict of interest and "at least misdemeanor assaults" on detainees because of his link to the prison companies. Megan Mitchell, a spokeswoman for Cheney, declined to comment on Tuesday, saying that the vice president had not yet received a copy of the indictment. The indictment accuses Gonzales of using his position while in office to stop an investigation in 2006 into abuses at one of the privately-run prisons. Gonzales' attorney, George Terwilliger III, said in a written statement, "This is obviously a bogus charge on its face, as any good prosecutor can recognize." He said he hoped Texas authorities would take steps to stop "this abuse of the criminal justice system." Another indictment released Tuesday accuses Lucio of profiting from his public office by accepting honoraria from prison management companies. Guerra announced his intention to investigate Lucio's prison consulting early last year. Lucio's attorney, Michael Cowen, released a scathing statement accusing Guerra of settling political scores in his final weeks in office. "Senator Lucio is completely innocent and has done nothing wrong," Cowen said, adding that he would file a motion to quash the indictment this week. Willacy County has become a prison hub with county, state and federal lockups. Guerra has gone after the prison-politician nexus before, extracting guilty pleas from three former Willacy and Webb county commissioners after investigating bribery related to federal prison contacts. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #9 I think it is time to say something plainly: Once Obama is in office, the implied threat of violence will be the only thing keeping criminal Democrat office-holders everywhere from engaging in this kind of flagrant abuse of the legal process. They just can't help themselves, 50 years of media indoctrination have institutionalized the double-standard throughout the spectrum of political discourse. We would also be likely to see federally-mandated "advisory boards" of community activists (ie, lefty agitators and other thieves) censoring the media and looting businesses from coast to coast. Never, ever, give up your guns. I hope it doesn't come to that, but they are our ace in hole. Any effort to suppress or seize them is a nakedly obvious attempt to empower totalitarian activists and corrupt office-holders. |
| Posted by: Atomic Conspiracy 2008-11-19 18:30 |
| #8 this is a BS waste of our judicial system. |
| Posted by: newc 2008-11-19 15:07 |
| #7 Criminalizing political opposition. Is this not what the Communists and Nazis did? Have these US leftists learned nothing from history? |
| Posted by: Lagom 2008-11-19 14:17 |
| #6 "What are these people going to..." Step 1 (2010)Blame, and replace all the former Clinton appointees. Ditto w/Gates Step 2 (2012)Dance Dance Dance |
| Posted by: Minister of funny walks 2008-11-19 13:41 |
| #5 Caracas on the Rio Grande. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-11-19 12:51 |
| #4 In Texas, I think that prosecutor is someone who would be described as "batshiat crazy". |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-11-19 12:47 |
| #3 What are these people going to do once all the evil people are out of office and The One and his appointed flock are in? Blame God? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-11-19 12:40 |
| #2 Vanguard Group, which holds financial interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. Thanks for the tip! Appears it's time to sell Vanguard. The One and the first lady will be opening prison doors soon and turning them into CCC camp dorms or people's farms. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-11-19 09:00 |
| #1 ask the judge on a hunting trip |
| Posted by: chris 2008-11-19 08:18 |