EXCLUSIVE: FBI blocked in corruption probe involving Sens. Reid, Lee

EXCLUSIVE: FBI blocked in corruption probe involving Sens. Reid, Lee - Agents quietly working with Utah prosecutors to make case in DOJ absence

EXCLUSIVE:

FBI agents working alongside Utah state prosecutors in a wide-ranging corruption investigation have uncovered accusations of wrongdoing by two of the U.S. Senate’s most prominent figures — Majority Leader Harry Reid and rising Republican Sen. Mike Lee — but the Justice Department has thwarted their bid to launch a full federal investigation.

The probe, conducted by one Republican and one Democratic state prosecutor in Utah, has received accusations from an indicted businessman and political donor, interviewed other witnesses and gathered preliminary evidence such as financial records, Congressional Record statements and photographs that corroborate some aspects of the accusations, officials have told The Washington Times and ABC News.

But the Justice Department’s public integrity section — which normally handles corruption cases involving elected figures — rejected FBI agents’ bid to use a federal grand jury and subpoenas to determine whether the accusations are true and whether any federal crimes were committed by state and federal officials.

The information involving Mr. Reid and Mr. Lee is not fully developed but centers on two primary issues:

• Whether both or either politician sought or received money or other benefits from donors and/or fundraisers in connection with doing political favors or taking official actions.

• Whether Mr. Lee provided accurate information when he bought, then sold a Utah home for a big loss to a campaign contributor and federal contractor, leaving his mortgage bank to absorb large losses.

“There are allegations, but they are very serious allegations and they need to be looked at by somebody,” Sim Gill, a Democrat who is the elected chief prosecutor in Salt Lake County, told The Times. “If true, or even if asserted, they truly should be investigated and put to rest, or be confirmed.”

Spokesmen for both senators denied their bosses engaged in any wrongdoing and said the lawmakers were unaware of the investigations.

Mass recusal

The investigative efforts have been further complicated by the fact that Mr. Reid worked to get Mr. Lee’s chief counsel, David Barlow, confirmed in 2011 as the U.S. attorney in Salt Lake City. That action — a Democratic Senate leader letting a Republican be named to a key prosecutor’s position in the Obama administration — raised many eyebrows and angered some Democrats.

Subsequently, the entire office of federal prosecutors in Utah was forced to recuse itself from the corruption case after questions surfaced about a conflict of interest involving one prosecutor and a subject of the probe. After the recusal, state prosecutors secured a court order transferring the federal evidence gathered up to that point to their possession.

The process has left FBI agents in the unusual position of trying to help two local prosecutors make a case in state court without the ability to use the federal court system to determine whether accusations against two powerful members of Congress are true.

“We’re just two local prosecutors but everybody who was supposed to look at this evidence above us has made a decision not to, and by default left it to us to investigate and prosecute at the state level,” Mr. Gill said.

He and his counterpart in the wide-ranging probe, chief Davis County prosecutor Troy Rawlings, praised the FBI agents assisting their case for their dedication to finding the truth.


Read more: www.washingtontimes.com...
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Click link for remainder of story (6 pages total).

This smacks of politics like no other. If accusations are made and there is an initial investigation that possibly substantiates the claims, it should be investigated - if for no other reason than to clear the names of the individuals involved.

I am at a loss as to how the DOJ thinks it should not be involved and am more pissed that they brought the investigating agents to DC to essentially, imo, lecture them about how they would work the case.

The government is constantly stating we should trust them and have nothing to worry about... Riiiight.

We complain about the illegal actions of the NSA / CIA spying on citizens and nothing. But good God, the moment it appears Congress was targeted they scream at the top of their lungs.

I think its time we use an Obama move, which is to say if Obamas DOJ is not going to do their jobs, then Congress should bypass them by assigning independent Prosecutors - not to just this latest scandal, but a prosecutor for ALL of this administrations scandals -

This incident, Benghazi, IRS, Fast n Furious, NSA spying, constantly allowing foreign agnecies to steal classified information (The Chinese Ju-20, their "stealth fighter" was built using stolen schematics from the F-35 program), Iran, Syria, Obamacare rollout, how the federal government takes states to court over requiring an ID to vote yet has no issues requiring an ID to enter a federal building, their sham position on guns and the 2nd amendment, Obama's injuries to separation of powers by deciding himself when the Senate is in session(A hit Mr. President, you are NOT allowed to work for 2 branches of government at the same time, which means you have no authority over Congress, etc etc etc.


Be heard people -
US House of Representatives
US Senate

You Americans have such a manipulated system ,backed up by one of the best propaganda machines known to the world .Sad part about it is that my country either borrows the same tactics or helps create them .You would think with ethics departments and studying how to create a even better system then yesteryears things could look a bit brighter for the future .I think that hopeful light is looking a whole lot dimmer then we could have imagined ,every time we are sent to the poles to choose our new saviors and people championing change .

I had no idea about this. Thanks for posting. I think Harry Reid is a poster child for what is wrong with my country, but then again, so isn't people like John McCain.

This happens right on down the ladder in every city/town; Here where I live, if someone gets arrested they get their mugshot on the front page of the chronicle, however, if one of the elites gets busted, and believe me, there have been many, you will not see it anywhere in that publication! I live in one of the most corrupt towns in America. They all look out for each other.

reply to post by the2ofusr1



Point taken -
While I agree that our system needs major help, in this case the state was able to move in and take over the investigation. Something the DOJ has no authority to intervene in (which I just realized the DOJ's actions might breach interfering with a criminal investigation but I want to see more info first).

Since the States and the federal government are separate sovereigns, we still have the ability to move forward at either level.

My focus on this incident was the actions by Holder and the DOJ. I am just getting tired of Holder circumventing his responsibilities to the American people. He took an oath of office, not an oath of party.

The other bombshell that just came out was the deportation numbers being put out. Apparently, while this administration claims they deport illegals at a rate higher than any other administration, just got caught lying - again.

Apparently those numbers included immediate deportations - People who cross the border and get caught immediately. they are administrative and are generally sent back across the border. Those numbers accounted for almost half of the deportations thus far. The problem is they are not comparable / interchangeable. If we look at deportations with the correct set of numbers, Obamas administration looks extremely weak in that area.

If we cant get the executive branch to do their jobs, then Congress needs to appoint special prosecutors to find out why and go from there.

While my country has a lot of issues, I am not one who wants to write them off completely. Its my country as much as it is theirs and I am not going to let it go without a fight.

reply to post by Xcathdra

Well the best of luck to you . It seems that blatant lairs , are standing up more and more and it seems that they are allowed to .When the guy with the gun and the jail want to lie to put you in it .How you going to stop them .When the media is controlled by the jailer and is allowed to keep the lie going , what can you do ...It would seem that size does matter to . The bigger the lie the less they have to respond to it . They are for the most part psychopathic and it is the citizens that gave them the power to exercise their powers to decide . It was Bush jr. that said I am the decider wasn't it . And it was the people who were patriotic to the country that went and did what they were told to do ,despite it being one of the greatest breaches of international laws .And all based on lies . what can you do . but good luck anyway .

reply to post by the2ofusr1


Uhm... yeah.

im not sure why you invoked law enforcement being they have absolutely nothing to do with the judicial branch, including investigations by the PA's office.

reply to post by Xcathdra


Yea ..I am sure there are many branches of government that could use a little tweaking .They seem to all show up from time to time in less then favorable positions .Problem is ,is that when we give the lawmakers the mandate to make it right ,it usually comes back with less teeth and less accountability .Kind of like the tax loop holes they create for their corporate sponsors . after a while the picture become clearer what is going on .

you didn't think that one of obuma's men would let a fellow obuma man get into any trouble now would you.
especially right before midterms, got to keep every chance of having control of the senate alive.

now after the elections, if he wins and the dummiecrats hold on to the senate they will still block it., if he wins,but they the lose control of the semate, or he loses he will be all by himself, unless he got some leverage he can use.

any way and all evidence should be used to remove that little pissant reid.

reply to post by Xcathdra


First of all I am in the mortgage business. There is something fishy with the Mike Lee accusation. First of all u can not sell your property at a loss unless the banks approve the sell price at a lost. They will normally look at the market value and allow u to sell it at the going value. So it would be impossible to sell a house and a extreme loss compared to the going market value. This would mean the bank would have to be complicit in helping themselves lose money, which is complete bogus in my opinion. No one would do that to themselves.

I think this is a hit piece on Mike Lee because he is a Tea Partier.

reply to post by Xcathdra


All of the roadblocks set up by our politicians set the tone for the general public to feel helpless and frustrated. Hence, the government's active actions to confiscate our guns. The government is actively trying to control the population and increase their bank accounts. We have no legal options available to us to ensure legal justice.

I absolutely LOVE it. It's Bipartisan corruption at it's finest.

One VERY powerful Democrat

One VERY powerful Republican.

Both corrupt as a 3rd world influence peddler. The FBI tries to do it's job until 'ol Eric Holder comes along to say 'Absolutely NOT!' to enforcing THOSE particular laws.

Isn't it grand when we watch our Government become one that enforces law based on whims and personal agendas?? Harry Reid just joined the others, officially above the law. Him and Lee.

Someone ought to ask them how the 'official' promotion feels.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I wouldn't expect anything less. That's 3 crooks involved. Just goes to show you what can happen when crooks corner the government.

I want to know where the outrage is about this... It boils my blood, why not the rest of America? Why is there no lynch mob out for these guys?

What ever happen to the good old "You mutany, we will hang you, or put your dead front of a firing squad". No accountability anymore. This is sad!!


I no longer want to live in this country.... but everywhere else is worse.

Great story. Here in Utah the FBI has been investigating our previous DA John Swallow. I don't know if this is related, or if that investigation led to this or not.
Still, good info.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I just don't understand Holders position on this. If the attempt was to make this go away quietly they should have known better. The simple fact the state is picking up the investigation tells me something is there, we just don't know what yet.

One would think that by now this administration would realize how to properly bury these scandals.

Holder needs to go back to where he graduated law school from and demand a refund.

As for the comment by another poster about selling a house.

Why does a bank need to be involved? Could they not just sell it as a private deal?

Could it be possible its a money laundering scheme?

searching411
reply to post by Xcathdra

 

All of the roadblocks set up by our politicians set the tone for the general public to feel helpless and frustrated. Hence, the government's active actions to confiscate our guns. The government is actively trying to control the population and increase their bank accounts. We have no legal options available to us to ensure legal justice.

The term "redress of grievances" comes to mind.

A "redress of grievances" was attempted a few years back. "We'" were ignored! Here's a link to an
thread about the subject, with comments having further (research) links:

Awhile back a Redress of Grievances was filed I believe with all senators, what ever came of that, does anyone know?
www.dailypaul.com...

Taking into consideration that during the 2013 political campaign both parties private interest donations amounts were well over 800 million dollars that were accounted for, I will say that the entire congress and political rats in Washington needs to be indicted no just two of them.

The whole political system is for sell and has been for many decades, so please give a break, only two?

Pissss

marg6043
Taking into consideration that during the 2013 political campaign both parties private interest donations amounts were well over 800 million dollars that were accounted for, I will say that the entire congress and political rats in Washington needs to be indicted no just two of them.

The whole political system is for sell and has been for many decades, so please give a break, only two?

Pissss

Its a start...

Does this surprise anyone?

I mean really?

The whole friggin show is corrupt.

Nothing will change. Big corporations run the show.

Media is big business.

The wheels of corruption will keep spinning.

liejunkie01
Does this surprise anyone?

I mean really?

The whole friggin show is corrupt.

Nothing will change. Big corporations run the show.

Media is big business.

The wheels of corruption will keep spinning.

What has taken me by surprise is the actions of the state. A few years back I doubt this would have gone anywhere and would most likely have been buried. The fact the state has taken up the investigation, with limited cooperation of FBI agents in the area, gives me hope.