The Attorney Purge Scandal, and Ramifications in Philadelphia
Senator Schumer, 3/13/07 on the attorney purge scandal: U.S. attorneys have always been above politics. And this administration has blatantly manipulated the U.S. attorney system to serve its political needs.
Years from now, when someone’s indicted and they claim political interference, it’s going to have new truth, even if that person was justifiably indicted — new resonance. That’s the problem here.
David, a reader and friend from Philadelphia Drinking Liberally made that point tonight: what will this mean for the Fumo indictment? Will his lawyer be able to argue more successfully that this is a case of partisan politics?
Any credibility left at the Justice Department has been obliterated and that has chilling implications for the nation - and Philadelphia.
Richard Sprague, attorney for state Sen. Vince Fumo, has served notice that he will use evidence of “politicized federal investigations” as a defense against his client’s 250-page, 139-count indictment.
Sprague had pointed to a study by two retired professors showing that Democratic political officials were four times more likely than Republicans to be indicted by Bush-appointed federal prosecutors. The study buttresses other evidence that the fired attorneys were targeted because, in the eyes of the Bush administration, they were too hard on Republicans or too easy on Democrats.
So an apparent attempt on the national front to target Democrats could have the unintended consequence of bolstering the defense or otherwise affecting high-profile cases like uber-Democrat Vince Fumo’s. For that alone, Gonzales should lose his job.
Damn straight he should, because when you look at the list of corrupt Philadelphia Democrats politicians, Vince “Other People’s Money” Fumo is front and center.
If America had a Crooked Pol Hall of Fame, Vincent J. Fumo would deserve a room in it — a room where the light cast by tiki torches shines off walls swabbed in $100-per-gallon imported Hascolac paint, a room kept clean by government workers wielding 19 Oreck vacuum cleaners, a room that displays Vincent J. Fumo’s collection of 150 Vincent J. Fumo bobblehead dolls.
Fumo’s actually someone who deserves to be investigated and prosecuted for screwing taxpayers and misusing funds, and thanks to Abu Gonzalez, he stands a better chance of walking.
Heckuva job, Gonzo, heckuva job!
8 Responses to “The Attorney Purge Scandal, and Ramifications in Philadelphia”
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March 14th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
[...] Money” Fumo’s “it’s just politics” defense strategy legs. Fumo’s actually someone who deserves to be investigated and prosecuted for screwing taxpayers and … [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Luckily, the people will still decide guilt or innocence is this and other cases. I trust a jury of citizens to decide, without coinsideration for political pressure and ramification, whether the facts merit conviction.
The people did so in the Libby case, and I expect them to do so here too.
While this development might win points for the indicted in the media, and opinion polls and in other PR wars, I doubt it means anything in the jury deliberation room.
March 15th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
that sounds like great paint.
March 15th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
yo, i’m not defending fumo, but do you think he makes the dukester look like a piker as the wapo article says?
March 15th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Somegirl, re the dukester compariosn: I’m not sure.
Lutton: I think sprague’s argument is meant to derail the prosecution before it coms to trial. I think the idea is to prove the whoel investigationw as politically motivated, to impeach the prosecution itself.
March 15th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
Not gonna happen…at least not for that reason. No judge (or appeals court) is interested in public opinion or swayed by it. If someone questions the legitimacy of the indictment, the case will be reviewed on its merits, whether or not anyone was out ‘to get’ Fumo.
To paraphrase Dick Nixon, just because someone’s out to get you doesn’t mean you’re not guilty.
They may have had more luck in derailing this if the indictment hadn’t already been handed down; perhaps the grand jury would have been more skeptical.
Of course, the burden of proof for a grand jury is much lower than for the trial jury, and it doesn’t have to reach a unanimous decision. In other words, it’s easier to get the indictment than the conviction, so I think he probably would have been indicted anyway unless there was obviously an attempt to plant evidence or to entrap him…
March 15th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
What we may see, ala John Street’s bugged office, is public sympathy. But a trial is not a popularity contest. Could one ‘lone wolf’ juror throw the case and cause a mistrial? Yeah, it’s possible. But I don’t think you’ll see an outright acquital due to this situation.
March 21st, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Please view this Website, thefixersprague.com this is the Law Firm representing
Senator Fumo. I have 30 years of Court Documented Proof that
Attorney Richard A. Sprague of Sprague&Sprague is involved in Racketeering.And PUT HIMSELF ABOVE THE LAW TO FIX A CASE HE KNEW HE COULD’NT WIN LEGALLY!!!!!! Richard A. Sprague subverted, perverted, and contorted the Law of the Land to FIX a case for clients who were being investigated by the F.B.I. and the U.S. Attorney.
And his client Robert J. Rosenstein aka R/S Financial Corporation of Philadelphia,
Who never had a Banking License in Pennsylvania, who is the Father of
Rod J. Rosenstein U.S. Attorney of Maryland, with this Political Connection, you have free reign as a CRIMINAL, When Rod J. Rosenstein was hired by theU.S. Department of Justice, the investigations against his Father Robert J. Rosenstein mysteriously ceased.
Please view on the Website the cover-up between the Schuylkill County Courthouse,
Prothonotary’s office and Sprague’s Office with a lost Opinion, Peter J. Symons Jr, head of the Prothonotary’s office signs statement stating, lost/misplaced Opinion and called Pa. Supreme Court to Fax a copy. Well, an Intellius Report was done and the fax number turned Out to be a landline in Sprague’s Office, not a dedicated fax line, this number must be THE DIRTY DEEDS LINE.Also please view the Forensic Document Examiner’s Report Of all the altered dockets in the Prothonotary’s office in Schuylkill County, Pa. Also, view the West Law report on the not signed certiorari from the United States Supreme Court. Fake Court documents are being submitted from the clerk of
Courts office to (Thomson West Law and Nexis Lexis), They do not require that opinions, decisions , or any documents pertaining to court cases be certified from the court that forward said cases to verify authenticity.
I have been a Victim of Crime at the hands of Richard A. Sprague for 30 years,
In thefixersprague.com is just some of the Proof I have, I couldn’t fit 30 long dirty years
On my website, Richard A. Sprague was a previous President Judge of the Judicial Conduct Board of Discipline in Pennsylvania (over ethics, GOD HELP US ALL).
Richard A. Sprague has been and always will be a LEGAL TERRORIST!!!!!!!!
ANTHONY KOVALCHICK SENIOR, VICTIM OF CRIME AND CONSPIRACY
As of 3:00pm today March 19th 2007, Richard A. Sprague had Susan Faust arrested,
Who is the daughter of Anthony Kovalchick Senior; she was arrested and put in the Pottsville, Schuylkill County Prison, with no bail, on civil contempt charges. They say she was arrested on charges of trying to sell the land of the Estate of Helen Kovalchick,
Her Mother, as Susan was the Administrator of the Estate. See case S-1155-2006 in the civil inquiry of the Schuylkill County Website, although DICK A. Sprague sent Attorney Sheldon Albert Of the Sprague Firm to let Susan Faust know in open Court Today , that its really because Of MY Website http://thefixersprague.com, Sheldon replied ,THEY WONT SHUT IT DOWN, they wont stop it meaning, http://thefixersprague.com Susan as the Administrator of the Estate of Helen Kovalchick had the Authority to sell the property from Bankruptcy Court Judge Thomas, case# 5-05-bk-52201 Middle District, Wilkes –Barre, Pa,. Therefore, DICK A. Sprague again shows us how he FIXES A CASE, called in his DEEP POCKET JUDGE, JUDGE DOLBIN, and Dolbin signs what ever orders DICK A. Sprague makes up, again see case# S-1155-2006. Therefore, instead of suing the person responsible for the TRUTHFUL WEBSITE, he has Susan Faust put in Jail. This is why he is called THE FIXER OF ALL CASES, WHEN RICHARD A. SPRAGUE CANT LEGALLY WIN, WHICH IS NEVER, HE FIXES IT,
SO, THE WEBSITE IS TRUE, AND I HAVE 30 YEARS OF COURT DOCUMENTED
PROOF. I have proven it once again, IF YOU HAVE POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, AND YOU CANT WIN LEGALLY, JUST CALL YOUR FAVORITE DEEP POCKET JUDGE, AND HAVE THEM PUT IN JAIL!!!!!!!!!
The real reason my daughter is ILLEGALLY IN JAIL, taking away her civil rights is,
He is nothing but a BOTTOM FEEDER, AND WHEN HE CANNOT WIN, HE PUTS YOU IN JAIL! And if he cannot shut down your website, HE PUTS YOU IN JAIL!
ANTHONY KOVALCHICK SENIOR,
VICTIM OF CRIME AND CONSPIRACY
610-562-2015