November 29, 2007

What constitutes Fraud, the expert's view IMPEACHMENT is on the table OR ..

Forerunner to next commentary - Please watch

Elizabeth de la Vega (rah!)

on impeachable offenses

(see also Tom Englehardt's Tomgram for her commentaries)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Efficient breach" is another way of saying, "rendition". It's legal if all other options have failed.

However, "efficient breach" assumes -- incorrectly -- that the benefits outweigh the costs. The approach assumes that the persons detained will be treated humanely. "Efficient breach" may be lawful to enforce the law and bring people to justice in the US; but it cannot be used to ignore the law, and remove people from the protection of justice.

37 Cornell Int'l L.J. 389: "Toscanino represents an abducting state's self-imposed regulation. The notion of self-imposed regulation buttresses both the traditional justifications for self-help - protecting citizens and self-defense - and the efficient breach arguments because regulation of law enforcement officials by the domestic courts assures the international community that the accused will receive humane treatment."

One cannot argue "efficient breach" is permitted, but then fail to humanely treat the prisoner.

A policy of rendition can only be lawful of the US permits outside reviews to ensure prisoner treatment is humane. The US cannot have it both ways: Arguing rendition is required to enforce the law; but then ignore the law and abuse the prisoner. Where self regulation is a requirement behind "efficient breach", efforts to fund that breach, without enforcing any regulation of that rendition is alleged malfeasance, and actionable under the laws of war.

Rendition is narrowly legal if other conditions are met. This President appears to have -- again -- picked from the statutes he likes to justify expanding power; but ignores the legal conditions attached to that assertion of power. He remains constrained by law; and Congress is constrained by oath to enforce that law, not make excuses to turn a blind eye to justice.

Rendition, as practiced by the US, it's not a state secret. It's illegal, and unlawful to use "privilege" to hide evidence of those war crimes.

Anonymous said...

The evidence below suggests:

1. Reasonable Fact Finders Could Conclude Members of Congress Have Breached Their Fiduciary Duties in re 5 USC 3331, and Geneva obligations [Investigation, malfeasance]

There are reasoanable grounds to question whether Members of Congress have breached their fiduciary duties under 5 USC 3331 in re Geneva; and

2. Reasonable Discovery

There is admissible evidence -- and grounds for discovery -- in re alleged war crimes discussions between Members of Congress and the Executive Branch, which are not protected by any priviege.

- - - - - -

I. Expert witness for Grand Jury investigating alleged malfeasance by members of Congress in re Geneva violations:

A. Witness reports that Congress has not met its legal duty, supporting allegation in re malfeasance

SENATOR HART: "I don't think this Congress has done its duty under the Constitution to ask tough questions." [From: 43 Idaho L. Rev. 7 ]

Cross Examination:

Senator Hart, you were a Senator for how long?

Do the words at the quotation correctly report what you said?

Do you stand by that report of what you said?

Is it your assertion here, before the grand jury today, that -- in your professional, expert judgment as a former Senator -- that the standard of conduct of Members of Congress in re Geneva has been breached, not meet, and has fallen short of their 5 USC 3331 oath of office requirements?

Do you have any other examples, evidence, or other things that would help the Grand Jury decide whether the Members' of Congress conduct in re Geneva has or has not breached their fiduciary duties as Members of Congress, or their 5 USC 3331 oath of office obligations in re Geneva?

- - - - - - - - - - - -

II. Witness Reports negotiations between Executive Branch and Legislative Branch.

Notes:

A. Evidence related to illegal activity or cross-branch discussions cannot be absolutely shielded by privilege: Information related to the conversation has been disclosed.

B. Privilege only shields executive branch or legislative branch. There is no combined "executive-legislative immunity". The President cannot claim privilege for a conversation involving non-Executive branch personnel. The Shield only insulates conversations within the Executive Branch.

C. Case law supports disclosure of evidence where that conversation has been disclosed, even inadvertently.

- - -QUOTE - - - -

[ From : 2006 Wis. L. Rev. 1 ]

Senator Feingold: "As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution, I held a hearing on October 3rd called "Protecting Constitutional Freedoms in the Face of Terrorism." [ See note 26 ] But the process quickly deteriorated into a closed door negotiation between the Administration and congressional leaders, with only a handful of members in a position to influence the direction of the legislation."

See note 26:
Protecting Constitutional Freedoms in the Face of Terrorism: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on the Constitution, Federalism, and Property Rights of the S. Comm. on the Judiciary, 107th Cong. (2001).

= = = = = = = = =

Cross Examination of Witness:

Senator Feingold, you are reported in this law journal as observing closed door negotiations. Please define any confidentiality agreements you signed, agreed to, or promised before attending this meeting.

Were you advised by counsel that there was a joint "executive-legislative" shield that would allow the two separate branches to exchange evidence; but that the details of that inter-governmental transfer between branches would be shielded?

What contemporaneous notes (admissible) do you have related to these discussions?

Were you ever advised to destroy, conceal, modify, or not disclose any of these notes related to this joint meeting between Congress and the Executive Branch on this or similar discussions?

Are any notes related to these discussions under seal, in any safe, or somewhere that you cannot easily obtain them?

Have you been advised to not respond to questions about any notes taken related to these meetings?

Have you been issued with any NSLs advising you that discussing answers to these questions may subject you to legal proceedings?

Is there anything the grand jury needs to know about any other agreement, promise, or other legal action that is prohibiting you from disclosing all the details related to these conversations with the Executive Branch?

Were you promised any reward, or threatened with any retaliation if you did not provide truthful, complete information related to these discussion; or other discussion you and other Members of Congress had with the Executive Branch?

Were you or ony other Member of Congress to your knowledge ever induced to not investigate any action of the President, Executive Branch; or any alleged Member of Congress misconduct in re alleged malfeasance in re oversight of alleged Geneva violations?

Are you aware of the JAG working group memoranda Senator Graham commented on?

What types of negotiations did you other others Senators have related to these now disclosed JAG memoranda related to prisoner treatment?

When did you engage in any discussions with any DoJ or WH legal counsel or Executive Branch personnel related to any activity or conduct of prisoners of war?

What year was that?

Why did it take that long after the 2001 JAG memos were first written for the Senators to discuss, investigate, or review this issue?

You were involved with what kinds of discussions related to funding?

How could you ensure that the funding decisions for these renditions, prisoner treatment, and other alleged breaches of Geneva were or were not adequate?

Was the Administration, officials, or others in the GOP or DNC making threats to pass bills without full Senate review of the conduct?

Which investigations did the Executive Branch "negotiators" say did not need to be completed before you -- as a Senator -- voted on the funding for this bill?

Was there any option -- including a bill hold -- that you and others could have exercised that would have prevented funding for this illegal activity?

Can you explain why the option you discussed, as reported at this law review article -- the option to use a hold -- was not used to slow down funding for things which the President and others did not permit full review: Prisoner treatment, alleged breaches of Geneva, FISA violations, use of data illegally captured for unlawful purposes.

When did you first discuss your legal concerns with Congressional counsel after this meeting-negotiation?

Did you regularly rely on Congressional counsel to seek advise on whether you as a Senator should or should not block a bill on Constitutional grounds?

Who did you talk to to ensure your concerns with the Constitutional issues of this bill were sound, reasonable, and had a legal basis in law?

Was there anything stopping other members of Congress from making other inquiries to other legal counsel of their choosing before voting for this funding?

ladybroadoak said...

These guyz are gonna need awfully good lawyers, they ones that they've had are strictly BOZOs.

I say that cuz any good lawyer would tell you the BEST defense in situations -- such as those presented by the current US admin -- is a good offense.

Which in THIS case would have been to DO THE RIGHT THING. Follow your oath of office, read up on war crimes and make sure you didn't fall over in the sandbox when the sand got thrown in yer eyes, which clearly some of these big players did NOT do. Things just preceded to get worse.

I still find shocking after all these days of genocide, to see that they still just stand by the sidelines knowing the carnage.

I learned TONS about CONgressional/ DoJ checks and balances during my refugee hearings, as a lot of the charges I brought about persecution had to be PROVED via a Constitutional framework. That breach was really put into play during Clinton/Gore, aided and abetted by Reno. She once allowed herself a moment of pity and commented about and helped out some Cuban boat people which was not COOL. So, after that she was "made to "toe the line." Check that out if you like; it's true. The person who was fronting for the DoJ at the time of my international 'incident' was none other than Sheila FOSTER Anthony, Vince's sister - an old friend from Hope, Arkansis. She knew diddly squat about the law, and didn't "do her homework" on international law at all

Have you, by any chance, checked out the obligations of the Solicitor General? I checked that out a few months back when researching the Federalist Society wheels within wheels program. Another thing to INVESTIGATE. Handles, or supposed, any manner of COMPLAINTS. During Clinton, they figured out how to have that office just be a phone number that took messages and NEVER returned phone calls. Europa Handbook wrote about it. Hence I had EVIDENCE of persecution. That is where you call to lodge a complaint about persecution/deportation. It had to be pursued, as every single legal option within the US had to be pursued for me to get refugee status. I did WIN The first case, but they rewrote the law (I could explain that to you, just how and what and what happened AFTER that) and thus lost the second hearing. That was the FIRST second hearing in the IMRB in Canadian history.

In both cases I used legal argument, never resorting to pleas for pity or sympathy. The first one was ruled legally sound; opinion printed in the Ottawa Citizen officially. That's why the LAW was re-written. It seems the Bushistas know that strategy. The Canadians have a long history of using security certificates, indeterminate detention, politicized government bodies, trotting out "appropriate judges" and legal opinions as the "Mood" sticks and serves the political agenda. (surprise! Surprise!!) I can show you some interesting papers on it.

Google this name, Wahid Baroudh or Baroud. You'll get a document all about Canada, "safety" certificates and INTERNATIONAL law and procedures.

The real "outcome" of my case came later, when the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act came into play as so many abuses came to light!! It's known as IRPA.

POINT: Those who play fast and loose with International law EVENTUALLY must face the music, no matter what the entangling alliances might happen to be, NATO be damned. Many lost their jobs about two years after I got landed as the dust settled.

I once heard a "rumour" that some grand jury in Virginia was looking into war crimes. Do you know if this is true? Or if it IS, anything about it ??

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