PatriotOne
05-06-2008, 06:47 PM
This is encouraging. Did the whitehats score one for the team against the criminals in charge or did they seize the files so they could control/deep six the political investigations that were being done? I suspect the whitehats may of scored this time because Scott Bloch was appointed by Bush and Bush has yet to appoint soemone who hasn't been protecting his administration from criminal investigations. Not sure though....hmmmmmm. Must google more info
FBI Seizes Special-Counsel Data
By JOHN R. WILKE
May 7, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121009238217171025.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
WASHINGTON -- Federal agents raided the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency involved in several high-profile and politically sensitive investigations. The agents seized computer files and documents from its chief, Scott Bloch, and his staff.
Mr. Bloch, who was appointed by President Bush, has been under investigation since 2005 by the Office of Personnel Management for employee claims that he abused his agency's authority, retaliated against its staff and dismissed whistleblower cases without adequate examination. Mr. Bloch couldn't be reached to comment.
The Justice Department joined the case as the inquiry was widened last year to include possible obstruction of justice, which is a criminal offense. The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 28 that in the midst of the inquiry Mr. Bloch used an agency credit card to hire a commercial firm, Geeks on Call, to erase data from his computer and those of former staff.
In the Journal article, Mr. Bloch confirmed the Geeks on Call visit but said it was needed to eradicate a software virus. He said that none of the documents sought in the inquiry were affected and that the employee claims against him were unfounded and unfair.
The Justice Department had no comment about Tuesday's raid. A Special Counsel spokesman said, "we are cooperating with law enforcement. We do not yet know what this is about." He said the agency "is continuing to perform the independent mission of this office."
In the Tuesday raid, 20 agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an inspector general's office served grand jury subpoenas on Mr. Bloch and searched his office and home. At least 17 employees were asked to appear before the grand jury next week and answer questions about possible obstruction of justice and destruction of federal records during an investigation.
The Office of Special Counsel, created in the 1970s in the wake of the Watergate scandal, probes sensitive personnel and whistleblower claims by government workers. It also enforces the Hatch Act, which forbids the use of federal resources for partisan political purposes.
Among the office's recent inquiries was whether former White House political director Karl Rove and others improperly used U.S. agencies to help elect Republicans.
Mr. Bloch's investigation of the White House political operation began after a Rove deputy gave a series of political presentations to government agencies on Republican prospects in specific congressional races.
Mr. Bloch's office wanted to know whether such presentations violated the Hatch Act. A task force interviewed officials at more than a dozen agencies and examined White House emails but found few clear violations, lawyers close to the case said. The investigations remain pending.
Mr. Bloch also thrust his agency into other investigations where the agency's authority was less clear. A document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows that the agency's Hatch Act task force found in January that many of the investigations under way were without merit or should be closed.
The subpoenas Tuesday also asked for files about the one Hatch Act case that has been completed, which found misconduct by the head of the General Services Administration, Lurita Doan. The White House last week ordered Ms. Doan to resign.
Mr. Bloch's investigative role made him a target for both political parties. He was sharply criticized in Congress, even by Republican members.
"This isn't an ordinary bureaucrat, this is Special Counsel, the guy who is supposed to police this kind of thing," said Rep. Tom Davis (R., Va.). The Geeks on Call incident "was a real red flag."
In that incident, Mr. Bloch bypassed his agency's computer technicians and phoned 1-800-905-GEEKS, the mobile personal-computer help service. It dispatched a technician. A company official said at the time that he couldn't comment on individual clients.
The technician completely cleansed Mr. Bloch's computer hard disk, making it nearly impossible to restore data. Mr. Bloch also directed Geeks on Call to erase data on laptops left behind by his two top political deputies, who had recently resigned.
Geeks on Call visited twice, on Dec. 18 and Dec. 21, 2006, according to a receipt reviewed by the Journal that showed $1,149 in charges. The receipt doesn't mention a computer virus.
FBI Seizes Special-Counsel Data
By JOHN R. WILKE
May 7, 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121009238217171025.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
WASHINGTON -- Federal agents raided the Office of Special Counsel, a government agency involved in several high-profile and politically sensitive investigations. The agents seized computer files and documents from its chief, Scott Bloch, and his staff.
Mr. Bloch, who was appointed by President Bush, has been under investigation since 2005 by the Office of Personnel Management for employee claims that he abused his agency's authority, retaliated against its staff and dismissed whistleblower cases without adequate examination. Mr. Bloch couldn't be reached to comment.
The Justice Department joined the case as the inquiry was widened last year to include possible obstruction of justice, which is a criminal offense. The Wall Street Journal reported Nov. 28 that in the midst of the inquiry Mr. Bloch used an agency credit card to hire a commercial firm, Geeks on Call, to erase data from his computer and those of former staff.
In the Journal article, Mr. Bloch confirmed the Geeks on Call visit but said it was needed to eradicate a software virus. He said that none of the documents sought in the inquiry were affected and that the employee claims against him were unfounded and unfair.
The Justice Department had no comment about Tuesday's raid. A Special Counsel spokesman said, "we are cooperating with law enforcement. We do not yet know what this is about." He said the agency "is continuing to perform the independent mission of this office."
In the Tuesday raid, 20 agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and an inspector general's office served grand jury subpoenas on Mr. Bloch and searched his office and home. At least 17 employees were asked to appear before the grand jury next week and answer questions about possible obstruction of justice and destruction of federal records during an investigation.
The Office of Special Counsel, created in the 1970s in the wake of the Watergate scandal, probes sensitive personnel and whistleblower claims by government workers. It also enforces the Hatch Act, which forbids the use of federal resources for partisan political purposes.
Among the office's recent inquiries was whether former White House political director Karl Rove and others improperly used U.S. agencies to help elect Republicans.
Mr. Bloch's investigation of the White House political operation began after a Rove deputy gave a series of political presentations to government agencies on Republican prospects in specific congressional races.
Mr. Bloch's office wanted to know whether such presentations violated the Hatch Act. A task force interviewed officials at more than a dozen agencies and examined White House emails but found few clear violations, lawyers close to the case said. The investigations remain pending.
Mr. Bloch also thrust his agency into other investigations where the agency's authority was less clear. A document reviewed by The Wall Street Journal shows that the agency's Hatch Act task force found in January that many of the investigations under way were without merit or should be closed.
The subpoenas Tuesday also asked for files about the one Hatch Act case that has been completed, which found misconduct by the head of the General Services Administration, Lurita Doan. The White House last week ordered Ms. Doan to resign.
Mr. Bloch's investigative role made him a target for both political parties. He was sharply criticized in Congress, even by Republican members.
"This isn't an ordinary bureaucrat, this is Special Counsel, the guy who is supposed to police this kind of thing," said Rep. Tom Davis (R., Va.). The Geeks on Call incident "was a real red flag."
In that incident, Mr. Bloch bypassed his agency's computer technicians and phoned 1-800-905-GEEKS, the mobile personal-computer help service. It dispatched a technician. A company official said at the time that he couldn't comment on individual clients.
The technician completely cleansed Mr. Bloch's computer hard disk, making it nearly impossible to restore data. Mr. Bloch also directed Geeks on Call to erase data on laptops left behind by his two top political deputies, who had recently resigned.
Geeks on Call visited twice, on Dec. 18 and Dec. 21, 2006, according to a receipt reviewed by the Journal that showed $1,149 in charges. The receipt doesn't mention a computer virus.