POGO Reveals Internal OSC Documents Shows Bloch Misused Own Task Force

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu May 8, 2008 10:50 AM EDT

Article Source: pogo.org

us-news, bush, cheney, secretary-of-state, whistleblower, condoleeza-rice, whitehouse, subpoena, culture-of-corruption, gsa, scott-bloch, osc, doan, office-of-special-counsel

Seeded by miasma

An extraordinary document obtained by the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) from inside the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) reveals that Special Counsel Scott Bloch created a special task force to investigate sensitive and high-profile matters and then ignored virtually every recommendation made by it. The document lends support to POGO's theory that Bloch used the task force to launch an investigation of the White House, issuing demands for documents termed by his own task force as "overly broad," to create the appearance of a conflict of interest with an ongoing investigation into allegations that Bloch himself had engaged in misconduct.

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4.8

{"commentId":1778987,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

It appears Bloch was playing a dangerous game gathering potential dirt on everyone in the administration. And then when things started to get hot he had some outsiders come in and scrub his machine. Which makes one think, what does he have squirreled away, and on whom?
Ironically he is in the middle of writing an autobiography entitled "Corruption in the Capital."

{"commentId":1778987,"threadId":"261552","contentId":"1476216","authorDomain":"miasma"}

1 vote

#1 - Thu May 8, 2008 10:52 AM EDT

{"commentId":1779213,"authorDomain":"Wheel"}

Wheel

Nine days later, "TF is told that the Special Counsel has directed the TF not to open or investigate allegations concerning DOJ political hiring practices." Throughout August and September 2007, the TF continued to request permission to investigate these allegations, "arguing the sworn testimony before Congress appears to establish a prima facie case of numerous PPPs."

Finally, in November, the task force was given permission to open a case – but "no other activity or devotion of resources authorized at this time."

Damn!

{"commentId":1779213,"threadId":"261552","contentId":"1476216","authorDomain":"Wheel"}

2 votes

#2 - Thu May 8, 2008 11:43 AM EDT

{"commentId":1779419,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

approximately twenty five agencies had received briefings by the White House's Office of Political Affairs (OPA) similar to the presentation given to the General Services Administration. OSC Draft Memo 1/18/08; Pg 1

So this was the same type of presentation that Lurita Doan was fired over.

{"commentId":1779419,"threadId":"261552","contentId":"1476216","authorDomain":"miasma"}

1 vote

#3 - Thu May 8, 2008 12:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":1779463,"authorDomain":"miasma"}

miasma

re: Schlozman Voter Registration Fraud Case:
on Pg 8 of the memo, they clearly thought there were violations.

Because the facts raise the strong possibility of violations of two Hatch Act
provisions, the TF requests that a case file be opened into these allegations. OSC is the
only agency charged with enforcement of the Hatch Act; therefore, deferral to other
agencies investigating these facts is inadvisable. In view of the significant press coverage of these events, it could be perceived that the Office of Special Counsel was
abdicating its responsibility to enforce the Hatch Act if we were to take no action in this
matter. More importantly, if Schlozman initiated the four indictments immediately
prior to an election in an attempt to affect the results of an election, this would
constitute one of the most egregious violations of the Hatch Act.

(emphasis mine)

{"commentId":1779463,"threadId":"261552","contentId":"1476216","authorDomain":"miasma"}

2 votes

#4 - Thu May 8, 2008 12:36 PM EDT

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MIASMA

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POGO Reveals Internal OSC Documents Shows Bloch Misused Own Task Force

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