Domenici admonished

Posted: Thursday, April 24, 2008 6:54 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: White House, Congress, Republicans, 2008

From NBC's Ken Strickland
The Senate Ethics Committee today issued GOP Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico a "public letter of qualified admonition" for his involvement in the Justice Department's firing of several US Attorneys last year. It was a scandal that helped lead to the resignation of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

In March of 2007, former US Attorney David Iglesias testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Domenici had called him at home asking about an ongoing investigation of Democrats in the senator's home state of New Mexico. Iglesias said Domenici wanted to know the timing of indictments.

According to the transcript from the hearing, the US Attorney said the senator asked, "'Are these going to be filed before November?' And I said I didn't think so, to which [Domenici] replied, 'I'm very sorry to hear that.'" Iglesias then said, "the line went dead."

Domenici later apologized for the call, but said he did not pressure Iglesias to move on the case. The 75-year-old senator has since announced his retirement saying he was diagnosed with a dementia type brain ailment.

The committee said it "finds no substantial evidence to determine that you attempted to improperly influence an ongoing investigation." But it did find that Domenici should have known his actions "created an appearance of impropriety that reflected unfavorable on the Senate."

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Comments

"a dementia type brain ailment"

I think that says is all.

Carol, Long Valley NJ (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:08 PM)

What a collosal joke. A letter of admonition? I have a dementia type brain ailment, so I'll retire on my fabulous congressional pension, so as not to have to face the humilation of my admonishment?

When we the people behave in a fashion seen as a default of decency, or corruption, we either get fired, or convicted, and sent to jail. Real jail. Scarey jail. Jail where you're fed oatmeal out of the multi tasking mop bucket, and fear taking a shower kind of big house.

When the elite, government, and wall street types act criminally, they get a letter, or at the very worst, are sent to detention facilities poor folks could consider closer to a resort, relative to their drool existence.

But Hillary says we're not bitter.

pgh., pa. (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:13 PM)

Senator Domenici is retiring or I believe we would hear more about this than a simple letter of reprimand. This attempt to use the Justice Department for overt political gain is simply appalling.

Kim, Pasadena, CA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:19 PM)

Trying to reconcile Hillary's base of support, I've come to some conclusions. They are:

-They are unfullfilled angry women

-They are spinsters looking for validation as women

-They hate men

-They are bitter, jealous, racists both male, and
female

-They are closed to hope, and full of fear

No other explanation is reasonable.

The Clintons are poison (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:22 PM)

This is just politics. The Democratic lead Senate has done nothing to date, so now they've done something. Next they'll vote on what type of linens should be on the tables, and if the diner should serve coke or pepsi.

Sally Rand (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:32 PM)

UGH! You could be blind and still not want to vote for Obama. He is all style and no substance. Stick a cardboard cutout up on the camera and spout "Change, Hope, Yes We Can" over and over and the worshippers would still faint.
Momoffive (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:45 AM)

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

But it's ok to worship a white Jesus?

Racism goes deeper than you know (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:34 PM)

Racism goes deeper than you know (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:37 PM)

That's real bad for the GOP...don't kick a man while he's down...but cleaning house is a good thing...
This warning really helps the ethics...
Business is already changing in Washington...

BJ, CA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 7:59 PM)

Imagine that, a republican with dementia...this would explain their anal support for the bushleaguer policies

Rick, NC (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:05 PM)

Did some one pass gas" typical Washington self serving paper hangers, need more be said?

Fiction (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:16 PM)

Bravo WRAL!

Tony, Atlanta GA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:41 PM)

Yup. Dementia sounds about right.

Deema, College Park, MD (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:03 PM)

It's a ashamed that the Congress would not get to the bottom of the firing of the US attorneys. Our justice system is clearly blind and this Senator should have been fired along with the others involved.

Blind justice (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:12 PM)

Everyone that has half a brain knows that Barack Obama knew the radical, racial and anti-American sentiment contained in "Reverend" Wright's sermons/speeches ... and everyone knows Obama played ignorant about it.

Barack is not the man too many people think he his.
He's friendly with a known terrorist and of the opinion that whites are responsible for the irresponsibilities of blacks. He blatantly said so.

The far left wing nuts don't care about the insanity of all this. They will stop at nothing to get him elected. I'm hoping the Democratic Party comes back to some kind of order instead of throwing this country to the dogs.

Full Moon (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:31 PM)

I am sorry to hear that the Senator is ill.

However, given the specifics of the illness, I kind of have to ask: when was this diagnosis? Clearly he needed to resign when the diagnosis became certain.

I don't believe for a minute that Domenici picked up the phone and, out of the blue asked Iglesias those questions. It's not him we're after . . . who talked to him *before* he picked up the phone?

lizzy,seattle,WA (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:35 PM)

We need Hillary to clean up after this GOP mess!

trev (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:38 PM)

It's amazing how Chris Matthews, Tucker and those other two goons can say out of one side of their mouths that Obama is being a phony when he denounces the Rev Wright; that he's just being a politician and saying what he has to say as a politician... yet they give Hillary "kudos" for being a phony herself; and turning herself into a country hick Scranton gun-toting redneck, for the sake of winning those blue collar votes!! Such Hypocrites!!

mbell Denver, Colorado (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:20 PM)

A "public letter of qualified admonition"? That'll teach him

Carter, Jacksonville, FL (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:33 PM)

Hey First Read -

How come you're not reporting that Clinton is push polling (again!) in North Carolina? The Huffington Post has taped calls to verify.

Tanya (Sent Thursday, April 24, 2008 11:46 PM)

I hope for the sake of the truly infirmed that Sen. Domenici truly has an illness because it is a pathetic excuse to use as an escape from responsibility. I wonder if Mr. Domenici will use it as a defense for the phone call altogether.

Michael , Austin , Tx (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 1:00 AM)

The PEOPLE of Michigan and Florida did NOT agree with the stupid rules that the DNC and Repubs. made.

The PEOPLE who voted want their votes counted.

COUNT OUR VOTES! WE ARE AMERICANS TOO. OBAMA WOULDN'T AGREE TO LET US REVOTE BECAUSE HE KNEW HE WOULD LOSE.
COUNT OUR VOTES! THE DEMS. CAN'T WIN IN NOV. WITHOUT US.

voter (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 1:50 AM)

Just had a taste of MSNBC's Morning Shmo. Good job bud. I love the new format rub a dub dub three soft speaking republicans in a tub. I used to think Andrea Mitchell was alright. Now I'll yawn and change the channel when I see her. "You kid because you love???" I know you gotta be kidding me the way you spew about the working class white vote disliking Obama. A lightly veiled try at growing racisim in the country, and you're all too happy to do it. You make me want to puke!

sick of false shepards, MO (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 6:23 AM)

It's really disgusting what this administration has done to our legal system.
This admonishment is small, there are many more actions that need to be taken still.
We should be ashamed this is happening in the United States of America.

Dave (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 7:57 AM)

Who Cares?

Tom, Plattsburgh NY (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 8:39 AM)

Heres a question I would like someone to answer for me. If the democratic party is incapable of nominating a candidate for president without tearing its party apart, why should they be trusted with running the country, which I believe is a much more difficult job?

Tom, Plattsburgh NY (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 8:55 AM)

My question with this admonishment is this the first time that there was the appearance of impropriety created by Domenici? I wonder if any of this is related to his brain ailment.

S.B. Stein E.B. NJ (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 9:00 AM)

hey everyone, wheres hillbilly this morning? oh yeah thats right shes in california, ..why? cause she and billy are in court ..why? campaign fraud ofcourse lolol

c.v. (Sent Friday, April 25, 2008 9:01 AM)

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