Can Fitzgerald's Inquiry Extend to Include Katrina?
You don't even have to be a confirmed bed-wetting lefty serial skeptic to raise an eyebrow at the thought of Preznit Supreme Buck Passer conducting his own investigation into the Katrina response. Now that Senate Republicans have taken turns pissing all over Hillary Clinton's attempt to establish an independent, bipartisan panel to inquire into the matter, it looks like the fox who has appointed himself Lord Mayor of the Henhouse will skirt any sort of criminal accountability.
But maybe not.
An article over at TPM Cafe points us to this federal law regarding grand juries:
(a) It shall be the duty of each such grand jury impaneled within any judicial district to inquire into offenses against the criminal laws of the United States alleged to have been committed within that district. Such alleged offenses may be brought to the attention of the grand jury by the court or by any attorney appearing on behalf of the United States for the presentation of evidence. Any such attorney receiving information concerning such an alleged offense from any other person shall, if requested by such other person, inform the grand jury of such alleged offense, the identity of such other person, and such attorney’s action or recommendation.At the moment there is at least one special grand jury sitting in Washington D.C. -- and it happens to be the one overseen by Patrick J. Fitzgerald in his investigation of the Valerie Plame leak. And according to the article, if anyone writes to Fitzgerald and asks him to bring a matter to the attention of the special grand jury -- say, the fact that Michael Brown lied on his resume, or during his confirmation hearings -- the law says Fitzgerald must do so.
Matt Cooper says the grand jury is composed largely of African American women who have no problem directing their own questions or taking the reigns in the inquiry. And I'm betting by this point they have probably heard a bellyful about BushCo.'s lies, deceit, smears and dissembling.
Would they think it was within their purview to look into like this? Who knows. But I really can't think of anything I'd like more than to have Patrick Fitzgerald expand his investigation and independently look into the homicidal incompetence that lead to so many unnecessary deaths.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 9/14/2005 06:45:00 PM
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