More malfeasance from DOJ?
The blog Is That Legal? notices something funny buried in today's Washington Post story about the FBI and IRS search of Sen. Ted Stevens' Alaska home:
Stevens said in a statement that his attorneys were advised of the impending search yesterday morning. (emphasis mine)
More from guest blogger Shertaugh:
I spent nearly 9 years as a federal prosecutor. I'm not aware of a single instance when any prosecutor or agent told anyone outside the Justice Department that a search warrant was going to be executed later in the day. Telling outsiders -- especially lawyers for the person whose property will be searched -- defeats one of the principal purposes of a search warrant: SURPRISE to ensure the integrity of the evidence field.
Only a few people would have known about the search, like the prosecutors in the investigation, the agents conducting the search and, as Shertaugh adds, the DOJ officials who would have had to approve the search. But in George Bush's DOJ, the good operation of government is not a high priority. Politics is. Did someone at DOJ think they were doing Stevens a favor by tipping off his attorneys?
It seems this is a search warrant that raises more questions than just "What were they looking for?"
If it's true that Stevens' lawyers had a heads-up about the search, I think it's more than fair to ask questions -- and to get answers -- about exactly who told Stevens' lawyers about the afternoon's planned search, who approved the disclosure, and what was purpose of the tip-off.
UPDATE I: This search appears to pull Stevens closer into an ongoing corruption investigation, according to The Anchorage Daily News. Furthermore, Taxpayers for Common Sense has asked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to temporarily remove Stevens from his posts until the investigation ends.
TPMmuckraker:
Stevens' son, former state Senate President Ben Stevens has been implicated in receiving questionable payments from Veco executives, and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is under federal investigation for his ties to the company as well.
UPDATE II: Posted on the DNC Blog:
"Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, whose home back in Alaska was raided by federal investigators Monday in a wide-ranging corruption investigation, has threatened to place a hold on the Democratic-drafted ethics legislation just passed by the House and expected on the Senate floor by week’s end."