Updated below the fold
The Documents released by the DOJ concerning the US Attorney Firing Scandal tell an interesting story.
Now we learn that the DOJ has not released all documents as requested by congress:
Excellent diary by Jesselyn Radack: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Based on the AP Report:
http://hosted.ap.org/...
Below the fold, we learn that the withheld documents contain a substantial portion of the emails Kyle Sampson sent to the White House. Why is this information being withheld by the DOJ?
Prior documents released from the DOJ to congress have revealed interesting content, but attempts by congress to elicit testimony from key players in the USA scandal have been met with “I don’t recall”.
Using techniques similar to what the NSA uses to figure out if you are emailing Al Qaeda, A group of 15 DailyKos volunteers has been diligently recording and evaluating email traffic patterns. I recently posted analysis of the pattern of traffic of emails from Kyle Sampson to show who was holding the strings controlling the marionette that he is:
Kyle's Masters
Now we have a list of withheld emails that augment the story:
Withheld emails
This list of withheld documents contains 28 emails from Kyle Sampson to the White House, 176 emails to DOJ personnel, and 21 emails to congressional staffers. Considering that over the same period of time, DOJ has released to congress only 11 emails from Sampson to the White House, this evidence shows that the DOJ is suppressing the majority of Kyle Sampson’s communication to the White House following the firing.
The following graph illustrates the volume of Kyle Sampson’s emails released and withheld by the DOJ following the US Attorney Firing:
72% of Kyle Sampson’s emails to the White House, 48% to the DOJ, and 100% to Congressional Staffers during this time frame have been withheld from Congress and the American People. White House recipients of suppressed Sampson email include Chris Oprison (11), Harriet Meirs (3), William Kelley (9), Jennifer Brosnahan (1), and Sarah Taylor (4).
As a “Makes You Go Hmmm” point, we also note that the withheld documents reveal for the first time the involvement of Sarah Taylor, Karl Rove’s Deputy. Sarah Taylor received 4 emails from Sampson in the withheld documents, but was not a recipient of any emails in the prior documents released. Perhaps this is why congress has subpoenaed her testimony.
Further, the emails from Sampson to Hill Staffers withheld from congress make you wonder if the White House is unwilling to reveal exactly how they manipulate Congress to get their message across.
If this is not evidence of a systematic cover up by the Executive Branch of the US Attorney scandal, I do not know what is. Congress and the American people should be incensed and demand full disclosure by the White House and DOJ.
Thanks again to the DKos volunteers that are working with me on the email database. They include: Audrey, MsWings, Ethan's Mom, WTF, Madhaus, David, Howard, Fanaa, Brian, Michele, Miss Butter, Pandora, Eli, OkieByAccident, Keith, Marco, Gray, Tracie, Thom K in LA, and leveymg.
If you are interested in helping our efforts, please contact me at the email listed in my profile.
Update:
Commentator and volunteer leveymg notes below that the withheld documents show a group conference on the subject of their subpoenas on March7, 2007.
That is a MAJOR legal Must Not/Never Do. It opens each and every one of them to charges of obstruction if it can be shown that they discussed ways to withhold information from the Committee. In fact, it opens each and every one who was in on that e-mail to the same line of questioning. I see 11 names initialed.
Now, the White House is withholding this e-mail as privileged!!!! They just opened the door to a Grand Jury investigation.
Note that all e-mails end the next day. Maybe, a lawyer found out about this and told everyone to stop using e-mail, period.
I think leveymg hit the nail on the head, and review of the database reveals the following exchange on 3/5/07 between Richard Hertling (DOJ counsel dealing with HJC request) and Faith Burton (William Moschella’s Assistant):
hertling on emails
Page 263
Hertling:
What is the correct response if at the US Attorney hearing tomorrow Will is asked by HJC to provide emails and other communications we had with the WH on firing US Attorneys?
Burton:
We would not provide such highly deliberative docs in which the WH has such significant equities- no way would the WH allow that. Need to think about how exactly to phrase the response, but Will may have some thoughts.
Thanks to volunteer Audrey for pointing out this deliberation on obstruction in the database.