Yesterday the FBI raided the office and home of Scott Bloch, Special Counsel in the Office of Special Counsel (OSC). According to news reports, Bloch's staff was told to log-off computers. Computers and documents were seized. While the FBI had no comment, staff at the OSC believe the raid is related to a 2005 investigation of allegations that Bloch retaliated against whistleblowers. Additionally, the FBI presumably is investigating Bloch's purging of computer files in 2006.
Just what is the OSC?
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. Our basic authorities come from three federal statutes, the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, and the Hatch Act.
This agency works outside of the Department of Justice -- which is pertinent to my inquiry.
Before it is purged, here is Bloch's bio at the OSC Website. What I find of particular interest is the following:
In his tenure, Mr. Bloch has focused the agency on stepping up enforcement, doubling numbers of positive whistleblower disclosures that have brought greater integrity and efficiency to agencies in the executive branch, and going after wrongdoers in all areas of civil rights, illegal political activity and coercion of political activity in the federal workplace.
Incredibly, Bloch has acted quite the opposite since he assumed the position in 2004. Hate to take a snippet from Fox News but their assessment is concise.
He has been on the hot seat since he took office in 2004, in part for closing hundreds of whistle-blower cases allegedly without investigating them.
"It's just sort of jaw-dropping how bizarre this entire episode has been."said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Protection, a whistle-blower group.
So, it seems from the get-go, for the past 4 years, Bloch has functioned as yet another Bushie. So my questions are:
- Why, if Bloch has been under investigation for over two years was he not asked to recuse himself in the investigation of Karl Rove, J. Scott Jennings and Lurita Doan for violations of the Hatch Act?
- Why, if Bloch has been under investigation for over two years was he not asked to recuse himself in the investigation of the U.S. Attorneys purge?
- Why, if Bloch was doing exactly what every good Bush appointee has done (i.e. politicize an agency and/or circumvent the law) is he now being issued warrants and Grand Jury subpoenas?
- Why confiscate computers at this juncture when Bloch already purged some of them two years ago?
I am in no way trying to defend the likes of Bloch; rather, I don't want to swallow the PR that the DOJ, FBI and ultimately WH are going to disseminate to the stenographers. Miraculously, Bloch's investigation of Lurita Doan, Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA) resulted in a strong condemnation of her violation of the Hatch Act. Finally, months after the investigation, Doan resigned at the end of April, presumably at the request of the WH.
So, one blatantly embarassing toady gets the boot after she is allowed to stay in her position for over a year after her execrable testimony before Henry Waxman's committee. But what of Rove and Jennings, who were complicit in her violation of the Hatch Act? Nothing. What about the investigation into the USAG firings and the involvement of Alberto Gonzales, et al.? Something, something indeed.
Scott J. Bloch, head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, wrote Atty. Gen. Michael B. Mukasey last week that the department had repeatedly "impeded" his investigation by refusing to share documents and provide answers to written questions, according to a copy of Bloch's letter obtained by [the January 29, 2008 ]L.A. Times.
Mukasey, who has morphed from a distinguished federal judge into just one more Bush lackey, dismissed Bloch's concerns.
The Justice Department wants Bloch to wait until its own internal investigation is completed. A department official signaled recently that the investigation is examining the possibility of criminal charges.
But that, the regulator wrote, could take until the last months of the Bush administration, "when there is little hope of any corrective measures or discipline possible" being taken by his office.
Does anyone actually believe that Mukasey and the DOJ are actually investigating the firings?
Bloch is not a good guy, by a long shot. However, there are no good guys involved in this recent brouhaha. Bloch had at least started the investigation into the firings -- and the complicity of Rove and Jennings in the Hatch Act violations. If he were stopped dead in his tracts around January of this year, and was performing the rest of his job in harmony with the Administrations' modus operendi (i.e. flauting the law and demoralizing the agency) why on earth, after more than two years of investigation and in the waning days of this criminal enterprise would the DOJ and FBI go after this semi-loyal soldier?
If Bloch thought he should purge computers two years ago of incriminating evidence of his malfeasance (he said it was for a computer virus) why would he be so stupid as to input more incriminating evidence when he knew he was being investigated? Yes, I know experts can extract deleted info, but why wait so long to do it?
I have my guesses -- but hesitate to delve into the realm of conspiracy theories. Difficult to avoid in a climate where conspiracy theories often are proven factual.
UPDATE: donnamarie makes an excellent point in the comments. Wish I had thought of it.
By putting this together it just raises more questions. The ONLY thing I can think of is the FBI/DOJ did this in oder to perform their own 'investigations'. By investigating (which of course, they will not do)it cuts off any possible investigations by other agencies, including Congress. Cover-up by just throwing a blanket over the offending mess.