Now we know what the priorities are:
John McKay, the U.S. attorney for Western Washington, will direct a preliminary FBI investigation into possible federal criminal violations by Spokane Mayor Jim West, McKay's office said FridayNot that I have any sympathy for Jim West, but why is it that the U.S. Attorney can announce that he's investigating West, 10 days after he said he couldn't legally announce any investigation, such as into the King County election fraud scandal?
Could it be that this U.S. Attorney is more concerned about people jerking off in their offices than he is concerned about election fraud? You wonder what the U.S. Attorney does in his office.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at May 20, 2005 04:03 PM | Email ThisHere we are with the election mess months later. Laws broken left and right, admissions made in depositions and where are our federal officials? This situation MUST be investigated.
Posted by: Vicki on May 20, 2005 04:26 PMWouldn't making such an anouncement prejudice the case? Could there be some kind of legal liability that he avoiding? In the West situation there are no civil actions on-going.
Like I said. It may just be wishful thinking.
Posted by: DeadWood on May 20, 2005 04:51 PMOr something like that.
Posted by: fRedinKingCounty on May 20, 2005 06:09 PMSecond, Mr. Cynical is absolutely right. You don't want the feds in there yet. Besides, the victory will be sweeter if handled in-state.
Third, Doc is still a moron.
Posted by: Danny on May 20, 2005 07:37 PMWhat has happened in King County Elections is NOT an anomoly. It is more the standard of behavior in King County, where management directs the peasant help to achieve the desired results, no matter the means, and then leaves the details to those seeking advancement, raises, or simple recognition.
DOT, DDES, the PA's Office, the Sheriff's Office, the Ombudsman's Office, the Board of Ethics, whatever... King County Elections is not the exception, but the rule. They're getting caught only because a statewide issue of significance has put them into the light where one of the major parties has sufficient political gain to warrant exposing the way King County government really does things.
Every error benefitted Gregoire. "The problem was with the software". "These were just mistakes and not fraud". This is the way King County operates. Stadiums, light rail, major development, CAO, whatever. If King County wants it and King County politicians like Sims, or Hague, former council members Vance, McKenna, Sullivan, or even the powerful unelected, like DOT Director Stephanie Warden, DOT Director Harold Taniguchi, or Dean Logan. Whatever they want, they will get it. There is no line that won't be crossed.
The software works, but by misusing it they can achieve the results they want. The data exists and the reports could be generated, but to do so would put their shinanigans at risk, so don't run the reports and don't snapshot the data so someone can audit it. If the data doesn't support the agenda, just maybe it will be accidentally corrupted. And if someone ever has to take the rap, just pin it on some of those hired High School grads who were setup as the potential scapegoats should anything go wrong. Protect the management at all costs. Let them simply apply the pressure and leave it to the low level grunts to use their imagination to figure out how to achieve the desired results.
You don't have to believe me. I've offered no proof, I've offered no credentials, and I definitely have my own agenda. But take my word that what has occured in King County elections is not an anomoly.
I listened to Slade Gorton dance around the "F" word today. Typical of a politician that knows that this sort of stuff is everywhere in King County and Olympia. He's just involved enough to take advantage of it for the political benefit of his party, but he still won't allege criminal wrongdoing. Why? Because if that standard was ever applied to King County or Olympia in the ranks of the civil servants and their leadership, it would gut the soldiers of both parties, put people in jail, and destroy the power both parties hold in subverting the truth and the law to achieve their goals - at our expense.
It's happened forever, and it will continue to happen until people abandon the belief that the culture of government conforms to the same rules as most people. The culture is corrupt. It is corrupting. And those that don't escape it are eventually corrupted by it.
Posted by: Mike on May 20, 2005 07:41 PMHowever, at the end of this episode, if they haven't grown the proverbial chest hairs, I'll be right out amongst you leading the charge. Whilst it is a tad aggrevating, what true harm does it do to the case to have him (McKay) remain silent?
I've oft found that the less said, the more depth there is to an investigation. The Spokane deal is relatively straight-forwared. Patience, compadres. Let's not drop the hammer on him (The USAtty) 'til we have good reason. Plenty of time for that later if he fails to carry out his duties. (just cuz it hits the fan later doesn't mean that it splatters any less).
Posted by: MikeF on May 20, 2005 08:36 PMSerious case of Thai Po.
Posted by: MikeF on May 20, 2005 08:38 PMMr. McKay is a Seattle native who grew up on Capitol Hill and attended St. Joseph’s Grade School and Seattle Prep High School. He is the fifth of the twelve children of the late Dr. John and Katie McKay. He is single and greatly enjoys his 26 nieces and nephews.Somewhere in there lies a clue as to why the hapless Mayor West is such a juicy and inviting target for McKay. Posted by: jaybird on May 20, 2005 10:57 PM
However, after the contest is over with, then it will be time to remind McKay about a Federal investigation, if there is no announcement of an investigation by then. I understand Slade Gorton's position to stop short of using the "F" word - he has already unloaded on King County Elections a few weeks ago and got flack for doing so - PR and an element of PC (to be real). Politics is wierd in this state. Being from Oregon, where it is just as liberal in most cases, it is a bit less polarized there between the right and left, but I don't care for the all-mail voting/its an open invitation to less credibility in results.
Posted by: KS on May 20, 2005 11:00 PMThe purpose of the federal government is to keep foreign powers from beating us up, keep the states from beating each other up, and provide a common set of rules (weights & measures, copyrights, currency, etc.) for us all to play by. Slightly oversimplified, but that's basically it.
The malfeasance of the mayor of Spokane has roughly zip, zilch, nada of any importance to do with foreign powers or even other states of the union. He is not a federal official; he was elected by, and answerable to, the people of Spokane. The Spokanonians would be wise to toss him out, but are perfectly capable of doing that on their own. How is this a federal matter? DC is not the wellspring of all wisdom; a newly-hired federal employee does not feel his IQ jump by 30 points upon touching down at an airport in the DC area.
We can, and as a matter of principle we should, deal with our own bloody pervert mayors, without any "help" from the wrong Washington.
Posted by: TB on May 21, 2005 01:45 AMSo who sicced him on West?
Makes me wonder if anyone at the federal level pays any attention to what is really going on in Washington state.....
Posted by: alphabet soup on May 21, 2005 06:24 AM
And we all know who these groups are and what their agendas are. And we know how vicious and vengeful they are and can be. They are also volatile, meaning that they can turn and attack and out anyone, if it suits furtherance of their agenda.
Seems to me that if pursuing West is a "beard" for a pursuing official, it is a dreadful mistake to believe that it is also some kind of a safe harbor from these groups. In fact, it may be just the opposite. Because if the pursuer is himself a closeted gay presidentially-appointed officeholder, be becomes the next fat target for outing by these same groups. Seems to me. Maybe I'm assuming way too much here, but the scenario does work.
Posted by: jaybird on May 21, 2005 07:49 AMI read in today's paper that the US Attny for Eastern Washington had to recuse himself from the West case due to his personal *friendship* with West......And that is why McKay has stepped in....
This shows how any relationship that a US Attorney has with the subject of an investigation can cause that attorney to recuse himself from the investigation.....
If McKay has any relationship or friendship with any of the subjects involved with the Washington State or King County election investigation (which is very likely considering his history here in Western WA)...he would have to recuse himself from the investigation...but not necessarily announce it to the public....
An investigation into *State* election fraud would probably not be given to that state's US Attorney. It would go the Regional or National office...
Posted by: Deborah on May 21, 2005 12:50 PMIt shows you that politics corrupts even those with good upbringings.
Posted by: Sean on May 21, 2005 02:33 PMWhat's Ashcroft doing these days?
Posted by: Dogbert on May 21, 2005 07:13 PMHmmm...Sean..
I found this interesting piece about Mike McKay (John McKay's brother)in the Spokesman Review..Concerning Eastern WA US Attorney McDevitt's recusal from the West case...Here's a snippet:
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A former Republican U.S. attorney, Mike McKay, said his friend McDevitt has no choice but to bow out because of the appearance of a potential conflict.
"I know Jim McDevitt, and his integrity is really Grade A," McKay said when contacted in Seattle where he now is in private practice. "Whatever his decision is will be the right one."
For two years, McKay served on the Seattle archbishop's "case review board," which examined how that Roman Catholic diocese handled sex abuse cases leveled against its priests. McKay said he has closely followed issues surrounding West, including allegations that he molested two boys in the late 1970s and early 1980s when he was a sheriff's deputy and Scout leader.
McKay, appointed U.S. attorney in the Western District of Washington in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush, said he had to recuse himself from three or four cases during his four-year term as chief prosecution in Western Washington.
Attorney Tim Kosnoff, of Bellevue, said McDevitt has no choice but to stand aside.
"There are concerns that the public would lack confidence in the U.S. attorney's impartiality, given his connections to Jim West," Kosnoff said. His clients include several men abused as boys by Boy Scout leaders and priests.
Kosnoff said he believes it will take a federal grand jury and a thorough FBI investigation to answer questions beginning to emerge a week after allegations against West were published in The Spokesman-Review.
The state of Washington lacks a grand jury system that allows people to be compelled to testify under oath.
"The federal grand jury is the only viable tool that exists out there in these kinds of situations," Kosnoff said, referring to abuse of public office issues surrounding West.
"When you empanel a federal grand jury, people don't have a choice. They have to testify if they're granted immunity," Kosnoff said. "The power of the federal grand jury is unparallel in our society."
Posted by: Deborah on May 21, 2005 07:19 PM