FBI agents raid business, home of Street friend ((Philly Mayor Update))

[smallprint]

Posted on Wed, Oct. 08, 2003

By Emilie Lounsberry, Shannon McCaffrey and Clea Benson
Inquirer Staff Writers

A day after a listening device was found inside Mayor Street's
office, FBI agents today conducted a series of raids across Philadelphia, including a search of a finance firm with a no-bid city contract to collect back taxes.

The sudden activity came as a number of well-placed sources confirmed that it was the FBI that had placed the listening device in Street's City Hall office.

snip

The bugging, according to people familiar with it, was part of a wide-ranging federal investigation into corruption in city contracts and other matters. Those same sources confirmed that a number of raids conducted by the FBI today were connected to the investigation.

snip

The FBI also searched the Cheltenham home of a executive of the business, Iman Shamsud-din Ali, according to a law enforcement official.

more: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/6963689.htm

note: Ali is the spiritual leader of one the largest and most influential black mosques in the Philadelphia area, and an advisor to Street.

on edit: added 'mayor update' to header

[bpilgrim]

1. fyi: HALIBURTON, ENRON, CARLYLE, Brown and Root, Bechtel

don't forget... the whole world is watching :bounce:

peace

[smallprint]

2. Can you explain that a little more?

I'm not sure I understand what they have to do with this story.

[bpilgrim]

4. well it sounded like they are investigating them for gov contract corrup

corruption.

i say they got much BIGGER FISH to fry :evilgrin:

peace

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Only white people can get the big jobs through cronyism.

When white people do it, it's called rugged individualism. When people of color do it, it's called corruption.

Have you noticed how our justice department is very selective about who they investigate and prosecute. It's sort of a political profiling taking place.

[tom_paine]

13. Just a taste of the future in the Empire

The Busheviks haven't even beguin molding Amerika in their own image.

[jbutsz]

5. halliburton

is getting/has gotten no-bid "sweetheart" contracts for rebuilding Iraq, worth billions of taxpayer dollars. Cheney was the CEO of Hallburton and still receives deferred income from them while serving elected public federal office - a conflict of interest and a big no-no in any administration other than this one apparently

[bpilgrim]

7. Salon: To the Cronies Go the Spoils

Having trouble keeping track of all the Bush-Cheney pals who have their snouts in Iraq's trough? Here's a handy clip 'n' save guide!

On Sept. 17, the Bush administration handed Congress a spending bill that reads like a bleeding-heart liberal's legislative fantasy, a massive, government-funded infrastructure revitalization program of the kind not seen since the days of FDR: It calls for $800 million for the police, $300 million for firefighters, and almost $3 billion for clean water systems. It sets aside tens of millions of dollars to build thousands of new public housing units, but it warns that much more money will be needed in the future. The bill allocates about $1 billion to spend on healthcare, including $150 million for a state-of-the-art children's hospital. There's even $5 million to build a women's center and a million dollars for a new museum.

Is George W. Bush finally displaying the compassion long advertised to run through his brand of conservatism? Not exactly. As you may have guessed, this particular plan isn't aimed at fixing the problems of Boston or Boise but those of Baghdad and Basra and Tikrit and Najaf. Congress is now debating -- and, after many adjustments, will likely approve -- the president's plan to rebuild Iraq's schools, hospitals, highways, prisons, the electricity grid, railroads, and every other institution of civilized society; of the $87 billion the administration seeks, about $20 billion is earmarked for Iraqi nation-building.

Iraq desperately needs rebuilding, and it might seem churlish to question what the administration has requested. But when the price tag is in the tens of billions, one can't help wondering: How much money will actually find its way into the hands of Iraqis? Who will profit from this reconstruction windfall?

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61496-2003Oct8.html

peace

[smallprint]

8. What does this have to do with John Street?

:shrug:

[roughsatori]

3. There goes another traditionally Democratic Held Position

down the tubes. Katz will most likely be the first Repuke mayor in Philly in years, after this plays out. Street is not a good mayor but I hate for the Repukes to get a foot-hold in that region--the corporatist media whores will gloat and use anything found to smear all Dems.

[FlemingsGhost]

6. Who thinks an Illinois scandal will be in the news soon?

After California, Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania... Illinois has the most electoral votes.

[joanski01]

10. It's starting, I think.

The Republican takeover of PA. Rick Santorum is in charge of this, with the help of Alan Novak, the head of the Repuke party in PA. I hope Rendell gets on this quick.

[Judi Lynn]

11. New article on the bugging

Feds admit FBI planted bugs in Philadelphia mayor's office

October 9, 2003

BY DAVID B. CARUSO


PHILADELPHIA -- Federal law enforcement officials on Wednesday confirmed that listening devices found in the offices of Mayor John F. Street were planted by the FBI -- a discovery that touched off a political furor just weeks before Election Day.

Three federal law enforcement officials acknowledged that the FBI was responsible for the bug, but refused to comment on whether the Democratic mayor is a target of an investigation or to provide any details about the nature of the probe.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a Democrat, and Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican, were among several politicians who called on the FBI on Wednesday to tell the public what it knows about the eavesdropping equipment, found Tuesday.

''I think given this extraordinary situation with four weeks to go in the campaign, it is incumbent upon the FBI to say why they planted the device,'' Rendell said. (snip/...)

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bug09.html

[joanski01]

12. Thanks for this story.

I am just sitting here totally panicked. The Repukes are coming, the Repukes are coming!!!