FBI Steps Up Probe (Philadelphia Buggate)

[Pale Blue Dot]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/6966676.htm

A wide-ranging federal investigation of alleged corruption in City Hall broke into the open yesterday, as FBI agents seized records from people with political ties to Mayor Street.

In several searches across the city, federal agents rushed to preserve possible evidence the day after Philadelphia police found a listening device that the FBI had planted in the ceiling of Street's City Hall office.

Yesterday morning, agents raided a small financial firm run by two Street supporters, including one of Philadelphia's most prominent Muslim leaders. Under Street's administration, the firm got a no-bid city contract to collect delinquent taxes.

more...

Does anyone know of any other American mayors being investigated currently?

[joeybee12]

1. I'm going to assume this Mayor is a Dem...

...and also black.

Need I say more?

[whiteroses]

7. Mayor Street

Yes, the mayor of Philadelphia is a Democrat and African American. He almost lost the last election for mayor even though Philadelphia is a Democratic city. During the last election the Gay and Lesbian groups and other liberal groups in the city supported his Republican rival. The first time they ever supported a Republican candidate. I was born and raised in Philadelphia and if I still lived there I would vote for the Republican candidate, Sam Katz. I am 100% Democrat and a Democratic Committeeman. Just because a politician is a Democrat doesn't necessarily make them a better candidate, at least not in this case.

[BenFranklinUSA]

13. Seems touchy, but typical

This is most likely all about the Street associates and not about Street himself.

[newyawker99]

21. Hi whiteroses!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[timbo]

10. Yes, you could say more.

Perhaps you could say that there is a possibility that Mayor Street is a bad man, a crook, and that we should wait and see.

We were all shocked in my office this morning. (Unlike most of the posters here who blithely suggest a political motive for this investigation, I actually have lived here for almost 30 years). When the news of the investigation broke, we, in my office, had a round table discussion as to what the investigation was about. Among the leading suggestions were the airport maintenance contract (to the mayor's brother, the parking authority scandal, or the firebombing of his opponent's campaign headquarters by (allegedly, apparently, etc.) members of Street's staff and family. Our surprise was that most of us didn't know about this new scandal.

Philadelphia is four to one Democratic. Mayor Street barely won last time to Sam Katz, a Republican. It is quite unlikely that he could win this time, again to Sam Katz. It pains us to vote Republican. But it pains us more to vote for a truly evil man, and Street is that.

[leetrisck]

2. So why not bug the White House to see

who commited treason by "outing" the CIA agent.

[lovedems]

3. because that is not a part of the rethuglican agenda

right now they are concerned with stealing the 04 election and they are systematically going state to state. First Texas, then California, Colorado and now Penn. What state is next?

[prolesunited]

4. I'll wait to see how this plays out

because I'm not familiar with Philly and its politics, but here are a couple of things that caught my eye.

agents raided a small financial firm run by two Street supporters, including one of Philadelphia's most prominent Muslim leaders. Under Street's administration, the firm got a no-bid city contract to collect delinquent taxes. <-- Later it says the contract was worth $60,000, not good if true but does it merit this level of attention.

The FBI also searched the Cheltenham home of an executive of the business, Imam Shamsud-din Ali, according to a law enforcement official. Ali is a leading Muslim cleric in Philadelphia. <-- Curious if this is more what this is about. Perhaps if you're a Muslim cleric, you're guilty until proven innocent.

Like I said, I'm not sure what the truth is here, but it certainly is curious.

[LeftHander]

5. Feds busted 2 City alderman in Milwaukee

They were investigating them for sometime. Probably bugged them too.

Seems the FBI is systematically looking for dirty democrats rather than the anthrax mailers...

[Devils Advocate NZ]

6. A no-bid contract? So when are they going to raid Halliburton?

Gotta love this:

On Tuesday, however, the FBI did state flatly that the bug had not been placed as part of a political dirty trick by Street's opponent, Republican Sam Katz.

Yesterday, Katz took an indirect shot at Street as the mayor coped with the bad news.

"I would say that the evidence well prior to anything that's going on here today or yesterday reinforces my view that this is an administration engaged in cronyism, secrecy, nepotism, and sweetheart deals for their friends," Katz said.

Hey, that sounds like a PERFECT description of the Bush administration! So when do the FBI investigations into the Bush cabal begin?

[CounterCoulter]

8. Watergate Redux

Watergate anyone?

Oh, but that was just one little incident right?

[Drifter]

9. If the FBI was conducting ...

a legitimate investigation, wouldn't it be to their advantage to NOT be discovered (ie bug sweep by police). It would make sense that the FBI contacts the police to make sure there is not only no interruptions, but also complete cooperation.

I am all for investgations into political corruption (regardless of party affiliation or race), provided there is adequate evidence of corruption.

I don't give a crap who it is. If it is a black Dem. mayor, and he is doing something wrong, then he should be removed from office and prosecuted. If it turns out to be false, the investigation should be turned to where the allegations came from.

Cheers
Drifter

[Demoiselle]

16. Good point, Drifter...

The Philly police anti-bugging "sweeps" of the Mayor's offices have been going on , on a regular basis,ie, several times a year, for decades. ( Rationale being that City Hall is a great big wonderful Victorian hard-to-secure labrynth of halls and stairs, etc. where ordinary civilians can wander around pretty freely and possibly make mischief.) The last sweep was conducted in June and all was clear. The setting of bugs that you know will be looked for and detected could be a method of casting doubt on an official's probity without having to specify the suspicions. I say COULD be. Such a sure-to-be found bugging also strikes me as a rather irresponsible way to conduct a serious probe. It's guaranteed to blow the whole operation out of the water before you've finished gathering evidence..
One of the posters on this thread called Street an "evil man." I'd like to see the evidence of that, please. (Not innuendo and easy assumptions, but EVIDENCE.) Congressman Chaka Fattah, (D-PA) someone most Philly Democrats respect and trust, reminded us all in this morning's local papers that in the entire 25 years of John STreet's extremely active and productive political career, NO ONE has been able to level credible charges of corruption against him.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[joeybee12]

19. No, THIS is how you get it straight

I know nothing of the man, HOWEVER, since he is black and a Dem, the FBI are investigating.

They wouldn't do it over a white guy, that's for sure.

This is a comment on the FBI, not on Street.

[Mandate My Ass]

20. Street is not the target, allegedly

PLENTY OF FODDER EXISTS HERE FOR FBI PROBERS

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/6968381.htm

So the FBI may have its eye on something fishy in Philadelphia?

Well, take your pick.

As reported earlier, a number of federal probes are allegedly already under way here.

Here's a run-down:

THE PROBE: Two big-ticket law firms got inside help landing clients.

THE FOCUS: City Controller Jonathan Saidel still is being investigated for the $500,000 he accepted from two law firms to recruit business. Saidel has said the fees did not compromise his role as controller.

There's plenty to investigate with Street as well, IMHO.

[loudnclear]

11. Probably only the ones who were cozy with Muslims.

If Jewish firms get no bid contracts, no one will ever question it.

[dArKeR]

12. FBI can take the bugs out of Davis' office now.

[JM]

14. Four important words....

WAS THERE A WARRANT?

Was a warrant signed by a Federal Judge for the bugging or was this a warrantless operation as allowed under The PATRIOT Act?

Later,
JM

[NNN0LHI]

15. Bugging a mayors office would have to be OKed by Ashcroft

Someone actually had to break and enter into his office to put it there. This is serious business I think? I would like to know if a judge was involved too.

Don

[JM]

17. If it was warrantless and was not

signed by a Federal Judge, all hell will break loose in Congress. Remember the grilling Ashcroft took a few months and weeks back about using the warrantless actions available in PATRIOT for non-terrorism issues?

Later,
JM