Congressman Doc Hastings Accused in Federal Prosecutors' Resignations Case

[babylonsister]

http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=6188521&nav=menu484_2

Congressman Doc Hastings Accused in Federal Prosecutors' Resignations Case


WASHINGTON- Washington Congressman Doc Hastings is under fire after allegations he may have been involved in the forced resignation of the Seattle U.S. Attorney.

Former federal prosecutor John McKay told a Senate committee Tuesday that he received a call from the Congressman's Chief of Staff during the 2004 Gubernatorial election controversy.

McKay says he hung up immediately on the call in question without discussing anything because he thought it was inappropriate.

Hastings confirms that the call took place, but denies any wrongdoing.

"It was a simple inquiry and nothing more- and it was the only call any federal official from my office on this subject during or after the recount ordeal.... Tom McCabe of the Building Industry Association of Washington did contact my office in July of 2005 to ask that I urge the White House to replace Mr. McKay and I flat out refused to do so, which Ed Cassidy told him in the bluntest of terms."

More testimony on the issue is expected later in the week when a House committee will look into the controversy.

[flamingyouth]

1. Hastings also called McKay's office to probe the election of Wash. Gov. Christine Gregoire

He's a real piece of work, that guy.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/306295_mckay06ww.html

[babylonsister]

2. Weird that Domenici gets all the press; this guy is just as crooked! nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. Former Repub chair of the House ethics committee. 'Nuff said.

Not a high-point of anyone's resume, seems to me.

[babylonsister]

4. Whoa! Thanks for jogging my memory! Hmmm. nt

[TacticalPeek]

5. K&R

:kick:

[maddezmom]

6. good link re: Cassidy and Hastings

http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/002936.html

[habitual]

7. OK, so they all say the same thing in response.

Nah, this isn't a coordinated denial. Every one that has gotten caught has claimed that there was no pressure and that it was a simple inquiry. What they are hoping people don't find out is that a simple inquiry is UNETHICAL and WRONG. This guy McKay even hung up on them immediately when he heard who it was, unbelievable.

[L. Coyote]

8. Fired WA U.S. attorney, John McKay, testifies about "improper or illegal territory."

Google News search had this, in the Olympian 2 hours ago:

Published March 07, 2007
Fired U.S. attorney testifies about 2004 call
http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/69175.html

WASHINGTON - The fired U.S. attorney for Western Washington testified Tuesday that a former top aide to Rep. Doc Hastings called him in the weeks following the hotly contested 2004 Washington state governor's race to ask whether his office was going to investigate allegations of voter fraud.

John McKay, one of eight U.S. attorney's fired by the Bush administration in December, said he found the call from Hastings aide Ed Cassidy "unusual and serious." But he added that he cut the phone conversation off before Cassidy could veer into "improper or illegal territory."

Though he chose his words carefully in speaking with reporters following an afternoon House hearing, McKay said he thought Cassidy was trying to step up the pressure on him to investigate possible election fraud. He said he believed Cassidy was calling on behalf of Hastings.

"I knew immediately what he wanted," McKay said. "My antennae were up. It was very dangerous territory. I considered the call the same as if it was from a member (of Congress)."

MORE, lots more.......

[L. Coyote]

9. Harriet Miers interviewed McKay for federal judgeship.

"After the hearing, McKay said his handling of the 2004 governors race came back to haunt him when he was being interviewed about a federal judgeship by then White House Counsel Harriet Miers and others in her office. During the interview in August or September 2006, McKay said, he was asked, not by Miers, to explain criticism of how he had "mishandled" the governor's race investigation.

"McKay did not get the nomination for federal judge. He refused to speculate on whether it was a result of his decision not to investigate the governor's race."