Implications Of Bush's Hiring A Personal Outside Counsel

[gandalf]

Some days ago, the Michael Ruppert piece (www.fromthewilderness.com) was posted, which supported the idea that the CIA was planning a coup d'état against Bush.

Bush has contacted a very dubious personal outside counsel, which is very unusual. Ruppert cited a findlaw.com article. Here is the source and some excerpts (again):

The Serious Implications Of President Bush's Hiring A Personal Outside Counsel For The Valerie Plame Investigation
By JOHN W. DEAN

Recently, the White House acknowledged that President Bush is talking with, and considering hiring, a non-government attorney, James E. Sharp. Sharp is being consulted, and may be retained, regarding the current grand jury investigation of the leak revealing the identity of Valerie Plame as a CIA covert operative....
This action by Bush is a rather stunning and extraordinary development. The President of the United States is potentially hiring a private criminal defense lawyer. Unsurprisingly, the White House is doing all it can to bury the story, providing precious little detail or context for the President's action.

...

What Might a Private Attorney Advise Bush to Do?

It is possible that Bush is consulting Sharp only out of an excess of caution - despite the fact that he knows nothing of the leak, or of any possible coverup of the leak. But that's not likely.

On this subject, I spoke with an experienced former federal prosecutor who works in Washington, specializing in white collar criminal defense (but who does not know Sharp). That attorney told me that he is baffled by Bush's move - unless Bush has knowledge of the leak. "It would not seem that the President needs to consult personal counsel, thereby preserving the attorney-client privilege, if he has no knowledge about the leak," he told me.

What advice might Bush get from a private defense counsel? The lawyer I consulted opined that, "If he does have knowledge about the leak and does not plan to disclose it, the only good legaladvice would be to take the Fifth, rather than lie. The political fallout is a separate issue."

I raised the issue of whether the President might be able to invoke executive privilege as to this information. But the attorney I consulted - who is well versed in this area of law -- opined that "Neither 'outing' Plame, nor covering for the perpetrators would seem to fall within the scope of any executive privilege that I am aware of."

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1. who is this John Dean character?

Does he have any expertise?:nuke:

[hippiegranny]

4. Michael C. Ruppert

sounds pretty credible to me. http://fromthewilderness.com/about.html

that was one hell of a read. i forwarded it out to my list.

[Raenelle]

6. Sounds like some ivory tower egghead to me

What would this guy know about the real world of presidential cover-ups?

[Jack from Charlotte]

7. John Wesley Dean III. He had a TV show on in '74............

From Akron Ohio, I think. His TV Show was on twice a day in the morning and again in the afternoon. My classes at The University of Florida fit nicely around them.

The bad man said JWD, III was a liar until........ Alexander Butterfield testified. And then we learned, without a doubt there was proof as to who the liar was.

[asjr]

8. You are obviously very young.

John Dean was one of President Nixon's right hand men. He knows all about coverups. I am not sure if this is taught in civics or history classes today. He does know what he is talking about. He lost his law license when the Nixon coverup happened. He is a good guy.

[never cry wolf]

10. He was Nixon's White House Atty.

Comparible to shrub's Alberto Gonzalez.

JOHN DEAN
---
Before becoming Counsel to the President of the United States in July 1970 at age thirty-one, John Dean was Chief Minority Counsel to the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, the Associate Director of a law reform commission, and Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States. He served as Richard Nixon's White House lawyer for a thousand days.

He did his undergraduate studies at Colgate University and the College of Wooster, with majors in English Literature and Political Science. He received a graduate fellowship from American University to study government and the presidency, before entering Georgetown University Law Center, where he received his JD in 1965.

John has written many articles on law, government,and politics. He has recounted his days in the Nixon White House and Watergate in two books, Blind Ambition (1976) and Lost Honor (1982). John Lives in Beverly Hills, California with his wife Maureen. He works as a writer, lecturer, and private investment banker.

In 2001 he published "The Rehnquist Choice: The Untold Story of the Nixon Appointment that Redefined the Supreme Court;" in 2002 he published an e-book "Unmasking Deep Throat;" and in early 2004, Warren G. Harding. His newest book is "Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush."


http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/

11. check your sarcasm detector

56kid means I was born in 1956.
I remember John Dean very well.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Bush learned from Clinton's mistakes

A lot of the stuff used against Clinton came from when he couldn't claim executive privilege when using lawyers paid for by public funds. This leads me to believe that there's something big to hide.

[Justice]

12. Really Bush Has Ken Starr To Thank for This

Ken Starr challenged Clinton's position (privilege) and the courts agreed with Starr that it became clear that you would not have attorney client privilege with a government lawyer.

The irony that Bush must consult a private attorney because of what Starr did to Clinton is not lost on people.

[Richardo]

3. John Dean is a national treasure...

[skip fox]

5. He may well have been asking if NOT telling who the leaker was

can be considered obstruction, esp. in light of his own Presidental order.

IMHO

[molly]

9. Can they subpoena outside counsel?

[gandalf]

13. So that he has to give out client-related info?

In normal cases discussion between counsel and client should be private in any case. But Kenneth Starr changed that...

[gandalf]

14. And check out WHAT kind of lawyer he contacted:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=623987

This is really disturbing!