WHO IS REP. JANE HARMON?
Sadly, many Americans are incapable of naming a single US Congressman, outside of perhaps, their own.
But every American should know about Rep. Jane Harmon, (Dem, CA), who is reported to have been caught on a National Security Agency wiretap (legally authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) discussing a pending case of spying by two lobbyists for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). According to NY Times sources, Harmon was contacted by an unnamed Israeli agent who asked her to intervene with the Justice Department to use her Congressional influence to get the charges against the two indicted lobbyists reduced. The two, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, were scheduled to go on trial in June after years of delay, but presto..the Justice Department quietly dropped the charges just as impartial followers of the case predicted.
The potential criminality in the Harmon-Israeli agent conversation is bribery and obstruction of justice. The agent reportedly offered to use the influence of the Israel Lobby to get Harmon appointed chairperson of the House Intelligence Committee in return for her help with the Rosen-Weissman case. If Harmon agreed to accept the offer, it is a crime regardless of whether she acted upon her promise. It is further alleged that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales blocked any investigation into whether Harmon and the Israeli agent were involved in criminal conduct because he needed a high profile Democrat to support the Bush Administration's efforts to quell political damage from the bombshell revelations of the domestic spying scandal.
Lobbying is a perfectly natural and legal concept that every cause and organization engages in to promote their agenda. But how many other lobbying organizations have had two of its lobbyists awaiting trial for espionage and apparently have used their enormous influence to further lobby a member of Congress to illegally intercede in that same espionage case?
Every American who is truly seeking a the establishment of a Palestinian state and peace between Israel and the Palestinians should ask Rep. Harmon where her real allegiances lie.
But every American should know about Rep. Jane Harmon, (Dem, CA), who is reported to have been caught on a National Security Agency wiretap (legally authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) discussing a pending case of spying by two lobbyists for the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). According to NY Times sources, Harmon was contacted by an unnamed Israeli agent who asked her to intervene with the Justice Department to use her Congressional influence to get the charges against the two indicted lobbyists reduced. The two, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, were scheduled to go on trial in June after years of delay, but presto..the Justice Department quietly dropped the charges just as impartial followers of the case predicted.
The potential criminality in the Harmon-Israeli agent conversation is bribery and obstruction of justice. The agent reportedly offered to use the influence of the Israel Lobby to get Harmon appointed chairperson of the House Intelligence Committee in return for her help with the Rosen-Weissman case. If Harmon agreed to accept the offer, it is a crime regardless of whether she acted upon her promise. It is further alleged that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales blocked any investigation into whether Harmon and the Israeli agent were involved in criminal conduct because he needed a high profile Democrat to support the Bush Administration's efforts to quell political damage from the bombshell revelations of the domestic spying scandal.
Lobbying is a perfectly natural and legal concept that every cause and organization engages in to promote their agenda. But how many other lobbying organizations have had two of its lobbyists awaiting trial for espionage and apparently have used their enormous influence to further lobby a member of Congress to illegally intercede in that same espionage case?
Every American who is truly seeking a the establishment of a Palestinian state and peace between Israel and the Palestinians should ask Rep. Harmon where her real allegiances lie.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 8:20 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home