FBI Plants a Bug in the Mayor of Philadelphia's Office?
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verte76
Blue Crack Addict
No, except I'm shocked. What are they doing bugging a mayor's office???
Scarletwine
New Yorker
The news tonight said the FBI won't say why and is implying the Republican Party is using the FBI to win the pHilly major's race. Sort of like Delay used Homeland security for Texas Dems.
But I don't know specifics.
But I don't know specifics.
Klaus
Refugee
If it's true it would be a watergate like scandal
Scarletwine
New Yorker
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031007223409990011&_mpc=news.4
PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 9) - Pennsylvania politicians from both parties demanded that the FBI explain why it apparently planted secret bugging devices in the offices of Philadelphia's mayor just weeks before he is up for re-election.
``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,'' Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.
Mayor John Street, a Democrat, is locked in a bitter rematch against Republican businessman Sam Katz, and the campaign has been marked by charges of intimidation and race-baiting.
Rendell, a Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican, were among the politicians who called on the FBI to tell the public what it knows about the eavesdropping equipment. That list also included Katz, who called the discovery ``breathtakingly shocking.''
The FBI made no such public disclosure, and it was unclear what federal prosecutors revealed to Street about the investigation in the two days since the bugs were discovered.
Three federal law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the FBI was responsible for the bugs, but refused to provide any details about the nature of the probe.
Street late Wednesday said one of his advisers had been told by the U.S. Attorney's office that the mayor was not the target of an investigation.
``I never believed that I was the target of any investigation,'' Street said. ``I'm happy to confirm that tonight.''
The U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia did not acknowledge responsibility for the bugs but said it had been in touch with Street.
``We have stated very clearly to both Mayor Street and his attorney the mayor's status in this matter,'' spokesman Richard Manieri said Wednesday night.
He would not elaborate on what federal prosecutors told Street.
FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi declined to comment on the devices, other than to say they were not connected to campaign espionage. The devices were found Tuesday by police conducting a routine sweep of Street's City Hall office suite.
Street's campaign suggested the bugging was instigated by Republicans.
``The timing of the discovery of these listening devices seems incredibly strange, seeing that we are four weeks out of the election, and we have a Democratic mayor ahead in the polls,'' said Frank Keel, the Street campaign spokesman.
Keel went on: ``Do we believe that the Republican Party, both at the federal level and state level, is pulling out every stop to get Pennsylvania in 2004? Absolutely. Is the Republican Party capable of dirty tricks? I think that is well documented.''
U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, the top federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, denied politics plays any role in prosecutors' decisions. Election Day is Nov. 4.
``The U.S. Attorney's office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has a long and proud history of doing its work without regard to partisan politics. That was the practice of my predecessors, and it is my practice as well,'' he said in a statement.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said the security sweeps of the mayor's office have been going on for decades. Police said a similar sweep done in June found nothing suspicious.
An aide to Street, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that more than one microphone was found and that all were within the mayor's office suite. Officials would not say how long the equipment was believed to have been in place.
Street beat Katz four years ago by fewer than 10,000 votes in this city of 1.5 million. Polls also show a neck-and-neck race in this year's campaign, which has been marked by ugly words and an act of violence.
In August, someone tossed what may have been been an unlit firebomb through the window of a Katz campaign office. An aide to Street and a former city employee were charged with making threats after getting into a confrontation the same day. Supporters of Street, who is black, and of Katz, who is white, have accused each other of race-baiting.
A debate between the two was scheduled for Thursday.
This is just ONE example of how the Patriot Act van be abused.
PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 9) - Pennsylvania politicians from both parties demanded that the FBI explain why it apparently planted secret bugging devices in the offices of Philadelphia's mayor just weeks before he is up for re-election.
``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,'' Gov. Ed Rendell said Wednesday.
Mayor John Street, a Democrat, is locked in a bitter rematch against Republican businessman Sam Katz, and the campaign has been marked by charges of intimidation and race-baiting.
Rendell, a Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican, were among the politicians who called on the FBI to tell the public what it knows about the eavesdropping equipment. That list also included Katz, who called the discovery ``breathtakingly shocking.''
The FBI made no such public disclosure, and it was unclear what federal prosecutors revealed to Street about the investigation in the two days since the bugs were discovered.
Three federal law enforcement officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the FBI was responsible for the bugs, but refused to provide any details about the nature of the probe.
Street late Wednesday said one of his advisers had been told by the U.S. Attorney's office that the mayor was not the target of an investigation.
``I never believed that I was the target of any investigation,'' Street said. ``I'm happy to confirm that tonight.''
The U.S. Attorney's office in Philadelphia did not acknowledge responsibility for the bugs but said it had been in touch with Street.
``We have stated very clearly to both Mayor Street and his attorney the mayor's status in this matter,'' spokesman Richard Manieri said Wednesday night.
He would not elaborate on what federal prosecutors told Street.
FBI spokeswoman Linda Vizi declined to comment on the devices, other than to say they were not connected to campaign espionage. The devices were found Tuesday by police conducting a routine sweep of Street's City Hall office suite.
Street's campaign suggested the bugging was instigated by Republicans.
``The timing of the discovery of these listening devices seems incredibly strange, seeing that we are four weeks out of the election, and we have a Democratic mayor ahead in the polls,'' said Frank Keel, the Street campaign spokesman.
Keel went on: ``Do we believe that the Republican Party, both at the federal level and state level, is pulling out every stop to get Pennsylvania in 2004? Absolutely. Is the Republican Party capable of dirty tricks? I think that is well documented.''
U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan, the top federal prosecutor in Philadelphia, denied politics plays any role in prosecutors' decisions. Election Day is Nov. 4.
``The U.S. Attorney's office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has a long and proud history of doing its work without regard to partisan politics. That was the practice of my predecessors, and it is my practice as well,'' he said in a statement.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson said the security sweeps of the mayor's office have been going on for decades. Police said a similar sweep done in June found nothing suspicious.
An aide to Street, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that more than one microphone was found and that all were within the mayor's office suite. Officials would not say how long the equipment was believed to have been in place.
Street beat Katz four years ago by fewer than 10,000 votes in this city of 1.5 million. Polls also show a neck-and-neck race in this year's campaign, which has been marked by ugly words and an act of violence.
In August, someone tossed what may have been been an unlit firebomb through the window of a Katz campaign office. An aide to Street and a former city employee were charged with making threats after getting into a confrontation the same day. Supporters of Street, who is black, and of Katz, who is white, have accused each other of race-baiting.
A debate between the two was scheduled for Thursday.
This is just ONE example of how the Patriot Act van be abused.
verte76
Blue Crack Addict
Hey, this is pretty damned uncool. 
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
It doesn't suprise me. This is what we're heading towards...
Klaus
Refugee
FBI is 19 years behind in it's time schedule
verte76
Blue Crack Addict
Uh, it's 2003. Do you know where your government agent is??
Klaus
Refugee
He just sent me an e-mail and said that i should stop posting government-critical emails 
verte76
Blue Crack Addict
Klaus said:He just sent me an e-mail and said that i should stop posting government-critical emails
Me too.
