Bob Ney: Prosecuted for Not Playing Ball with Bush Administration
"They've taken bloodsport to a whole new level in this administration" Bob Ney: Republican congressman prosecuted by the Bush Justice Department, says in radio interview with Thom Hartmann.
Because he refused to play ball with the Bush administration, Bob Ney was prosecuted, in a dirty Rovian ploy Hartmann described as reminiscent of the Dan Siegelman case. That's the take-away from an interview Ney did with Air America Radio host Thom Hartmann.
Ney reported that he received communications from Iran, "Iran would have recognized Israel and a whole host of other things, would have let our inspectors on their ground; and I said that to the White House; I'll stand by that today; the white house denies it, but Colin Powell's former assistant admits that that [document] came over to the State Department and the White House wanted no part of it. "
Hartmann observed, "I think that we have political prisoners in the United States now. "
Ney replied, "...but when you get in their path, I think they've taken bloodsport to a new level in this administration "
Let's not forget that Ney is no innocent, as Thom Hartmann pointed out, in a private email, "
And AG Mukasey will surely just sit back and let it all slide by. No problemo.
Transcript of Thom Hartman's Radio interview with Bob Ney
Thom Hartman: You were prosecuted by the Bush Administration for what Ellen has characterized to me as mostly ... a political prosecution because you were pushing back on Iran. Can you speak to that? Please?
Ney: At the end of the day, I brought a lot of things on myself and I did some things that were wrong; but I also believe that part of this was fueled in the sense of the Iran issue.
It's been no secret that when I went to prison I gave permission for a secret meeting I'd had with Mr. Gorman who came from Switzerland. He presented a document that was absolutely incredible, where Iran would have recognized Israel and a whole host of other things, would have let our inspectors on their ground; and I said that to the White House; I'll stand by that today; the white house denies it, but Colin Powell's former assistant admits that that [document] came over to the State Department and the White House wanted no part of it.
I believe that every step of the way, and I think it came more from Cheney's people, but every step of the way that I attempted to deal with Iran, it got pretty harsh back. So I think part of this, I gave them the bullets, but I think some of the force was also involved with Iran and people that would rather see those countries not communicate, no matter who is head of Iran.
Hartmann: So Iran came to you, because you speak Farsi and you are the Iran expert in the House of Representatives...
Ney: Ambassador Goolaban, who was ambassador from Switzerland to Iran, he came to me.
Hartmann: Their representative, in other words they approached you through their legal representative...
Ney: And I had participated in the meeting in Stockholm...
Hartmann: And they said that they would recognize Israel and that they would allow UN inspectors into their nuclear sites, and you passed that information along to the White House, it fell down the rabbit hole and immediately you were being prosecuted.
Ney: It, it fell down the rabbit hole, there was a lot of kickback; I know that Gorman had terrible problems after that, I think through mainly Rumsfeld's people and Cheney's people. That's what happened after that agreement.
Hartmann: It so sounds like the Don Siegelman story and the Paul Minor story, and if you're not familiar with those two stories, I encourage you to do a little Googling.
I think that we have political prisoners in the United States now.
Ney: Well, I know that the harshness of the administration, and again, I take culpability, I did some wrong things,
but when you get in their path, I think they've taken bloodsport to a new level in this administration
Hartmann: "They've taken blood sport to a new level; what a quote! Congressman Bob Ney, thank you for coming on our program and sharing candidly with us."