GOP Calls for FBI Investigation in Sestak Case

CBS/AP

Updated 5:04 p.m. Eastern Time

Here's more evidence that the GOP is trying to keep the Joe Sestak affair alive despite today's White House memo denying wrongdoing: A group of Republicans have sent a letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller asking for an FBI investigation of "allegations that White House officials bribed Representative Joe Sestak with promises of a senior Administration position in exchange for his withdrawal from the Pennsylvania Senate primary."

The letter comes from House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith and House Oversight and Government Ranking Member Darrell Issa and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee; in it, they write that "the White House makes no effort to deny" that a conversation between Bill Clinton and Sestak about withdrawing from the primary took place.

While that's true, the White House maintains that there was nothing improper about the conversation and that it comports to the behavior of past administrations. (Backers of the administration have been pointing to a purported Associated Press story detailing how Sen. S.I. Hayakawa "spurned a Reagan administration suggestion that if he drops out of the crowded Republican Senate primary race in California, President Reagan would find him a job.")

Sestak, who has backed the White House version of events, spoke to reporters late this afternoon. Asked by CBS News how he feels about being put in the position he finds himself in, he replied, "I understand that Washington DC is often about these deals. I didn't feel good bad or indifferent. I just said no and moved on."

He told reporters his conversation with Mr. Clinton lasted less than one minute.

In the memo released today, White House counsel Robert Bauer argued that the White House has "concluded that allegations of improper conduct rest on factual errors and lack a basis in the law."

He wrote that while "options for Executive Branch service were raised" with Sestak in an effort to "avoid a divisive Senate primary," the executive branch advisory board positions discussed were uncompensated and would have allowed Sestak to remain in the House.

In their letter, the Republicans write that "Assurances by the Obama White House that no laws were broken are like the Nixon White House promising it did nothing illegal in connection with Watergate. Clearly, an independent investigation is necessary to determine once and for all what really happened."

The Justice Department has previously rebuffed GOP calls for a special prosecutor to investigate the matter.

While such situations are not uncommon, former Reagan Justice Department official Michael Carvin told CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford, the discussions may have amounted to a technical violation of the law.

[Harden_Tar]

Here it is Monday June 1st and this story has been buried by the main stream media. It was a crime last week and gone this week.

[Joe__Black]

Well it's good to know that Obama is just as corrupt as Reagan was.

"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again;but already it was impossible to say which was which."
George Orwell

[infonato61]

So what does BHO do? He goes to a guy that can't keep his pants zipped up and wants him to try and cut a deal for him because he doesn't have what it takes to do it himself. Yeah that was real good decision.

[infonato61]

The Koolaide drinkers are out in force today about BHO. He's got his groupies covering for his ignorance and stupidity. That's what you get with inexperience, an Organizer, really. You want to divert, deny, obfuscate, re-direct it's like magic but you are the only ones buying what BHO is selling. Pathetic.

[msimamaji]

So we want th FBI to investigate the offer of non-paying job with no political power. Where was the FBI when Bush & Company outed a CIA agent? The same Republicans that are calling for an investigation now, helped cover up for Karl Rove. And what is a greater danger to the Administration.
Let's look at the GOP's record. Right now, oil is destroying the Gulf of Mexico. The GOP is trying to limit the damages BP must pay. They are also trying to eliminate President Obama's moratorium on off-shore drilling, so they can create more BP-type disasters - so they can blame them on the President. BP, like Massey Energy Company, has consistently lied to the government. Although hurrican season hasn't begun yet, a tropical storm has already battered Guatamala, a preview of what's to come. (Remember, frequent hurricanes are a by-product of global climate change - something that the GOP refuses to accept.) And the GOP blames Obama. We need clean, green sources of energy and the GOP is blocking Obama's energy legislation.
GOP's current posturing is just a cover-up for their own incompetence. Let's stop buying into the GOP's web of lies and deception and vote them out of office.

[GraceinFlorida]

How any one can defend Obama....to say it is always done doesn't cut it. This should be investigated...it isn't the first time Obama has tried this slimy kind of politics....Some change...No hope! The press is hiding the story don't want thier prince of thieves going down in the polls......bunch of losers!

[jambo223]

Does anybody really care? I mean, please! After eight-years of total criminality where murder, torture, lying us into illegal wars, undermining of the economy and the rule of war were the order of the day, now we are worried about someone being offered an unpaid position in exchanged for remaining a member of the House rather than running for the Senate. Boy, that sounds like making a mountain out of mole hill to me! And talk about a waste of time and money. These investigations use a great amount of tax payers funds and distract our law enforcement agencies from actual matters of importance.

[nolieshere]

If the accusations leveled by the right were true, it would represent an improper move. If Sestak had been offered a position, then dropped out of the race to accept the position, the republicans would then have a right to scream 'foul'.

That didn't happen, so SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!

[Cuda-Driver]

Associated Press story from 1981:

Sen. S. I. Hayakawa on Wednesday spurned a Reagan Administration suggestion that if he drops out of the crowded Republican Senate primary race in California, President Reagan would find him a job.

Hayakawa, who was seeking a second term at the time, was being urged by GOP officials to withdraw from the 1982 primary, a race that included, among others, Reps. Barry Goldwater Jr. & Bob Dornan, San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson, and First Daughter Maureen Reagan. The last thing the White House wanted was a split-conservative field that would end in the nomination of Rep. Pete McCloskey, a longtime anathema to the Right. Hayakawa ultimately decided not to run for re-election. Wilson won the primary and was elected in November.

[bradkt1]

Sestak backs up the White House version of what happned...the rest is wishful thinking by the right wing.

Hence, without Sestak, there is no evidence and no proof...end of story.

[ConstantineXIII]

Come on bradkt1, the whole thing was a staged lawyerly prepared statement. Sestak's answers are also inconsistent with his previous statements. Nowhere moreover did Sestak say the job was "unpaid". In fact, I suspect every impression was created by Clinton that it would be a lucrative job. The White House lawyers just made up the idea that it was "unpaid". Are you so emotionally attached to Obama that you cannot see these obvious truths?

[pasmalltown]

by ConstantineXIII May 29, 2010 9:48 AM EDT -
"Are you so emotionally attached" to "seeing heads roll" in this case that your "obivous truths" may never be fully addressed?? At this point in time there are no "obvious truths" other than the ones Hannity has placed in your head.
For the "other" side of the story - The Repubs see this as a win-win situation - either they can "prove" something with further investigation i.e. criminal WH intent or bash Sestak with "embellishment" of the truth. Either way it is partisan politics pure an simple... With Dem Sestak running against conservative Repub Toomey in Nov, they believe they can't lose. "Proving" that something is criminal over a one minute conversation (a point which Sestak agrees with, at least at this point) is going to be very, very difficult. So it would seem that Issa is "cheerleading" for his buddy, Pat Toomey for the win in Nov and hoping that, in this tight race, distain for Sestak's "embellishment" will save the day for yet another Repub in the Senate..... O.K. now you decide, I'll wait for the facts/"truth" if this thing goes any further.