What is it about independent counsel David Barrett's final report that Sens. Byron Dorgan, John Kerry, and other Democrats don't want us to see?
National Review, May 23, 2005
What is it about independent counsel David Barrett's final report that Sens. Byron Dorgan, John Kerry, and other Democrats don't want us to see? Barrett--you may recall if you have a strong tolerance for Washington trivia--is the independent counsel chosen to investigate former Clinton-administration HUD secretary Henry Cisneros. Cisneros, accused of lying to the FBI about payments he made to a former girlfriend, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor back in 1999. So why is Barrett still going, at a cost of $21 million so far? Word is that Barrett uncovered evidence that some IRS officials went out of their way to protect Cisneros, and his report might give us an explosive look inside that agency. The report has been finished for months; it is now in what is called the "comment period," during which those mentioned in the report can respond to its findings. That period will end soon, and the report will be released--unless Democrats succeed in cutting off Barrett's funds, which would make it impossible for him to make it public. Now, we never liked the independent-counsel law. It should never have been reauthorized back in 1994, when Bill Clinton (to his later regret) insisted that it be renewed. But it was the law, and Barrett has spent $21 million of the taxpayers' money. We ought to be able to see what he discovered.
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