The Clinton Coverup begins to unravel ...
Possible Coverup at DOJ
Thursday, January 4, 2001
By David Shuster
WASHINGTON — Senior staff working for Attorney General Janet Reno
have threatened to fire an independent counsel investigating a possible
coverup at the Justice Department, Fox News has learned.
Independent Counsel Dave Barrett
led the investigation of former
Clinton housing secretary Henry
Cisneros, who admitted lying to
the FBI. According to sources, for
the last 10 months Barrett has
been presenting his grand jury
with new evidence alleging that
officials at the Justice Department
improperly tried to influence
actions by the Internal Revenue
Service.
Barrett was warned by senior
Justice Department officials to halt
his investigation, but DOJ officials
told Fox News that they did not
threaten to fire him.
Barrett's original focus was on Cisneros, who pleaded guilty to a
misdemeanor for lying during an FBI background check.
During his investigation, Barrett uncovered evidence of possible tax fraud
by Cisneros. But Justice Department officials, along with the IRS, said that
aspect of the Cisneros record was beyond the independent counsel's
jurisdiction. After looking at the evidence themselves, the Justice
Department and IRS both refused to pursue the matter.
According to well-placed sources, last year a top lawyer within the IRS
alleged that senior Justice Department officials were attempting to protect
Cisneros. The IRS employee, who is now a whistleblower for the
independent counsel, has reportedly testified that justice officials
pressured the IRS in other cases as well.
Allegations have been made before that the IRS backed off of President
Clinton's friends and stepped up cases against his opponents.
But the investigation at the Washington courthouse marks the first time
that any of these allegations have been reviewed by a federal grand jury.
Lawyers say dozens of IRS employees have testified in recent months.
And Fox News has learned that inspectors general at the IRS and
Treasury Departments are helping with the case.
So far the investigation has not not suggested evidence strong enough to warrant
any charges. But sources indicate the probe of the Justice Department
still has a long way to go. When contacted about this story by Fox News,
Barrett refused to comment. |
