Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC

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Sources: Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC
By Jeff Stein, CQ SpyTalk Columnist

Rep. Jane Harman , the California Democrat with a longtime involvement in intelligence issues, was overheard on an NSA wiretap telling a suspected Israeli agent that she would lobby the Justice Department reduce espionage-related charges against two officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, the most powerful pro-Israel organization in Washington.

Harman was recorded saying she would "waddle into" the AIPAC case "if you think it'll make a difference," according to two former senior national security officials familiar with the NSA transcript.

(See related transcript of Join Jeff Stein online Q&A about his column.)

In exchange for Harman's help, the sources said, the suspected Israeli agent pledged to help lobby Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., then-House minority leader, to appoint Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee after the 2006 elections, which the Democrats were heavily favored to win.

Seemingly wary of what she had just agreed to, according to an official who read the NSA transcript, Harman hung up after saying, "This conversation doesn't exist."

http://static.cqpolitics.com/harman-3098436-page1.html?docID=hsnews-000003098436&cpage=1

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@Woiyo9,

So does that mean that AIPAC is a terrorist organization?
Or does it mean that Harman is NOT a US citizen?
Or does it mean that NSA violated US law?

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@parados,

After reading the story -

It seems it means the Bush administration used the information to get Harman to support their warrantless wiretapping.

Quote:

But that's when, according to knowledgeable officials, Attorney General Gonzales intervened.

According to two officials privy to the events, Gonzales said he "needed Jane" to help support the administration's warrantless wiretapping program, which was about to be exposed by the New York Times.

Harman, he told Goss, had helped persuade the newspaper to hold the wiretap story before, on the eve of the 2004 elections. And although it was too late to stop the Times from publishing now, she could be counted on again to help defend the program

Nothing like a little blackmail between crooked politicians.

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@Woiyo9,

Interesting.

1 Reply

@FreeDuck,

On many levels, I am trying to decide what view woiyo is expressing concerning this issue. Me, I think it was a violation of privacy. I also think Israel has a lot of influence with some of those in congress. I guess some would look it as a bad thing (me) and some a good thing.

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Wiretap Recorded Rep. Harman Promising to Intervene for AIPAC

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