It really comes as no surprise Rep. Jane Harman was caught on a federal wiretap offering to lobby the Justice Department to reduce espionage-related charges against AIPAC officials. Much of Congress is beholden to the Israeli pressure group. Instead of taking note of this common practice — politicians coming to the rescue of their favored constituents at the expensive of those they were elected to represent — we should take note of the willingness of the NSA and FBI to make this information public. Somebody wanted Jane Harman out of the picture. The case is yet another example of how politics works in the District of Criminals. In exchange for help in getting espionage-related charges reduced against two AIPAC officials, a suspected Israeli agent pledged to lobby Nancy Pelosi, then-House minority leader, to appoint Harman chair of the Intelligence Committee after the 2006 elections, according to CQ Politics.
More specifically, the Los Angeles Times reveals, the caller told Harman Haim Saban would threaten to withhold campaign contributions from Pelosi unless Harman became committee chairwoman.
In October, 2006, AIPAC denied the allegations. “AIPAC would never engage in a quid pro quo in relation to a federal investigation or any federal matter and the notion that it would do so is preposterous,” AIPAC spokesman Patrick Dorton told Time Magazine at the time.
CQ’s Jeff Stein says then Attorney General Alberto Gonzales intervened on Harman’s behalf because he needed her help selling the Bush administration’s illegal warrantless wiretap program. Harman “helped persuade [The New York Times] 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,” according to Stein.
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Haim Saban, an Israeli-American media mogul, has been described by the New York Times as a “tireless cheerleader for Israel.” Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon described Saban as “a dear personal friend. Haim Saban is a great American citizen and a man who always stood by Israel and the Jewish people in times of need. His contribution to strengthening ties between Israel and American political leaders from all parties has been quite remarkable and outstanding.”
Earlier this year, it was reported that Israeli spokeswoman Tzipora Menache allegedly said she was not worried about negative ramifications related to the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. “You know very well, and the stupid Americans know equally well, that we control their government, irrespective of who sits in the White House,” she reportedly said. “You see, I know it and you know it that no American president can be in a position to challenge us even if we do the unthinkable. What can they (Americans) do to us? We control congress, we control the media, we control show biz, and we control everything in America. In America you can criticize God, but you can’t criticize Israel.”
In 2001, then foreign Minister Shimon Peres reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon during a cabinet meeting: “I want to tell you something very clear, don’t worry about American pressure on Israel, we, the Jewish people control America, and the Americans know it.” ” The exchange was reported by Kol Yisrael radio.
“I’m a one-issue guy and my issue is Israel,” Saban told Forbes in 2003.
Harman’s office told the Associated Press she “never contacted the Justice Department about its prosecution of present or former AIPAC employees, and the Justice Department never informed her that she was or is the subject of or involved in an investigation.”
In a statement, Harman attempted to change the subject. “If there is anything about this story that should arouse concern it is that the Bush administration may have been engaged in electronic surveillance of members of the congressional intelligence committees.” Harman didn’t bother to mention the fact she had leaned on the New York Times in order to get the newspaper to hold off on publishing an article on the unconstitutional NSA wiretap program.
“Harman is a poster child for what has been wrong with Congress for the last 8 years,” writes George Washington’s Blog. She needs to be brought up on ethics and bribery charges immediately and drummed out of Congress. If the AIPAC operatives are convicted, treason charges against Harman should not be ruled out.