By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com As a U.S. Attorney in New Jersey who crusaded against corruption, Chris Christie — now the New Jersey governor — routinely stayed in expensive hotels at taxpayer expense, far exceeding the government allowance, according to a Justice Department Inspector General report released Monday. The report, which looked at the travel of…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com With trial set to begin next week, a federal judge has ruled that an FBI agent accused of lying about his ownership in a building the FBI leased in Oxford, Miss., cannot allege in court that the charges were the result of a vendetta by then-U.S. Attorney Jim Greenlee, the Associated…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com A Polk County police detective from Felton, Ga., was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison Tuesday for interfering in a joint FBI-police probe into a chop shop in Polk County and tipping off friends about an informant in the case. Mark Howell Sparks, 40, was convicted in July…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — The feds in New York are considering indicting Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s brother — a U.S. citizen who used to reside in Maryland — on tax evasion, the Washington Post reports. The Post, which contact brother Mahmoud Karzai by phone for comment, quoted him as saying he had not…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com The Justice Department is asking a federal judge in Mississippi to stop defense attorneys for an indicted FBI agent from alleging that the charges stem from a vendetta from the former U.S. Attorney, the Associated Press reported. The agent, Hal Neilson, was indicted in January for allegedly failing to disclose his…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com WASHINGTON — While Washington may be our nation’s capital, it’s not likely to be mistaken for the capital of sincerity. Which brings us to the endless stream of press releases the White House issues when announcing the nominations of U.S. Attorneys and U.S. Marshals. Take, for example, on June 9, when…
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Drew Parenti, head of the FBI’s Sacarmento bureau, is retiring to take a job as vice president of security for Penske Truck Leasing in Reading, Pa., the Sacramento Bee is reporting. Parenti, 50, a 26 year bureau veteran, said the FBI is “a hard organization to leave,” according to the paper….
By Allan Lengel ticklethewire.com Saying they didn’t wish to delay the trial, federal prosecutors on Sunday said they won’t appeal a judge’s ruling that bans a key witness from testifying in the first criminal trial of Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspect, Reuters news service reported. “The government . . . has decided not to pursue an…
