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Justice Department: Bribery Has Our Blessing Perhaps the best one can say of Lee Radek, the outgoing chief of the Justice Department's Office of Public Integrity, is that he is unethically consistent. Under the Clinton Administration, Radek had an abysmal record investigating campaign finance abuses. And now, he is exhibiting equal dishonesty in a completely new Administration. Judicial Watch recently received a letter from Radek indicating that there will be no investigation of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay's campaign to sell access to Bush Administration officials in exchange for contributions to the National Republican Congressional Committee. There will be no investigation of similar abuses on the part of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Speaker Denny Hastert, the top Republican in Congress, temporarily withdrew from the NRCC's fundraising after JW's complaints. Delay, on the other hand, obstinately refuses to admit any wrongdoing. (The NRCC, by the way, is run by liberal Republican Tom Davis [R-VA].) Contrary to law and common sense, Radek claims it is not a criminal violation for government officials to accept payments in exchange for arranging meetings with other government officials. According to Radek, while the law does prohibit a Member of Congress from accepting payments in exchange for performing "official acts," selling access to other officials does not qualify. In short, bribery has just received the blessing of a top law enforcement agency in the nation. In explaining his rationale, Radek relies verbatim on language from a Janet Reno letter to House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde, explaining why there would be no investigation of Clinton-Gore fundraising practices. Perhaps this is the saddest commentary of all. Clinton-Gore-Reno now set the standard as to what is appropriate with respect to fundraising. "Corruption in Washington has come full circle," said JW Chairman Larry Klayman. "The Republicans can now point to the example of Bill Clinton to try to excuse their illegal fundraising." During his tenure at the public integrity section, which drew to a close in August, the FBI and prosecutors were extremely critical of Radek's loose standards with respect to corruption. According to the General Accounting Office, the number of corruption cases investigated declined sharply under Radek's watch. Fortunately, his letter to Judicial Watch is set to be withdrawn by new Criminal Division Chief Michael Chertoff, who recently fired Lee Radek as Chief of the Office of Public Integrity.
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