Judicial Watch Statement on Sestak Scandal

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton issued the following statement today regarding the federal position allegedly offered by the Obama White House to Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA). Rep. Sestak has claimed repeatedly that the Obama White House tried to persuade him to abandon his Democratic primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter by offering a high-level position in the Obama administration.

Rep. Sestak’s allegations are extremely serious and yet we’ve heard nothing from the Obama White House so far but vague denials of wrongdoing and outright stonewalling.

It’s time for everyone involved in this scandal to come clean. There is simply no wiggle room. Either Sestak lied about the federal job offer or someone at the White House likely committed a felony. It’s that simple.

Attorney General Eric Holder’s refusal to appoint a special counsel in the matter is a disgrace and will not stand.

This latest bribery allegation reflects a disturbing pattern by the Obama White House. We still don’t have all the details about involvement of Obama administration officials in the sale of Obama’s former Illinois U.S. Senate seat by Rod Blagojevich. And we still don’t have answers about the charge that Obama Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina offered a federal job to Colorado Democratic Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff to keep him out of the Senate race. There is also the report that President Obama tried to push disgruntled White House Counsel Greg Craig out of the White House by offering a federal judgeship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. And now we have Joe Sestak.

The Chicago Machine has truly come to Washington.

Truth fears no inquiry. If the Obama White House has nothing to hide then it will ask for and fully cooperate with thorough Justice Department and congressional investigations of this scandal.

According to Judicial Watch, the following laws (among others) may have been violated in the Sestak matter: 18 USC 210: Offer to procure appointive public office; 18 USC 211: Acceptance of solicitation to obtain appointive public office; 18 USC 595: Interference by administrative employees by Federal, State or Territorial Governments; and 18 USC 600: Promise of employment or other benefit for political activity.