NRN - ALERT: Obama Judicial Nominee Faces Ethics Issue...

From NetRightDaily.com:

Urge Senate to Filibuster Carney for 2nd Circuit Court!

Obama nominee allegedly engaged in cover-up on behalf of Yale University.

ALG President Bill Wilson issued the following statement urging Senate Republicans to filibuster the nomination of Susan Carney for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals:

"Serious questions have been raised about Susan Carney's lack of integrity during her tenure at Yale University as Deputy General Counsel. When it was revealed that a Dongguk University professor, Shin Jeong-ah, had not received a doctorate degree from Yale, Carney allegedly engaged in a cover-up to prevent information from surfacing showing that Yale had confirmed to Dongguk that Shin was indeed a Yale graduate, as revealed by court documents filed by Dongguk.

"Carney said the confirmation fax sent by Yale was 'not authentic,' even though it was. She didn't even competently investigate Dongguk's claim until the U.S. Justice Department issued a subpoena, and failed to even attempt to verify the authenticity of the fax, according to the plaintiffs. Then Yale drug its feet before Carney finally admitted what she learned from the investigation, saying that she had 'inadvertently provided one piece of incorrect information.'

"Dongguk has sued Yale for $50 million in damages caused by the scandal, which they say would have been mitigated if Yale had simply admitted its error up front. While Carney was publicly denying Dongguk's factual assertions in the scandal, her internal memorandum indicates that she advised that the assertions may be true.

"Carney's dishonorable willful disregard for the truth and promotion of a falsehood disqualifies her from consideration to a lifetime appointment to the second highest court in the land. Someone in her position of responsibility should not have acted so irresponsibly. She flatly denied the authenticity of a document while privately confirming that it may be authentic, and later being forced to admit the error. For anyone else, Carney's reckless actions would have warranted being fired.

"Senate Republicans should do all in their power not to allow the Carney nomination to go through unchallenged. We urge all Senators to block Carney, including placing legislative holds on her nomination, which would require she receive 60 votes in order for her nomination to move forward. The Senate is under no obligation to support Carney, whose ethical lapses and incompetence in this scandal cannot be overlooked."

You know what to do!  Click here to urge the Senate to block the appointment of Carney. 

At best, Carney actions in this case were "negligent and careless," as Dongguk University stated in its court filings, and that hardly qualifies her to sit as a judge for life.  Is this the best Obama can come up with?

ALSO READ FOR MORE INFO:

Ethics Issue Plagues Obama Judicial Nominee
By Bill Wilson

On Jan. 15, 2011, Barack Obama nominated for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals, Susan Carney, Deputy General Counsel for Yale University. She has been voted out of the Judiciary Committee, and currently is awaiting full Senate consideration. But, not so fast.

Unfortunately, as with other Obama nominees, serious questions have been raised about Susan Carney's lack of integrity. The allegations arise from Carney's tenure at Yale University, and call into question both her judgment as an attorney and her temperament to serve as a federal judge.

In 2007, when it was revealed that a Dongguk University professor, Shin Jeong-ah, had not received a doctorate degree from Yale, Carney allegedly engaged in a cover-up to prevent information from surfacing showing that Yale had indeed confirmed to Dongguk that Shin was a Yale graduate, as revealed by court documents filed by Dongguk.

At the time, Carney said the confirmation fax verifying Shin's doctorate sent by Yale was "not authentic," even though it turned out that it was. She did not even apparently fully investigate Dongguk's claim until the U.S. Justice Department issued a subpoena in the matter, and failed to even attempt to verify the authenticity of the fax, according to the plaintiffs.

But Dongguk may be too kind in its filings. It gives Yale and Carney the benefit of the doubt that they were merely negligent in their internal investigation of the matter.

It would be reasonable for Senators to question Carney about why it took a U.S. Attorney enforcing a U.S.-Korean treaty on cooperation in criminal matters to discover that, indeed, Yale University had confirmed that Shin had received the degree (see page 98 for Yale's reply to the subpoena). It would be equally reasonable to question whether Yale University knew all along that it had sent the fax to Dongguk confirming the degree, and whether it was, with Carney's knowledge, covering this fact up to salvage its own reputation.

After more than four months of Yale dragging its feet, Carney finally admitted that the University had indeed confirmed that Shin received the degree. She claimed that she had "inadvertently provided one piece of incorrect information" and that the confirmation had only been sent by an associate dean "in the rush of business".

Dongguk University was not satisfied, and replied saying, "if Yale University had revealed the fact in your first reply of July 10, 2007, Dongguk University would not have received a lot of harsh criticism from the public." In Korea, the scandal has been dubbed "Shin-gate" by media.

The letter continued, "Your inaccurate information of July 10, 2007 has ruined our one hundred year-long built reputation. What was worse was that in September 2005, we had no choice but to take facsimile document sent… as an authentic one as it is now, and officially believed that Yale University awarded a Ph.D. to Jeong Ah Shin in May 2005". Shin was hired by Dongguk in 2005, and worked for two years before it was discovered that she may not have actually obtained a degree from Yale University.

That is when Dongguk notified Yale of the potential problem and attempted to deal with the matter promptly. Instead, Dongguk's inquiry got stonewalled until the Korean government intervened, invoking the treaty requiring U.S. cooperation in Korean criminal proceedings, in this case against Shin.

Dongguk has now sued Yale for $50 million in damages caused by the scandal, which they say would have been mitigated if Yale had simply admitted its error up front. While Carney was publicly denying Dongguk's factual assertions in the scandal, her internal memorandum indicates that she advised that the assertions could possibly be true.

Carney's dishonorable willful disregard for the truth and promotion of a falsehood disqualifies her from consideration to a lifetime appointment to the second highest court in the land. Let's be specific: It was not until the Justice Department intervened that it was revealed Yale University was the party at fault in this case, raising the question of what Carney knew and when she knew it.

Either, without ever conducting a proper investigation, Carney was publicly denying that Yale had ever sent the confirmation of Shin's degree that she in fact had never received. Or, she knew Yale had sent the confirmation and was doing her best to cover it up — which would be a scandal of Nixonian proportions. Whichever it was, neither instance qualifies her for the federal bench.

For anyone else, Carney's reckless actions would have warranted being fired. The plaintiffs described Carney as "negligent and careless" in her conduct in this scandal. Does that sound like a qualification for a lifetime judicial appointment?

Senate Republicans should do all in their power not to allow the Carney nomination to go through unchallenged, including placing legislative holds on her nomination and filibustering.

The questions surrounding "Shin-gate" and Carney's conduct were apparently never raised in the Judiciary Committee and warrant further investigation before Carney receives a lifetime appointment. She has not been fully vetted, and her apparent ethical lapses and incompetence in this scandal cannot and must not be overlooked.

Bill Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government. You can follow Bill on Twitter at @BillWilsonALG.

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ALG Demands Filibuster Against Judicial Nominees

"Senate Republicans are under no obligation to support nominees or provide political cover for the other side of the aisle."—ALG President Bill Wilson.

November 17^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) is encouraging Republicans in the Senate to filibuster the nomination of judicial nominees Goodwin Liu and Robert Chatigny, for the federal bench.  The full Senate is expected to vote on these judicial nominees tomorrow.

"Senate Republicans are under no obligation to support nominees or provide political cover for the other side of the aisle," explained Bill Wilson, president of Americans for Limited Government (ALG).

"Goodwin Liu is an extra-constitutional thinker who believes that the eligibility requirements for ObamaCare and other 'welfare rights' are perfectly within the scope of courts to interpret," Wilson noted.  "With him on the bench, a single-payer system could be just one court decision away.  The American people cannot take that chance."

"Liu also has an expansive view of the Commerce Clause, and does not even hold as an 'absolute requirement' that an activity even be economic in order for it to be regulated.  Guess what? That encapsulates all activity," Wilson explained.

"Robert Chatigny told the American people everything they needed to know when he did all in his power to prevent the execution of a convicted serial killer and rapist.  He even overturned Connecticut's sex offender registry law, only to later have his own decision reversed," Wilson explained.

Americans for Limited Government has run ads urging Senate Judiciary Committee members to oppose Chatigny.

Wilson concluded, "These radical judicial picks, re-nominated by Obama, remind the American people of why judges matter.  It is up to the Senate Republicans to put the brakes on nominees whose extralegal views warp and distort the Constitution and thus undermine the rule of law.  America does not need more ideologues on the bench."

Attachments:

Senate to Reconsider Judicial Nominees Goodwin Liu and Robert Chatigny, Bill Wilson, September 22^nd, 2010.

Goodwin Liu, Americans for Limited Government Nominee Alert, March 2010.

"Wonderland: The World According to Goodwin Liu," Bill Wilson, March 24th, 2010.

"Why Goodwin Liu is Important," ALG News Editorial, April 12th, 2010.

"Liu Guilty by Omission," Robert Romano, April 8th, 2010.

ALG Nominee Alert, Robert Chatigny, March 2010.

Video: Oppose Confirmation of Serial Killer Apologist for Court of Appeals, June 22nd, 2010.

ALG Letter to U.S. Senate Against Judge Chatigny, June 21st, 2010.

"Editorial: Democrat Senate to Promote Rapist, Serial Killer Apologist to 2nd Circuit Court," ALG News, June 21st, 2010.



Jim Bender calls on Senator Gregg to filibuster Elena Kagan nomination

Jim Bender - US Senate 2010
www.BenderforSenate.com

Jim Bender, Republican candidate for US Senate released this statement on today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote to approve the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court sending final approval to the full senate for consideration. 

 “I call on Senator Judd Gregg to stand up and filibuster this nomination, because that is exactly what I would do if I were a United States Senator; fight for the constitution and the people of New Hampshire,” said Bender.  “Kagan is a blank slate. She has neither the experience of a judge nor the judicial qualifications to evaluate, since she has never presided over a single case.  Therefore, it would be irresponsible for the Congress to confirm her nomination.  I will go to Washington to make sure our Supreme Court justices will follow the Constitution and bring back trust and accountability to our government.”

ALG Thanks Senate GOP for Blocking Financial Takeover, Urges Members to "Hold the Line"

"Only Senators Snowe and Collins can stop the government establishment of unlimited authority to monitor all financial activity in the country, levy taxes, and seize companies, all without ongressional approval of the possibility of judicial appeal.  The choice is theirs."—Bill Wilson, President of ALG.

May 19^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today thanked Senate Republicans for blocking the Dodd financial takeover bill yesterday and urged them to "hold the line against a government intervention into the economy that, once enacted, will never end."

"Senate Republicans deserve the thanks of the American people for standing in the way of legislation that has not addressed the root, government causes of the financial crisis, and instead will institutionalize them for all time," Wilson said.

Wilson appealed to Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe to join the filibuster.  "The American people are not getting a good deal out of this bill from Senators Snowe and Collins.  The people are being asked to give the government more power to take over or bail out companies, levy taxes and fees, and monitor every financial transaction in the country, large and small, all without Congressional approval or the possibility for judicial review."

"In return, the American people are not getting anything. The bill fails to rein in the government causes of the financial crisis that Senators Snowe and Collins have the most direct control over.  The American people deserve better," Wilson said.

"I believe Senators Snowe and Collins can and should deliver more for the American people.  They can and should be insisting on the reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and end to perpetual bailouts and government takeovers in this legislation that institutionalize 'too big to fail' in law." 

"Senators Snowe and Collins both supported Senator John McCain's amendment that would have ended government control of the mortgage market, and they have the power to demand that this amendment and others ending bailouts and 'too big to fail' be adopted.  They would be heroes," Wilson noted.

"Even Senators Dick Durbin and Chris Dodd admit that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac need to be reformed, and yet they voted against Senator McCain's very reasonable amendment.  To date, they still refuse to do anything to rein in government control of the mortgage market, and Senators Snowe and Collins should tell them that's not good enough," Wilson said. 

Yesterday on the floor of the Senate, Senator Dick Durbin admitted to Senator Johnny Isakson that government failed in its administration of the housing and mortgage industry: "I will concede that this, what you pointed to as a fundamental flaw, a mistake that was made, there was a presumption made, that owning a home was such a valuable American ideal… but, we went too far, we extended the opportunity for home ownership to people who weren't ready." 

Durbin continued, "And we believed that if you pushed them to the limit of how much they could pay, that the home would appreciate in value, their incomes would go up and everything would work out.  And it turned out that gamble was wrong… on some people.  And certainly, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as the ultimate guarantors of mortgages were part of that.  So, there is a governmental element here, I don't question that for a moment.  So, certainly some blame lies there…"

Senator Dodd too admitted government's failure to Isakson: "We in Congress collectively did not get job done with Fannie and Freddie… I acknowledge that."

Neither Durbin nor Dodd thought that the time was right for Congress to do anything about Fannie and Freddie, however.   Dodd told Isakson, "I totally agree with your premise [that Fannie and Freddie need to be reformed], the question is that as Chairman of this committee I didn't know how… we fix this thing at this point… I would also plead that the failure to deal with that in this bill ought not to be justification for walking away…"

"Senators Dodd and Durbin are passing the buck to the American people, to future generations to deal with the government mismanagement of housing finance that caused the crisis.  They know government failed, and yet they refuse to do a thing about it," Wilson declared.

"Senators Snowe and Collins must not be complicit in throwing away the American people's best chance to rein in the government-caused institution of 'too big to fail', the government-controlled mortgage market that created the crisis, and the government-administered bailouts that will never end under the Dodd bill," Wilson said.

"Only Senators Snowe and Collins can stop the government establishment of unlimited authority to monitor all financial activity in the country, levy taxes, and seize companies, all without Congressional approval of the possibility of judicial appeal.  The choice is theirs," Wilson concluded.

Attachments:

"'Down a Rabbit Hole:' The Threat Posed by the Dodd Bill to the Private Sector," May 13^th, 2010, Americans for Limited Government.

"Big Brother is Watching You: The Threat Posed by the Dodd Bill to Privacy," May 5th, 2010.

Letter to the U.S. Senate, ALG President Bill Wilson, April 26^th, 2010.

ALG Urges Senate GOP to Filibuster Financial Takeover "Before it Cannot Be Undone"

"This bill takes all of the worst lessons of the financial crisis and institutionalizes them for all time."—Bill Wilson, President of ALG.

May 18^th, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today urged Senate Republicans to filibuster the Dodd financial takeover bill, saying, "once enacted, this legislation will be very difficult to undo.  The only option left for Senators is to just say no."

"The Dodd bill will take over the nation's entire financial sector, institutionalize bailouts for all time, monitor individual finances, and levy unlimited assessments on the American people, all without any votes in Congress nor any recourse to federal courts once company assets are seized," Wilson declared.

"Only Senate Republicans can stop this legislation before it is too late and it cannot be undone," Wilson warned, adding, "Harry Reid and Chris Dodd, with this financial takeover, have turned the Senate from the 'cooling saucer' into the boiling kettle pot.  In just one short month, the so-called 'most deliberative body' has considered and will now be voting on the unbridled expansion of federal power to intervene in the economy as never before."

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for cloture on the legislation, with a vote expected Wednesday, according to the Washington Post.

Wilson said that his core objections to the bill have not been addressed, including reining in what he called an "unlimited authority to bail out or outright seize companies deemed 'too risky'." He also objected to the establishment of an Office of Financial Research (OFR) which he said "would be empowered to gather information on every financial transaction, large and small, in the entire country."

ALG has published two summaries on the legislation, the first detailing the bailout and government takeover powers in the bill, and the second outlining the threat posed to individual privacy through the OFR.

Wilson said the legislation "started out in exactly the wrong place.  The Dodd bill does not address the root, government causes of the financial crisis that blew up the housing bubble in the first place," Wilson added, pointing to the failure of the legislation to address Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Housing Administration, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Community Reinvestment Act regulations.

"Government policies weakened underwriting standards, lowered down payments on mortgages, and forced banks to give loans to lower-income Americans while simultaneously providing the capital via low-interest loans, which flooded the system and created a housing boom," Wilson explained.

Wilson said the bill "is as much about deflecting blame away from government for its role in the crisis as it is an egregious power grab.  Now, government says it just needs more of our private, financial information to monitor 'systemic risk' when it did not act on the clear evidence that was widely available at the time demonstrating its own policies were fueling the housing bubble," Wilson said.

"The government also argues that it needs a more rapid 'resolution' authority when the bailouts to date have only perpetuated the doctrine of 'too big to fail,'" Wilson added, concluding, "This bill takes all of the worst lessons of the financial crisis and institutionalizes them for all time, and only Senate Republicans can stop it."

Attachments:

"'Down a Rabbit Hole:' The Threat Posed by the Dodd Bill to the Private Sector," April 30^th, 2010, Americans for Limited Government.

"Big Brother is Watching You: The Threat Posed by the Dodd Bill to Privacy," May 5th, 2010.

Letter to the U.S. Senate, ALG President Bill Wilson, April 26^th, 2010.