In Their Own Words: Rat Finks
Updated: 04 January, 2006
Rat Fink
Main Entry: stool pigeon
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: informer to police
Synonyms: agent provocateur, decoy, fink, informer, narc, nark, plant, police informer, rat, rat fink, shill, snitch, spy, squealer, stoolie, tattletale, whistle-blower
Source: Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1) Copyright © 2005 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
Main Entry: traitor
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: deserter
Synonyms: apostate, back-stabber, backslider, Benedict Arnold, betrayer, conspirator, copperhead, deceiver, defector, deserter, double-crosser, fifth columnist, fink, hypocrite, imposter, informer, intriguer, Judas, miscreant, narc, plotter, quisling, rat, rat fink, rebel, renegade, snake, sneak, snitch, snitcher, spy, squealer, stool pigeon, stoolie, tattletale, traducer, treasonist, turncoat, two-timer, whistle-blower, wolf
Antonyms: loyalist
Source: Roget's New Millennium Thesaurus, First Edition (v 1.1.1) Copyright © 2005 by Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved.
From The Guardian, January 4, 2006
Lobbyist to reveal all in Congress bribes scandal · Senior politicians alleged to have accepted favours · Republicans likely to suffer most damage Julian Borger in Washington Wednesday January 4, 2006 The Guardian
A well-connected Republican lobbyist agreed yesterday to give evidence against top politicians whom he allegedly bribed, in what analysts predict may prove to be the biggest congressional scandal in American history. The lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy involving "corruption of public officials" as well as fraud and tax evasion, after striking a deal with federal prosecutors that is expected to lift the lid on a culture of corruption in Congress, in which legislative favours are routinely exchanged for lucrative perks. "This is potentially the biggest congressional scandal in history," said Melanie Sloan, a former federal prosecutor and the head of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog organisation. "Abramoff knew everybody. He knows how Washington works." Backstory The Abramoff scandal began last year as a little-noticed investigation into casinos on some Native American reservations. The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and other tribes complained to Senate investigators that they had been paying millions of dollars to Washington lobbyists to help protect their gambling income from taxation and competition but were getting little in return. The lobbyists in question were led by Jack Abramoff, a Washington super-lobbyist who owned his own plush restaurant, Signatures, for entertaining politicians, and Michael Scanlon, a former spokesman for one of the Republican party's top power-brokers, Tom DeLay. The inquiry uncovered a culture of influence-peddling that infused Congress and tainted the White House, as first Mr Scanlon and then Mr Abramoff decided to cooperate with the justice department. As well as meals at Signatures, Mr Abramoff offered hospitality in comfortable "sky-boxes" at sports events and golfing trips to Scotland, for a chance to play at St Andrews. One of the lucky golfers was Mr DeLay, who took his wife and entourage on an Abramoff-financed trip to Scotland in 2000. He has claimed it was a working visit, involving a meeting with Margaret Thatcher. Baroness Thatcher's office has confirmed the meeting. Mr DeLay stepped down as House majority leader in September after being charged in a separate case involving political money-laundering in Texas.
From The New York Times, Thursday, December 22, 2005
Lobbyist Nears Terms on Plea Deal
by Anne E. Kornblut
WASHINGTON - Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under indictment for fraud in South Florida, is expected to complete a plea agreement in the Miami criminal case, setting the stage for him to become a crucial witness in a broad federal corruption investigation, people with direct knowledge of the case said. One participant in the case said the deal could be made final as early as next week. Some of the details are still "in flux," said a participant who, like others interviewed, was granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks. "Anything can happen," the participant said, adding that the agreement could fall apart. Another person with detailed knowledge of the case said that while negotiations were continuing, the deal could take longer than another week to be settled. But after a lengthy bargaining phase, Mr. Abramoff's lawyers and prosecutors in the Florida case appear closer to resolving several of the central issues in the plea deal, in which the defendant would receive a reduced prison sentence - most likely in the range of five to seven years, though that is fluid - in exchange for pleading guilty and agreeing to testify against his former associates. Mr. Abramoff was indicted in Florida on Aug. 11 on charges stemming from his purchase of a fleet of casino boats in 2000. Prosecutors said Mr. Abramoff and a business partner, Adam Kidan, falsified documents and lied about their financing in order to complete the purchase. Mr. Kidan pleaded guilty last week, leaving Mr. Abramoff to face six criminal counts and up to 30 years in prison as case's sole defendant. At the same time, prosecutors in Washington have been sifting through evidence of what they believe is a corruption scheme involving at least a dozen lawmakers and their former staff members, many of whom worked closely on legislation with Mr. Abramoff and accepted gifts and favors from him. Although Mr. Abramoff is also in negotiations in that case, it is unclear whether a settlement can be reached in time for both agreements to be announced at once. Michael Scanlon, a close business associate of Mr. Abramoff in Washington who also worked on the SunCruz casino boat deal, pleaded guilty in October in exchange for testifying in both inquiries. The case, being worked on by dozens of investigators as part of a multiagency task force, has expanded in recent months to put senior Republican officials and prominent party lobbyists under immense scrutiny.
From the Associated Press, December 28th, 2005, 6:00 pm
NSA used banned data-tracking on Web site
Federal rules bar 'cookies'; spy agency says it was a mistake NEW YORK - The National Security Agency's Internet site has been placing files on visitors' computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most of them. These files, known as "cookies," disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week, and agency officials acknowledged Wednesday they had made a mistake. Nonetheless, the issue raises questions about privacy at a spy agency already on the defensive amid reports of a secretive eavesdropping program in the United States.
From The New York Times, December 16th, 2005 12:24 pm
Bush Secretly Lifted Some Limits on Spying in U.S. After 9/11, Officials Say
By James Risen and Eric Lichtblau / New York Times
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 - Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials. The White House asked The New York Times not to publish this article, arguing that it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. After meeting with senior administration officials to hear their concerns, the newspaper delayed publication for a year to conduct additional reporting. Some information that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists has been omitted. Several national security officials say the powers granted the N.S.A. by President Bush go far beyond the expanded counterterrorism powers granted by Congress under the USA Patriot Act, which is up for renewal. The House on Wednesday approved a plan to reauthorize crucial parts of the law. But final passage has been delayed under the threat of a Senate filibuster because of concerns from both parties over possible intrusions on Americans' civil liberties and privacy. Under the act, law enforcement and intelligence officials are still required to seek a F.I.S.A. warrant every time they want to eavesdrop within the United States. A recent agreement reached by Republican leaders and the Bush administration would modify the standard for F.B.I. wiretap warrants, requiring, for instance, a description of a specific target. Critics say the bar would remain too low to prevent abuses. At an April hearing on the Patriot Act renewal, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, asked Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Robert S. Mueller III, the director of the F.B.I., "Can the National Security Agency, the great electronic snooper, spy on the American people?" "Generally," Mr. Mueller said, "I would say generally, they are not allowed to spy or to gather information on American citizens."
From USA Today, December 26th, 2005, 4:05 pm
Most think propaganda campaign in Iraq wrong
By Mark Memmott / USA Today
Almost three-quarters of Americans think it was wrong for the Pentagon to pay Iraqi newspapers to publish news about U.S. efforts in Iraq, a new USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll shows. USA TODAY reported earlier this month that the Pentagon plans to expand beyond Iraq an anti-terrorism public relations campaign that has included secret payments to Iraqi journalists and publications who printed stories favorable to the USA. In some cases, the stories will be prepared by U.S. military personnel, as they have been in Iraq. The military will not always reveal it was behind the stories, said Mike Furlong, deputy director of the Joint Psychological Operations Support Element. The global program will be part of a five-year public relations campaign costing up to $300 million. The poll shows that most Americans don't approve of such programs. Of the 1,003 people surveyed Dec. 16-18, 72% said it would be inappropriate for the U.S. military to secretly pay Iraqi media to publish stories favorable to the USA. And almost two-thirds said such payments would bother them a "fair amount" or a "great deal." The payments in Iraq were first disclosed Nov. 30 by the Los Angeles Times.
From the Associated Press, December 14th, 2005, 7:21 pm
Bob Novak Says President Knows Leak Source
By Pete Yost / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Columnist Bob Novak, who first published the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, says he is confident that President Bush knows who leaked Plame's name. Novak said that "I'd be amazed" if the president didn't know the source's identity and that the public should "bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is." Novak's remarks, reported in the Raleigh, N.C., News & Observer, came during a question and answer session Tuesday after a speech sponsored by the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer urged Bush to identify Novak's source or to say that he does not know who it is. In 2003, Novak exposed Plame's identity eight days after her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of manipulating prewar intelligence to exaggerate the Iraqi threat. In the column disclosing Plame's CIA status, Novak said the sources for his column were two administration officials.
From MSNBC, Updated: 6:18 p.m. ET Dec. 14, 2005
Is the Pentagon spying on Americans?
Secret database obtained by NBC News tracks 'suspicious' domestic groups By Lisa Myers, Douglas Pasternak, Rich Gardella and the NBC Investigative Unit WASHINGTON - A year ago, at a Quaker Meeting House in Lake Worth, Fla., a small group of activists met to plan a protest of military recruiting at local high schools. What they didn't know was that their meeting had come to the attention of the U.S. military. A secret 400-page Defense Department document obtained by NBC News lists the Lake Worth meeting as a "threat" and one of more than 1,500 "suspicious incidents" across the country over a recent 10-month period. The Defense Department document is the first inside look at how the U.S. military has stepped up intelligence collection inside this country since 9/11, which now includes the monitoring of peaceful anti-war and counter-military recruitment groups.