Mr. President! Free Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean!

Mr. President! Free Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean! Please join fellow GOPUSA activists in petitioning President Bush for a full pardon for Agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos.

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As part of this investigation, Judicial Watch submitted open records requests to the Illinois Senate and the office of Governor Blagojevich on February 25, 2008 and March 20, 2008 respectively.

"[Judicial Watch and Americans for Prosperity] are undertaking a detailed review of public spending practices in Illinois, including member initiatives and/or earmarked appropriations, about which substantial questions have been raised," Judicial Watch wrote in its original open records request filed with the Illinois Senate.

Predictably, both offices failed to cooperate.

In a letter dated March 20, 2008, the Illinois Senate, citing "privacy interests," indicated that no documents would be forthcoming, while the governor's office failed to respond to the open records requests altogether. In both lawsuits, Judicial Watch is asking the Circuit Court of the 7th Judicial Circuit in Sangamon County, Illinois, to force compliance with Illinois open records law.

With respect to Judicial Watch's lawsuit against the Illinois Senate, Judicial Watch is asking the court to, "Enjoin [the Illinois Senate] to prepare, forthwith, an affidavit declaring that they have fully and completely complied with Plaintiff's February 25, 2008 request and further [declare] that any and all non-exempt public records responsive to the request have been produced to [Judicial Watch]."

Governor Blagojevich and the Illinois Senate need to come clean about any side deals they made to fund pork barrel projects. Their attempt to stonewall the release of these documents demonstrates a shocking lack of respect for both Illinois taxpayers and the rule of law.

Alaska Republican Senator Stevens Indicted

My colleagues and I attended the arraignment of Alaska's Republican Senator Ted Stevens in a DC federal court this week. The courtroom was packed, so we sat with the media and watched the proceedings on closed-circuit television.

Stevens, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, was indicted for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and lying about them on his Senate financial disclosure forms. Stevens didn't say anything at the arraignment and his extraordinary request to get a trial before the general election was granted by the judge handling his case. It is good to be the king -- or senator!

I encourage you to review the sordid details in the indictment here. (web site) Stevens is accused of failing to report $250,000 of gifts he received from an oil company and its owner.

If the charges are proven correct, Senator Stevens deserves what he gets -- and more. Prosecutors charged Stevens with lesser charges of making false statements rather than bribery/extortion because I believe they have been hamstrung by recent court rulings that make it harder to prosecute public officials (especially members of Congress) for bribery.

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

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