Senator Russ Feingold’s decision to double down on his belief that Hillary Clinton is "reliable and trustworthy" is finally starting to make sense.
Only a career politician embroiled in an email scandal to hide reckless conduct at the State Department would be eager to vouch for a fellow career politician embroiled in an email scandal to hide reckless conduct at the State Department.
Politico‘s breaking development in the allegations surrounding Senator Feingold’s violation of the Hatch Act reveals that Wisconsinites will not know the extent to which he plotted his eighth campaign on their dime until December.
As with campaign finance reform, Senator Feingold talked a big game about the importance of an openness in government during his twenty years in Washington. Once you scroll down below his own name in giant letters, check out the fein print in Mr. Clean’s 2005 statement on the Freedom of Information Act:
"It is a hallmark of democracy when a government operates openly, and citizens are permitted access to the records that document the day-to-day decisions of their government. Accordingly, the Freedom of Information Act is in many respects an essential piece of legislation, enabling researchers, journalists and interested citizens to obtain Executive Branch documents, taking account of the need to protect certain documents from disclosure to protect national security, privacy, trade secrets, and certain other applicable privileges. Our constitutional scheme depends on Congress and the Judicial Branch serving as a check on the Executive
Branch. The public’s right to know provides another layer of oversight, and helps ensure that our Executive Branch agencies act in the public interest because they know their actions are subject to public scrutiny."
The Freedom of Information Act is, according to Senator Feingold, "an essential piece of legislation for our democracy." Except, of course, when the Freedom of Information Act threatens to upend Senator Feingold’s desperate campaign to return to Washington.
If Senator Feingold has nothing to hide amid allegations that he violated federal law, why wouldn’t he jump at the chance to release the State Department documents in question before Election Day?
Feingold State Department documents unlikely to come out before election
Politico
By Kevin Robillard
September 8, 2016
Republicans looking for evidence of alleged political activity by Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold while at the State Department likely won’t get their hands on Feingold’s State documents until a month after the 2016 election, as a 20-month-old FOIA request has languished through the political season.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee and incumbent GOP Sen. Ron Johnson’s reelection campaign both argue the delay is inexcusable. The Wisconsin GOP has alleged Feingold violated the Hatch Act by discussing a potential bid with Democratic leaders while he was still serving as a special envoy to the Great Lakes region of Africa. The law bars partisan political activity by government employees,
“Wisconsinites now know why Senator Feingold believes that Hillary Clinton is ‘trustworthy’ — because he’s become as dishonest as she is,” Johnson spokesman Brian Reisinger said. “Not only has he refused to come clean on allegations he broke federal law to benefit his political campaign — he’s hiding behind Washington bureaucrats at the State Department, just like Hillary.”
In late August, the State Department’s Freedom of Information office emailed the NRSC to say the estimated delivery date for their request for Feingold’s correspondence was December 2016. Back in February 2015, The NRSC had requested any correspondence between Feingold and three Democratic senators: DSCC Chairman Jon Tester, outgoing Minority Leader Harry Reid and incoming Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. At the same time, the GOP committee also asked for details on Feingold’s salary, expenditures, office budgets, hotel and travel costs and schedules. Later FOIAs requested emails between Feingold and staffers at Progressives United, the PAC he ran before heading to the State Department that served as a campaign-in-waiting, and emails from Feingold’s longtime chief of staff.
Republicans believe emails between Feingold and Democratic leaders (the NRSC also requested his correspondence with top White House officials) could prove Feingold was planning his rematch against Johnson, who defeated him in 2010, while working at the State Department. Tester told reporters last year he spoke with Feingold about a bid in early January, while other reports indicated Feingold also talked to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the same time frame.
…
The Wisconsin GOP filed a complaint with the U.S. Office of the Special Counsel alleging the Democrat violated the Hatch Act, arguing Feingold "continued to engage in partisan political activity by soliciting support for his future campaign."
…
“This is simply another example of Senator Russ Feingold’s blatant hypocrisy,” NRSC spokeswoman Andrea Bozek said. “During his 20 year career in Washington, Senator Feingold called for more transparency and even praised the Freedom of Information Act, now just like Hillary Clinton he wants to hide his reckless behavior at the State Department.”
Republicans also noted Feingold had repeatedly praised FOIA during his three-term tenure in the Senate, once calling it "an essential piece of legislation for our democracy."
…