Defraud and Deprive

Here you go...

Josh reports about the plea agreement worked out for Neil G. Volz, former top aide to Bob Ney (R-OH, I'm so screwed). I found this passage to be telling (my emphasis added)...

"9. From 1999 through 2004, in the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, the defendant, NEIL G. Volz, did knowingly conspire and agree with Abramoff, Scanlon, Rudy, and others to commit the following offenses against the United States:

a. to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and deprive the citizens of the United States and the United States Congress of the right to the honest services of public officials, including the right to conscientious, loyal, faithful, disinterested and unbiased service to be performed free of deceit, undue influence, conflict of interest, self-enrichment, self-dealing and concealment, by corruptly accepting, while defendant VOLZ was a public official, and by corruptly offering to public officials, while defendant VOLZ was a lobbyist, a stream of things of value, with the intent to influence and reward official action and agreements to perform action, all contrary to..."

It looks like John Dean had it right when he wrote...

"What counts as "fraud" under the statute? Simply put, "any conspiracy for the purpose of impairing, obstructing, or defeating the lawful function of any department of government."

Now John Dean was commenting specifically about the outing of Valerie Plame but the law covers any criminal act or conspiracy that deprives the people of the United States from the proper, honest services of it's employees (including congressmen).

Listen carefully, hear that? That's the 8:15 Clusterfuck Express heading toward the Republican Congress and all who sail in her.

Couldn't happen to a bunch of nicer guys.