In two separate and unrelated cases this week, judges have refused to throw out criminal charges against two of embattled Montana member of Congress Dennis Rehberg’s top associates.
This week, a federal judge has refused to throw out any corruption charges against Kevin Ring, the high-priced lobbyist that Dennis Rehberg (R, MT) recommended Carter County, Montana hire to lobby for funding to pave a busy public road.
Carter County officials said Dennis Rehberg recommended Ring “because he knew him” even after the scandal around the abuses of convicted criminal Jack Abramoff were exposed. In fact, Rehberg’s spokesman said he couldn’t think of anyone better. Ring, who raked in nearly $100,000 in lobbying cash from Carter County, contributed to both Burns and Rehberg.
As Roll Call reports:
U.S. District Judge Ellen Huvelle on Thursday denied a motion for acquittal filed by Kevin Ring, a former lobbyist on Abramoff’s team who is facing eight corruption counts.
Abramoff has pled guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges for offering officials things of value in exchange for official acts. He served time and is now selling pizza. Abramoff and Ring both were major donors to Rehberg.
In a second, unrelated story here in Montana, a judge has refused to throw out the poaching charges against Rehberg State Director Randy Vogel. KULR-8 Billings has the pre-trial scoop:
Last week, a judge in the case dropped a charge of obstructing a peace officer. Vogel still faces charges of illegally harvesting a spike elk, killing more than one elk and waste of game.
The prominent Republican was appointed state director for the congressman on March 1. The next day, he was cited for poaching the previous hunting season and has been on voluntary unpaid leave since.
Authorities have lined up several witnesses in a case that could be tough to prove since Vogel says that after hunting season he sold the gun he was using.
Say according to the news yesterday one charge aginst Randy Vogle was dissmissed it was the charge of obstruction of a peace officer. Now here is my question, Ok according to news reports yesterday MT FWP is going to have a hard time proving this case because he sold his gun after hunting season was over, now doesnt this qualify as distruction of evidence or obstruction of a peace officer? Granted Im not an attorney and not a peace officer or former peace officer like our friend Randy here,but Im just thinking that something stinks. My next question back when we had Judy Martz as governor and back when one of her top aids Shane Hedges got drunk one night with a group of Republicans south of Helena he got in a car and killed a state legislator Paul Sliter, yet Judy went to the hospital with her highway patrolmen bodygaurds and got Shane out of the hospital took him back to the governors mansion and washed his clothes in the mean time at the accident site down by Mayville we had a former US Marshal former northwestern power planning commission member and a former justice of the peace, and former aid to US Senator Conrad Burns all the same person Leo (I know Im going to butcher the name) Gicameeto geting rid of the beer cans by the accident site, yet no charges to either Leo or Judy, now is it just me or am I seeing a patern here??????????????
I know that sense of injustice that arises when bad people are rewarded with high office time and again. Like Baucus. It really stings. But we should get used to it. Rehberg will coast into office, perhaps unseat Tester in two years.
If there is a way to beat a guy like this, it has to be with a charismatic candidate who has the ability and money to reach the public and stick in their memories. Larry Williams damn near pulled it off in 1978 against Max, but Baucus nailed him with last minute photos of Williams in long hair and beads. Baucus is surrounded by cagey political operatives. So too must be Rehberg, as each man in real life is less than what the posters portray.
I kind of think that Rehberg won’t run against Tester, but will instead run for Governor. After all, Tester doesn’t seem at all worried about it. Maybe that’s just his style.
Perhaps. Who knows the future. But the requirements of legislative office are far different than those of the executive, which is why Schweitzer would not do as well as a Senator as he does as governor. He wants immediate impact, and his personality is powerful enough that he gets his daily reward. That would not happen in DC.
And the opposite too – Rehberg can be in favor of any notional proposal as a legislator without having to actually put anything into action. And indeed, in his years in office, I don’t remember one piece of legislation with his name on it. But the office doesn’t require that he actually accomplish anything.
So I say that Denny takes on Tester, but refuse to put money where mouth is.
Denny if he gets re elected and key work if I think he will then stay in the house for as long as he wants and he will not take a run at either the governors chair or the senate, one he will be safe in that chair if he wins re election in 2010 unless in say 2011 they catch him in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy, number two I dont think he wants to go up to the upper house aka senate because he has never bought any real estate in DC and has been sleeping on the couch in his office for years. And he wont go for governor because that is work that doesnt fit his personallity. Also you have to look at if he either a loses in 2010 or b retires from congrss at some point later he will have a nice pension, and probley be able to sell himself either as a lobbist or a consultant of some sort and rake in the dough, kinda the same as what Racicot has done, after he left the governors mansion he is now a high priced hired gun in DC and trust me you will never see his name on a ballot again.