Rep. Conyers Issues Report Identifying 26 Laws Broken by Bush Admin

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

Many people are aware that George Bush has broken numerous laws during his presidency. BuzzFlash has certainly pointed out several instances. But today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI) released "Constitution in Crisis," a report identifying 26 specific laws and regulations implicated by the Bush Administration.

The 350-page document is divided into sections on Iraq and civil liberties and supported with more than 1,400 footnotes.

"The situation we find ourselves in today under the administration of George W. Bush is systemically worse than previous scandals such as Watergate and Iran-Contra," Conyers said. "The alleged acts of wrongdoing my staff has documented -- which include making misleading statements about the decision to go to war; manipulating intelligence; facilitating and countenancing torture; using classified information to out a CIA agent; and violating federal surveillance and privacy laws -- are quite serious."

Conyers proposed a series of recommendations based on the report's findings, many of which are based on passing some of the many bills he and others have introduced to improve oversight and accountability.

Click here to see the report. Below is an outline of the laws broken laws:

• Deception of Congress and the American Public
• Committing a Fraud Against the United States (18 U.S.C. § 371)
• Making False Statements Against the United States (18 U.S.C. § 1001)
  
• War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148)
• Misuse of Government Funds (31 U.S.C. § 1301)
• Improper Detention, Torture, and Other Inhumane Treatment
• Anti-Torture Statute (18 U.S.C. § 2340-40A)
• The War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. § 2441)
• The Geneva Conventions and Hague Convention: International Laws Governing the Treatment of Detainees
• United Nations Convention Against Torture, and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment: International Laws Governing the Treatment of Detainees
• Command Responsibility (for known illegal acts of subordinates in the military)
• Detainment of Material Witnesses (18 U.S.C. § 3144)
• Retaliating against Witnesses and Other Individuals
• Obstruction Congress (18 U.S.C. § 1505)
• Whistleblower Protection (5 U.S.C. § 2302)
• The Lloyd-LaFollette Act, or "anti-gag rule" (5 U.S.C. § 7211)
• Retaliating against Witnesses (18 U.S.C. § 1513)
• Leaking and other Misuse of Intelligence and other Government Information
• Revealing Classified Information in Contravention of Federal Regulations (Executive Order 12958/Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement)
• Statutory Prohibitions on Leaking Information (18 U.S.C. § 641, etc.)
• Laws Governing Electronic Surveillance
• Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (50 U.S.C. § 1801, et seq.)
• National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. chapter 15)
• Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. § 222)
• Stored Communications Act of 1986 (18 U.S.C. § 2702)
• Pen Registers or Trap and Trace Devices (18 U.S.C. § 3121)
• Laws and Guidelines Prohibiting Conflicts of Interest (28 U.S.C. § 528, etc.)

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

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