Word: probe
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...three-judge panel of the federal appeals bench named former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova to conduct the probe of senior Bush aides who have admitted they knew of the searches as they were occurring and did nothing to stop them. DiGenova must determine whether the Bush staff members in fact lied to State Department Inspector General Sherman Funk or violated Clinton's privacy with leaks. Regardless of the outcome, the tawdry passport affair will cloud Bush's last days, and perhaps someone's future...
Launched 18 months ago by U.S. Attorney Jay Stephens, the probe initially focused on what looked like a bizarre money-laundering scheme involving the House post office, which has been rocked by charges of drug use, mismanagement and embezzlement by employees. Last September, after pleading guilty to embezzlement and misuse of public funds, the post office's former chief of staff Joanna O'Rourke agreed to cooperate with investigators. The inquiry was expanded after she told federal prosecutors that the post office frequently cashed campaign checks that purported to be for stamps...
...Attorney Stephens, who was criticized for setting up the 1990 sting operation that led to former Washington Mayor Marion Barry's drug conviction, last week described the probe simply as "an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations relating to operations of the House post office and efforts to obstruct that investigation." TIME has learned, however, that investigators believe the stamp purchases make up only a small part of a larger scheme to launder campaign funds and convert them for personal use. Subpoenas issued in the case have made it clear that investigators are looking into whether lawmakers or their aides illegally...
Rostenkowski's office denies the allegations, and has reacted indignantly. "Why doesn't Stephens look into typewriter ribbons or pencils, instead of stamps?" demanded spokesman Jim Jaffe last week. "Maybe he'd find some criminality there too." As for the chairman, he waves off the federal probe as a "fishing expedition." But fish can be caught -- even big ones -- and the trawlers seem to be circling...
...federal probe targets a powerful Clinton congressional ally...