Pelosi Denies Being Threatened By Funder Over Harman

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) denied Tuesday that a Democratic donor, Haim Saban, threatened to withhold campaign contributions if Pelosi wouldn't appoint Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) to chair the intelligence committee.

The New York Times reported Tuesday, following a scoop from CQ, that Harman was wiretapped by federal authorities discussing an arrangement with someone who offered to have Saban make such a threat if Harman would pull strings at the Justice Department to get charges reduced against Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, two employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), later charged with spying.

"What is true is that everybody knows I don't respond to threats, so it wouldn't be useful to use them. But it isn't true. It isn't true, no," she said in response to a question about the threat.

Harman has denied she spoke with anyone at Justice to seek leniency for the pair or that she engaged in any sort of deal. She expressed outrage at the leak of the alleged conversation, calling for all evidence and transcripts relating to her to be released.

"Congresswoman Harman has may fans who advocate for her and to juxtapose that on any other activities...is just not correct," said Pelosi.

She did not appoint Harman to chair the committee.

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Comments

[3in1]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knows of NSA wiretaps of several Senate and House members past and present. What about obama and Reid. PATCO wiretap by Reagan in 1981. Drew Lewis told by FAA clown administrator. Come clean FEDS Hoover had goods on McCarthy and Kennedys.

[apolloguide]

The total removal of Pelosi from the US congress is required. Every representative who took money from these Israeli lobbyists need to be forcibly removed from our government and jailed just as long as Pollard and the rest of these creepy destructive Zionists.

[rajoro]

Nancy Pelosi might like donations even love them, but she doesn't need them... she is a very rich woman...

It is time to clean up the AIPAC mess, as long as there is a direct line between them and the LIKUD they will always be foreign agents and should register as such. We need a new Israeli lobby that is tied to the center-left in Israel not these war hawks and serial corruptors.

[seanparnell]

I don't think you really get to decide what a "new Israeli lobby" will look like or whom it will be tied to, unless you're the one founding it. You don't think much of AIPAC, which is fine, but they have just as much right to lobby Congress on issues that concern them as anybody else, even if you find their perspective and priorities troubling. That's a huge part of the First Amendment - everybody has the right to 'petition' their government. So long as AIPAC is funded by American citizens, it shouldn't matter whether their agenda reflects that of Likud or any other movement or party in any country.

Sean Parnell
President
Center for Competitive Politics
http://www.campaignfreedom.org
campaignfreedom.orgeedom.org

[WarriorLemming]

I've waited a long time for the Democrats to be in power but I think it's time for new blood within the party. It's disturbing to think that another country like Israel could hold so much sway in the course our country takes. I also wondered about Hillary Clinton and her spineless support for the Bush/Cheney pre-emptive strike on Iraq and have a bad feeling she also might be in the "pockets" of Jewish lobbyists especially after doing a little reaserch into Mark Penn and his connections. I'd like to see people running for political office in our country not having to be rubber-stamped by AIPAC first that just doesn't pass the sniff-test by my standards.

[indyleftist]

Its on tape that Harmon asked the lobbyist to pressure Pelosi

I guess what Pelosi is saying is that AIPAC lobbyists lied to a US government official and said they would do things that they didn't
Careful Nancy. AIPAC isn't going to like you calling them liars

[jazzybo]

Nancy Pelosi you have a chance to show your really for real.We don't want just talk but action OK?

[Shavano]

I just figured out how this blog got hijacked by anti-Pelosi comments! The story and the headline is about Harman, but there's a picture of Pelosi so some people scanned the headline, looked at the photo and thought this was a Pelosi story. Look people, read the whole story. And even though you might hate her, at least rant against her for something she did, not what Rep. Harman may or may not have done.

[Republicrats]

dc is broken, throw them all out!!!

[LemonMeringue]

I think Pelosi is too beholden to corporations and other sources of money to be effective anymore.

Ralph Nader is right: Washington is a corporate prison and both Republicans and Democrats are held hostage by corporations.

[Shavano]

Are you kidding, she has steered through more major legislation than any of her predecessors ever have in less than 100 days. If that's ineffective, I'll take it. Amazing how people who don't like the new administration can find a million ways to criticize. But if you're going to criticize, at least know what you're saying.

She has been 100% effective for her party since being chosen as the Speaker and is on schedule to deliver on almost all of the party platform. Previous Speakers should be in awe of what this little lady has accomplished in such a short time. I couldn't think of a single person who could be doing a better job at this point in time. Proof is in the pudding and this women gets results. She knows what battles to fight, when to fight them and when to back off.

[wakeupansmell]

WOW I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT SHE HAS IN HER SECRET FILES ABOUT ALL HER CRONIES. SHE IS OUT TO LUNCH AND NEEDS TO STEP DOWN. SHES AS CROOKED AS ANY OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. SHE 'S PUSHING SOCIALISM DOWN OUR THROATS AND IS ALL FOR BIG GOVERNMENT POLICIES.

[Helzapoppin]

yeah, that "impeachment is off the table" bit was just soooo effective. . .

Pelosi is a joke. Her only saving grace is that she isn't Harry Reid.

[apolloguide]

and it would appear that she pays you to tell us this hogwash...­she is Bush's pal and the enemy of progressive politics.

[kgb999]

Oh jeez people .... Pelosi's the leader of the caucus. Is she supposed to wade in and talk crap about her colleagues? This is based on an anonymously-sourced article in CQ. There are not even any credible allegations to base a legitimate complaint on yet.

This is something we the people should be up in arms about, but Pelosi is correct in maintaining a neutral stance and not fanning the flames. Her job is to try and make sure everyone supports the platform - it's pretty hard to do that if you are picking silly fights with fellow congresspeople.

If anything concrete emerges, the proper course will be through the ethics committee. Pelosi will still be expected to maintain a presumption of innocence throughout the process and then simply "enact the recommendations of the committee".

It's called leadership. For all the complaining over the last 8 years about wanting leaders to actually follow rules/procedures even-handedly, folks seem pretty unable to deal with the actual practice. She can't just kick people out of congress because they piss off a bunch of bloggers - and if she could/would do so, there wouldn't be a single person from either party remaining. Which is funny to talk about ... but in reality rather unworkable.

Which brings up the question: Why is it Pelosi's fault you all keep electing such crappy reps?

[Taxi]

Pelosi's job is to tell us the truth.

facts, Ms Pelosi, please.

Without spin.

[Shavano]

Her job as Speaker is to push through legislation defined by the party platform. Her duty as a Representative is to represent her district and do it honestly. Her job is not, however, to embroil herself in every controversy. Her involvement in this nonsense is that she didn't appoint Harmon as chair of the intelligence committee. That's because Harmon was dupe for the Bush administration and you don't reward that kind of person with an important post.

[strangerinthenight]

I voted for Pelosi, and just so disappointed, and even so enraged by her performance. Little by little we now know the big scheme of which she is a major player.

Like Harman, she should be expelled from Congress on Ethics issue.

[RRK70]

Did you READ the article, Pelosi didn't appoint Harman to the position mentioned, so what ethical violation are you referring to?

[strangerinthenight]

You ignore the fact that Pelosi unbeknownst to us is known for filling up her coffer, and Harman knew she will not get the position because Pelosi and Harman knew of the investigation. Pelosi would obviously not appoint Harman. That doesn't excuse both women that they are a part of a power play.

The truth is, even as Speaker of the House, Pelosi could not appoint Harman because she will hurt the President. So she kept her mouth shut. If you have read the Newsweek Issue and NYT, there is a tug of war between Pelosi and Obama.

Tell Pelosi, she is not fooling anyone. She is totally compromised poop.

[Lee Andrew]

Treason baby, plain and simple. Foreign operatives and US public official equals treason.

Harman must go.

[cjt1957]

Maybe Pelosi and Harman can share a room in JAIL....

[citizensrus]

I give up. The corruption is beyond repair.

[DontJustFollow]

What does that tell you ? Pelosi got a better offer -

she didn't get to be one of the richest members of Congress by squandering opportunities.