Will WikiLeaks Play A Part In Charges Against Dick Cheney Over Alleged Bribery Case? (VIDEO)

UPDATED BELOW

Plans from Nigerian authorities to charge former Vice President Dick Cheney over an alleged $180 million bribery payment made to secure a $6 billion natural gas contract for Halliburton while he was CEO of the company could be boosted by a forthcoming WikiLeaks release of transmissions between the United States and the African nation.

On Thursday's edition of "The Ed Show" on MSNBC, host Ed Schultz and John Nichols of The Nation talked about the need for the Department of Justice to launch its own probe into the matter based on their belief that the "highly-politicized" Bush DoJ had not taken sufficient steps to investigate the supposed misconduct. If they did, they argued, future WikiLeaks dispatches could play a part.

"Maybe there might be some cables that might have been intercepted?" Schultz asked.

"It's highly significant. Look, Dick Cheney literally went over to the CIA three and four times a day at some points during his vice presidency," Nichols responded. "There's nobody who was more engaged with cable traffic than this guy, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if WikiLeaks has another package for us to look at with regard to this."

WATCH:

Cheney attorney Terrence O'Donnell issued a statement addressing the allegations in question on behalf of the former vice president:

This matter involves the activities of an international four-company joint venture (which included KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton) well over a decade ago. The Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated that joint venture extensively and found no suggestion of any impropriety by Dick Cheney in his role as CEO of Halliburton. Any suggestion of misconduct on his part, made now, years later, is entirely baseless.

Comments

[kart]

08:04 AM on 12/18/2010

Any suggestion of misconduct on his part, made now, years later, is entirely baseless.

It is funny how it works, just a little while ago the Gov wanted to put Polansky in jail for something that happened 40 years ago!!!!
But when it comes to someone like Cheney, it is baseless....

[Ward7]

08:49 PM on 12/05/2010

"No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.
- Theodore Roosevelt"

Well, that's how it should be, at least. Here's how it actually is, and has been for 26 centuries and counting:

“Written laws are like spiders' webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful will easily break through them.”
- Anacharsis (Scythian prince and philosopher, 6th century BC)

[johuyik]

07:39 PM on 12/03/2010

Well I hope this silences all of the critics who complained about Cheney's lack of transparency, it appears that the Nigerians saw right through him.

[dim]

05:27 PM on 12/04/2010

Anybody with half a brain saw right through him. Bush, on the other hand...

[Eris23Skidoo]

08:28 PM on 12/03/2010

So you are okay with corrupt US politicians, then, so long as they are republican?

[dgjewel]

02:08 PM on 12/03/2010

Was there anything EVER as corrupt as the Bush Administration?

[12405]

01:38 PM on 12/03/2010

No Bush administration official will ever be indicted, tried or sentenced in this country. There is no such idea or word as justice when it comes to them.

[dim]

05:28 PM on 12/04/2010

Scooter got indicted, tried, sentenced ... and commuted.

[Xircon Aurelius]

01:11 PM on 12/03/2010

To All Tea Party Members :

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In these trying economic times, sacrifice is required from all sectors of society. Welcome to the new America.

Thank you and good luck.

[Godfearing]

01:11 PM on 12/03/2010

Let's mention a few names along with Dick Cheney! Let's start with ENRON (Lay & Skilling), Phil Gram's wife Wendy, Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Gulf Oil Spill, George W. Bush, The Scooter, Fox News, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist, Dennis Hastert, the new Senator from Missouri, Roy Blunt, and Rush Limbaugh. You can look up the reasons for the connection.

[lobear00]

01:56 PM on 12/03/2010

Add to the list "' Barack Obama, and Eric Holder.

[rainbow69]

06:36 PM on 12/03/2010

Why?

[lobear00]

01:03 PM on 12/03/2010

Wikileaks is doing what the Obama administration is trying to cover-up. The conservative party of Obama has been covering up all the bush crimes and sweeping the matter under the rug.

[ljc]

12:54 PM on 12/03/2010

Getting her story straight when the 2002 cables are released. She was distributing money for her Daddy in the ME after he got her a job at the State Department.

[eagle17765]

01:08 PM on 12/03/2010

Well, well, well, I will be very happy when those facts make it in to the public domain.

[DenverBigDaddy]

12:33 PM on 12/03/2010

Stolen documents are not admissable in court......

[tpk]

12:48 PM on 12/03/2010

shows how little you know about nigerian court

[eagle17765]

12:48 PM on 12/03/2010

Where did you get your Nigerian Legal Degree?

[Heavy]

12:54 PM on 12/03/2010

Beck University I'm guessing.

[schlicga]

12:30 PM on 12/03/2010

Tom Delay...Dick Cheney.....Next!

[xray1man]

12:24 PM on 12/03/2010

WikiLeaks - where were you in 2004 when Cheney declared "John Kerry was unfit to be president"? talk about hypocrisy!!

[ljc]

12:48 PM on 12/03/2010

wikileaks launched in 2007.

[BartelbytheScrivener]

12:14 PM on 12/03/2010

rampant speculation in the guise of news is so old media hp

[schlicga]

12:31 PM on 12/03/2010

Speculation? You wish...

[BartelbytheScrivener]

04:10 PM on 12/03/2010

the wiki leak aspect, not the despicable me aspect. Come on the title says wiki may play part, well gee by those standards I may play a part to. Cheney may get hooked up but to speculate how when you have not even bought the clue game yet ....seems just a bit irresponsible.

[newworldman777]

01:49 PM on 12/03/2010

Cheney should surrender himself to Nigerian authorities and stand trial for these serious charges, just as any other suspected felon would have to. If this is just "speculation" and he is innocent, then he will walk away as a free man. What's to worry about?

[Macready]

12:15 PM on 12/03/2010

ditto