White House Email Trail Grows Cold with Death of Bush IT Expert

How many licks does it take to get to the Tootise Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know...

For those of you who remember the famous 1969 animated Tootsie Roll commercial -- the wise old owl's line is indeed applicable to the missing White House emails -- the world may never know.

Unfortunately, this holds true more than ever with the untimely death of Bush IT guru Mike Connell. Connell was killed this past Friday while attempting to land his private plane three miles outside Akron-Canton Airport. Connell, 45, was the only soul onboard the aircraft. The accident is under investigation.

The Associated Press reported Connell's death with three brief paragraphs, noting that Connell:

"was a Republican media consultant who helped operate campaign Web sites for President Bush and former presidential nominee John McCain."

The AP failed to mention that Connell was also the chief architect of George W. Bush election websites including GeorgeWBush.com and GWB43.com -- the primary email account used by Karl Rove during his tenure as Senior White House Advisor. Connell's company, GovTech Solutions, was responsible for building and managing congressional email servers and firewalls, including websites for the House Judiciary Committee, Financial Services, Ways and Means and Administration Committees. Connell also managed the servers for former Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth J. Blackwell in 2004.

Mike Connell had also been subpoenaed to testify in an Ohio lawsuit regarding his knowledge of vote rigging and the outsourcing of the vote count to Smart Tech servers in Chatanooga, Tennessee before they were rerouted back to Blackwell's office during the 2004 election. The same SmartTech servers were also used to run Connell's GeorgeWBush.com and GWB43.com websites.

Ohio attorneys Cliff Arnebeck and Bob Fitrakis were banking on Connell's testimony to substantiate their racketeering case against Karl Rove for alleged criminal wrongdoing in the 2004 election.

In a telephone interview on August 2, 2008, Arnebeck told me:

Mike Connell comes into play because he has been a common instrument in many facets of Rove's activity that we see as a criminal enterprise. He comes into play in Florida in work in 2000 and it is not clear to me what he is doing. But if you are in the State system, you've got a strategic asset to be in the system during an election and whether that is in terms of any of this Choicepoint business or any vote counting or registration data base, I don't know the answer to it but he was in the system. In 2004 he was doing web and server hosting in Chatanooga, Tennesee for the Ohio vote in the general election of 2004.

Arnebeck added:

Connell, in an oversight capacity of data processing and is in a position to tell us as a witness how things relate to another and to tell us where there may have been opportunities where corrupt activity may have been in play.

With respect to Connell's knowledge about the missing emails, Arnebeck referred to Connell's 2006 meeting with cyber security expert Stephen Spoonamore. Arnebeck said, "My understanding is that there was there was a conversation in which Mr. Connell asked about data destruction and the conversation was terminated when Spoonamore said 'if you're talking about White House emails, I will not talk about this -- discussion is over.' Connell then knowing that destruction would be illegal -- may have proceeded to destroy, although I do not know that, it could be that he went back to Rove or an intermediary to say that it would create a legal problem and Rove would then have gotten someone else to take care of data destruction. We just don't know."

One thing is certain, Arnebeck was concerned about Connell's security and said:

One of the people we're working with received a tip from someone who appeared to be credible that Rove had threatened Connell that if he did not take the fall for what happened in Ohio and keep Rove out of it, that his wife (Heather) would be prosecuted for having crossed the line for some kind of lobbying laws. And one of the people with whom we are consulting made inquiries sufficient to satisfy him that this is a credible tip and threat seems to be in play and on that basis I took steps I believe appropriate to try and protect a person we have already publicly identified as key witness against harm and threats and put Mr. Rove on notice that we don't intend to have any witness intimated by him.

One of the steps Arnebeck was referring to was a July 24, 2008 email to US Attorney General Michael Mukasey warning of Rove's threats against Connell:

Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:50 PM

From:[e-mail]
To:[e-mail]

Dear Attorney General Mukasey:

We have been confidentially informed by a source we believe to be credible that Karl Rove has threatened Michael Connell, a principal witness we have identified in our King Lincoln case in federal court in Columbus, Ohio, that if he does not agree to "take the fall" for election fraud in Ohio, his wife Heather will be prosecuted for supposed lobby law violations. This appears to be in response to our designation of Rove as the principal perpetrator in the Ohio Corrupt Practices Act/RICO claim with respect to which we issued document hold notices last Thursday to you and to the US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform.

See: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=6189 and http://www.archive.org/details/ElectionFraudInOhioCourtCase.

I have informed court chambers and am in the process of informing the Ohio Attorney General's and US Attorney's offices in Columbus for the purpose, among other things, of seeking protection for Mr. Connell and his family from this reported attempt to intimidate a witness.

Concurrently herewith, I am informing Mr. Conyers and Mr. Kucinich in connection with their Congressional oversight responsibilities related to these matters.

Because of the serious engagement in this matter that began in 2000 of the Ohio Statehouse Press Corps, 60 Minutes, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, C-Span and Jim VandeHei, and the public's right to know of gross attempts to subvert the rule of law, I am forwarding this information to them, as well.

Cliff Arnebeck, Attorney

cc: Robert Fitrakis, Esq.

Henry Eckhart, Esq

Heather Connell has not returned my call but Arnebeck says the family is publicly denying any foul play or knowledge of threats against Connell or his family members. However, Arnebeck points out, Connell may have kept things to himself in order to protect his loved ones.

Connell's tragic death has dealt a real blow to Arnebeck's lawsuit. In an email dated today, Arnebeck told me he asked Dave Margolis, the Justice Department's top career organized crime fighter to "make sure the best resources are used in the investigation of the crash."

With the loss of a key witness, it's unclear whether Arnebeck's lawsuit will reach trial. But there may be still a way to determine Karl Rove's involvement in the missing White House emails and the US Attorney Purge -- President-elect Barack Obama could demand the backup tapes from the Secret Service.

Comments

[AmeriGus]

Why can't Connell's computers be seized and examined?

This was done to Thomas Tamm, the whistleblower who first informed the NY Times of the warrantless NSA eavesdropping program. The FBI raided his house and confiscated his computers and that was just to find dirt on him.

In this case, Connell's records could absolve or convict Rove, Blackwell and others in a much more important allegation. So what's the legality or precedent, experts?

[PierreLeClerke]

You are truly naive, if you continue to hold the belief that government agencies are working to protect you.
They are principally tasked with gathering data for commercial use at the disposal of their baron masters.
When the sunlight finally disinfects this disease, the depth to which our Nation has been hijacked, will be beyond shocking. You will surly morn.
The question will be, what measures did you take, to stop the murder, torture, suffering and theft committed in your name!

[gerireig]

Biden has already stated ( in reference to possible criminal activity by the outgoing administration) that he's only interested in looking forward, not back.

[DoTheMath]

Or SOMETHING other than a small plane! That was my thought, too. You might as well flee to a trailer park during a tornado. On the other hand, we don't know how Connell came to be in the small plane.

[DoTheMath]

Oops. My comment above was supposed to be a response to Clairvaux's advice: "If you have interesting information about powerful people, ride the bus."

[haramagoti]

Whatever is being done is obviously not enough, and Rove, Cheney Corp, etc., are going to smile their way right out this particular spotlight, unless there are extreme measures taken to recover the lawfully public-property record of this administration's last classified and unclassified memo, fax, email and message.

We can only hope, as tragic as it is, and as painful as it will be for Michael's family to carry on, to heal through the extreme loss of their loved one, that he died without any malice at hand.

Professionally he was astounding, surpassing every expectation made of him in his respective field, regardless of controversy. When his conscience became louder in his own mind than the threats against his life for listening to it, he chose to risk his life and tell America the truth. That so many details of that truth may have died with him is of consequence to the vengeful and the righteous equally, but to those who can simply observe a man in such a torn position, to see Michael not for who he had suffered to be while exploited for his skills by those opposing lawful democracy, but for who he became as a result of reaching an understanding within himself that preserving that democracy at the cost of his life was worth it. That's certainly who i believe the real Michael Connell was, among so many other aspects of this man. Hardly a secret worth knowing past that.

[torchesypitchfork]

I had put the pitchfork back in the garden shed and was about to drain the bio-diesel out of my high tech torch. I thought these bums were going to get off scott-free. Now I'm not so sure.
It actually proves the American system is alive and well the longest a despot like bush can govern is 8 years. We just had a peaceful revolution and a new Government is ready to be installed.
We must prosecute these crimes to the full extent of the law!
We must!

[clevelandchick]

Don't hold your breath waiting for Obama to do it. His pick for AG helped get Chiquita slap on the wrist for hiring thugs to murder union organizers and worker activists in Colombia.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-kovalik/lawyer-for-chiquita-in-co_b_141919.html

Holder also worked to push through the reauthorization of the Patriot Act.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/state_of_change/384564

I've lost much of the "HOPE" I had on November 5th thinking I'd get to rest and put down my pitchfork. Obama is a Bill Clinton redux. He won't do a damn thing about going after any of this crap. He won't go after those who put Don Seigelman in jail, let alone the torturers or the liars that put us into Iraq.

We'll be told it's because this nation needs to 'heal' that none of them will ever answer for their crime, because those taking over don't want to be held to the letter of the law either. What would heal this nation and sober some folks up is having this crap put front and center. Maybe if the 31% that still support Cheney would see why 69% of us don't. But it won't happen cuz we need to "heal". Right.

There is no longer a rule of law for those politically and monetarily connected. They called Dennis Kucinich crazy for a reason, he told the truth. You're barking at the moon. I know from experience.

[PierreLeClerke]

So what will you do about it?

Will you let these crimes go unpunished?

[Montanagramma]

Festering infected wounds do not "heal" until they are drained.

[littlepitcher]

My personal suspicion is that we've gone from Texas mob rule to Chicago mob rule. If Obama's white family are connected to the Ohio Wrights and their hegemony, the Connell case will be dead and buried.

[JulieSA]

What crimes?

[guajiro]

Possibly he means the violation of the 14th amendment to the U.S. constitution by Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell in the 2004 elections.

"The meeting of the Electoral College in Ohio on December 13 was illegitimate. It was in violation of the United States Constitution. It marked an utter contempt for the promise of democracy and for the rule of law.

We refuse to be silent in the face of this crime.

While Mr. Blackwell presided over this illegitimate gathering in Columbus, he also ignored his responsibility to ensure that the recount would be conducted in accordance with uniform standards as required by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution."


http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0104-32.htm

[hmmmmm]

the crimes that Karl asks Connell to "take the fall for". . .Ohio voter fraud charges from 2004

[PierreLeClerke]

The underlying crime of greatest consequence is premeditated murder of innocent human beings for profit.
Work it out with a pencil. I'm sure if you open your eyes, you will realize why those in power allowed the "Bin Laden determined to strike United States" warnings to go unanswered.
These profiteers were in need of an excuse to crank up the War/Oil machine.

As in every great crime, simply follow the money!

[SPENCER]

the question any investigative journalist should ask in this case:
did Connell keep any information on his computer? or somewhere else?

[guajiro]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/3/genera_bob_fitr_070425_are_rove_s_missing_e.htm

"Prior to the expiration of the federal statutory protection, a civil rights lawsuit was filed in the federal court of Judge Algernon Marbley, asking that the remaining records be preserved. The request was granted in what has become known as the King-Lincoln Bronzeville suit (co-author Bob Fitrakis is an attorney in the case, and Harvey Wasserman is a plaintiff).

Thus, by federal law, the actual ballots and electronic records should be available for the kind of exhaustive recount that was illegally denied---or "rigged," as prosecutors in Cleveland have put it---by Blackwell, Bennett and their cohorts the first time around.

Ohio's newly-elected Secretary of State, Jennifer Brunner, has agreed to take custody of these materials, and to bring them to a central repository, probably in Columbus.

This means that an exhaustive recount could show who really did win the presidential election of 2004.

It may also be possible to learn what roles---electronic or otherwise--- Karl Rove and J. Kenneth Blackwell really did play during those crucial 90 minutes in the deep night, when the presidency somehow slipped from John Kerry to George W. Bush".

[SilviaMaria]

The word is convenient; a key witness, someone who knows the ins and outs of 8 years of waste and corruption. How lucky Bush and company are!

[DragonFly]

I don't think it's a matter of luck at all.

[Rogan]

You mean, how lucky they are, that the guy managed to die in a plane crash, all by himself? Yes, that is... really... "lucky."

[billysviez]

it's something i really hate to believe but, none of these Criminals will ever go to Trial or even be Charged. ithink a lot of DemoRats are affraid for their Safety.

[yodaveg]

I see Bill Macy as Connell and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Rove. Arnebeck, I don't know—might cast him as Will Smith and make him the lead, pushing the lonely fight for justice. Surprising climax is a conversation between Arnebeck and Bush, in which Bush reveals himself to be the secret mastermind behind his own presidency.

Nah, implausable.

[realpolitic]

Hoffman would make a great Rove, corpulent and sinister under the surface.

[PierreLeClerke]

HEADLINE NONE CONVICTED IN DEATH OF A NATION

D.O.J. " It appears to be the work of a lone hacker"!

Congress " A Warren Commission scub job forthcoming to exonerate all"!

[CarolinaDem]

Nice. work Me, I'm getting fitted for a tinfoil hat.
News reports say the body was consumed in the fireball, but the reason the plane fell short of the airport was that it was out of gas? Fireball? Out of gas?

[LapsedPacifist]

It wouldn't be surprising if Rove was behind this too.

I've never agreed with capital punishment but in this case I'm willing to compromise with the neocons: Rove and Cheney need to hang for treason. Bush is, unfortunately, mentally incompetent to stand trial.

[XCITIZEN]

Boy, nothing like an untimely death to help them cover their tracks...

[haramagoti]

in the words of yoda: "there is another"

[NounverbPOW]

Another there is...

[haramagoti]

agree i do

[cheesegypsy]

I'm no conspiracy theorist, but something is rotten in the state of Ohio.

[weatherwaxx]

It isn't just Ohio. That kind of fraud happened in Florida, too ... and the Diebold machines were in play in several states where Republicans were returned to office -- including the revote where Chambliss apparently won. Ohio kicked out Bush's tool Blackwell and has Dems at the helm now, which is why this is finally being investigated.

[Childers1999]

I live in Georgia and will tell you there was no need for fraud to re-elect Chambliss. The fact that Martin made it as close as he did was the impressive thing. Martin was never going to win, and anything that made the rest of the nation think the run-off was in doubt can be chalked up to the media trying to prolong the election news cycle as long as they could.

[clevelandchick]

Yes and it goes by the name of the Ohio Republican Party and the Democrats that watched and did nothing.

[AKJM]

If Cornell were truly an expert he would have left "Trojan" depositions just in case.

[DoTheMath]

Good point. They may turn up.

[guajiro]

Completely and totally agree!!! And there are snippets of his programs in equipment throughout Ohio and other states. And if he ISN'T that hot of an IT expert, then reverse engineering his system should be do-able.

[Suzanne525]

For several years, I've been thinking there HAVE to be records stashed away safely. If Connell had received threats, then I'm sure he would have found a way to secure the information. He had to have known what Rove was by then.

And do we need Obama to order the investigations? Isn't this what Congress does?

[BEHM777]

Sounds a little fishy.

[zoog21]

I think the guy on the Grassy Knoll did it...someone call Oliver Stone!!!!

[PierreLeClerke]

See E Howard Hunts death bed confession. Then call your U.S.Atorney and demand action to restore our most basic right. Your VOTE!

[littlepitcher]

Word I have is that Oliver Stone was the bagman for the JFK killing. Once again, this connects to Chattanooga, where the election computers were rerouted. Oliver Stone lived on Lookout Mountain, which overhangs Chattanooga, in 1963. He moved out of the city, suddenly, with no word to anyone including his in-laws in the region, less than three weeks after the murder. The Grassy Knoll man, now in prison for another political murder, was shirttail kin to his in-laws in Marion County, TN.
The film "JFK " is Ollie's CYA job, pure and simple.