U. S. Senator Robert Menendez was re-elected in November. He got 58% of the vote. But, as conspiracy theorists will soon be telling us, his election was based on a cover-up. A cover-up orchestrated by the Obama administration. Can anyone say impeachment hearings?
Here’s what’s going on. The core story is that a volunteer intern in the Senator’s office was picked up by ICE for being in the country illegally. They were tipped off because the 18 year old had been found responsible for a sex offense as a minor and was a registered sex offender. His name is Luis Abraham Sanchez Zavaleta, though that name does not appear on the sex offender registry.
None of that will matter to the conspiracy theorists. Here’s what will. The Associated Press reports that an unnamed government source…don’t you love unnamed sources…reports that the Department of Homeland Security ordered ICE to wait until after the election to take Sanchez into custody. That would be a department of the Obama administration ordering a sub-agency to delay doing its duty in picking up a registered sex offender, in the country illegally, until after a Democratic senator could be re-elected. Now do you hear the drums of impeachment in the distance?
A source, actually willing to let his name be known, Peter Boorgaard of the Department of Homeland Security called the accusation against DHS “categorically false.” The AP claims their unnamed source is a government official “involved in the case.”
Admittedly, I can’t tell you whether the story of DHS delaying the detention until after the election is true or false. He wasn’t picked up until December 6, so you’d have to ask why they would wait a full month after the election. But no matter, that’s just a question that springs to mind. It won’t stop the calls for a special congressional committee. It won’t stop demands for answers to the usual questions: What did the president know and when did he know it? And, if he didn’t know, why didn’t he? And, who gave the order, and on whose order was the order given and what is that person’s access to the president.
Honestly, I don’t mind the questions being asked. What I mind is that this will consume us for endless gobs of time no matter what the truthful answers appear to be. If the president knew and ordered it, he probably should be impeached. It would likely rise to obstruction of justice. But, if he didn’t know, or if Mr. Boorgaard is truthful that the accusation is “categorically false”, it won’t stop the haters and conspiracy theorists from putting on their tin foil hats and finding ants in the pantry with recording devices tied to their little ant legs.
Here’s the AP story . See also, Janet Shan’s story earlier at TMV.
Contributor, aka tidbits. Retired attorney in complex litigation, death penalty defense and constitutional law. Former Nat’l Board Chair: Alzheimer’s Association. Served on multiple political campaigns, including two for U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield (R-OR). Contributing author to three legal books and multiple legal publications.