Sweetheart deals for illegal aliens — and Obama’s nominee for US attorney in Colorado
Tom Tancredo reports on corruption at the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement — and the continued plight of agent Cory Voorhis (via WND):
The federal government’s continued persecution of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, agent Cory Voorhis should alarm all Americans. Voorhis has been targeted for removal from his job because he dared to blow the whistle on politicians who were scheming with ICE bureaucrats to help criminal aliens avoid deportation – hundreds of them.
Voorhis went public in September 2006 with facts about the plea-bargaining practices of former Denver District attorney Bill Ritter, who happened to also be a candidate for governor of Colorado. During Ritter’s tenure as district attorney, 241 illegal aliens were given sweetheart deals for the explicit purpose of helping them minimize the risk of deportation. Some of them went on to commit other, more serious crimes, and when one of those cases was made public with Voorhis’ help, he was targeted for criminal investigation at the behest of the Ritter for Governor campaign.
Voorhis deserved a medal for his actions, but instead he was charged with violations of federal criminal law and then removed from his job after a federal court jury acquitted him of all charges after only two hours of deliberation. ICE managers were so embarrassed by this reversal, they launched a two-year effort to have him fired despite that acquittal. It has now been revealed that agency managers gave false testimony against Voorhis at his trial, yet no one at the top levels of the Department of Homeland Security had the courage to put a stop to the vendetta.
Voorhis has incurred more than $500,000 in legal bills and there is still no end in sight. His petition for reinstatement is now under review by an administrative judge attached to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
What is going on here? Why does ICE persist in trying to destroy a man whose only controversial action was to bring to the public’s attention information on certain criminal aliens already available to any enterprising reporter?
Aha! There’s the rub. If enterprising reporters started digging into the records of the plea-bargaining practices of prosecutors in sanctuary cities like Denver and San Francisco, who knows what mischief might ensue? In the agency’s view, Voorhis must be punished for throwing a huge public spotlight on these practices.
In retrospect, it is clear ICE overreacted. No reporter has bothered to look into the case histories of the other 240 plea-bargain cases uncovered in 2008. In fact, those 241 cases were only a sampling from a five-year period and were only the cases where “agricultural trespass” was used as the lesser offense to avoid deportation. Most likely there were more than 1,000 cases of sweetheart plea bargains for illegal aliens under Ritter’s tenure as Denver district attorney. How many exist in other cities? How many times have ICE legal staff – in Denver and elsewhere – assisted in the obstruction of our criminal-alien deportation laws?
The story has legs because President Obama has nominated one Stephanie Villafuerte as the next US attorney for Colorado. Villafuerte, as Tancredo points out, was the person on gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter’s campaign team who made the first call in September 2006 to the Denver D.A.’s office to inquire about the illegal alien mentioned in the newspapers stories; was the person also on a leave of absence from the Denver D.A.’s office to work in the Ritter campaign; was rewarded with a job as a principal deputy to Governor Ritter; and was the point person on immigration matters.
In a related matter, the Denver Post reported last week that a Denver ICE supervisor lied in Voorhis’s case — and has been given a pass by federal prosecutors:
An internal investigation has determined that a supervisor in Denver’s immigration enforcement office “gave false testimony” during the trial of an agent charged with unlawfully accessing a federal criminal database and releasing information to Bob Beauprez’s gubernatorial campaign.
Tony Rouco, who supervised U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Cory Voorhis, “willfully gave false testimony under oath” at Voorhis’ trial last year, according to the April 2009 investigation report. He also made false statements to the FBI and ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility and failed to report employee misconduct, it states.
Even so, it appears Rouco has never been disciplined and he remains on the job, which at times requires him to swear under oath in court or when signing court papers. Although his alleged misconduct was reported to federal prosecutors, they declined to treat it as a crime.
A statement from ICE said the agency “cannot discuss internal administrative issues regarding its employees. However, ICE holds all its employees to the highest standards of ethics and professional behavior.”
Rouco did not return calls for comment.It’s been more than 18 months since a federal jury found Voorhis not guilty of improperly accessing a federal criminal-records database and providing information to the Republican Beauprez’s campaign, and three years since the controversy first erupted. Yet the repercussions are still being felt within Denver’s ICE office. Voorhis, who officially lost his job in February, has appealed his termination, and Rouco is expected to testify for the government.
The Homeland Security Department has been notified of this and other acts of misconduct, ethics violations, and failures of leadership (pdf file) by ICE in the mishandling of Voorhis’s case.
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Ben DeGrow: “Precisely what role did Stephanie Villafuerte play in the whole Cory Voorhis affair? And what were her motivations? If she is going to be the next U.S. Attorney for Colorado, citizens of our state deserve to know.”
The silence is deafening.
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95% of what the federal government does is unconstitutional. The federal government is a RICO. The citizens of the US need to realize this and act accordingly.
We need to throw them all out and support a truly conservative party. Both the GOP and the Dems are utterly corrupt and beyond reform!
Looks like a spotlight needs to be focused on this corruption by the Michelle Malkins, Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks out there. That’s the only way its going to see the light of day.
Dear Lord…when will this all end?? And when will the MSM actually report on all the horrible corruption that is destroying us?? Persecuting someone for telling the truth…there is something so evil, so immoral and SO UNCONSTITUTIONAL about all of this, that even the MSM should be ashamed to cover it up!!
It seems ice and dhs has gone after Sheriff Joe also. Hang tough Joe! Is there any agency in this government that is honest?
L
By the time we have the chance to “throw them out”, we may not be able to, legally.
Another story involving illegal aliens on a topic that should never exist about a problem that should have been solved a long, long time ago. Some days I really wonder if anyone in the Federal Government is paying attention …let alone trying to do the right thing (and not just do CYA).
As always, Michelle does her homework early and well. Thanks to Mr. Voorhis for trying to bring light to the darkness of Federal government misdeeds.
Sorry – Lindsey was re-elected last election – SC has Sanford for governnor – the state is sick!
It’s not illegal if you win
No point expecting our chief euphemist Janet Napolitano to help out, she’s waging her own personal war on Sheriff Joe.
It might help for Dick Armey’s team to start building and publishing lists of these people so that it won’t be such a shock after we purge thousands of people out of government 13 months from now when conservatives cripple the leaderships of both parties. It will be an election for the history books. Lots of firsts.
Illegals can’t quite figure out they are the new slaves.
More of the same in the Left’s ongoing campaign to deconstruct America. If this keeps up, the Marxists will have more than “incivility” to complain about…
BINGO!
So what are we to do when the federal officials refuse to enforce the law because they like the political lean of a given subject? Should we become legal vigilantes and somehow pursue these cases ourselves?
This incident…. the New Black Panther criminals…. Liberals are treating our criminal justice system like a good ‘ole boys club.
It’s completely unacceptable. What authority do they have to do what they’re doing?
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Sounds like a congressional investigation and a special prosecutor are needed to look into this problem.
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If the democrats do it now the “perp” will be Cory Voorhis.
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If it happens after 2010 and 2012 by the republicans the “perp” may be Tony Rouco for his perjury.
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John Bibb
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The situation they put themselves in may be better than the one they came from, but they have no legal voice, no recourse for employer abuse and they just have to do what they’re told and accept what they get illegally paid. So yeah, this sure does sound something like slavery.
They’re here illegally, so my feeling is…. tough. Try following the law in the first place if you want the law to help you.
A lot of Americans are out of work. Many would be happy to have the jobs illegals are stealing.
And as for the employers…. It would be nice if they were prosecuted for Tax Fraud since they’re not paying any sort of tax related to these employees.
Who was Ritter working for when he was the District Attorney, and who appointed him? Whose agenda was he following? Why wasn’t he replaced?
I feel for Cory Voorhis because it is often the little guy who gets squashed. What was ICE thinking back in 2006?
Yep, plea bargains are part of our legal system. Though the question remains, did the plea bargains include deportation? If the immigration laws were not followed then, how can we expect them to be followed now?
And, yes it is fair to ask if the new DA will follow the law and include deportation for illegal immigrants in any plea bargains.
Villafuerte, Villafuerte
Hmmm is that a Jewish surname? Italian?
Nope.
It’s only a crime if=we lie to government. Government can lie to or about us, because they are very important. Plus they have to keep us safe.
It’s not all that complicated.
So much for the so called federal whistleblower laws.
I seem to remember someone recently going to prison over their alleged lying to a grad jury….of course that does not matter to the Libs because Scooter Libby worked for the Evil Chenney.
walk up and down the streets of georgetown, beacon hill, lower east side, beverly hills, chicago miracle mile etc. and knock on doors. whoever answers the door is illegal, arrest them. go into any hotel in the u.s. and arrest every maid you see. arrest every yard service employee. arrest every roofer. arrest 1/2 the construction workers. now we need workers instead of having too many unemployed.
These clowns violated the same laws as Scooter Libby and Martha Stewart.
Why no FEDERAL perjury charges?
I think somebody ought to point out that Libby was caught in a perjury trap for discrepancies in testimony before a grand jury. He was not convicted of, or even accused of, deliberately lying to a trial jury. There is a difference.
Is there anyone out there with a honest bone in their bodies? As for Lindsay Grahm. He was re-elected because he was the only person on the ballot. I hope we can change that!
Remember the old world is gone and the new world order is just starting where right is wrong and wrong is right. No accountability and everyone gets awards for nothing.
I think we need an old world French revolution….
Tell you one thing; one day much too soon we’re going to have some terrible race wars between the browns invading from south the border and blacks here whom aren’t employable because businesses feel the browns are “more dependable” and cheaper than the blacks. It’s coming. Like already, how many black outfits are mowing your lawn?
James Greenidge
Queens NY
You may be on to something there, but I have a feeling there is going to be a riot for who is selected to operate the guillotine. Maybe a lottery system would work?
This could be the only way to rid ourselves of the lying crapweasels that have somehow fooled someone to vote them into office (with many holding their offices for most of their lives). It could also rid us of the dysfunctional federal, state, county, and city bureaucrats that appear impossible to fire no matter how incompetent, rude, mean, and evil they are.
Boomer,
I couldn’t agree more. From an Iiealogic aspect, Socialism grows communism and they are not compassionate to their minions. We need some hard liners and people who are not afraid. They are out to destroy us, should we have any remorse for them.
If I was a sell out to world socialism, I would flood America with millions of illegal aliens, Muslims, then devalue the doller.
This would cause enough problems as their numbers grew, and inflation hit to turn Canada, America, and Mexico into a trading block with the Amero as the new coin.
But, I’m a nationalist, and have to go cling to my religion and weapons.
Go to any oil rig location in West Texas, and you’ll find that every crew on that rig has at least 3-4 illegals working on them. I was talking to one the other day, and he said he’ll never get deported because this is Mexico’s country now. He then had the audacity to tell me that this wasn’t my country. He said my country is England. These people are getting more and more brazen in their actions and do not fear getting caught because they KNOW that the odds are in their favor that they won’t be deported. It disgusts me because my father-in-law (who has 12 mouths to feed) works on rigs, and he can’t find work because these vermin are taking all the oilfield jobs.
I was in a bar and, an illegal started a fight because, I said illegals should get the heck out. Joe Arpaio is holding his sorry behind now. Yes, I will make a citizen arrest of these cocky barsteads.
Federal Whistleblower laws do not apply to any agency that has the name “Customs” in it. When INS was absorbed by Customs (and border security was hammered back to pre 9/11 standards)in 2003, those of us formerly employed by DOJ were told, in no uncertain terms, that we should never, ever, go against or speak poorly of Customs. Want to know why things are so screwed up now? (They were always screwed up but realetivity is important) It’s because everyone who worked for INS that was worth a d@mn left after the first year of DHS.
Everyone whined about the INS – It was the nature of the job. We could never look good as long as congress and presidents from both parties bent over backwards to ensure that illegal aliens not only made it to the US but were given every benefit possible once they got here. But.. Customs – well, everybody looks good when you seize a couple of pounds of cocaine. Just remember, cocaine is not manufactured in the USA. I promise you, unless you are in the middle of the wilderness, within a two mile radius of you, right now, there is cocaine. Every grain that is in the US is there because Customs failed to do it’s job. You simply don’t see Cocaine standing in front of the Home Depot soliciting a job. Imagine a President signing a law that made all cocaine presently in the USA to become legal to possess as long as the bearer could prove the cocaine was in the US illegally for more than 6 months or a Federal Judge granting a “stay” to all cocaine possessed in California and Nevada. Do you think Sherrif Joe has been told by Federal Authorities to not arrest people for possession of cocaine?
States have been granting reduced charges on convictions ever since the IRAIRA law of 1996 took away the 212(C) waiver that was automatically granted to all aliens by Immigration Judges (it waived deportation based on a criminal conviction). Also, the ’96 law created “mandatory detention” for aliens convicted of an “aggravated felony”. INS/ICE has a very limited amount of jail space so you can’t legally house every shoplifter who is given a year and a day (thus making it an “aggravated felony” by the definition of the law) – or every El Salvadorean Child Molester (a whole bunch of them are) or, every Mexican wife beater (seems to be a theme with Mexicans in the USA) or.. you get the picture. No jail space available means no criminal aliens behind bars. So, DAs routinely work with defense attorneys to plea the crime down so it is just out of ICE’s reach. ICE doesn’t mind because it can’t legally house that many aliens anyway.
It isn’t new, it also isn’t an isolated incident. Voorhis is screwed because, even if he wins this, he will be a pariah for the rest of his career. The Supervisor will simply be reassigned and you will never hear from him again. The vast majority of DHS Law Enforcement Officers are excellent, right minded professionals. Agent Voorhis is one of them. There are a few who aren’t.
They can burn in he11.
Maybe the reason the illegal immigrants are given a pass by ICE is that the 2010 Census is coming up and they will be included in it, ergo, more votes or potential voters for the Democrats in the upcoming elections and more Fed money for their district.
Problems with immigration, all of them, are what they are because the b-terds in Congress want it that way. They do not love this country, they just want to benefit by it. Please, people, be very choosy who you vote for!