Sacked CIA Officer - Hey, Big Donor...

The NY Times seems to think the political contributions of the sacked CIA officer are significant, but their investigative skills are apparently a bit rusty, since they are about $7,500 light in their reporting.  From David Johnston and Scott Shane we get this:

Public records show that Ms. McCarthy contributed $2,000 in 2004 to the presidential campaign of John Kerry, the Democratic nominee.

I applaud their instinct to look in this direction at all.  However, per public records at Open Secrets, we can easily find the $2,000 donation to Kerry, a $5,000 donation by Mary O. McCarthy to the Ohio DNC, a $2,000 donation by a Michael J McCarthy from the same address (Husband, brother, bro-in-law, dad?  I'll guess hubby), and a $500 donation to Barbara Mikulski, all in 2004.  $9,500 in 2004 donations from two folks who have reported almost nothing before that.  Might be a story there, if the Times could find it.  But will the Times try to follow the money?

The FEC website has more info, including home addresses, in their searches.

Flopping Aces has lots on McCarthy; I have some below.

UPDATE:  If it is worth reporting, it is worth getting right - David Cloud follows up for the Times on Saturday, and still scores an "incomplete", twice:

Others said it was possible that Ms. McCarthy — who made a contribution to Senator John Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004 — had grown increasingly disenchanted with the methods adopted by the Bush administration for handling Qaeda prisoners.

And a bit later:

Several associates of Ms. McCarthy said she returned to the C.I.A. in 2004, taking a job in the inspector general's office. That year, public records show, she contributed $2,000 to Mr. Kerry's presidential campaign, identifying herself as a "government analyst."

This is simply not this difficult.

Comments

[Chants]

Conscience or politcs?

Follow the money.

[Pofarmer]

Color me conspiratorial

There's some things I'd like to know.

Things we do know.
McCarthy was CIA IG.
She would know people in the DOJ.
The Fitzgerald investigation has been handled as an ivestigation of the administration and not like a "leak" investigation from the get go. Ergo, we know who the leaker is, but there's no charges.

Fitz is from Chicago, which is highly Democratic.

So, what I want to know.

Who reccommended Fitz at the beginning of the chain?

Is Fitz just a useful idiot, or is something a little more/less sinister involved.

[Sue]

Tom,

There is a story in the political donations of McCarthy and her husband. I just hope someone with the resources to figure it out runs with it.

[Kate]

Reading through blogs and news reports on this topic, I came acrooss a quote indicating that the McCarthys and Wilsons were friends. There was no supporting link, however, and was wondering if anyone saw supporting links on this, which I would find interesting, although not totally surprising.

[Dwilkers]

Like Pofarmer, I'm afraid I'm going to have to get out the tinfoil and make a hat.

Biers, Berger, Clark, Plame, Wilson, the Kerry campaign, money for the Dems and Kerry, and 2 female managers at the CIA. Stolen docs from the archives, illegal leaks of classified material.

OK who in the media is going to start connecting the dots here, because this is starting to have the stench of a real live conspiracy. Is it a coincidence this all happened around the same time during a presidential election? All these guys started pulling this crap at the same time accidentally?

[Sue]

I don't get the NYTs. If they thought it was important enough to include the $2000 donation, why wouldn't it be even more important to note that during the election year of 2004, McCarthy and her husband made $10,000 in donations to democrats? Surely I'm not a better investigator than these investigative journalists. It was fairly easy to find, took me all of 5 minutes.

[Paul Vincent]

There's some very interesting information on Free Republic re. Joe's Wilson's second wife:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1619050/posts?q=1&&page=1251

[richard mcenroe]

And now the ranking Dem on the Ethics Committee gets run out on a rail...

What Culture of Corruption? Where?

[keatssycamore]

Tom,

There is a story in the political donations of McCarthy and her husband. I just hope someone with the resources to figure it out runs with it.

I'm not sure why you need a 'story'. Seems pretty clear you already know what happened and why. A NYT 'story' would just be filled with balancing 'facts' like 'she served under original George without leaking information about secret CIA prisons in Eastern Europe' as evidence that people who know what happened (like yourself) are just conspiracy crazies.

Better to do what Mr. Maguire does and leave the innuendo out there without the 'reporting'.

[Bill in AZ]

I don't think it's greed or desire for political influence or greater status in the "right" party that drives folks like Mary McCarthy, Mary Mapes, Dan RaTHer, Joe Wilson, most of the news media, etc. It is, unfortunately, much worse than that. It is a burning ideology of moving the US in the "proper" direction towards socialism/marxism that is so deeply ingrained in these folks.

Bush's stupid little war derailed the perfect plan - Bill Clinton gets 8 years to set things up, get the right people in the right offices. Al Gore gets a few years to basically do nothing because he's too inept - but he's a useful tool to keep things moving in the right direction, take orders from Hillary, get the rest of us dummies used to the "proper" direction for the country. Then Hillary gets in and pushes us over the edge and beyond any reasonable recovery - er, for the greater good, you know - with the media cheerleading all the way.

These folks share a similar passion for their ideology that the Islamists have for theirs - maybe why they get along so well, and can't see the damage that will come from it. In fact, the Islamists are helping the cause. A common thread between the shared passion for each of these ideologies is that they will both do absolutely anything to further their cause. The unending stream of sedition and treason coming from these groups is evidence of what these people are willing to do to their country in their passion for their ideology. It is truly scary and depressing, especially when the unelected and unaccountable media who shares this ideology still controls what most people see.

[Sue]

Keats,

That is my angle, not Tom's. You might want to leave him out of my musings. ::grin::

[Chants]

The problem so far with connecting this to Kerry is that Ms. McCathy's only known leak is related to a November 2005 story.

[AMDG]

The things that jump out at me are the $10K and the donation to Ohio.

Given the area where they live (Northern Va) and the value of their home ($800K +) I would suspect the debt service alone would not leave a considerable amount of free cash ($6K/month $72K per year?)- even if they are in the $200K range in income. The $10K is a lot of money to throw around given where they are economically.

Second - how did they know to give to the Ohio Democrat party?

Unfortunatley we know thta nobody in the Drive-by media will be concerned with this. They need to cous on the real issues of the day - The VP wearing sunglasses and the President tapping his foot during Hu's welcoming ceremony.

My guess is that if it is even mentioned on Sunday it will be framed around the idea that since the President did it it is no big deal.

It has become apparent that the Democrats thirst for power has thrown them into an alliance with the Islamofacists.

[Kate]

The leak I'm interested in is the leak to Mitchell re the referral to the DOJ. That would be in the fall of 2003, I believe. Was our Mary in a position to leak that. And Andrea was droaning on last night about how one's man's leaker is another's whistleblower. Wasn't referring to Libby, I think.

Of course, there are probably dozens of leakers.

[Chants]

Could be Kate. She seems to be in the right place at the right time.

I would not be surprised (at all) if the VIPS are tied very closely to McCarthy.

This may be the biggest bust since Rathergate.

However, I do not see Fitz tied in at all. That's a rickety bridge.

[Fredrik Nyman]

AMDG --

Do keep in mind that Ms. McCarthy has lived in the DC area for a long time (decades), so she presumably purchased her house long before prices started skyrocketing.

Whoo, this is just too easy...
Here's their property.

[TM]

I came acrooss a quote indicating that the McCarthys and Wilsons were friends.

Joe and Mary worked together for a year, and both their addresses in the DC area are public record - they might be neighbors (that goes on my Never-Shortening To Do list)

Surely I'm not a better investigator than these investigative journalists. It was fairly easy to find, took me all of 5 minutes.

Not to sell you short, but one wonders how the Times managed to *not* find it.

I'm not sure why you need a 'story'. Seems pretty clear you already know what happened and why.

I do? I'm torn between the "Auntie died, what should I do with the money?", the George Soros laundering scheme, and the McCarthy's new determination to save America by any and all means possible, including illegal leaks and big checks.

More facts might help, and the Times is in a better position to get them. But obviously, there are lots of incurious lefties out there to whom the Times must cater. "Follow the money" won't count here.

[AJStrata]

McCarthy was Larry Johnson's boss

http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/1670

Why am I not surprised

[Dwilkers]

Is this whole thing starting to unravel now? Is that what we're watching? Seems to me like it might be just that.

[Sue]

AJ,

You have got to be kidding me? There is an actual connection between Johnson and McCarthy? LOL. I would bet Tom Clancey is taking notes for his next novel. ::grin::

[Rick Ballard]

With this many lice, I sure hope Goss is using a very fine toothed comb for the nits. I wonder how many unpublicized "retirements" have occurred at Langley since he took over?

Not enough, apparently.

[AJStrata]

Sue,

I linked to Johnson's just released post admitting it himself. Can't get firmer than that.

[topsecretk9]

Sue

I know I am being a pest, and I don't know why I need your confirmation...but did you see my Mary McCarthy-Dana Preist - Syemour Hersh - Joe Wilson - Larry Johnson - CSIS - NYU connection links?

If so I will stop bugging you.

[topsecretk9]

oh and Mary McCarthy - Daniel Benjamin - Patrick Fitzgerald link too

[Sue]

AJ,

I just went over to your site and read it. This story just keeps growing.

Top,

Yes, I saw it. I haven't looked at it closely yet. I hope someone who has the power of the pen is looking. Talk about 6 degrees of separation. This story is crawling with it.

[AJStrata]

Top,

Were are your links!

Cheers,
AJStrata

[Sue]

I'm willing to give Fitzgerald a break in the connection. He had the power in 2004 to bring down the Bush administration and didn't do it. If he was involved in anything, other than a clueless investigation, he could have leaked the names of who he was investigating. If you will remember, during the run up to the 2004 election, we were still guessing that Rove and Libby were involved. Just a small leak to the press in mid October could have made a difference.

[Rocco]

Hi all...I hope I didn't post this in the wrong spot, I just didn't know where to put it.

According to an Indian Ocean Newsletter dated 10/233/99, a delegation of American businessmen traveled to Ethiopia to participate in a meeting. The article mentions Mohamed Hussein Al Amoudi, Midroc, Westar, Rock Creek Corportaion, Elias Aburdene and Joe Wilson. It also mentions F.C. Schaffer and Associates, a sugar company.

Now I'm no chemist but I have read that sulfuric acid is used to mill yellowcake. It's also used to recover sugar from the waste left over after sugar cane processing, the end result being ethanol.

The SSCI states on page 40, "However, the purported 4,000-ton annual production listed is fully 1,000 tons more than the mining companies claim to have produced in 2001."

Page 56, "One of the two mines cited by the source as the location of the uranium oxide is flooded."

Since yellowcake is sold in metric tons, and the UN Food For Oil Program documents tons of sugar being traded...am I reaching here? here?

[Chants]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,81148,00.html

Worthy of a repeat link.

[Chants]

Rocco,

Rock Creek Corporation. Reminded me of something Roger Simon said.

http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2004/07/heart_of_darkne.php

[sad]

Wild speculation here: Perhaps the Libby thing went as long as it has because of an investigation into the big-time leakers in the CIA.

Talk amongst yourselves..........

[topsecretk9]

Start here and scroll through to the next 3 or four - the Mary McCarty - Dana Priest connection at NYU Security group

(Or here, here, and here)

Sue - the benefit of the doubt, agree...but it sure explains to me why Fitz bought the "whistleblower" angle -- close people whispering in his ear

[Sue]

Top,

There might be that connection. I am not going to believe that just because Fitzgerald knows some of them he would become involved in a conspiracy with them. The others, I'll buy it in a heartbeat. For some reason, I just can't let myself think Fitzgerald would be aware of it or part of it. He might just be Fitz Magoo, as AJ likes to call him. ::grin::

[topsecretk9]

Sue

You misunderstand...I am not saying he is involved in a conspiracy...I am just saying if a friend may have "colored" his view, communicated a mean smear campaign wasn't to Fitz ...and since one of those friends is so close to all of it, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a opinion of the Plame leak was communicated to Fitz.

[topsecretk9]

Does that make better sense?

[Sue]

Top,

Fitz definitely buys the whistleblower meme.

[sad]

Tops

I agree with your assessment. No conspiracy on Fitz' part, just some "insider info" from a trusted associate.

[Lesley]

Rocco: you might find this link interesting.

What Joe Wilson Didn't Say About Africa

Fedora post

[topsecretk9]

I'll just throw this out...McCarthy and Benjamin are close (both on CSIS and NYU)...she communicates a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower...Benjamin then communicates a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower... if a friend is of the belief it was a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower...and that same friend is one quoted in a Fitz bio...then I won't be surprised if that friend communicated to his friend a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower...

and coming from a "trusted" friend I would believe a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower

[Rocco]

Sy Hersh's piece "The Stovepipe" claims an anonymous CIA told him a disgrunteld group of retired CIA forged those Niger documents to set Bush up...I've always suspected VIPS to be that group

[PeterUK]

Mary has some more interesting colleagues quite a roll of honour.,Clarke,Zinni..

[topsecretk9]

OT, but my bestest friend just called and the flight last night to Sacramento with the crazy bomb threat guy who also tried to open the emergency exit -- her husband was one of the passenger tacklers --- he's a hero - Let's Roll

[hrtshpdbox]

{He had the power in 2004 to bring down the Bush administration and didn't do it.}

Who knows, maybe Fitz wasn't "empowered" to leak names before the election. Maybe there was an acknowledgement from whoever might give Fitz the go-ahead that to do so would unleash, from Karl Rove's general direction, a barrage of ads featuring JK tossing medals over the White House fence. Or something.

[Other Tom]

The leak theory seems extremely unlikely to me. Remember, after the story broke Goss testified very forcefully that the disclosure had very seriously damaged the agency's ability to do its job. It's hard to imagine that he would plant a false story knowing (as he surely would have known) that its publication would cause that kind of damage. And he already had an investigation, complete with polygraphs, uderway concerning the NSA surveillance program.

[ghostcat]

"Ole Hick'ry said we could take 'em by suprise, if we didn't fire our muskets 'til we looked 'em in the eyes."

The long-rumored Spring Offensive has begun.

And the Fitz role may be the bestest surprise of all.

[clarice]

Testing

[ghostcat]

Roger.

[topsecretk9]

I'll just throw this out...McCarthy and Benjamin are close (both on CSIS and NYU)...she communicates a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower...Benjamin then communicates a mean smear campaign designed to quash a whistleblower...

I will also add that McCarthy was in position to communicate an opinion of the Plame leak to her trusted friend -- the mean smear campaign --- because she, alas...was in the office that dealt with the smear campaign referral....

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice is currently locked out of comments (typepad needs to be swatted with a newspaper). She suggests that the leak may be linked pack to Berger, Clarke, Beers (I'd toss in all VIPS) and wonders whether McCarthy may have had some part in the referral on Plame.

I would say that this disclosure gives Counterintelligence an opportunity not to be missed to sift every damn byte on Ms Mary's computer and ask the FBI for help with warrants on her house and anything else that they can think of.

If they can find reliable FBI agents, of course.

[Rick Ballard]

Looks like she found the key.