Howard 'no comment' Dean

On two consecutive days, Dean’s campaign refused to respond to press requests from Connecticut and Vermont newspapers about his corrupt behavior concerning his conflict of interest with William Sorrell, Vermont Attorney General, related to a police shooting and how that conflict tainted his decision relating to the appointment of a special prosecutor. No comment. Couldn’t be reached. Wouldn’t return calls. See articles below.

Two years ago, Dean was petitioned by grieving friends of a slain Vermont man (Justice for Woody) to appoint a special prosecutor/investigator to look into the police shooting. The group strongly objected to the results of an investigation conducted by William Sorrell, Vermont Attorney General. Dean accepted the request to look at the matter and take appropriate action if he deemed it appropriate.

When Dean accepted the report from the Justice for Woody people he failed to disclose to the group that he had an enormous conflict of interest with William Sorrell and he would never undermine his friend’s report on the shooting. To do so would usurp his friends authority and put into question Sorrell’s abilities and judgment.

See, Cronies v. Qualifications, Howard Dean’s Dilemma
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2003/09/100936.shtml

In many State’s Dean’s conduct would be criminal under conflict of interest statutes. Not so in Dean’s Vermont. Maybe his failure to disqualify himself from evaluating his Crony’s report may not be criminal, but, it was a breach of moral and ethical standards that would apply to any profession. It’s not necessary to debate the facts of the police shooting or to even review the reports available on the issue to make a finding of corruption against Dean for failing to recuse from the matter because of a vast conflict with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.

Dean left Vermont in a hopeless state of corruption. Conflict of interest and even acceptance of bribes by government officials are part of doing business for Vermont government officials. When quizzed by a journalist last month about official bribery cover-up in Vermont, Sorrell responded, like Dean, with no comment. Why doesn’t Dean wish to address the conflict of interest charges leveled at him in the below articles? Similarly, why did Dean try to seal his records for 20 years? There’s much more to look at in Vermont. We can start with Dean’s #1 appointee and favorite crony, Vermont Attorney General, William Sorrell.

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Friends of shooting victim say Howard Dean failed him

By ADAM BOWLES

Norwich Bulletin, 12/02/03

Two years after a Norwich Free Academy graduate was fatally shot by police while inside a Vermont church, Robert Woodward's friends claim that presidential candidate Howard Dean mishandled the case.

Woodward's supporters are upset that Dean, governor of Vermont at the time of the shooting, did not appoint an independent investigation into the shooting.

Dean, instead, said he was comfortable with a report by the state attorney general that cleared the police of any wrongdoing, the supporters say.

Members of the "Justice for Woody" group say Dean and Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell are lifelong friends and that Sorrell's family helped launch Dean's political career.

"We feel that (Dean) purposely did not want to cross his friend, his political crony of several decades who probably has aspirations to be part of a Dean presidential cabinet," said Keith Carlson, a member of Justice for Woody. "We may not be the ones to prove it. But the public has the right to know."

Members of the group are marking the anniversary of Woodward's death with a silent march today in downtown Brattleboro.

Dean's press office said Monday that the leading Democratic presidential candidate would not comment for this story. His spokesman did not return phone calls to the press office Monday.

FULL STORY:
http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/stories/20031202/localnews/746805.html


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See also,
Brattleboro Reformer, 12/03/03
“Calls to Dean's national campaign office were not returned Tuesday.”
http://www.reformer.com/Stories/0,1413,102~8860~1805664,00.html

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This corruption is also mentioned at below link along with Sorrell's cover-up of bribery and violation of criminal federal civil rights law. Dean sure chooses interesting cronies.

http://hawaii.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/3802.php

If there is any question as to the ties between these two unsavory politicians......

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/09/22/a_meteoric_rise_in_vermont_politics/

See the 4th paragraph in this link, Sorrell and Dean are as close as family,

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean062303/dean062303spt.html

http://www.atg.state.vt.us/display.php?smod=70

http://www.justiceforwoody.org/media/articles/html/casa1.htm

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean0702/freyneint.html

http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/News/Story/68525.html

http://www.rutlandherald.com/News/Story/66910.html

http://pittsburgh.indymedia.org/news/2003/09/8836.php

Commentary and compilation by Scott Huminski
s_huminski [at] hotmail.com