The Air Force has completed a bizarre case involving a former senior judge advocate general to practiced for more than 20 years without disclosing that he had been disbarred from practice. Col. Michael D. Murphy was convicted on three counts of conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman, one count of failing to obey a lawful order, and three counts of larceny. However, because the White House Military Office refused to release basic discovery material, he will not spend a day in jail and will simply leave the Air Force.
Murphy served as general counsel to the White House Military Office from 2001 to 2005.
Murphy was facing 41 years in jail but the White House office refused to release information on his work by claiming classified status. It is a ridiculous example of classification officers failing to take reasonable steps to redact material to allow for the use of such information. It is perfectly bizarre that such information could not be produced and leads to a suspicion that former colleagues were helping in scuttling the case. The failure of the office to produce the material should be reviewed by both the White House counsel and Congress.
It is also interesting that security staff is so careful in its handling of classified material but never appeared to pick up that Murphy had been disbarred from practice.
In November 2006, a check of Texas legal records showed he had been disbarred in the early 1980s. He has also been barred from practicing in Louisiana and U.S. District Court. He was disbarred for professional misconduct.
The judge ruled that the refusal of the White House office to supply the evidence left him with no alternative since the defense could have used the performance related information as part of its case.
It appears that Murphy’s Law was named after Col. Murphy: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.
For the full story, click here.
Nice catch CEJ. The off-topic trolls are not concerned with facts. They have a pesky way of destroying their talking points.
To the troll named “begich should resign”:
Go Away!
You are on a site were people check sources; that article you are attempting to reference from Politico is slightly accurate only if you substitute Palin for Obama.
You remember her, the same Palin who called last year, while out on the campaign trail for Steven’s resignation. “Stevens needs to step aside and allow our state to elect someone who will be supportive of those ideals of America – the free enterprise, the missions that we’re on to win the war, those things that have got to take place in order to progress this country. Ted Stevens has got to play a very Statesman like role in this now.”
rafflaw, (This pertains to the post on Holder and I’m hoping it will go through. The site is crazy tonight.)
I’m having a lot of trouble with getting to this site and its comments. This may be a triple post. I think you have made a good point and I have to change my mind on this.
Obama’s call came after a reporter at the Fairbanks News Miner emailed him a copy of a statement by Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich calling for Begich to step down.
Asked for his response, Obama simply wrote back: “I absolutely agree.”
When the reporter wrote back to confirm that Obama meant he’d like to see Begich resign in order to hold a special election, the President responded: “Yes.”
In an email to POLITICO, Obama spokeswoman Meg Stapleton confirmed the President’s position. “Hhe absolutely agrees that there should be a special election,” Stapleton wrote. “Stepping down to hold the special election would be the right thing to do.”
In the statement Obama was provided, Ruedrich said that “the only reason Mark Begich won the election in November is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Sen. Ted Stevens was guilty of seven felonies.”
Obama’s call came after a reporter at the Fairbanks News Miner emailed him a copy of a statement by Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich calling for Begich to step down.
Asked for his response, Obama simply wrote back: “I absolutely agree.”
When the reporter wrote back to confirm that Obama meant he’d like to see Begich resign in order to hold a special election, the President responded: “Yes.”
In an email to POLITICO, Obama spokeswoman Meg Stapleton confirmed the President’s position. “Hhe absolutely agrees that there should be a special election,” Stapleton wrote. “Stepping down to hold the special election would be the right thing to do.”
In the statement Obama was provided, Ruedrich said that “the only reason Mark Begich won the election in November is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Sen. Ted Stevens was guilty of seven felonies.”
The Bush regime is just full of surprises. Even aftger they are out of office.
Col. Murphy’s records were withheld by the Bush administration. Isn’t there something that can be done about this travesty by appealing to the new administration to suitably redact the man’s record then release it? Would it make any difference, or is it too late now?
Seems Obama has a lot more housecleaning to do to mop up after the past eight years of malfeasance. I hope he’s so inclined.
As a former military serviceman, there was a time, up until 3 years ago, when I would have stated unequivocally that a full colonel demanded the utmost respect and honor. However, I have dealt with a retired colonel who is the most corrupt and disingenuous former military serviceman of any rank that I have ever had the displeasure of knowing. I think one problem is that nowadays rank is given too freely in the military, just as it is in government civil service advancement.
The governmental leaders of today are among the most incompetent and they are chosen not on merit, but most often because of their willingness to move around and take jobs in places such as Washington D.C., a duty station often required to garner a promotion above GS-13. However, their ego is bigger than their competency is small. Once they reach their ‘GS-a million’ grade scale, there is no turning back. They tout themselves as having the special qualities that engender *rapid advancement* when they did not spend more than about 3 years in one job at a time and therefore never learned their trade or earned the respect from their colleagues that is needed to become successful and competent leaders; vagabond “servants.”
The standards in all of government are declining.
This guy knows where some bodies are buried and he’s placed the information in a secure, undisclosed location to be released should he have an “accident” in a small plane. I would certainly like to know what his real job has been because obviously the other is his cover.