Sibel Edmonds v. Mean Jean

Though the case at issue is relatively insignificant - actually it is Schmidt v. Krikorian - what is significant is the involvement of FBI whistle blower Sibel Edmonds in providing, at the request of the defense, a deposition with testimony relating to what she heard as an eavesdropper on communications between agents of Turkish intelligence, the Turkish lobby, officials of the U.S. State Department, Department of Defense, as well as members of Congress. The details of her testimony have previously been suppressed by the State Secrets Privilege, as invoked by the Bush administration's Justice Department in 2002 and 2004. So, her testimony in this case will effectively act as bait for the Obama Administration to do the same.

The present case concerns a suit (through the State of Ohio Elections Commission) of Rep. Jean Schmidt against one of her rivals in the 2008 general election, David Krikorian, who accused her of taking "blood money" from Turkish interests as quid quo pro for her no vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian genocide under the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Schmidt claims these allegations are pure slander.

However, as Sibel Edmonds has first hand knowledge of the extent of of Turkish influence within Congress, her testimony will very likely be crucial to Krikorian's defense.

Potentially related to the allegations of Turkish involvement is the generous support that Schmidt received from then Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, according to "Mean Jean" Schmidt's democratic rival in the '08 campaign, Victoria Wulsin. As it turns out, Hastert happens to occupy Edmonds' State Secrets Privilege Gallery. And, he currently represents the Turkish lobby.

(Incidentally, Wulsin was slandered by Schmidt with false accusations of injecting malaria into unwitting Africans! But, the "Mean Jean" epithet was coined when she called the decorated Vietnam veteran & congressman John Murtha a coward on the House floor in 2005)

More coverage on Sibel Edmonds' 123 Real Change & on Jeff Stein's Spy Talk


Update: August 8

The Obama DoJ hemmed and hawed a bit, but in the end did not take the State Secrets bait.

Edmonds testified. The coverage at BradBlog.