The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - 7
Federal subpoena Conn. Gov., records investigated
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Gov. John Rowland,
beset by corruption allegations within his administra-
tion, received a federal subpoena yesterday for all docu-
ments relating to improvements at his summer cottage,
personal investments, tax returns and all gifts, The Asso-
ciated Press learned.
However, Rowland was not subpoenaed to testify
before the federal grand jury investigating alleged
bribery and bid-rigging within his administration.
The subpoena marked the first time that any of Row-
land's personal records have been sought by federal
investigators, and came hours after the GOP governor
told the state Legislature's top four Democrats and two
leading Republicans he had no intention of resigning.
Ross Garber, Rowland's chief legal counsel, told the
AP he saw the subpoena yesterday but did not have a
copy
The U.S. attorney's office wants copies of all records
of work done on the cottage in Litchfield, and all gifts
Rowland has received from state employees, anyone
doing business with the state or seeking to do business
with the state. Rowland voluntarily turned over informa-
tion about the cottage last month after he admitted lying
about who performed work on the summer house.
The governor originally said he paid for all the work
himself, but later admitted that a state construction con-
tractor, as well as friends and employees - including
some being scrutinized as part of the federal investiga-
tion - paid for some of the work in the form of gifts.
The governor was unavailable to comment last night.
Staff said he was working on a speech to be televised
today.
Garber said the subpoena was not a surprise.
"The governor has been providing documents to inves-
tigators and it was anticipated that a formal subpoena
would be part of the process," he said.
Federal authorities have already subpoenaed records
from some contractors who worked on the cottage. Some
said they were promised they would get state work, pos-
sibly at the governor's official residence, if they gave
Rowland a bargain price for renovations.
Rowland has denied making any such promises and
says he did not know of anyone else making such prom-
ises.
Last week, federal investigators subpoenaed the state
Department of Public Works for all documents relating
to any construction and renovations at the official gover-
"The governor has been providing documents to investigators and it
was anticipated that a formal subpoena would be part of the process."
- Ross Garber
Gov. John Rowland Legel Counsel
nor's residence.
Garber said the latest subpoena seeks Rowland's per-
sonal tax returns since 1996, and any records relating to
his income and loans, as well as investments and busi-
ness associations the past several years.
Earlier in the day, House Speaker Moira Lyons said
the governor's 90-minute meeting with leading lawmak-
ers was "serious and candid." She and House Majority
leader Jim Amann plan to meet with fellow House
Democrats tomorrow before deciding whether to pursue
Rowland's impeachment.
"We will get a consensus from the caucus and as their
leader along with the speaker, we'll make a decision of
whether it goes to impeachment, or whether we sit back
and wait for indictments," Amann said.
House Minority Leader Robert Ward, a Republican,
said he does not yet see Rowland's offenses rising to the
level of impeachment.
"In our form of government, we leave the person in
power unless there is an extreme set of circumstances,"
he said.
Also yesterday, The Hartford Courant and The New
York Times reported that Rowland, a former congress-
man, sold his Washington, D.C., condominium in 1997
to a friend's business partner for $40,000 to $50,000
more than the sale prices of similar units in the same
building.
The buyer, Woodbury antiques dealer Wayne Pratt,
bought the condo for $68,500, about 19 percent more
than Rowland paid in 1989. Pratt sold the condo about
two years after buying it, taking what public records
indicate was a $31,000 loss.
Garber said Monday that the governor would have no
comment on the condo deal.
Bush to propose change
in immigration laws
I i
WASHINGTON (AP) - A plan being pro-
posed by President Bush would give legal status to
foreign workers, including millions already toiling
in America's underground economy, removing the
fear of deportation but not putting them on a fast
track toward permanent U.S. residency.
In a speech today at the White House, Bush
will ask Congress to approve changes to immi-
gration policy, arguing that they would make the
country safer by giving officials a better idea of
who is crossing the border, bolster the economy
by fulfilling employers' needs and protect illegal
workers' rights.
Also, in a nod to conservatives who oppose any
reward to those who enter the United States ille-
gally, Bush is including in his plan incentives -
such as the promise of retirement benefits and the
ability to open tax savings accounts - to entice
the workers to return to their home countries.
Immigrant advocacy groups say the president's
proposal, known as a "temporary worker pro-
gram" and outlined by senior administration offi-
cials yesterday night, falls short of comprehensive
reform. On the other hand, groups wanting to
curb immigration say the president's proposal for
a three-year temporary worker plan, rewards for-
eign workers who broke the law when they
entered the United States.
"It's a two-step amnesty," said Mark Krikorian,
executive director of the Center for Immigration
Studies, which advocates strict immigration rules.
"It's not what the folks on the left want, which
is a quick green card, but it is an amnesty
nonetheless," he said. "It legalizes illegal immi-
grants and is going to increase the number of
green cards so that people will be able to move
through the system faster." A green card grants an
immigrant permanent residency.
"Extremely disappointing," said Cecilia Munoz,
vice president for policy at the National Council of
La Raza, a Hispanic immigrant advocacy group.
"It's a serious backtracking to where the presi-
dent was two years ago when the administration
was prepared to provide some kind of path to
legal status," she said. "They're proposing to
invite people to be guest workers without provid-
ing any meaningful opportunity to remain in the
United States to become legal permanent resi-
dents. It appears to be all about rewarding
employers who have been hiring undocumented
immigrants while offering almost nothing to the
workers themselves."
There are an estimated 8 million to 10 million
undocumented immigrants in the United States,
perhaps half from Mexico.
The proposed change in U.S. immigration poli-
cy could smooth relations with Mexico and help
lure Latino voters.
The announcement comes just before Bush's
scheduled meeting with Mexico's President
Vicente Fox next week at the Summit of the
Americas in Monterey, Mexico. Mexican offi-
cials have complained that the administration
sought their help to improve border security and
combat drug trafficking but failed to respond to
pleas for an easing of U.S. immigration policy.
AP PHOTO
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Ca. A reporter looks at one of the 3D Images from the Spirit Rover on Mars, released today by
NASA.
WEBSITES
Continued from Page 1
Yet many students who tried to connect to Wolverine
Access just wanted to know where to go for class.
LSA junior Madison Moore said his roommate did not
attend class because he could not find where his classes
were located.
"I asked my roommate why he hadn't left for class, and he
said he couldn't because he had been trying to access his
schedule (through Wolverine Access) for the past 6 hours,"
Moore said.
Madison said he was only able to access and find his
classes since he entered his schedule into his planner before
Wolverine Access experienced problems.
LSA senior Michelle Thompson faced the same problem,
although she found some of her classes through e-mails
from Graduate Student Instructors and course websites. But
she said, "One of them I couldn't find. So I missed it."
EN DORSEM ENTS
Continued from Page 1
union-friendly Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri late in the
summer. Rep. Nancy Polesi of California, the House Demo-
cratic leader, also endorsed Gephardt.
Although lacking major political endorsements, Rep.
Dennis Kucinich of Ohio has the support of celebrities
including singer Willie Nelson, actor Danny Glover and Ben
and Jerry's ice cream mogul Ben Cohen.
Although Dean is widely seen as having the strongest
endorsements, there is still hope for the other candidates,
with many high profile Democrats still yet to name their
allegiances.
Former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton of
New York have both said they will not endorse a candidate
but rather support the eventual nominee.
Although the Michigan Caucus is less than a month away,
on Feb. 7, leading state Democrats still have not revealed if
they will give endorsements.
Genna Gent, spokeswoman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm,
said the governor is still weighing her options and watching
the candidates closely.
Although Gent did not reveal if or when a decision
would be made, it would most likely happen before the
caucus.
Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, have not
announced their decisions either.
~MSA
Continued from Page 1
students were hit by a truck, while crossing Plymouth
Road from the Islamic Center of Ann Arbor at night.
MSA Vice-President Monique Perry said: "Unfortu-
nately, the death of the two students was not the first
time that students voiced their concern about crossing
Plymouth Road both from the Islamic Center and Wil-
low Tree apartments."
EDWARDS
Continued from Page 1
candidates have.
He also attributed Edwards' popularity in the state to
the senator's focus on values.
"Edwards has the courage to not back away from a
values debate. Values have to do with that gut feeling
you get that he knows where you're coming from." Bell
said.
"He's taken the case of the little guy and given him a
fair shake," he added.
Edwards hopes the working class sees him as one of
them. As the son of a mill worker, Edwards paid his
way through college.
After graduating from the University of North Car-
olina, Chapel Hill, he worked as a personal injury
lawyer for 20 years.
Drawing on his experiences fighting insurance com-
panies and corporations, Edwards has been a strong
patients' rights advocate. In the Senate, he worked with
Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain
(R-Ariz.) on the patients' bill of rights, which passed
the Senate but stalled in the House.
Edwards' health care plan aims to lower prescription
costs by subjecting existing patent laws to review. It
also offers tax credits to parents who insure their chil-
dren.
Edwards vows to cut malpractice premiums that drive
doctors away from high-risk specialties and procedures
- despite once practicing malpractice law and receiv-
ing many contributions from trial lawyers.
The College for Everyone plan is the keystone of
Edwards' educational proposals. The plan guarantees
the first year of college to every young person that
gains admittance and does ten hours of volunteer work
each week. Edwards hopes this program conveys to
young people the value of education and the availability
of financial aid.
He plans to fund the program by replacing subsidies
to the banks that make college loans with competitive
contracts.
Edwards has also campaigned on trade policy. He
must contend with fellow candidate Dick Gephardt,
who has won major union support over the past 20
years by opposing many free trade policies.
"Edwards understands that sensitivity for this issue is
demonstrated not just by labor union support," Bell
said.
Bell explained Edwards' lack of union endorsements,
saying, "When you're in politics for 20 years, you rack
up a list of people you owe favors...Gephardt owes his
success to labor unions; Edwards does not owe unions
anything. For him, the only special interests are the
people."
That is why Edwards isn't accepting any money from
political action committees, Bell said.
Edwards must also compete for working class sup-
port with Dean, who received endorsements from the
Services Employees International Union and the Ameri-
can Federation of State, County and Municipal Employ-
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