U.S. Attorney won't back off prosecution of lawmaker

All Muck is Local: Iowa
By Will Thomas - October 21, 2007, 11:45AM

Thanks to Alberto Gonzales, it will be a long time for the Justice Department before prosecutors can pursue a Democrat without suspicion. The case against State Senator Matt McCoy (D-IA) is another one of those prosecutions now mediated through the lens of the politicization of the Department.

Matt McCoy was indicted last March on one count of extortion, and he is set for trial next week. McCoy's business partner, Tom Vasquez, installs security systems for elderly citizens. When Vasquez sought to install his product for clients with Medicaid, McCoy allegedly threatened to block the deal (by getting the state Medicaid office to remove the business as a Medicaid vendor) unless he received $100 for each installation. Federal authorities claim that McCoy collected over $2,000 before December 2005, and they have recorded ten hours of conversation between the two men as evidence.

When the case first broke, pundits cried foul, citing the brewing U.S. Attorney scandal as evidence that the prosecutor was reaffirming his status as a "loyal Bushie." Local pundit David Ypsen noted that the prosecutor is a strong social conservative who was slated earlier this year to emcee an event for the Iowa Christian Coalition. Needless to say: "Active involvement in ideological political action groups like that is rare for U.S. attorneys in Iowa — and even the Justice Department higher-ups seemed to think better of it."

Now, with only a week until the trial begins, McCoy is echoing the cry. In a filing this week, his attorney seeks to have the case dismissed on grounds of prosecutorial abuse. According to court documents, the government withheld from the grand jury taped conversations in which McCoy explicitly told Vasquez that he would not suffer retribution if he didn't share his earnings. The filing also accuses the government of intercepting emails between McCoy and his attorney, as well as surreptitiously paying Vasquez to cooperate in the prosecution (even offering him a bonus if the case returned a guilty plea) ...

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McCoy defense, prosecutors spar
His attorneys want to question witness about alleged drug use
By ABBY SIMONS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 20, 2007

... McCoy's attorneys asked a judge Wednesday to throw out all charges over "flagrant abuse" by prosecutors. Among the allegations, prosecutors:

- Withheld evidence.
- Did not disclose that Vasquez was a paid FBI informant.
- Provided false evidence to the grand jury
- Tapped McCoy's telephones.
- Might have offered Vasquez a "success fee" if McCoy is convicted ...

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