FBI Investigates Nevada's Republican Governor

Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio have had Republican Governors who were the by-word for corruption. Ohio can be proud that in November 2006 they rejected the corruption of their state's Republican party. In New York State we just saw the end of a less blatant form of Republican corruption as Pataki left office.

Nevada seems to be the latest place where a Republican Governor is taking the path of corruption...and even the FBI is taking an interest. Nevada Republican Governor Jim Gibbons is being investigated corruption he engaged in while in Congress as a buddy of the corrupt Republicans Tom DeLay (indicted) and Bob Ney (in jail). In fact, Gibbons seems to have engaged in almost exactly the kind of corruption that brought down California Republican Congresman Randy Cunningham (in jail). From Salon.com:

The FBI is investigating whether Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons failed to properly report gifts or payments from a software company that was awarded secret military contracts when he was in Congress.

A federal law enforcement official confirmed the FBI probe Thursday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said the inquiry is focusing on what role Gibbons played in awarding contracts to eTreppid Technologies LLC...

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that new evidence had emerged in a lawsuit in Reno, including e-mails to Trepp discussing a payment or gifts to then-Rep. Gibbons. The e-mails also show Gibbons using his congressional office to help the company seek classified military and civilian contracts, the newspaper said.

"Please don't forget to bring the money you promised Jim and Dawn," Trepp's wife, Jale Trepp, said in a March 22, 2005, e-mail days before Trepp and his wife embarked on the Caribbean cruise with Jim Gibbons and his wife, Dawn, a former Nevada state assemblywoman.

According to the Journal, Trepp responded minutes later saying: "Don't you ever send this kind of message to me! Erase this message from your computer right now!"

Gibbons, who served on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, did not disclose the cruise and travel on Trepp's leased private jet, as required by House ethics rules. He later asked the House Ethics Committee for an exemption, but left office before any action was taken....

Trepp, a former chief trader for convicted junk-bond dealer Michael Milken, also has denied any wrongdoing. He did not immediately return calls Thursday to his office in Reno.

Is there room in Randy Cunningham's jail cell for another corrupt Halliburton Republican?