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Report: Marino resigned while under DOJ investigation

Report: Marino resigned while under DOJ investigation

DOJ was investigating Marino for “serious misconduct” in role as US attorney

CLARKS SUMMIT — News broke this weekend that Tom Marino was under investigation by the Department of Justice during the Bush administration for serious abuses of his authority at the time of his sudden resignation in 2007. The investigation was prompted by Marino’s personal reference for a felon under investigation by Marino’s own office and led to his abrupt resignation. Marino, meanwhile, has refused to address the serious questions raised by the reports over the weekend. He owes it to the public to finally tell the truth.

The Allentown Morning Call reported on Saturday that at the time Marino resigned as a U.S. attorney in 2007 the Justice Department was investigating Marino for “serious misconduct” in providing a personal reference for a felon under investigation by Marino’s own office. The report also made clear that Marino, contrary to his own statements on the matter, never told his superiors at DOJ about the reference. Instead, assistants in his office reported the reference to the Department of Justice when they learned of it. The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice, Scranton Times-Tribune and Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader reported on the news of the DOJ investigation Sunday.

“This investigation of Tom Marino, according to the Justice Department, pointed to ‘serious misconduct’ on his part while in office, and raises very troubling questions about his tenure as U.S. attorney,” said Josh Drobnyk, campaign spokesman for Congressman Chris Carney (PA-10). “Tom Marino must come clean about this investigation and the truth about why he left office. It is this investigation that led to his resignation from the Justice Department in disgrace. He has lied to the people of the 10th District for months and it is now clear why. He didn’t leave on a ‘high note’ as claimed. He left in disgrace, under investigation for serious abuses of his authority.” 
 
SOURCES:

Source: Marino resigned while under review
Allentown Morning Call — Oct. 2
http://articles.mcall.com/2010-10-01/news/mc-marino-investigation-20101001_1_denaples-investigations-marino-democrat-chris-carney

Report: Marino resigned during review
Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice — Oct. 3
http://citizensvoice.com/news/report-marino-resigned-during-review-1.1042143

Newspaper: Marino was investigated
Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader — Oct. 3
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Newspaper__Marino_was_investigated_10-03-2010.html

Report: Tom Marino resigned amid DOJ investigation
Scranton Times — Oct. 3
http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/report-tom-marino-resigned-during-review-1.1042281
 
TIMELINE:
 
Oct. 3
The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice reports Tom Marino’s campaign avoiding the news that when Marino resigned in 2007 he was under investigation by the Justice Department for the reference he provided a felon under investigation by Marino’s own office.
 
Oct. 2
The Allentown Morning Call reports that Tom Marino was under investigation by the Justice Department at the time of his 2007 resignation.
 
Sept. 29
Scranton Times-Tribune writes editorial (“Marino caught in own spin”), noting that the Marino controversy “calls into question his judgment and ethics, valid issues in any campaign.”
 
Sept. 28
Marino tells the Sunbury Daily Item that he never asked for permission from DOJ to provide reference to felon under investigation by Marino’s office and that WILK’s Steve Corbett lied about having been promised a letter.
 
Sept. 26
Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice editorial says controversy raises larger questions whether the controversy was a part of a larger pattern of Marino ignoring ethically questionable and potentially illegal behavior.
 
Sept. 24
Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice reports that DOJ is confirming, on the record, that it has no record of Marino ever receiving permission to serve as a reference for a felon who was under investigation by his office.
 
Sept. 23
Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice reports on the DOJ report showing Marino was on firing line just weeks after providing reference to felon.
 
Sept. 18 Tom Marino’s spokesman is reported as saying that it’s “unclear there was any single document” that gave him permission from DOJ, according to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
 
Sept. 17 — 4:50 p.m.The Associated Press reports there are no records of Tom Marino ever seeking or obtaining permission from DOJ to serve as a reference for a felon who was under investigation by Marino’s office.
 
Sept. 17 — 3:21 p.m.Tom Marino says in a statement that there are documents that would “end this matter,” but DOJ won’t let him make them public.
 
Aug. 25, 2010 Steve Corbett writes on his blog that he’s been waiting four months for a supposed letter that Marino promised him after his appearance on the program that Marino says will prove that he had permission from DOJ to serve as a reference for a felon who was under investigation by Marino’s office.
 
May 2010
Marino tells the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader editorial board that he “went out on a high note” as U.S. Attorney, contradicting later news that he was under investigation by the Justice Department at the time of his 2007 resignation.
 
May 2010 Tom Marino’s campaign tells WILK’s Steve Corbett that Marino has a letter for him from DOJ that will prove he got permission. Marino never gives it to Corbett.
 
April 28, 2010 Tom Marino tells WILK’s Steve Corbett that he “vetted” the reference with DOJ and got the all clear.
 
Jan. 2008 Marino works for the felon for whom he provided a personal reference, making $249,999.96 a year.
 
Oct. 2007 Marino leaves office.
 
Sept. 21, 2007
Marino announces resignation, which takes effect Oct. 12, 2007.

Sept. 2007
Marino tells the Scranton Times-Tribune that he brought the reference to the attention of Justice Department superiors in January 2007 after felon’s name surfaced in an investigation his office was conducting. “They [Justice officials] ordered us to recuse ourselves,” Marino said then.
 
Aug. 24, 2007
The Allentown Morning Call reports that Marino will resign, three days after story breaks about his withdrawal from probe and the reference he provided.
 
Aug. 21, 2007The Allentown Morning Call breaks news that Marino had served as reference on felon’s casino application and was forced to withdraw from probe.
 
Jan. 2007
Marino discloses relationship with felon to the Justice Department and is ordered to withdraw from the investigation into felon.  

Nov. 2006
D. Kyle Sampson, the chief of staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, places Marino’s name on another list of targeted prosecutors.

Sept. 13, 2006
D. Kyle Sampson, the chief of staff to then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, places Marino’s name on a list of U.S. Attorneys the department “should consider pushing out.”He recommended firing Marino, saying he “perceived that Marino was not leading his office,” according to a Department of Justice report report.

Jan. 2006
A Justice Department official includes Marino on a list of “problem” prosecutors and tells a colleague she is “not sure about” him.

Dec. 2005 Marino writes personal reference for the casino application of a felon who is under investigation by his office.
 
2004Federal investigation into felon begins.
 
2002Tom Marino sworn in as U.S. attorney for Middle District of Pennsylvania.

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