Former federal prosecutor decries William Ayers link

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
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Former federal prosecutor decries William Ayers link

Former federal prosecutor decries William Ayers link

William C. Ibershof, who in 1973 tried to convict the former radical, is 'amazed and outraged' over John McCain's attempts to raise doubts about Barack Obama.
By Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2008
One of the more unusual voices to emerge in the clamor over the character attacks in the presidential race belongs to William C. Ibershof, a former federal prosecutor who now lives near San Francisco.

In 1973, Ibershof tried to put William Ayers, a founding member of the Weather Underground, in prison for an alleged conspiracy to bomb political targets. Ayers, now an education professor in Chicago, has become a fixture in John McCain's attempt to raise doubts about Barack Obama.


Former federal prosecutor decries William Ayers link
William C. Ibershof, who in 1973 tried to convict the former radical, is 'amazed and outraged' over John McCain's attempts to raise doubts about Barack Obama.
By Gale Holland, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 13, 2008
One of the more unusual voices to emerge in the clamor over the character attacks in the presidential race belongs to William C. Ibershof, a former federal prosecutor who now lives near San Francisco.

In 1973, Ibershof tried to put William Ayers, a founding member of the Weather Underground, in prison for an alleged conspiracy to bomb political targets. Ayers, now an education professor in Chicago, has become a fixture in John McCain's attempt to raise doubts about Barack Obama.

Obama met Ayers when the former radical hosted an event to introduce Obama at the start of his political career. The two have served together on boards, but are not close.

"It seemed manifestly unfair to tar him with this association," Ibershof said in a telephone interview this weekend from his home in Mill Valley. "Sen. Obama had known Ayers during a period he was named Citizen of the Year in Chicago, not when he was committing those terrorist acts."

So Ibershof wrote a letter to the New York Times, saying he was "amazed and outraged" that Obama was being linked to the former radical's terrorist activities, which occurred when "Mr. Obama, was, as he has noted, just a child."

Ibershof, a registered Democrat, has donated about $200 to Obama's presidential campaign, but the 73-year-old former prosecutor said nobody put him up to his protest.

"I came to this gradually but surely watching the campaign," Ibershof said. "It just didn't make any sense to me."

In the letter, Ibershof also defends his reputation, taking issue with the characterization that the case against Ayers was dismissed for "prosecutorial misconduct." The government dropped the case after the Nixon administration's "illegal activities, including wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions," were exposed, he said.

Ibershof was a young prosecutor in Detroit in 1972 when he took over the prosecution of the radical Weathermen. Ayers, the group's "education minister" who was then in hiding, and 14 other Weather Underground leaders had been accused of plotting at a 1969 meeting in Flint, Mich., to launch a terror campaign.

Ibershof said the bombings were thought to include a 1970 pipe bomb attack on a San Francisco police station, which killed an officer. The crime has never been solved.

But before the trial even began, some of the defense lawyers asserted their offices had been broken into and searched, Ibershof said.

He also discovered the government had illegally bugged some of the defendants. "I had a sizable room full of files with wiretaps that were not obtained by court order," he said.

The illegal tactics were ordered by Atty. Gen. John N. Mitchell and FBI assistant director W. Mark Felt, who was later unmasked as the Watergate scandal's "Deep Throat," Ibershof said. They were part of a plan, exposed during the Watergate hearings, to use "espionage techniques" to gather intelligence on domestic foes.

Even after the revelations, Ibershof believed that he could have prevailed. But after a federal judge ordered a sweeping hearing on the burglary and surveillance charges, the government decided in 1973 to drop the case in the interests of national security, he said.

McCain supporters have denounced Ayers as an "unrepentant terrorist." Ibershof said he believes people deserve a chance to redeem themselves, "a human reaction anyone would have."

After leaving the prosecutor's office, Ibershof moved to San Francisco in 1975 and opened a business litigation practice. He retired about 10 years ago. He said he was unaware of the blizzard of blog postings, pro and con, about his letter. But he has heard from some friends.

"They thought it was a good letter," he said.

Text of letter

To the Editor:

Re ?Politics of Attack? (editorial, Oct. 8) and ?Obama and ?60s Bomber: A Look Into Crossed Paths? (front page, Oct. 4):

As the lead federal prosecutor of the Weathermen in the 1970s (I was then chief of the criminal division in the Eastern District of Michigan and took over the Weathermen prosecution in 1972), I am amazed and outraged that Senator Barack Obama is being linked to William Ayers?s terrorist activities 40 years ago when Mr. Obama was, as he has noted, just a child.

Although I dearly wanted to obtain convictions against all the Weathermen, including Bill Ayers, I am very pleased to learn that he has become a responsible citizen.

Because Senator Obama recently served on a board of a charitable organization with Mr. Ayers cannot possibly link the senator to acts perpetrated by Mr. Ayers so many years ago.

I do take issue with the statement in your news article that the Weathermen indictment was dismissed because of ?prosecutorial misconduct.? It was dismissed because of illegal activities, including wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, initiated by John N. Mitchell, attorney general at that time, and W. Mark Felt, an F.B.I. assistant director.

William C. Ibershof

Mill Valley, Calif., Oct. 8, 2008

I searched and was surprised to find this hadn't been posted yet.

Given that it is become more and more clear that these Ayers allegations have no substance whatsoever, it begs the question as to why the McCain campaign is not only continuing, but escalating, these filthy low-ball attacks and Wallace-esque fear tactics. Agitprop indeed.
There comes a point in negative campaigning IMO when the ethics and morality of the candidate doing the mudslinging comes into question, and I believe that John McCain long ago passed that point.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
I didn't realize ayers was chicago citizen of the year at that point. I knew this was desperate, but that's really bad. Obviously he's turned a leaf and the "wish I'd done more" that some here may mention was vague; Ayers later meant did more to stop the war, not bomb more. But who cares, these people are just looking for reason to hate Obama they don't really care whether they're valid or not.
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
1
76
www.ShawCAD.com
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?
 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
3
0
So in other words, GWB&co could open up the case against Ayers and try to obtain a conviction, even at this late date. But clearly the GOP would rather milk it for publicity. And speak of publicity, why has not the justice department tried to prosecute William Jeffers for the $92,000 in his freezer?
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
1
76
www.ShawCAD.com
Originally posted by: Skoorb
I didn't realize ayers was chicago citizen of the year at that point. I knew this was desperate, but that's really bad. Obviously he's turned a leaf and the "wish I'd done more" that some here may mention was vague; Ayers later meant did more to stop the war, not bomb more. But who cares, these people are just looking for reason to hate Obama they don't really care whether they're valid or not.

lol, what do you think the bombings were supposed to do. The terrorists thought they could stop the war by doing that. So yes, "doing more" likely means more terrorism because that's what that group did.
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

F'n apologists!

:roll:
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
47,406
136
Who here isn't surprised that:

1.) CAD showed up to foam about Ayers some more.
2.) It appears that CAD didn't read the guy's letter where he states that not putting Ayers in jail was due to misconduct by the AG's office, not his own.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: Dari
Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

What? And put the oil companies out of business??
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
1
76
www.ShawCAD.com
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

I have no anger. Plus it's plenty windy today for Iowa's wind turbines to be running full tilt. :)
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
1
76
www.ShawCAD.com
Originally posted by: eskimospy
Who here isn't surprised that:

1.) CAD showed up to foam about Ayers some more.
2.) It appears that CAD didn't read the guy's letter where he states that not putting Ayers in jail was due to misconduct by the AG's office, not his own.

1. Responding to yet another liberal attempt to gloss over BHO's ayers connection? Yeah, I guess that's "foaming". :roll:

2. It appears eskimospy didn't read my post carefully enough. I didn't say this guy was responsible for the technicallity that got Ayers off. However, his agency still couldn't put the guy in prison - there was likely much more they could have tried to get him on but didn't for whatever reason. Hell, they put other members in jail... Meh.. Sounds like this guy is a BHO supporter. Anyone want to place bets on it?
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

I have no anger. Plus it's plenty windy today for Iowa's wind turbines to be running full tilt. :)

Could've fooled me. Sometimes you remind me of the cows in Texas when they're in heat. They tend to be very aggressive and frustrated.
 

CADsortaGUY

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
25,162
1
76
www.ShawCAD.com
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

I have no anger. Plus it's plenty windy today for Iowa's wind turbines to be running full tilt. :)

Could've fooled me. Sometimes you remind me of the cows in Texas when they're in heat. They tend to be very aggressive and frustrated.

lol, it's hilarious how much you people try to project anger on people like me. I have no anger, other than frsustration at Conservatives who keep supporting spineless Republicans and Democrats. But that has nothing to do with my posting about BHO. I laugh every time I post because you BHO people are hilarious in your denial and apologism of him. But if you want to call it "anger" to make yourself feel better - have at it.
 

Vic

Elite Member
Jun 12, 2001
50,415
14,303
136
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: eskimospy
Who here isn't surprised that:

1.) CAD showed up to foam about Ayers some more.
2.) It appears that CAD didn't read the guy's letter where he states that not putting Ayers in jail was due to misconduct by the AG's office, not his own.

1. Responding to yet another liberal attempt to gloss over BHO's ayers connection? Yeah, I guess that's "foaming". :roll:

2. It appears eskimospy didn't read my post carefully enough. I didn't say this guy was responsible for the technicallity that got Ayers off. However, his agency still couldn't put the guy in prison - there was likely much more they could have tried to get him on but didn't for whatever reason. Hell, they put other members in jail... Meh.. Sounds like this guy is a BHO supporter. Anyone want to place bets on it?

1. What liberal attempt? This is from the lead federal prosecutor of the case against the Weathermen.

2. Either this is selective stupidity on your part or you are ignorant of how the justice system works. It's not the prosecutor's fault if the investigators act illegally in the course of their investigations. He is forced to make his case based on the information they provide him, just like any DA relies upon the police detectives. If a judge finds that the investigative information was obtained illegally, particularly with such glaring errors as warrantless wiretaps, break-ins and mail interceptions, there is usually little he can do about it, except try to make his case without the disqualified evidence as best he can. Your final rant on this is just a stupid and deplorable shoot-the-messenger personal attack with no evidence or basis in fact except you don't like what he's saying.

"Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last? Have you no sense of decency?"
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
The faux outrage really is touching, CSG, in that "bad touching" sort of way...

It's a loser. No matter how many times you play it, it'll still be a loser.

The "conservative" cause has become an embarassment to the body politic, and the sooner this election is over, the better. When the sellout "maverick" goes home to Arizona and his running mate returns to the land of pork and honey, their supporters will be able to stoke their inchoate rage and impenetrable denial somewhere out in the political wilderness, where they belong, where their empty emotional rhetoric and soundbite ideology has left them...
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
0
0
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: eskimospy
Who here isn't surprised that:

1.) CAD showed up to foam about Ayers some more.
2.) It appears that CAD didn't read the guy's letter where he states that not putting Ayers in jail was due to misconduct by the AG's office, not his own.

1. Responding to yet another liberal attempt to gloss over BHO's ayers connection? Yeah, I guess that's "foaming". :roll:

Nobody is "glossing over it", we're just questioning the point of bringing it up over and over again. Yeah, Obama knew this guy who did some bad stuff in the past...what's your point? The inability of conservatives to provide much of a point is the reason you get such a bad reception when you keep trying to squeeze blood from this particular stone.

 

smashp

Platinum Member
Aug 30, 2003
2,443
0
0
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

I have no anger. Plus it's plenty windy today for Iowa's wind turbines to be running full tilt. :)

Could've fooled me. Sometimes you remind me of the cows in Texas when they're in heat. They tend to be very aggressive and frustrated.


Yeah its incredable How hot and bothered someone who "doesnt have a horse" in this race could get
 

Dari

Lifer
Oct 25, 2002
17,134
38
91
Originally posted by: smashp
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

I have no anger. Plus it's plenty windy today for Iowa's wind turbines to be running full tilt. :)

Could've fooled me. Sometimes you remind me of the cows in Texas when they're in heat. They tend to be very aggressive and frustrated.


Yeah its incredable How hot and bothered someone who "doesnt have a horse" in this race could get

Notice how his frustration and anger is uni-directional.
 

Tab

Lifer
Sep 15, 2002
12,145
0
71
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

Ayers, has said that he's sorry for what he has done and wished he had done things differently. On the wikipedia page there's a link to a couple interviews of Ayers.
 

ProfJohn

Lifer
Jul 28, 2006
18,251
8
0
I think the guy's letter is meaningless.

We are not connecting Obama to Ayers terrorist acts.

We are asking why Obama choose to associate himself with a know terrorist.

BTW the guy is an Obama supporter who gave Obama's campaign money. Sort of makes him a biased source.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

Wrong. The *Republican Party*, led by the respectable Richard Nixon, was at its highest levels approving illegal violations of civil rights for spying on its enemies and political opponents, and by so doing, ruined the ability of the government to prosecute Ayers, as correctly ordered by a judge. You blame the prosecutory who did nothing wrong, and excuse your party who did much wrong. Can anyone doubt you would have voted for Nixon over McGovernn? And probably have defended his actions at the time?

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?[/quote]

Your party defends protecting the man who blew up a Cuban civilian airliner - being given amnesty here in the US instead of brought to justice.

John McCain has consorted with criminals like the despicable G. Gordon Liddy, who offered to kill a reporter for Nixon. He's had to apologize for his associations from his good buddy Charles Keating - think family ski trips - to the reverand whose endorsement he sought despite the reverand's immoral bigotry against groups from Catholics to gay people (the latter of which he has never yet renounced).

You have nothing better to offer the presidential election that the asinine talking point about Ayers. It's embarrassing for you.
 

dmcowen674

No Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
54,894
47
91
www.alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Dari
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

Why don't you put some of your anger to good use and go blow the wind turbines.

:laugh:
 

classy

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
15,219
1
81
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
lol, so the guy who's agency couldn't put an unrepentant terrorist in jail is whining about the link? Boo f'n hoo.

It doesn't matter a bit that Ayers has been praised by the liberal freaks in Chicago - he's still an unrepentant terrorist. Anyone with two functioning brain cells would know to not have such close associations with his type. But I guess if it's OK for the chicago liberal political machine....it must be ok with the rest of the nation...:roll:

You people are hilarious in your continued apologism for BHO's many questionable associations. Do you people not see how that could be cause for concern that a candidate has had to repeatedly denouce/renounce people once they were made known?

So if he repented would everything ok then?
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY
I didn't say this guy was responsible for the technicallity that got Ayers off. However, his agency still couldn't put the guy in prison - there was likely much more they could have tried to get him on but didn't for whatever reason.

What part of the *Republican* administration who had done the misconduct deciding not to prosecute did you not understand from the story?