By COLlive reporter
A delegation from the office of Congressman Michael Grimm, whose constituency includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, came to Crown Heights on Tuesday evening to deliver a letter.
It was a copy of what Grimm wrote to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging him to reexamine the fairness of the prosecution and trial of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, former manager of a kosher meat-plant in Iowa.
Grimm pointed out that although he has been involved in prosecuting criminals as a former FBI agent, “the manner in which the investigation against Mr. Rubashkin was conducted raises many concerns.”
“I worry that prosecutors may have received preferential treatment from the judge because of the conversations were withheld from the defendant’s counsel during the trial,” he wrote.
The letter was delivered by Aaron Ceder, director of Rep. Grimm’s constituency office, accompanied by his father, Rabbi David Ceder, who is active as a clergy liaison and councilmanic aide in Staten Island, and Rabbi Yochanan Ivry of Congregation Toras Emes of Staten Island.
Receiving the letter were Crown Heights Jewish Community Council chairman Zaki Tamir and Chanina Sperlin who deals with governmental relations.
This will be the 47th letter written to Attorney General.
COLlive asked a source familiar with the case what responses were received from Holder for these letters.
“Holder’s office has answered congressmen with a very unsubstantial, formal and vague letter saying nothing,” the source said.
Numerous legal experts, in including one of the people who wrote the book on judicial ethics, call it ex-parte communications.
The point in this case is not necessarily that they shouldn’t have talked, but that once they did, it was necessary for them to make this clear (including the full extent of these communications) to the defendant.
What is your next move to get Sholom Mordechai Halevi free from jail? Please keep up the good work and use your connections to get Sholom back to us. We have suffered enough, and we think that you can do it!
How is a pre-indictment communication an ex parte communication? In other words, if there were no formal charges filed, there could NOT have been any parties to what LATER would become a case or controversy, so then how could you accuse someone of having an ex parte communication if there was no case or controversy? (i.e. no parties) An ex parte communication is a communication for the benefit of only one PARTY, without notice to the OTHER PARTY. Thus, to have an ex parte communication you must have two parties, don’t you? However, the alleged ex parte communication was held… Read more »
We have to make this public before elections. Cannot vote for a party that is not democratic.
Unfortunately, this is what happens when you have an anti-White Attorney General, with an anti-Semite as a boss. Thankfully, politicians from both sides are supporting SMR, but it probably won’t be until after 2012 when G-dwilling Obama & Holder will be replaced, and we might see some justice.
If ur waiting for logic and sense from Eric Holder wait in the grocery store or you may die of hunger.