I didn’t know this suit was still kicking around but it is.
Remember Steve Rosen, the ultimate Washington player, who was fired by AIPAC after being indicted under the Espionage Act of 1917. The case never went to trial, no doubt because of political influence being brought against the Justice Department. (You may recall when former Congresswoman, and House Intelligence Committee big shot, neocon Jane Harman, was reported to have offered to weigh in. No doubt she was not alone).
AIPAC desperately didn’t want Rosen to go to trial because of the facts about AIPAC that would come out in a judicial proceeding. Not surprisingly, the government dropped the case.
Rosen was left high and dry. AIPAC washed it hands of him, said that nothing he did was authorized by them and that he was a rogue employee. It would never ask one of its staffers to do the things Rosen was accused of doing. Never!
After the case was dropped, Rosen sued AIPAC for defaming his character, arguing that everything he did was a natural and expected part of his work. That is, of course, true.
I worked at AIPAC for four years during Rosen’s tenure and he pretty much ran the place. He did that (even though he was not the head of the organization) because of the juicy information he was always getting from within the government. Rosen had his people at the White House, State, the Pentagon, the Hill and elsewhere and the information he got from them was and is AIPAC’s bread and butter. His spookiness was why he was paid the big bucks.
I cannot stand Rosen, a real rightwing nutjob. But when AIPAC tossed him overboard for doing the job for which he was being paid, it was pretty disgusting. Talk about no honor among thieves.
I’m happy to hear Rosen has not dropped his case. I doubt he will prevail when AIPAC’s friends are all over all three branches of government but I’d love to see it. Even though I don’t like him, I’d like to see him own AIPAC’s 8-story building overlooking the Capitol. Actually, I’d like to see him own the whole place and shut it down.
A guy can dream.
