Holder In The Hot Seat; 14 Years For Bagojevich
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Live from Washington, I'm Suzanne Malveaux. I want to get you up to speed for this Thursday, December 8th. We're going to begin live in Pittsburgh. That is where attorneys are about to announce a civil lawsuit against Bernie Fine. He is the fired Syracuse assistant basketball coach. Zach Tomaselli claims that Fine fondled him in a Pittsburgh hotel room back in 2002 when he was 13 years old. Now, Tomaselli plans to discuss these allegations very shortly. We're going to bring you his remarks live. We should also note, however, that authorities are questioning Tomaselli's credibility based on records from the Syracuse basketball team's travel, as well as hotel. Also, Tomaselli announced this week he is going to plead guilty to sexually assaulting a boy in Maine. Well, the Syracuse district attorney says he can't prosecute Bernie Fine for allegedly molesting two former ball boys. That is because the statute of limitations has now expired. Bobby Davis and Mike Lang claim that they were sexually abused during the 1980s. The D.A. does say that he believes both of these guys are telling the truth. He told our Gary Tuchman a nanny who worked in the Fine home had suspicions.</s>BILL FITZPATRICK, ONONDAGA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: She didn't physically witness any molestation, but clearly body language, affect, the way they talked to each other, the way they acted around each other, the conversation she had with Laurie Fine, there's no question that --</s>GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Like, for example, when it came to Bernie, what did she say about the way Bernie Fine acted that made her know that they were having a sexual --</s>FITZPATRICK: The way they would do things, the way they would watch TV, the way they would eat food together, the way they would suddenly disappear together.</s>MALVEAUX: Now, Bernie Fine's attorneys have not yet responded to the accusations allegedly made by the nanny. Meanwhile, Jerry Sandusky could be getting out of jail this afternoon. The former Penn State assistant football coach was arrested again yesterday after two more young men came forward to accuse him of sexual abuse. Now, this brings the total number of alleged victims to 10. Sandusky could be released on a $250,000 cash bail. Attorney General Eric Holder, he is in the hot seat on Capitol Hill this morning. A House committee is investigating possible wrongdoing in a gun sting operation known as Fast & Furious. It allowed illegally purchased firearms to be taken from Arizona to drug cartels in Mexico. Some House Republicans say that Holder should resign, but the A.G. is now standing his ground.</s>ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: The use of this misguided tactic is inexcusable and it must never happen again. Soon after learning about the allegations raised by ATF agents involved with Fast & Furious, I took action designed to ensure accountability.</s>MALVEAUX: So, also set to take some heat on Capitol Hill, former U.S. senator and governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. He was chief executive officer of the investment firm MF Global when it collapsed in the eighth largest bankruptcy in U.S. history. So, lawmakers want to know what happened and why an estimated $1.2 billion -- that's billions -- in client funds are now unaccounted for. In prepared testimony today, Corzine apologized for his firm's failure, but says he doesn't know where the missing money went. Politics, all about momentum, mojo. Well, Newt Gingrich, clearly, he's got his wind at the back right it in the race for the Republican nomination. A new CNN polling shows the former House Speaker surging now to the front of the pack in critical first primary states. What are we talking about? Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, all by double-digits leads. And he is nipping at Mitt Romney's heels in New Hampshire. As Gingrich tells our Wolf Blitzer, this is quickly becoming what he says is a two-man race.</s>WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Too early to say that it's yours to lose?</s>NEWT GINGRICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes. Well, I mean, it's either Romney or mine. Those are the two -- in a sense, the two front-runners.</s>BLITZER: What about the other candidates?</s>GINGRICH: We're the two front-runners. I think it's a fair thing to say without diminishing anybody. Both of us have different kinds of strengths, but Romney's a very formidable opponent.</s>MALVEAUX: All right. He's going from governor to inmate. Rod Blagojevich has 90 days to report to prison. The former Illinois governor was sentenced yesterday to 14 years for corruption that included trying to sell President Obama's old Senate seat. In court, Blagojevich said he was unbelievably sorry. But the judge said the apology came too late. So, Rod Blagojevich just got sentenced to 14 years in prison, but does the time fit the crime? Carol Costello joining us from New York with today's "Talk Back" question. Hey, Carol. A lot of people are raising their eyebrows about this one.</s>CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fourteen years is say long time, right? It's safe to say, Suzanne, the judge threw the book at Rod Blagojevich. Fourteen years for, among other things, selling a Senate seat for personal political gain. Make no mistake, U.S. District Judge James Zagel made an example of the man of a million hair jokes.</s>PATRICK FITZGERALD, U.S. ATTORNEY: Today's sentenced of 14 years on former governor Blagojevich sends a strong message that the public has had enough and judges have had enough. This needs to stop.</s>COSTELLO: Not many would disagree with that, but 14 years? Dr. Conrad Murray only got four years for causing Michael Jackson's death. DePaul law professor Len Cavise told "The Chicago Sun-Times," "I think it's outrageous." Cavise likened the sentence to cruel and unusual punishment. He says, "I think it's outrageous. The judge and the prosecution went off the deep end on this one." After all, former congressman and majority leader Tom DeLay appeared on "Dancing With the Stars" while charges of money laundering swirled around him. Congressman Bob Ney got 30 months for conspiracy. Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham got eight years for accepting bribes and tax evasion. Richard Nixon, he got zero time. Clearly, Mr. Blagojevich is not happy to be the example the public has had enough.</s>ROD BLAGOJEVICH (D), FMR. ILLINOIS GOVERNOR: We're going to keep fighting on through this adversity and see you soon.</s>COSTELLO: Yet, he and many other politicians have violated something that ought to be sacred -- your trust. So we want to take the conversation one step further. The "Talk Back" question today: Should politicians be subject to harsher punishments for wrongdoing? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. I'll read your comments later this hour.</s>MALVEAUX: All right. Great question, Carol. Thanks. Here's a rundown of some of the stories that we are covering. First, a former assistant coach at Syracuse University avoids criminal sex abuse charges. Well, now an alleged victim is finding a new way to seek justice. And the families of dozens of women who took this birth control pill say they died because of it. Now the company stands accused of hiding evidence. Then, New Jersey's former governor tells Congress he doesn't know where the money went. Jon Corzine forced to talk about the millions of investor dollars that his company lost. And later, rare, amazing video of a Marine firefight in Afghanistan captured by the lens of a Marine photographer.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You hear about people being battle-tested. This one tested the voice (ph).