It was announced Tuesday that Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been indicted in a South Texas county prison case.
According to the indictment, Cheney was involved in organized criminal activity related to an investment in the Vanguard Group, a company that held financial interests in private prison companies. Cheney's alleged link to the prison companies created a conflict of interest, the indictment noted. It also accused Cheney of "at least misdemeanor assaults" on detainees.
Gonzales, meanwhile, was accused of using his position of Attorney General to halt an investigation in 2006 that was looking into alleged abuses at one of the prisons.
The grand jury apparently came to the decision to indict the two men "with great sadness" and said they had no other choice but to indict them because "we love our country."
Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said Cheney had not received a copy of the indictment and did not comment on the story.
Meanwhile, Gonzales' attorney, George Terwilliger, said, "This is obviously a bogus charge on its face, as any good prosecutor can recognize." He further added he hoped authorities in Texas would stop "this abuse of the criminal justice system."
The indictment was made on Monday but not announced until Tuesday. The judge had not yet signed the indictment, so no action would be taken against either Cheney or Gonzales until the indictment was signed.
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