Indiana Undercover: Dan Mitrione And The Birth Of Extraordinary Rendition

Dan Mitrione

The subject of extraordinary rendition became a hotly-debated topic during the U.S. government's war on terror following 9/11 after news reports brought to light the practice of the CIA transferring captured terrorist suspects to foreign detention facilities, such as the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where they are considered to be outside the jurisdiction of the American criminal justice system and subjecting them to various forms of torture during interrogation. What you probably don't know is the early role a little-known police officer from Richmond, Indiana, Dan Mitrione, played in the CIA's earlier use of extraordinary rendition in various Latin America countries.

Mitrione was born in Italy in 1920 and his family later emigrated to the United States. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Mitrione began work as a cop for the Richmond police department in 1945. By 1955, he became the department's police chief. Mitrione came in contact with one of Indiana's most infamous residents, Rev. Jim Jones, while working as a Richmond cop. Jones began a sidewalk ministry in Richmond's black neighborhood when he was only 15 years old. It's unclear the nature of their relationship. Some believe that Mitrione counseled Jones as a police officer would counsel a child, while others believe Mitrione used Jones as an informant within Richmond's black community. Whatever their relationship, many years later Jones would be quoted as speaking very negatively of Mitrione to his followers at the People's Temple in Guyana. "There was one guy that I knew growing up in Richmond, a cruel, cruel person . . . a vicious racist." Mitrione and Jones would cross paths again later, but that's the subject of another post.

Report: Jackson, Jr. Tipped Off About Federal Probe Before Becoming Mentally Ill

This should come as no surprise. The Sun-Times reports that former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) received a tip last June shortly before he went on leave from Congress, claiming to be suffering from a mental illness, that he was under investigation by the FBI for misappropriating campaign funds. The Sun-Times couldn't confirm if the tip came from someone involved in the federal investigation; however, Jackson was also involved in the investigation of the attempt by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sell the Senate seat of Barack Obama shortly after his election in 2008. In that case, then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald tipped off reporters for the Chicago Tribune according to a new book on the Blagojevich crime spree, "Golden," who then revealed that the governor's telephone conversations had been wiretapped. The working theory is that Fitzgerald wanted to protect the newly-elected President and his close advisers, including Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, from being implicated in the scheme. Fitzgerald's investigation ignored evidence offered by witnesses that Obama had accepted bribes from convicted political fixer Tony Rezko.

Jackson stopped showing up for work on June 10. After weeks of speculation, his staff finally confirmed he had checked himself into the Mayo Clinic for treatment of a purported mental illness. His office later claimed he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the mental disorder of choice for people who don't want to accept responsibility for their bad acts. Jackson never appeared publicly again after that point, although he was spotted having drinks with friends in a Washington bar in the weeks prior to the November election. Despite his leave from his job and his failure to campaign for re-election, voters in his district re-elected him by a landslide only to learn a couple of weeks after his re-election that he was resigning his seat amidst rumors he may enter into a plea agreement in connection with the federal investigation. Jackson's use of campaign funds on a Washington mistress, personal furnishings for his home and consulting payments to his wife, a Chicago alderman, is what has reportedly drawn the scrutiny of federal investigators.

Reports Of Jackson Suicide Attempt Denied

U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. has been missing from Washington for a month now. After early rumors of his absence began circulating, his congressional staff belatedly put out a press release saying that he was taking time off to be treated by his physician for exhaustion. Today, pressure began to mount from members of Jackson's own political party to be more forthcoming as little information about his condition had been revealed publicly and as news reports indicated that he may not return to work until after Labor Day. WLS radio aired a report this afternoon claiming that Jackson had attempted to commit suicide. Jackson's father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. attempted to put down that rumor according to Politico:

But the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., in an interview with POLITICO, pushed back on an unconfirmed report that his 47-year-old son attempted suicide.

The elder Jackson was responding to a “rumor” broadcast by an Illinois radio station Tuesday. WLS of Chicago cited “two high-ranking people on the Democratic side of the aisle, in both fundraising and in the legislative branch” as the source of this information, none of which it had confirmed with Jackson’s office or family.

“No, that’s not true,” Jackson Sr. told POLITICO. “He’s with his doctor and getting treatment, regaining his strength. That’s all I really want to say at this point.”

Jackson Sr. added there was “no truth” to the WLS broadcast. “None at all,” he said.

An aide to the congressman also said the WLS report was inaccurate.

The timing of Jackson's medical leave is suspect. It came on the heels of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago announcing the indictment of  Raghuveer Nayak, an Illinois businessman who has helped Jackson raise campaign dough. Allegations surfaced during the investigation of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's efforts to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama that Jackson had engaged Nayak to solicit campaign contributions to help him purchase an appointment to the Senate seat. Jackson was also forced to apologize after reports surfaced that he had carried on an extramarital relationship with a Washington hostess. Nayak reportedly purchased roundtrip airline tickets for the mistress to travel to Chicago.

Some in the Illinois media were relentless in demanding answers from Illinois' junior Senator, Mark Kirk, after he had to undergo emergency brain surgery to correct a life-threatening condition that was causing him to suffer symptoms of a stroke. The Chicago Tribune reported that Kirk used an assumed name, Hillel Underwood, when he checked into a Chicago hospital for treatment instead of his real name. An aide to Sen. Kirk said the Senate counsels members to use assumed names under such conditions.

Eric Elk, a top Kirk aide, wrote in an email that the senator used the alias Hillel Underwood to "enhance his privacy" and to "reduce the chances of unwanted visitors during his medical crisis" when he checked into Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Jan. 21.

Elk said Kirk "follows procedures recommended to members of Congress by the sergeant at arms, including using a pseudonym when checking into the hospital."

Chicago native Terry Gainer, who formerly led the Illinois State Police, is Senate sergeant at arms. Gainer said Friday that he was aware "early on" that Kirk was going to be hospitalized, but he could not recall when he discussed with the senator using an alias, which Gainer said was a "protective measure."

"I don't know that there was a threat, but I know he or his staff was concerned to want that privacy," Gainer said. In the past, he said, he has "very infrequently" counseled senators to use pseudonyms when checking into a hospital.

The late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson reportedly used an assumed name when she checked into Methodist Hospital for treatment. Carson's staff concealed from the public the fact that she was suffering a terminal illness when she was seeking re-election in 2006. Carson fell ill shortly after her re-election and performed little work in Congress before dying in late 2007. The groundwork in the interim was laid by her campaign operatives to ensure that her grandson, Andre Carson, would succeed her when a special election to replace her occurred. The plan worked marvelously.

UPDATE: NBC News' Andrea Mitchell took a crack at uncovering what ails Jackson. She reported today that had been admitted to a rehab facility in Arizona for treatment of an alcohol and drug addiction. Jackson's office quickly denied that he was being treated for alcohol or drug addiction. The report did get his office to admit that he was being treated for a "mood disorder" at an undisclosed inpatient facility outside of Chicago. From the Sun-Times:

“The Congressman is receiving intensive medical treatment at a residential treatment facility for a mood disorder. He is responding positively to treatment,” according to a statement from the congressman’s office, citing Jackson’s unnamed physician.

In the statement, Jackson’s office noted: “In addition, the rumors about him being treated for alcohol or substance abuse is not true.”

The brief, carefully worded statement was released after NBC News reported that Jackson was being treated for alcoholism and addiction at an Arizona facility.

The network’s Andrea Mitchell, citing unnamed friends, reported the allegation of addiction Wednesday evening. But the network also quoted Jackson’s wife, Ald. Sandi Jackson, denying he was in rehab.

The Sun-Times took a crack at defining what a "mood disorder" is:

Mental Health America, formerly the National Mental Health Association, says there are four basic forms of mood disorders: “major depression, cyclothymia (a mild form of bipolar disorder), SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and mania (euphoric, hyperactive, over inflated ego, unrealistic optimism.)”

According to the Mayo Clinic, “If you have a mood disorder, your general emotional state or mood is distorted or inconsistent with your circumstances. The most common mood disorders are depression and bipolar disorder (also called manic depression). Another mood disorder is seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression most often associated with fewer hours of daylight in the far northern and southern latitudes from late fall to early spring.”