The New York Times, following up on a report by CQ, alleges that Democratic Rep. Jane Harman was “overheard on telephone calls intercepted by the National Security Agency agreeing to seek lenient treatment from the Bush administration for two pro-Israel lobbyists who were under investigation for espionage, current and former government officials say… One official who has seen transcripts of several wiretapped calls said she appeared to agree to intercede in exchange for help in persuading party leaders to give her” chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, a post she did not get.

Roll Call adds that the original CQ story “not only targeted Harman, but carried a stinging charge against a top Republican: that then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales stopped a federal probe of Harman’s actions so she could remain a credible ally in the Bush administration’s defense of its warrantless wiretapping program, which was about to be made public by the New York Times." MSNBC