NYT: "Law enforcement officials said the investigation of Mr. Weldon had been under way for several months. The officials said authorities did not confirm the existence of the investigation or conduct the searches, until after news organizations learned of it. It is not known how McClatchy Newspapers, which first reported the inquiry on Saturday, learned of it."

The WP report touches on that: "Prosecutors are usually loath to conduct raids against a public official so close to an election. But some involved in the investigation debated whether holding off could also appear to have been influenced by the election, sources said."

Posted by Laura at October 16, 2006 09:52 PM