Federal agents raided the office and home of U.S. Special Counsel Scott Bloch on Tuesday while investigating whether the nation's top protector of whistle-blowers destroyed evidence potentially showing he retaliated against his own staff. Computers and documents were seized during the raid on the special counsel's downtown office, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing inquiry. "It's like finding out that your town fire chief is an arsonist," said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Protection, a whistle-blower group.

Actress' stalker facing jail time

A former mental patient obsessed with Uma Thurman faces up to a year in jail after a New York jury convicted him of stalking and harassing the actress with a barrage of frightening advances. Jack Jordan, 37, showed no emotion as the jury forewoman said he was guilty of stalking and one count of aggravated harassment. The verdict comes after a weeklong trial that featured testimony from Thurman, who told the jury she was "completely freaked out" by Jordan's behavior.

Sect leader nabbed on sex charges

The leader of an apocalyptic sect was arrested on sex charges and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said. Authorities charged Wayne Bent with three counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Sgt. Bobbie Long of the Clayton, N.M., Police Department said. Authorities did not say whether the charges were related to the recent removal of two girls and a boy, all under 18, from the compound in an area near the Colorado line.

Bush nominates 3 to election panel

President Bush nominated two new Republicans and one new Democrat to the Federal Election Commission in an attempt to break a Senate confirmation deadlock that had paralyzed the agency. Bush resisted efforts to withdraw the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky, a former Justice Department official whom he nominated in 2007 but who had not been able to win Senate votes to get confirmed. A former GOP chairman in Fulton County, von Spakovsky had angered many Democrats for his role in backing Georgia's voter photo ID law when he was a lawyer at Justice.

Reputed arms smuggler indicted

New York prosecutors announced an indictment against a reputed Russian arms smuggler who they say tried to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans. The indictment charges Viktor Bout with four terrorism offenses, including conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.

Judge resigns after odd plea in court

A district court judge in Durham, N.C. —- who made an odd plea from the bench asking lawmakers to fight gang violence —- has resigned after 11 years in office. Judge Craig Brown was criticized for the comments made during an initial court hearing for a Durham teen accused of killing University of North Carolina student body president Eve Carson of Athens and another college student. Authorities have not said Laurence Lovette, 17, was a gang member.