Justice Department Q&A
Q: Why would the Bush Justice Department force out adequately performing U.S. attorneys around the country in favor of political hatchet men, such as Tim Griffin in Little Rock?
A: See this McClatchy newspaper story today:
The U.S. attorney from New Mexico who was recently fired by the Bush administration said Wednesday that he believes he was forced out because he refused to rush an indictment in an ongoing probe of local Democrats a month before November's Congressional elections.
David Iglesias said two members of Congress separately called in mid October to inquire about the timing of an ongoing probe of a kickback scheme and appeared eager for an indictment to be issued on the eve of the elections in order to benefit the Republicans. He refused to name the members of Congress because he said he feared retaliation.
Couldn't happen here. Right?
UPDATE: Action today in the Senate with Dem. Sen. Patrick Leahy offering an amendment to 9/11 legislation to revoke the little-noticed kicker in the Patriot Act that has allowed the Bush administration to install U.S. attorneys for unlimited interim periods without Senate confirmation.
Comments
kudos for keeping this unfolding story cooking.
but i fear that the battle over these appointments and the Patriot Act provision that enabled them is not going to be resolved satisfactorily during W's term, and ultimately we are seeing the 90 or so U.S. Attorney slots join the Federal and Supreme Court Judges in the permanent partisan wars.
then again, in politics, there are always 'unintended consequences'. the next POTUS can fire all of the USA's on the first day and appoint "temporary" replacements for the duration of their term, all without Senate confirmation.
Posted by: muleboy303![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 28, 2007 04:02 PM
The truth just keeps on coming. Pravda, where are you? You so adamantly defended Griffin in recent weeks but everytime the story pops up again, you're nowhere to be found. Change your mind? See the light? There is a pattern and this administration is pathetic.
Posted by: publicschoolsrus![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 28, 2007 04:25 PM
more good news from Schumer...
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002648.php
Posted by: muleboy303![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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February 28, 2007 04:51 PM
According to the lead in a Washington Post article -
A senior Justice Department official acknowledged yesterday that a top federal prosecutor in Arkansas was removed to make room for a former aide to presidential adviser Karl Rove, but he said that six other U.S. attorneys were fired for "performance-related" issues.
Did we read that right? Yes - further paragraph:
A seventh former U.S. attorney, Bud Cummins of Little Rock, has said that he was asked to leave last year to open the job for J. Timothy Griffin, who previously worked for Rove and for the Republican National Committee. McNulty did not dispute that characterization yesterday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/06/AR2007020600732.html
Posted by: mag![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/nav-commenters.gif)
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March 1, 2007 12:44 AM